Social Concerns Archives - Page 5 of 45

December 8, 2023December 5, 2023

Climate Change Is Controversial, but Not Rosalynn Carter

Climate change is controversial in America today. We can’t factually deny that the climate is changing and that the world’s climate has changed in the past in very dramatic ways. The dinosaurs lived in a very different climate than we have today. It is a fact that there has been climate change in the past five years, causing changes in ocean temperatures and precipitation, melting glaciers, and changing the behavior of hurricanes. Those facts can be easily documented. The debate is over whether human activity has caused these changes or is one factor in them.

Politicians have actively denied or supported the belief that the climate is changing. In Texas, climate change politics has created a war over what school textbooks should say about it. The Texas State Board of Education decides which textbooks the 1000+ school districts can use. Glenn Branch, deputy director of the National Center for Science Education, has said that some textbooks were removed from the approved list “because of their personal and ideological beliefs regarding evolution and climate change.” Politician Wayne Christian has urged the board “to choose books that promote the importance of fossil fuels for energy production.”

Economic issues are involved in the political wrangling about climate change. Many of the complaints about textbooks come from people who worry about how climate change hysteria will affect their incomes. Texas is “the oil-rich state,” and curtailing the use of fossil fuels would hit them in the pocketbook.

For Christians, this debate distracts from the spiritual message Christ has called us to bring to humanity. Words spoken by Tony Lowden at the recent funeral of Rosalynn Carter reminded me of the difference between the Christian message and divisive politics. The pastor said, “There’s no place on this earth that you can find anyone that has anything bad to say about Rosalynn Carter. Not one word. Not a news article. Not even one person on the left or anybody on the right. I believe … the reason why is because she did not worship the donkey or the elephant. She worshipped the lamb.”

Climate change is controversial, but wherever we stand, let us bring the love and caring of Christ to humanity while avoiding the politics of division.

Reference: Rosalynn Carter tributes on cnn.com

November 28, 2023November 27, 2023

Syphilis Epidemic and Its Costs

When people fail to follow God’s rules for sexual behavior, the result is always pain and suffering for themselves and collateral damage for innocent people. The clearest case in the United States is Nevada, which had a 44% jump in congenital syphilis from 2021 to 2022. The largest growth in adult syphilis cases has been in gay men having sex with men. This amounts to a syphilis epidemic.

In 2021, there were 77.9 cases of congenital syphilis per 100,000 live births. The problems documented in these cases included blindness, bone damage, and stillbirths. In many cases, the mother did not know she had syphilis until it showed up in her baby. Mississippi and Arizona had the nation’s highest rates of syphilis infections, with Arizona having the highest rate of birth defects – 232.3 cases per 100,000 live births.

The damage syphilis does to adults is less severe than infants, but we are all financially affected by this problem. The data on the financial cost in various states is astounding. The money came mainly from the federal government to combat sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), with Louisiana receiving 8.6 million dollars, Mississippi 9 million, and Houston slated to receive 10.7 million.

The real beauty and value of sex are lost when the sex industry takes over or when it becomes a recreational activity. The biblical concept of the sexual relationship is to form a unique bond between husband and wife, with each partner being concerned about the well-being of the other. Abandoning God’s plan leads to a syphilis epidemic as well as other STDs. In 1 Corinthians 7:1-5 Paul writes:

“Let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife does not have sole authority over her own person, for she belongs to her husband, and likewise also the husband does not have power of his own body, but the wife. Do not withhold sexual intercourse from one another unless it is only temporary and by mutual consent so that your minds can be free for prayer, but afterward you should resume relations as before lest through your fleshly passions Satan should tempt you to sin.”

The pain of misusing sex is massive in our society today. As people drift further from God and the teaching of His Word, the syphilis epidemic will only get worse, and the cost in dollars and misery will increase.

Reference: South Bend Tribune/Associated Press by Kenya Hunter, October 10, 2023.

November 27, 2023November 27, 2023

Demonstrate Our Thankfulness

Last week, Americans celebrated Thanksgiving Day. I couldn’t help but think how blessed I am to live in the United States of America, where we have so much while people in many countries are born into poverty and turmoil. As Christians, we should demonstrate our thankfulness by our actions.

We spent the holiday in Texas with my daughters and our grandchildren. Living in Michigan and being able to travel to Texas impressed upon me the affluence that exists in some parts of our country compared to the circumstances in some other countries. One of my daughters lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, where there are groups of people living in what we call poverty.

