Social Concerns Archives - Page 2 of 45

August 30, 2024August 27, 2024

Dinosaur Fossils and Human Values

By the end of July 2024, I had personally received 98 written requests for financial help to address human needs. That is in addition to numerous phone calls and emails, and I am sure most of the needs are real. Pathetic pictures of starving children, people needing medical attention, and people victimized by war and greed tug at the heartstrings, but on a teacher’s pension, I cannot solve all of these issues. At the same time, we live in a world of corruption and badly distorted values, as demonstrated by the price of dinosaur fossils.

The largest and most complete stegosaurus fossil ever found was sold to a private collector for $44,600,000. A “mystery buyer” paid $12.4 million for a velociraptor skeleton, and in 2020, a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton known as Stan sold for $31,800,000. While the academic community laments that these skeletons are lost to science, the more significant issue is what the price of dinosaur fossils says about human values. The Christian concept of love expressed by the Greek word “agape” permeates the teachings of Christ, but today, people vilify Christianity and ridicule the plea to love one another.

The media takes great delight in stories of the abuses of some who have claimed to be Christians. Sadly, some religious leaders spend massive amounts of money on religious structures, airplanes, cars, and personal homes, as non-believers spend excessive amounts on dinosaur fossils and entertainment.

Most of the people feeding needy children are motivated by their understanding of Jesus’ teachings. Digging wells so people aren’t forced to drink polluted water is almost entirely the work of people who express their faith in Christ and His teachings. Many followers of Jesus quietly take what little they have and use it to relieve human suffering.

In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus indicates how God looks at our situation. Dedicated Christians who have the hope of eternal life prioritize addressing human needs. Those who use what God has loaned them to have a dinosaur skeleton in their private collection will learn that their lives are just as dead as the dinosaurs on which they spent their resources.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: The money paid for dinosaur fossils is in The Week for August 2, 2024, page 11.

August 27, 2024August 26, 2024

Medical Aid in Dying and Hospice Care

One of the many issues involved in the advancement of modern medicine is what to do when a person is slowly dying and has no quality of life. Should a lethal injection be given to end their struggle? “Medical aid in dying,” or MAiD, has been accepted in Europe, Canada, and other places. As expected, there have been abuses, and for that reason, the European Court of Human Rights recently ruled that access to assisted suicide is not a human right.

Contrastingly, the Human Population Group has promoted assisted suicide and has had success in getting various American states to accept it. Now, the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA) has announced a policy change that allows hospice nurses to participate in assisted suicide under the MAiD euphemism. The statement reads: “Nursing care for patients considering MAiD and their families is crucial to ensure that patients and families are not overtly or inadvertently disenfranchised or stigmatized as they proceed with MAiD and that they experience a safe and comfortable death, free from complications.”

This is a highly complex issue. Keeping someone alive when there is no hope of survival and no quality of life can be very expensive. Do you wipe out your loved one’s financial resources by continuing life in these situations? When a person has Alzheimer’s and doesn’t know anyone but is otherwise healthy, do you administer assisted suicide if they had requested it when they were rational? These issues touch many of us and will increase as our population ages.

Proponents of medical aid in dying argue that since we euthanize animals when they are suffering, we should extend that same option to humans. One prominent supporter of medically assisted suicide is Peter Singer, who is the DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University. Singer would not only support medical aid in dying but would require the euthanization of prisoners who have life sentences and mentally ill patients who are beyond help.

For Christians, there are grave concerns with medically assisted suicide. In 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, we read, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God has His home in you? If any man ruins the temple of God, God shall ruin him, for the temple of God is sacred, and that is what you are.” When hospice nurses are allowed to administer “medical aid in dying,” how long will it be before they are required to do so regardless of their religious and ethical objections?

There are no easy answers for any of us in this issue, but it seems that with modern medicine and technology, there should be an option other than giving a human a lethal injection to end their lives.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: The Life Legal Defense Foundation publication Lifeline for Summer 2024, pages 6-7.

August 19, 2024August 18, 2024

Medication Abortion In Reality

Medication abortion is a two-drug cocktail that ends the life of the developing child during the first trimester of pregnancy. It is essential for women considering medication abortion to know what it does and its side effects.

