Having THE TALK with children in the 21st century

Forty five years ago I was probably considering how to talk to my children about “where do babies come from.”  And as they got a little older I even asked my church for help as they neared those scary adolescent years (btw, got zip nada zilch).  It’s a little tougher today.

• Sex Outside of Marriage
• Same-Sex "Marriage"
• Divorce
• Contraception
• Abortion
• Reproductive Technologies
• Modesty
• Pornography
• Transgenderism
• Homosexuality

I can be fairly certain we talked about divorce.  That was all around them. Playmates. Cousins. TV and movie themes.  Even children’s books were addressing that trauma for children. And yes, modesty.  I’m sure they saw my disapproval at some of the 70s fashion when we went shopping or watched TV together.  But transgenderism?  Never.  In fact, until the Supreme Court decided to undo thousands of years of tradition for pagans and religious people alike, there was little said about that, but certain well funded groups needed a new challenge.  Same sex “marriage” in the 1970s was not an option—in fact, until the election of 2012, no responsible candidate for president would have even suggested it.

But there’s help today that wasn’t available then (in part there was no need for this title in the 70s).  Leila Miller and Trent Horn have co-authored, “Made This Way, How to Prepare Kids to Face Today's Tough Moral Issues.”  Some churches are buying it in bulk ($5) and giving it to parents.

The authors are Catholic (I heard about the book on the podcast of Catholic Answers), but don’t let that deter you if you don’t share their faith.  Catholics are really the only Christians who have a well thought out, systematic teaching on sexuality.

The authors’ approach “begins not with the Bible or Church teaching but with the natural law. In kid-friendly ways, Miller and Horn help you communicate how the right way to live is rooted in the way we're made. God's design for human nature is a blueprint or owner's manual for moral living that any child can grasp through reason and apply to modern controversies over sex, marriage, life and the quest for human fulfillment.”

Leila Miller and Trent Horn.  Made this way, How to Prepare Kids to Face Today’s Tough Moral Issues. Catholic Answers Press, 2018

Sample chapter

Pascal on the Christian religion

“The Christian religion, then, teaches men these two truths; that there is a God whom men can know, and that there is a corruption in their nature which renders them unworthy of Him. It is equally important to men to know both these points; and it is equally dangerous for man to know God without knowing his own wretchedness, and to know his own wretchedness without knowing the Redeemer who can free him from it. The knowledge of only one of these points gives rise either to the pride of philosophers, who have known God, and not their own wretchedness, or to the despair of atheists, who know their own wretchedness, but not the Redeemer.” Pascal's Pensées , p. 153, Gutenberg  e-book, Section VII, The fundamentals of the Christian religion. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/18269/18269-h/18269-h.htm#SECTION_VIII

Pascal died a very young man—39--and Pensees was published after his death, and was assumed to be notes for a larger, more polished work. T.S. Eliot (20th century American/British poet and social critic), in the book’s introduction, implies his religious, theological and science ideas are so well known, he hardly needed to review them. That, of course, is not true—not sure it ever was. My own formal education is quite lacking in philosophy, religion, literature and the mathematical sciences, although that isn’t always the case for others my age, I’m guessing it is for today’s students.  I believe I was in a Bible study many years ago and did come across his famous wager for the existence of God. "If you win, you win everything; if you lose, you lose nothing."

Hoping for some new books for Christmas--on my Nook

I recharged my Nook the other day and handed it to my daughter with some suggestions for Christmas of multi-volume books I'd like to have around, but not on my bookshelves due to space, like the early church fathers. I'm not a digital book fan, and probably only have 5 or 6 loaded. But I've also found some good audio on YouTube. "A large video collection of classic hymns, contemporary Praise and Worship songs, and the works (audio books, devotional readings, and sermons) of men greatly used of God, such as: Charles Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards, A.W. Tozer, A.W. Pink, John Owen, Oswald Chambers, Andrew Murray, E.M. Bounds, John Bunyan, George Whitefield, and many more, covering topics on many aspects of the Christian life." Listening to Eusebius History of the Church this morning. Sponsored by a group called "Christian Praise and Worship in Songs, Sermons and Audio Books." 