We went by one of the churches in that impoverished area, where they conduct a ministry to feed those who don’t have enough to eat. Laid out on eight-foot tables were trays of whole turkey meat, stuffing, yams, green beans, and pies. A sign above the tables read, “No questions asked; come and enjoy a Thanksgiving meal from your Christian friends.” The reason for “no questions asked” is that most of those living in the area are illegal immigrants who have come to America with nothing but what they have on their backs.

I am involved with several Christian organizations that provide food and water to needy people in African countries. They have pictures of emaciated children holding a leaf, which is all the food they will have for that day. The Carter Foundation, begun by Jimmy and Roselyn Carter, has been drilling wells and providing medical help to people suffering from dirty water and unsanitary food. The Carters make it clear that their work is because of their Christian faith.

Jesus answered the question of who has truth and who does not by telling His followers, “By their fruits you shall know them.” I don’t see atheist organizations or skeptical groups supplying food for needy people. I have seen these groups push for social rights, but the basic need of most people on planet Earth is food and water. Atheists and skeptics are concerned with racism and various human rights, as we all are, while doing nothing to address the fundamental needs of most people.

I hope you enjoyed Thanksgiving and that you are genuinely thankful. Having an attitude of gratitude is fundamental to being a Christian. Seeing and acting on the needs of the less fortunate is a way to demonstrate our thankfulness.

November 16, 2023November 14, 2023

Alzheimer’s and Other Dementia

The Alzheimer’s Association reported that between 2000 and 2019, deaths from Alzheimer’s disease increased by 145%. More than six million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, and the disease kills more people than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. One in three seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another dementia, and in 2023, Alzheimer’s will cost the nation 345 billion dollars. Eleven million Americans provide unpaid care for people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia.

These numbers highlight what many of us already know, that Alzheimer’s and other dementia issues are a major problem in America today. By 2050, experts predict the cost will reach the trillion-dollar figure. Medical science is making great strides to find answers for this issue, but how to care for people with Alzheimer’s is a significant problem now.

I recently read about a man whose wife was in an Alzheimer’s care unit in the advanced stage of that terrible disease. She didn’t know who she was or who he was or recognize any of her kids or friends. Despite that, this man arrived at the facility every morning to get his wife out of bed, wash her face, comb her hair, dress her, and ensure she ate breakfast. One of the nurses in the facility asked the man, “Why do you come every morning and do this? She doesn’t know who you are or understand what you have done for her. She doesn’t know that you are her husband.” The man responded, “No, she doesn’t know any of that, but I know she is my wife.”

This story is not unusual for a Christian who values marriage as a creation of God. However, I have visited Alzheimer’s care facilities where the person was deposited and rarely, if ever, visited. I know there are times when a caregiver is physically unable to meet the needs of a patient with Alzheimer’s and other dementia at home.

Any disease of nerve cells has tremendous consequences for the victim. God did not create this disease, and medical science is still searching for the cause. Those who reject Christianity or promote a “survival of the fittest” belief system will side with Dr. Peter Singer, the Decamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University, who claims that euthanasia is the only answer.

Jesus said, “By their fruits, you will know them,” and we praise those who are caring for someone wrestling with Alzheimer’s or any form of dementia. God’s blessings will be upon you. Jesus also said, “Come you who are blessed … I was sick, and you looked after me …whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:34-40).

Reference: Alzheimer’s Association

October 26, 2023October 25, 2023

Is Moderate Drinking Good for You?

Have you seen media reports claiming that alcohol is good for you? It turns out that the studies that led to those headlines were severely distorted by poor sampling. Those studies linked all nondrinkers together and called them all “abstainers.” Some of them were recovered alcoholics who had quit drinking. Others were non-drinking substance abusers or those suffering from chronic illnesses. Meanwhile, the “moderate drinkers” in the study could include those who ate healthy and exercised. More balanced modern studies answer “Is moderate drinking good for you?” with a “NO!”

Based on more non-biased studies, by 2022, the World Heart Federation stated that alcohol did not protect people from cardiovascular diseases. The World Health Organization (WHO) has now stated that any amount of alcohol is dangerous. U.S. and Canadian authorities have lowered their definitions of “moderate-risk drinking.” A growing body of research says that any amount of alcohol raises the chance of premature death from various causes. Here is what is now known:

Half of all cases of liver disease are attributed to drinking.

Alcohol is a potent carcinogen because it breaks down in the body to form a compound called acetaldehyde, which damages DNA.

Fifteen percent of breast cancers are linked to alcohol.

In Europe, 50% of all cancers linked to alcohol are caused by “light” or “moderate” consumption.

The distressing thing about this is that young people are bombarded with messages and music glamorizing drinking. Television shows encourage drinking by showing a glamorous picture of people drinking alcohol. The health damage and risks from alcohol consumption are not presented to young people in any educationally sound manner.

