Social Concerns Archives

April 17, 2025April 17, 2025

Foster Care and Adoption

As the father of three children to whom I am not biologically related, I can appreciate the challenges faced by 369,000 children (2022 data) who find themselves separated from their biological parents. Some have said that the most significant pain a woman has is not the physical pain of giving birth but the psychological pain of raising a child to adulthood. Because of that, 62% of children removed from their homes and placed in foster care are removed because of neglect. Raising a child is difficult, and an overwhelming number of men in our culture are simply too weak to participate in raising a child. That number grows yearly, meaning that single moms raise more and more children.

The other problem involved in the lives of foster kids is that the average length of time a child remains in foster care is two years. Only 7% of foster kids spend five years or more in foster care and only 9% transition from foster care to adulthood. An interesting fact about foster kids is that virtually none of them are raised in homes where atheism dominates the foster parents. If you believe that this life is all you have, why would you give up any of it to raise a child who isn’t yours? I recently raised that point with an atheist couple. They responded that they had a dog, which was all the love they needed.

Jesus Christ had a lot to say about children. In Matthew 18:5, Christ says, “And whosoever gives welcome to one of these little ones receives me, but whosoever corrupts one of these little ones would be better off to have a millstone hung around his neck and be drowned in the sea.”

God has given every human being a way to serve and make their life count for good. Some men and women have the gift of giving children love and care. The biggest problem in foster care is that some people use it solely as a source of income, and the child simply moves from one source of neglect to another. One of my children was in foster care for six months, and the foster parents loved him so much that they asked to adopt him. The state officials did not feel it was in the child’s best interest to be in their care. However, when we came to pick up the baby for adoption, they asked if they could continue to have contact with the child.

It takes incredible strength for a woman who has given birth to a baby to turn that child over to someone else to raise. Many women cannot do it even if they know it is best for the child. As it turned out, this child had multiple congenital disabilities. We had a close relationship with the foster parents and built a house next door to them. Our adopted son lived for 50 years, and we were all blessed by the experience. That is what foster care should be. The details of this story are available in a booklet titled “Timothy, My Son and My Teacher.”

April 15, 2025April 14, 2025

“Not Religious” Young People

In 1990, 8% of people aged 18-29 said they were “not religious.” In 2020, 42% of the same age group claimed their religion as “none.” Dr Ken Woodward retired after 38 years as a religion editor for Newsweek. He has reviewed a new book by Dr. Christian Smith titled Why Religion Went Obsolete. Woodward points out that other identities have superseded the claim that I am Catholic or Jewish or any other religious identification, including “Christian.” It is my experience that even those who attend a church service will not identify to their peers that they are Christians. Now, our population uses new identity titles such as “I’m female,” “I’m Democrat,” “I’m MAGA,” or “I’m LGBTQ.”

One of the great tragedies of “not religious” young people is the enormous collateral damage in terms of morality. In 1955, when you said something, no one would believe you were lying. Today, lying is common at all levels. For the “not religious,” sex has become a drug of choice, especially among those who don’t use chemical substances. The notion that a man and woman would not have sexual relations until they were married is considered archaic. For many, marriage is a financial arrangement open to being dissolved at any time by either party.

Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” The history of ancient Israel given in the Old Testament shows us loud and clear that when people forget God and His teaching, the nation collapses. There is enormous documentation of what brought about the collapse of the Roman empire, and the question for America today is whether we will profit from or repeat the lessons of ancient history.

One bright spot is that books like Christian Smith’s new book, which is subtitled The Demise of Traditional Faith in America, are getting some attention from modern readers. Christian Smith is a scholar, a sociology professor, and the principal investigator for the Global Religion Research Initiative at Notre Dame University.

We would add our small voice to the outcry of real scholars in America, begging our countrymen to wake up before our “not religious” children and grandchildren lose the freedom that made America great.

Reference: “Out of Practice” in Notre Dame Magazine for Spring 2025, pages 19-25.