Despite all the crap and dirt, the internet is also full of treasures.

 http://sermonsandsongsdotorg.com/category/audiobooks/

How the early church judged those who sought membership

Apostolic Traditions was written by Hippolytus who feared the church was straying from tradition and falling into heresy and false doctrine, so he wanted to record the right way to ordain leaders like bishops and deacons and how to bring in new members. Nothing of the original Greek remains, but there are translations.  This simplified version by Kevin P. Edgecomb  is based on the work of Bernard Botte (La Tradition Apostolique. Sources Chretiennes, 11 bis. Paris, Editions du Cerf, 1984) and of Gregory Dix (The Treatise on the Apostolic Tradition of St. Hippolytus of Rome, Bishop and Martyr. London: Alban Press, 1992)

15 Those who are newly brought forward to hear the Word shall first be brought before the teachers at the house, before all the people enter. ²Then they will be questioned concerning the reason that they have come forward to the faith. Those who bring them will bear witness concerning them as to whether they are able to hear. ³They shall be questioned concerning their life and occupation, marriage status, and whether they are slave or free. ⁴If they are the slaves of any of the faithful, and if their masters permit them, they may hear the Word. If their masters do not bear witness that they are good, let them be rejected. ⁵If their masters are pagans, teach them to please their masters, so that there will be no blasphemy.

⁶If a man has a wife, or a woman has a husband, let them be taught to be content, the husband with his wife, and the wife with her husband. ⁷If there is a man who does not live with a woman, let him be taught not to fornicate, but to either take a wife according to the law, or to remain as is.

⁸If there is someone who has a demon, such a one shall not hear the Word of the teacher until purified.

16 They will inquire concerning the works and occupations of those are who are brought forward for instruction. ²If someone is a pimp who supports prostitutes, he shall cease or shall be rejected. ³If someone is a sculptor or a painter, let them be taught not to make idols. Either let them cease or let them be rejected. ⁴If someone is an actor or does shows in the theater, either he shall cease or he shall be rejected. ⁵If someone teaches children (worldly knowledge), it is good that he cease. But if he has no (other) trade, let him be permitted. ⁶A charioteer, likewise, or one who takes part in the games, or one who goes to the games, he shall cease or he shall be rejected. ⁷If someone is a gladiator, or one who teaches those among the gladiators how to fight, or a hunter who is in the wild beast shows in the arena, or a public official who is concerned with gladiator shows, either he shall cease, or he shall be rejected. ⁸If someone is a priest of idols, or an attendant of idols, he shall cease or he shall be rejected. ⁹A military man in authority must not execute men. If he is ordered, he must not carry it out. Nor must he take military oath. If he refuses, he shall be rejected. ¹⁰If someone is a military governor,^a or the ruler of a city who wears the purple, he shall cease or he shall be rejected. ¹¹The catechumen or faithful who wants to become a soldier is to be rejected, for he has despised God. ¹²The prostitute, the wanton man, the one who castrates himself, or one who does that which may not be mentioned, are to be rejected, for they are impure. ¹³A magus shall not even be brought forward for consideration. ¹⁴An enchanter, or astrologer, or diviner, or interpreter of dreams^b, or a charlatan^c, or one who makes amulets, either they shall cease or they shall be rejected. ¹⁵If someone's concubine is a slave, as long as she has raised her children and has clung only to him, let her hear. Otherwise, she shall be rejected. ¹⁶The man who has a concubine must cease and take a wife according to the law. If he will not, he shall be rejected.

17 Catechumens will hear the word for three years. ²Yet if someone is earnest^a and perseveres well in the matter, it is not the time that is judged, but the conduct.

^a Lit. has the authority of swords
^b Other ancient authorities add or one who clips the fringes of garments,
^c Lit., one who stirs up the people

---------------------

Given the lax standards of today it is amazing that the persecuted and outlawed church of the third century would not accept people who would not change their lifestyle or profession in preference for sinning. And they needed witnesses—which many churches still recommend . . such as a god parent or sponsor. Military leaders were to defy orders. Political leaders were not welcome to take instruction. Gladiators had to give up their jobs. Slaves, however, could become Christians and by their witness might convert their masters, but not magicians or those in the occult who wouldn’t give it up. Sexual immorality (prostitute, wanton man, the castrated, and one “who does that which may not be mentioned”) was enough to cause rejection—and I don’t see an exception for giving up the practice. A faithful concubine, however, could be accepted in the fellowship, but the man had to give up his concubine or make her a wife.

Primary texts of the early Christian church

• The Early Church Fathers (Ante-Nicene; Nicene; Post-Nicene Fathers)
• Early Church Fathers – Additional Texts
• The Fathers of the Church (New Advent)
• Early Christian Writings
• The Early Church Documents
• Gnostic Texts
• Apocryphal Acts
• Non-canonical Literature
• Latin Classical & Patristic Texts
• The Latin Library – Latin Texts
• Biblioteca Augustana: Latin Texts
• The Tertullian Project
• Online Medieval & Classical Library
• Medieval Sourcebook
• Corpus Thomisticum

From a list at the website of Jim Papandrea

Purge with a passion

Here's a new book--but I'm not sure you want to give it as a Christmas gift--it might seem like a hint. Buy it for yourself and keep it on the coffee table. "Purge with passion; organizing principles from a Christian perspective," by Jodie Watson, WestBow Press, 2013. (ISBN 978-1-4497-9513-9, $17.95).  WestBow is a division of Thomas Nelson.