Biblical teaching tells us that the body is the temple of God’s Spirit and must be cared for and protected (1 Corinthians 3:16). The Church should lead in education, especially with teens and young adults. So far, that has not happened, and the whole basis for not drinking is frequently lost in discussions about “moderation.” Is moderate drinking good for you? No, and beyond that, “There is no safe amount that does not affect health” (WHO).

Reference: Scientific American for October 2023

October 25, 2023October 24, 2023

The Church Can Answer Loneliness

Statistical data from 2021 showed that 63% of men and 58% of women in America felt “lonely.” Our ministry receives phone calls from people who say, “I just need to talk to someone.” Because we invite questions and discussions in our printed material and online, we get communications from various lonely people. The Church can answer loneliness.

One of God’s answers to loneliness is marriage. In a Christian marriage, there is always someone to talk to, share with, and care about. I vividly remember sitting in my kitchen the night after my wife died and being overwhelmed with loneliness. In Genesis 2:18, God says, “It is not good for the man to be alone: I will make a suitable helper for him.”

I found that being with people was important to me, even though I am not a very social person. “Suitable helper” refers to filling in what man cannot do for himself. It does not imply servitude but an equal. Galatians 3:28 tells us that no matter who or what we are as Christians, “we are all one in Christ Jesus.” That is how the Church can answer loneliness.

The description of the first-century Church shows their cure for loneliness. Acts 2:42 says, “They continued steadfastly in..fellowship.” Verse 44 says, “Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common.” Verse 46 says, “Continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and singleness of heart.” The Church can answer loneliness, but driving to a building, sitting by yourself, and watching a worship service once a week does not deal with the issue of loneliness.

We do a great deal of work in prisons and nursing homes. On those rare occasions when we are allowed to go into a prison to be with inmates, we often hear that the most significant pain they experience in incarceration is loneliness. Frequently, these men and women are in prison because their drug habit started when they were in the depths of loneliness.

One of the great tragedies of nursing homes is that many folks are placed there by family and are never visited again. Recently, a blind man in a nursing home we regularly visit told me that losing sight wasn’t as bad as losing time with people he loved.

Rejecting God and His people is an invitation to loneliness. Visiting a bar or a club is a band-aid approach to fighting loneliness. We need to spend time with others of like faith and be active in the joy of serving others. Matthew 25:31-40 describes Christian activities that nonbelievers cannot comprehend, but they another way the Church can answer loneliness.

Statistics reported by Mark Young in the December 16, 2023, issue of Power for Today.

October 19, 2023October 16, 2023

AI Is a Huge Threat to Humanity – Or Not

The media thrives on exaggerations and misrepresentations involving doomsday scenarios. One of the biggest movies when I was a teenager was titled “When Worlds Collide.” It was a science fiction story of a rogue star and its planet hitting and destroying the Earth with only a select group of humans escaping. A recent popular movie was built around the scientists developing an atomic bomb while fearing it would destroy the Earth. Several media presentations have suggested that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will wipe out humanity. Media outlets like The Guardian, The New York Post, Entrepreneur, and the BBC have all indicated that AI is a huge threat to humanity.

Artificial Intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence processes by computer systems. Science fiction has long postulated that machines will replace humans and rule the world. Many science fiction stories revolve around non-human enemies of humanity or heroes such as R2-d2 and C-3po. What can computers do or not do? Is it true that AI is a huge threat to humanity?

AI can do some jobs faster and with greater accuracy than humans. Computers can build and run automation systems, causing the loss of human jobs. Computers can process languages more quickly than humans. They can also process numbers faster and more accurately, meaning that AI can predict economic change, develop weaponry, and invade human privacy quickly and efficiently. AI can create images, both authentic and false, and even produce videos known as deepfakes. AI can deliver fake news with video support that is so good humans can’t tell what is real and what is fake.

As we consider whether AI Is a huge threat to humanity, we must understand that the dangers are philosophical and not inevitable. There is an adage about computers that says, “garbage equals garbage out.” Building computers capable of producing AI requires intelligence and design by humans. Like almost everything humans create, we can use AI to mislead and damage or to improve people’s lives. As in everything else, we desperately need people guided by the teachings of Jesus to make the decisions about how we will use AI.

Reference: “Approximating Reality” in American Scientist magazine for July/August 2023

October 17, 2023October 15, 2023

Quantum Scammers – Quantum Quackery

Scammers have recently made several claims about quantum physics and its applications. Quantum scammers claim that an interface called Quantum Xrroid Consciousness can use quantum physics to treat various physical ailments, including cancer. Others advertise “quantum power” as a solution to everything from climate change to control of the ozone hole. People are selling “quantum stones” as high-vibration stones for healing arthritis and muscular problems. “Quantum threads” are being promoted as the fabric of space-time to bring the energy of the universe to those who use them properly.