March 26, 2025March 25, 2025

Christians Using Contraceptives

A conflict among various denominations and the Catholic Church involves Christians using contraceptives. The objection to contraceptives is that by preventing a child from being born, humans are playing God. We are not talking about abortion, in which the embryo has its own DNA and is not an extension of the mother’s body. The root of the pro-abortion/pro-life debate is the question of what a human embryo is. In the question of birth control, we are dealing with what we can do with our own bodies. So, what does the Bible teach about conception?

There is no Bible passage condemning contraception. Some have referred to Genesis 38:8-10 in which a man named Onan “spilled it on the ground.” If you read the context of that incident, it was not because he was practicing contraception, but because he was refusing to do what the Levitical rules required to continue his dead brother’s legacy.

In Luke 14:28-32, Jesus makes it clear that God intends for Christians to consider the cost of their actions. Counting the cost of having a child should certainly be essential. In 1969, Elvis Presley recorded a song titled “In the Ghetto,” written by Mac Davis. The song was a major hit for Presley and begins with a classic demonstration of the problem:

As the snow flies

On a cold and gray Chicago mornin’

A poor little baby child is born

In the ghetto

(In the ghetto)

And his mama cries

’Cause if there’s one thing that she don’t need

It is another hungry mouth to feed

In the ghetto

(In the ghetto)

Those of us involved with the education of the general population must not give bad information or withhold information about contraception. Having a baby should not be an accident but a conscious thought and decision of a married husband and wife. Where the Bible is silent, we should be silent, and an area where the Bible is silent is Christians using contraceptives.

March 5, 2025March 4, 2025

Alcoholic Beverages and Cancer

In 1988, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer first classified alcoholic beverages as carcinogenic. Since then, cancer research has shown that they are a significant cause of cancer of the mouth, throat, voice box, esophagus, breast, liver, and colon. A 2024 report in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians indicated that in 2019, alcohol contributed to 54,000 cancer cases in women and 42,000 cases in men. Lancet Oncology researchers reported that about 4% of all cancer cases worldwide were attributable to alcohol in 2020. The British Journal of Cancer reported that female breast cancer was as much as 1.6 times more prevalent in women who drank.

The companies marketing alcoholic beverages will fight all these studies, but some are now selling beverages with the same taste but no alcohol. Alcohol is the most destructive recreational drug in existence. If you drink, you are inviting cancer. The fact that the entertainment industry pushes alcohol in music shows the entertainment value of alcohol.

Our bodies are where God’s Spirit dwells (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). Alcoholic beverages destroy our bodies and will cause us to die, a fact that science is now confirming. Christians must educate their children and the world in general about the damage caused by drinking, both in this life and in eternity.

Reference: Science News for February 2025, Volume 207 # 2, pages 18-19

March 4, 2025March 3, 2025

The Facts Concerning Gender Transitions Become Clear

President Trump issued an executive order to cut off federal funds for institutions that engage in the chemical and surgical mutilation of those under age 19. This reminds us of the struggles many people deal with as their children seek gender transitions. Like the abortion issue, gender transition is being decided by people who don’t understand the implications of their decisions. This is without any consideration of the religious implications involved in changing one’s gender. We are seeing the facts concerning gender transitions become clear.

Puberty blockers and cross-gender hormones are life-long medical interventions with severe complications. They become less effective with long-term use, the side effects are severe, the cost is enormous, and they result in shortened life expectancies. Other countries have reduced or eliminated government funding and the availability of gender treatment drugs. As the facts concerning gender transitions become clear, the U.K., Sweden, and Denmark all strictly limit their use.

To expect a child to make non-reversible life-changing decisions is a foolish course of action. Surgical actions, such as mastectomies and genitalia operations, along with chemical and drug treatments, can lead to permanent infertility and high costs. Trans kids can be excluded from athletic participation because they have a biological advantage over non-trans girls. The cause of gender dysphoria is hotly debated, but the fact that it affects troubled kids’ lives cannot be debated.