I'm not a hoarder, and I'm not swamped with clutter. . . but I do have "stuff." Stuff that's really important to me, that belonged to my great grandparents—tools and dishes, or my grandmother’s scrap books, or a Christmas dress sewn by my mother for a 1955 dance, or Mother’s Day plates my kids made for me 40 years ago, or books I'll never read, or my grandfather's 11th ed. of the Encyclopedia Britannica (also the 12th and 13th), or glass dishes from my childhood, or my wedding dress (also my sister’s, made by our mother), or my parents' bedroom set, and so on. See? Just the important stuff.

Watson, who is from England, has family in West Africa, and when she visited she saw they had so much less than those of us in "developed" countries, but seemed happier. This is so much more than a book about clutter. It's about being free to live your life for Christ when you lay down your burdens.

http://www.supremeorganization.com/wordpress1/Assets_Library/Media_Kit/2011_Media_Kit.pdf

Nobody tells a dying guy to shut up by Dave Chilcoat

"Nobody tells a dying guy to shut up" is the personal testimony of Dave Chilcoat, who battled ALS the last 3 years of his life but continued to witness the love of Jesus to the end. When he learned he had this terrible disease, he started an on line journal recording both his physical struggles and his spiritual victories, writing the final entry in Aug. 2006. His wife, Beth, edited the journal and published it in 2009.  It is in the church library at Upper Arlington Lutheran Church (Columbus, OH), and I read it in one sitting Friday--his description of the disease, his pain, and his tears is crushing, but his joy in the Lord is inspiring and faith building. His selection of appropriate scripture is outstanding. Dave and Beth came to Columbus, OH, to establish Young Life when they were a young married couple with a baby in 1970. After 10 years he went to law school and was a lawyer for 23 years. See  her web site for ordering information. http://bethchilcoat.com/

Until I read this book about Dave's three years battling ALS, I had forgotten I had three "A taste of Columbus" recipe books by Dave and Beth. I have III (1987),IV, (1991) and V (2000), received after Marylyn Doncevic, the original owner and wife of Paul Doncevic, died. These are wonderful recipes from Columbus area restaurants, and the books are illustrated by David's mother, whom you also get to know in his book.

Basic Economics for Christians--Please write this book

I read in the November Columbus CEO that business owners/executives scored only 38% on tests of financial literacy. So that got me to thinking. How would the rest of us score? So I decided to look into starting a book discussion group that would read a title (I made this up--doesn‘t seem exist) “Basic economics for Christians.”

We know the "Occupiers" know diddly squat about economics, but what about educated conservatives? I think most people who identify themselves as conservatives or Tea Party supporters and who want the government shrunk don’t realize how dependent they’ve pesonally become on the federal government through block grants to states for housing, mandated education standards like NCLB, and churches that accept government money for their “social justice” programs. Maybe they know the Federal Reserve System is not a government agency, but I’m guessing they don’t. Do they know the government has been involved in housing since the Royals were handing out land grants and charters (original colonies mostly named for royalty--North Carolina, Virginia--west of that for Indian names).

Socialism and Keynesian economics might be terms Conservatives have heard of, or even disparage, but do they know they are both anti-Christian and anti-saving for the future? John Maynard Keynes was a homosexual who had little use for families or Christian values--especially not providing for them in the future. He thought money should be spent today and not taken out of circulation for future needs. Do conservatives realize that both GW Bush and Barack Obama are Keynesians? They say they understand what it means that Obama’s advisors at the highest level are Socialists--but so were FDR and his advisors, an era that many revere?

Do they know that for the first two hundred years of the United States our history was taught with a moral and ethical base in public schools, and that since the 1920s God has disappeared from textbooks and in his place is an economic view of history? Do they know what has happened to manufacturing, transportation, and technology just within their own lifetimes? Do they even realize what their own consumerism and desire for more stuff have contributed? Do they know there didn’t used to be an income tax, or how many pages the current code is?

Do conservatives really understand the words million, billion and trillion? When conservatives complain about the cost of federal government do they know that from one dollar in taxes 21 cents go to Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP, 20 cents to Social Security and 20 cents to defense? Medicare, Social Security, and Defense are HUGE issues for conservatives, and a huge drain in a bloated government. Franklin County, Ohio, where I live gets $1.2 Billion in defense contracts. Want that cut? Even if we could reduce fraud, graft and waste, there would be a lot even with a squeaky clean payout.