The first pill is mifepristone/RU-486, which prevents the pre-born baby from receiving hormonal support (progesterone) essential for the baby to develop. The second pill (misoprostol) causes the uterus to contract and expel the baby. The process is painful for the woman.

The Mayo Clinic says the side effects include vomiting, fever, nausea, chills, diarrhea, and headache. Women may need painkillers to manage pain after a medication abortion. The Mayo Clinic also says that a woman undergoing a pill-induced medication abortion needs access to emergency services. Complications include hemorrhaging and infection. A 17-year study showed that of 423,000 abortions, there were 121,283 confirmed emergency room visits within 30 days.

When humans interfere with God’s design, there are always problems, and the miracle of conception and birth is a design that works. Medication abortions are a disaster in too many cases to be a reasonable alternative. The writer of Psalms 139:13-14 said it well: “For you, God, possessed my inmost being, you covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise you, God, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are your works..”

— John N. Clayton © 2024

References: Mayo Clinic and 40 Days for Life

Note: The 2024 Democratic National Convention is this week in Chicago, and one of the features being offered is free chemical abortions from a mobile clinic operated by Planned Parenthood.

August 7, 2024August 6, 2024

Blaming God for the Problems of Today

People are often blaming God for the problems of today. That shows a misunderstanding of who God is and what He does. In Matthew 24:4-13, Jesus described what we see today. He said, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things will happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom…” The things Jesus described are happening today, and they are caused by humans.

In the Old Testament, God handled rebellion by removing His protective hand from His people. In New Testament times, the events leading to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. were the result of military actions by humans. In today’s world, God is not causing Putin to attack Ukraine or Hamas and Hezbollah to attack Israel. God did not cause COVID. It is unreasonable to expect God to step in to stop human greed and selfishness, and He should not be expected to prevent the results of sexual practices He warned humans not to avoid.

God’s promise to Christians is that eventually, He will do away with all of the consequences of human selfishness and greed. That even includes the pain and suffering we all endure in this physical life. Revelation 21:1-7 pictures this beautifully, describing the creation of the New Heaven and New Earth: “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and He will live with them… He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” It’s time to quit blaming God for the problems of today and turn to Christ to receive the joy of life now and hope for the future.

August 6, 2024August 6, 2024

The Tip of a Boulder

Several years ago, I was mowing the grass at our meeting house and noticed a rock sticking up where I intended to mow. The mower blade nicked it when I went over it. Our members had been taking turns mowing, and I wondered why no one had bothered to move the rock. I asked the maintenance guy if it was okay if I dug the rock out and filled the hole with dirt so we wouldn’t keep hitting it. He just smiled and said, “Have at it.” I learned that the “rock” was the tip of a boulder.

Here in Michigan, we have rocks and boulders carried in by glaciers in the past. When I went to work with the shovel, I learned this was more of a job than I thought. By the time I got to the bottom of the boulder, I had dug an enormous hole and needed to use my truck to pull it out of the hole.

This story reminds me of people. I recently talked with a neighbor about a neighborhood issue and noticed a tear rolling down his cheek and a clenched fist at his side. Our conversation stopped, and I asked him if he was okay. I learned that his wife had just left him for another man, and the neighborhood issue was just the tip of the boulder he was dealing with.

In 1 Corinthians 5, we read about a congregation where one member was cohabiting with his father’s wife (not his mother). The congregation not only tolerated the situation but was “puffed up,” meaning they were laughing it off. That sin was a rock everyone could see, and Paul said that even the pagans could see it. The rest of the letter in 1 Corinthians shows a boulder of problems. In chapter 11, verses 18-30, we read of division, selfishness, drunkenness, and a bunch of people who were ”weak and sickly.”

In America today, we have violent protests, corruption in our government, racism, profanity in our movies and music, and no fixed standard of morality. Those are just the tip of a boulder that has become very large. Even many churches have become entertainment venues instead of promoters of God’s will. This is the tip of a boulder that is a lack of belief in God and in the Bible as a guiding force for life. You can’t read Galatians 3:28 or study John 4:5-43 and not see that God calls us to be one in Him.