From a Christian standpoint, this issue is one where we must exercise compassion and empathy. Like other issues in dealing with the LGBTQ question, Christians cannot endorse these lifestyles because they bring suffering and medical issues to all who struggle with their feelings. God’s design of male and female is strong, and human attempts to change it are doomed to much collateral damage.

As the facts concerning gender transitions become clear, we must realize that physical attacks on LGBTQ individuals are wrong and must be condemned by the Christian community. We must all work together to bring stability into everyone’s life, obedience to God’s instructions, and conformity to the role God intends for us.

Reference: Presidential Executive Order January 28, 2025

February 24, 2025February 23, 2025

Evidence Against Marijuana and Alcohol

One of the tragic aspects of marijuana use is that scientific evidence and demographic evidence of damage have not yet been assembled. The National Center for Drug Use Statistics reports that there is a high cardiovascular risk in marijuana use, and the more it is used, the greater the risk. There is also a higher risk of stroke. More than ever, we are seeing evidence against marijuana and alcohol.

On the social level, Elton John, Time magazine’s “Icon of the Year,” told the magazine, “Legalizing marijuana in America and Canada is one of the greatest mistakes of all time.” John says that marijuana is addictive and leads to other drugs. He speaks from experience with a past of marijuana use. John’s personal experiences with drugs are explored in a new Disney documentary, “Elton John: Never Too Late.”

Taking care of the body God has given you is essential. It affects not only you but also your descendants. It is too soon to tell if marijuana contributes to babies born with physical or mental problems, but those of us who lived through the days of LSD have seen huge suffering among children and grandchildren of LSD users.

Alcohol, which is the most destructive drug available today, has been responsible for more suffering than all the wars put together in terms of the number of people affected. Proverbs 31:4-6 tells us, “It is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink, and forget the law and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.”

Proverbs 20:1 says, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” That was written before distillation, and it is even more true today. The evidence against marijuana and alcohol is growing.

References: Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter for January 2025, page 2, and South Bend Tribune for December 16, 2024, Page 3A.

February 18, 2025February 17, 2025

The Lure of Gambling

When I was eight, my parents took me to a gaming facility on the Mississippi River. My mother wanted to eat in a restaurant located there. It was my first introduction to slot machines. I saw people playing slot machines, and I wanted to try them. I asked my mother for a dime to play the slot machine, and that was the price of a candy bar in those days. As she gave me the dime, she said, “Now you can use the dime to play the slot machine and probably lose it, or you can use it to buy a candy bar.” Her intent may have been good, but I put the dime in the slot machine, pulled the lever, and hit the jackpot. I was able to buy a whole bucket of candy bars. The lure of gambling became obvious.

Fast forward that story to 2016, when my wife and I took a certificate we received in the mail to Las Vegas, where we purchased a room in a hotel at a significantly reduced rate. On the desk in the room was a $10.00 certificate to use in the hotel’s gaming center. My wife took the certificate and went into the gaming center. She had no money on her as she entered the center, but her first pull on the slot machine proclaimed her a winner and gave her a $20.00 bill. She returned to our room saying that if she played the slots five more times, she would have $100.00 minus the $20.00 she now owned. Again, the lure of gambling showed its ugly head.

That story has been repeated many times. In 2020, Americans spent 21.5 billion dollars on legal sports betting. In 2023, they spent 121 billion dollars, according to the American Gaming Association. They expect the final figures for 2024 to exceed 150 billion dollars.

Our congregation in Dowagiac, Michigan, is across the street from a casino. We regularly hear from people who have lost their life savings to the lure of gambling. The various Indian tribes that operate the gambling facilities continue to offer specials, such as a new car, to those they want to entice to participate in the casino’s gambling facility.

An organization called “DraftKings” offers gambling customers a $1,000 bonus if they deposit $5,000 and bet $25,000 within 90 days. Researchers at UCLA and USC have released a paper showing that online sports betting has led to 30,000 bankruptcies and eight billion dollars in annual debt collections. The lure of gambling leads to destruction.