What we understand and how we vote might be easier if we all understood consumer price index, gross domestic product, corporation, dividends, Laissez-Faire, Marx, Adam Smith, deficit, human capital, price controls, non-profits, for profits, etc. Time to get informed.

Has anyone written the books I'd like to read?

Why read Chesterton today?

Recently I began reading G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy. So far, I've made it through the Introduction written by Philip Yancy, and part of Chapter 1. Actually, I've never cared much for Yancy's writings--he always seems so tentative and uncertain--I think because I just can't identify with what he's fleeing--fundamentalist, legalistic Christianity. Even in this small introduction, he continues to needle his strawman, stereotypical Christians. But he says in the Introduction that Chesterton revived his faith, and when he feels himself going dry, he goes to the bookshelves and pulls off a volume (in collected works it's possible he exceeds Luther and Calvin).

From the American Chesterton Society page:

All the issues we struggle with in the 21st century, Chesterton foresaw, and wrote about, in the early 20th century. Social injustice, the culture of death, statism, assaults on religion, and attacks on the family and on the dignity of the human person: Chesterton saw where these trends, already active in his time, would lead us. He was a witty, intelligent, and insightful defender of the poor, the downtrodden, the weak, and especially of the family. He loved good beer, good wine, and good cigars. He wrote in just about every genre: history, biography, novels, poetry, short stories, apologetics and theology, economic works, and more.

As a literary critic, Chesterton was without parallel. His biography of Charles Dickens is credited with sparking the Dickens revival in London in the early 20th century. His biography of St. Thomas Aquinas was called the best book on St. Thomas ever written, by no less than Etienne Gilson, the 20th century’s greatest Thomistic scholar. His books Orthodoxy and The Everlasting Man are considered the 20th century’s finest works of Christian and Catholic apologetics. And audiences still delight in the adventures of Chesterton’s priest sleuth, Father Brown, as well as such timeless novels as The Man Who Was Thursday, The Napoleon of Notting Hill, and others.

I like this quote (from Yancy's introduction): "I tried to be some 10 minutes in advance of truth and I found that I was 1800 years behind it." Whether this applies to Chesterton's conversion to Roman Catholicism or his personal beliefs, I'm not sure, but I know that if it's truth you're seeking it's best to return to the basics.
American Chesterton Society

Why I won't answer a library survey

Your library or mine, it's a waste of time, so I don't even bother. I got an e-mail last week suggesting I go on-line and respond to a survey (isn't it too soon for another bond issue?) Gracious! I've composed enough surveys in my career to know how to word them so you look good! But more importantly, the staff (director) of my PL won't listen. I've made suggestions for purchase and complaints about problems with the on-line catalog; I've written the local paper; I've blogged. I've even complimented them when they do something I like (on-line genealogy sources, excellent art instruction collection, great book sales). The Diddly Squat retreat is the only movement or direction this group knows.

Here's today's example. I've only spent 5 minutes researching it, but you'll get the idea of my level of frustration. My husband just walked in from his Wednesday morning men's group. The current study (by the leader, not the group) is from Josh McDowell's The new tolerance, a 1998 imprint by one of the best known, popular conservative authors in Christendom--not a favorite of mine, but thorough and well researched stuff the last I checked, with oodles of references and a Christian world view. My poor husband has been assigned the "old and new absolutes about women" in the church.

So I googled the title, find out McDowell wrote it and check my library catalog. First, it tells me "there is no exact match for McDowell, Josh, please try Josh McDowell." Next, I'm about to move on thinking they are more anti-Christian than I thought, when I scan the list that did appear and see, "McDowell, Josh 5 titles." I haven't a clue why this glitch shows up--surely the hostility doesn't work its way into the query!

Then, I look at the 5 titles. McDowell is probably best known for a title he wrote about 30 years ago for youth called Evidence that demands a verdict. I used to have a copy, but loaned it, and it never returned. Yes, the library has that title and 4 others from the 1980s. 1980s? This author even gets reviewed in Publisher's Weekly and Library Journal (public librarians find it difficult to move beyond their own safe bible for reviews). He has a marketing machine! Where is Evidence for Christianity (2006) or American idols (2006) or Handbook of todays religions (1992)? He has produced tapes and CDs and DVDs. Why can my library buy every book and format for Michael Moore and 16 copies of anti-Bush titles, and continue to deny the Christian taxpayers their due? Actually, that is a rhetorical question--librarians are 223:1, liberal to conservative, and the place books get banned is during the selection process, not after they are on the shelves after parents or old ladies complain.

In today's multicultural, PC world, "tolerance," not honesty, or bravery or patriotism, or truth, or hard work, is the primary virture--tolerance for everyone except those in the Western Christian world.