John the Baptist said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Get ready for the coming of the Lord” (John 1:23). This ministry is saying very much the same thing. We urge the world to understand that we are on a road to disaster. The rocks of division, immorality, and war are just the tip of a boulder that must be removed.

August 1, 2024July 30, 2024

Voting for the Lesser of Two Evils

“Render to Caesar the things that belong to Caesar and to God what belongs to God” (Matthew 22:21). “Let every soul be subject to the government that is over him, for no authority can exist without the permission of God” (Romans 13:1). I have said for many years that I hoped the day would come when I could vote for a politician instead of voting for the lesser of two evils. It doesn’t look like that is ever going to happen.

The passages we quoted are about a corrupt and immoral political system. The Roman government sanctioned prostitution and the wanton destruction of human life. Unwanted babies were thrown into the trash, and the abuse of women was constant, including rape. Racial and religious prejudice were built into the system, establishing classes of people. Paul could use that system to avoid scourging because he was a Roman citizen (Acts 22:25-29). The fact that America has become a secular nation opposing God and His Word doesn’t change the fact that Christians must do what the Bible calls them to do.

Jesus did not oppose the political system, even paying taxes so no one could accuse Him of being political. (See Matthew 17:24-27). Romans 13:3 says that Christians have no reason to fear rulers. Verse 6 tells Christians to pay taxes and to honor and respect authority. In Acts 4:18-20, Peter and John were commanded not to teach in the name of Jesus, but the people commanding this were the religious leaders of the Jews, not the government. Peter and John told the religious leaders, “Whether it is right in God’s eyes to listen to you rather than to Him, you must decide” (See verse 19).

Our government allows us to select our political leaders, even if it means voting for the lesser of two evils. Whatever you think, be sure to understand you are voting in accordance with civil law. This is an individual matter, not something where the Church should take a political position. No one can tell you how to vote, nor should the Church be political in its message. While we “render to Caesar that which is Caesar’s,” we must remember that each of us has a commission to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the world. (Read Mark 16:15-16.)

July 30, 2024July 29, 2024

COVID and Other Disease Outbreaks

The lives of every person reading this discussion were probably touched by COVID-19 in one way or another during the last few years. COVID took the life of my son, so I know the pain and frustration that goes with a loved one dying due to a virus. As of July 2024, there have been a little over seven million confirmed COVID-induced deaths worldwide. What most people are not aware of is that comparing COVID and other disease outbreaks makes the COVID-19 pandemic death toll seem small.

Smallpox was another disease caused by a virus, and thanks to a vaccine, it was completely eradicated by 1980. It is the only human disease to be eradicated, but in the last 100 years of its existence, it took the lives of an estimated 500 million people. Its history goes back further than that because evidence of the disease showed up in Egyptian mummies around 1500 B.C.

Bubonic plague (the black death) was a bacterial disease that killed between 75 and 200 million Europeans from 1347 to 1351. It wiped out over 30-50% of Europe’s population, requiring over 200 years for the population to recover. It probably originated in rats and was spread to the human population by fleas. Since it was a bacterial infection, it can be treated with modern antibiotics.

When we look at COVID and other disease outbreaks, we find that more deaths resulted from the Spanish flu (50 million) and HIV/AIDS (25-35 million). A dozen other bacterial and virus disease outbreaks in history killed more people than COVID-19.

Modern medicine, including antibiotics and especially vaccines, has eliminated the horrible ravages of the bubonic plague and smallpox. Vilifying science and modern medicine is wrong, and so is blaming God. HIV/Aids came about because of human sexual activity with monkeys and spread through the human population by sexual practices inconsistent with God’s design. Other viruses came about through human actions or contact with wild animals.

Most people seek medical help when they are seriously sick. Few people refuse to take a prescription the doctor gives us for a disease or an infection. My son died because a caregiver had declined to take a vaccine, and the group home and workshop where he lived and worked would not allow vaccinations. I would not wish that frustration and pain on anyone else. COVID and other disease outbreaks remind us of the importance of medical science. This is just one more example of God giving us a solution to a problem, and people refuse to accept it.