Scammers and quacks will latch onto anything to bilk people out of money or, in some cases, even harm them. Scammers were active in biblical times. Acts 8 tells of a sorcerer named Simon who saw the power of the apostles and wanted to buy it to advance his quackery. In Acts 19, we read about a group of Jewish exorcists who heard about exorcisms by the apostles and tried to do it themselves. Snake oil salesmen did a lively business in the early American frontier. Recently, scammers have sold marijuana to cure everything from athlete’s foot to cancer. My son-in-law died because he was convinced to try marijuana to cure his bone cancer rather than using conventional medical treatments.

None of this has any scientific support. “Quantum threads” don’t exist. Religious quantum scammers suggest that “profound sounding” can open the universe to quantum spiritual understanding through meditation. Quantum theory deals with the composition of particles smaller than atoms, not some plasma that we can harness and use.

We live in an age of incredible spiritual and biblical ignorance. Apostle Paul wrote, “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be complete (thoroughly equipped) for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16). Don’t be misled by claims of people using scientific words to support false medical or religious claims. You can always rely on the truth of God’s Word.

Reference: New Scientist magazine Autumn 2023 and Wikipedia.

October 5, 2023October 2, 2023

Marijuana is a Hyperaccumulator

One of the tragedies of modern drug use is that scientific research has not had time to study the long-term effects of drugs on the human body. Recent studies have shown that marijuana plants are highly effective at absorbing contaminants without harm to the plants. Marijuana is a hyperaccumulator of pesticides, petroleum solvents, crude oil, and heavy metals such as lead and cadmium. Because of that, growing hemp has successfully removed heavy metals from soils around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and pesticides from contaminated farms in Italy.

Because marijuana is easy to grow and absorbs lead and cadmium from the soils, those elements show up in the blood and urine of cannabis users. Cadmium and lead stay in the body for a long time and are linked to kidney and lung cancer. There is no safe level of lead, which affects the brain. Studies of cannabis users have shown a 22% higher presence of cadmium and a 27% higher level of lead in their blood than non-users.

Poorly researched recreational drugs are contributing to the increase in cancer in America today. With the relaxing rules on drug sales and use, this problem will get worse. Skeptics point out the increasing rate of diseases like cancer as if that disproves God or that God is to blame.

We should not blame God for the tragedies we bring on ourselves. Every plant in the creation has some use that benefits the ecosystem or humans directly or indirectly. Marijuana is a hyperaccumulator of harmful chemicals and can be used for that purpose. However, problems occur when we misuse what God has given us.

Reference: CNN “Marijuana and the Brain”

October 3, 2023October 2, 2023

Children Seeking Gender Reassignment

One of the most serious problems facing parents, schools, and churches is what to do with children seeking gender reassignment. This has become a political football, a money-making enterprise, a lawyer’s paradise, and a parent’s nightmare. Teachers deal with kids who are wearing several names and pronouns depending on what their day-to-day feelings dictate.

Those who promote gender reassignment confront unwilling parents with questions such as, “Do you want a dead daughter or a live son?” Studies show that the number of teenage girls with gender dysphoria has risen by 5,000% in seven years. This has become a massive money-maker for various groups, from Planned Parenthood to doctors and hospitals.

A British book by Hannah Barnes titled Time to Think provides a wealth of data on this issue in Europe, and it’s getting some attention in the United States. Here are some interesting facts from Barnes’ book:

*A large number of children seeking gender reassignment had other psychological issues. In one study, 97.5% had one or more disturbing issues, including having been in foster care, endured parental divorce or death, been abused, or endured personal trauma. Seventy percent had five or more difficulties of this kind. Twenty-five percent had histories of self-harm.

*Information given to children about sex change has been generally inaccurate. Kids have been told that puberty blockers would not affect bones, muscles, and brains or that effects were completely reversible. None of those assertions are true.

*Studies done since 2011 on the effects of puberty blockers in England showed no improvement in patients’ mental state. Sweden, Norway, and Finland have severely curtailed the use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, saying that the risks outweigh the benefits.

There is a strong name-calling campaign against anyone who questions sex change. “Transphobic” has joined “homophobic” in the vocabulary of promoters of sex-change medications and surgical procedures. We are facing an uphill battle because greed and money are involved. The disintegration of God’s plan for the family and the selfishness and greed of adults have resulted in the use of children to satisfy adult issues. Working on children’s psychological problems is far better than throwing drugs and surgery at the needs of disturbed kids.

Reference: Time to Think by Hanna Barnes