As our culture moves farther away from the teachings of Christ, we can expect a constant increase in money spent on gambling. In 1 Timothy 6:17-19, Paul writes, “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”

The lure of gambling is similar to prostitution. It takes something good that God has given us and turns it into a destructive, selfish addiction rather than using it for its intended purpose. The lure becomes the curse.

February 14, 2025February 10, 2025

Conquering Fear Through Faith

We live in an age of anxiety. The American Medical Association says that fear is the number one health issue in the United States. Americans spend massive amounts of money on alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs, and pop psychologists and psychiatrists to help them deal with fears. The problem of conquering fear is not new, and the Bible uses the phrase “fear not” 366 times.

Susan Giboney, writing in the March 17, 2025, issue of Power For Today, tells of a person she calls the superhero “Anxiety Girl” who can jump to the worst possible conclusion in a single leap. One of the causes of fear in our day is collateral damage from rejecting God. If this life is all you have and you are in danger of losing it, you have a lot to be anxious about. Here are five suggestions about how to reduce the effect of being an “Anxiety Superhero.”

#1) Building faith leads to conquering fear. This program offers courses, DVDs, and books to help fearful people actively build faith in God. Faith can help you realize that this life is not all we have. We are not talking about blind faith but evidential faith.

#2) Listen to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Read Matthew 6:25-34 and think about the questions it raises. What do you worry about? Having water, how you look, what you wear, what will happen tomorrow? Read the words of Christ and think!

#3) Know what the Lord will deal with the wicked. Read Psalms 94:16-23 and 1 Corinthians 10:13 and understand that Christians have relief from the awful things in this world.

#4) The Bible calls us to repent. That means we must learn to think differently. Repentance is not just sorrow for our mistakes, although that can be part of it. Read Philippians 4:8 and follow its advice. Focus on the good things. If the news upsets you, don’t watch it. If the TV show is negative or violent, turn it off. Don’t watch depressing movies or listen to songs full of profanity. Avoid abusive people. The Church is the “called out ones” and can provide help and support.

#5) Trusting God to do what He says leads to conquering fear. Read 2 Peter 3:9 and understand God wants you to be saved and to live with the forgiveness promised through Christ. God provides continuous cleansing and a better existence beyond this life. (See 1 John 1:6-10.)

We all have an instinctive drive to avoid death, but the fear that fills us with anxiety is what affects our lives from day to day. Faith addresses and reduces that fear. Drugs and other alternatives to God do not.

February 7, 2025February 3, 2025

Superbowl Flu and Learning from History

The further America gets from God, the closer it is to collapse. The history of past nations that achieved greatness and then collapsed should be a wake-up call for us. We should be learning from history as we see this pattern has been repeated over and over.

On February 9, 2025, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles will compete in Superbowl 59. The game is always on Sunday, and the country basically shuts down for the game. Churches will cancel or postpone their worship services. Businesses will cease operation except for bars and casinos with big-screen TVs. People will spend thousands of dollars on tickets, transportation, and lodging for the game.

There is nothing wrong with enjoying a game, but millions of Americans are expected to come down with the “Superbowl flu” and call in sick on the day after the game. If an enemy of the United States attacked on February 10 of this year, would they find American society ill-equipped to defend itself?

On July 4, 1952, President Harry Truman established the “National Day of Prayer,” encouraging Americans to pray for peace and an end to the war going on at that time. Americans widely accepted that idea in 1952, but it is virtually ignored today.

Our society must start learning from history of past nations and cultures. We must demand that our leaders be men and women of moral principles, setting the example for others. The “Superbowl flu” is just one symptom of our country’s sickness. A look at political proposals and how people now treat their neighbors leaves no doubt about our nation’s sickness.

Will the United States start learning from history or continue following the path of other nations? That choice is up to the citizens of this country and whether they will understand and act on the facts of history or join the disastrous decisions being made at all levels in our country.