Data from Discover magazine for June 2020, page 11, and Wikipedia HERE and HERE

July 23, 2024July 22, 2024

Positive Change in Prisoners’ Lives

Climate change and high temperatures in many places have affected the plight of the two million incarcerated people. Can you imagine being locked into a room with no air conditioning and temperatures above 100 degrees? The question is not whether the prisoners have made a mistake but what we can do to make a positive change in prisoners’ lives and help them become contributing citizens.

The ministry that sponsors this website has an extensive outreach to incarcerated men and women. We currently have 6,000 people who are taking our free apologetics correspondence courses. We offer free materials to prison chaplains for use in education programs in the prisons they serve. One thing that can help the prison situation is education. A large percentage of prisoners are men under 40 who have very low education and work experience. Violent offenses account for 58% of those in prison, but 16% are incarcerated for property offenses, 13% for drug offenses, and the rest for other reasons.

We have three free correspondence courses dealing with evidence for the existence of God. Most of our students tell us what led to their incarceration. They do not attempt to justify their acts, but virtually all of them express a desire to change. The idea that society is protected by keeping them locked up is not accurate because the average time served for violent offenses is four years. Even those in prison for murder serve an average of 15 years. While in prison, many of them learn more ways to commit crimes and end up in gang participation. Imagine the cost to taxpayers to maintain this system while failing to make a positive change in prisoners’ lives.

We want to add our voice to the growing movement calling for prison reform. The present system produces national pain and leads to more violence. We must provide education, support groups, job placement, medical treatment, and humane conditions to change this blight on our culture. Unfortunately, prisons are restricting what we are allowed to do, making it harder for us to offer help toward positive change in prisoners’ lives. Faith in God and the teachings of Christ can change a person. Christ calls everyone to repentance.

References: The Vera Institute of Justice, the Marshall Project, the Brookings Institute, the U.S. Bureau of Justice, and Kings Crossings Prison Ministries.

July 11, 2024July 8, 2024

Genetics Dictate Biological Gender

A significant issue in America today is what to do with young people who have decided to change their gender. Without getting into the theological issues, the scientific fact is that a person’s genetics dictate biological gender. Men and women are biologically different.

One of several demonstrations I used in my physics class was to have a boy and a girl stand with their heels against the wall and lean over to pick up something. Another demonstration is to have a man and woman of equal height kneel with their head in their hands and then put their hands behind their backs. Women can do that easily, while a man will fall on his face. This is due to the anatomical makeup of women compared to men. A woman’s pelvis is typically larger than a man’s pelvis. Thus, women tend to have a lower center of gravity. The position of the center of gravity in women is 55% of the total height, while in men it is 57%. Women’s center of gravity is vertically lower than men’s because their bodies are larger in the pelvis, but their shoulders are narrower.

The point of this is that genetics dictate biological gender. Changing your gender does not change the anatomical makeup given to you at birth. In practical terms, what does that mean for young people today?

1) In athletics, the birth gender will dictate the competence in certain sports. You won’t see trans males playing in the NBA. In swimming and track, there will be striking differences in performance with trans females who have a male body.
2) The long-term effect of hormones used to maintain a gender change is unknown, but most medical experts say it will not last for more than a decade, if that. The probability that a trans person will have a shortened life expectancy is very high.
3) Surgical procedures to accommodate trans changes cannot be reversed.
4) Some will use the whole trans agenda to take advantage of others. Allowing a transgender student to use bathrooms and locker rooms of their choice is going to lead to abuse by typical non-trans teenage students. Boys who want to go into a girl’s restroom and ogle females can do so by simply declaring they are trans.
5) Private colleges will not be able to have dormitories that are only for one sex. This is a massive problem with conservative Christian colleges who, for religious reasons, wish to remain able to offer boys’ dorms and girls’ dorms free of the opposing gender.

A U.S. appeals court rejected the Biden administration’s effort to allow transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms and join sports teams that align with their chosen gender. The Biden administration was trying to protect the rights of LGBTQ students, but the question is whether they were violating the rights of non-LGBTQ students.

Genetics dictate biological gender. We suggest that from a Christian apologetics standpoint, the result will be catastrophic whenever humans try to change God’s plan and design for anything. This is just one more example of that.

Reference: “Biden administration loses bid to revive legal protections for LGBTQ students” by Daniel Wiessner on Reuters news service (June 14, 2024).