Breakpoint

Quantum theory boggles the mind. As science journalist John Horgan writes, quantum theory is science's most precise, powerful theory of reality. It has predicted countless experiments, spawned countless applications. The trouble is physicists and philosophers disagree over what it means, that is, what it says about how the world works. At the core of the disagreement is what matter consists of at the quantum, or the smallest, level. At that size, matter's properties change when we try to observe it, even—amazingly—because we try to observe it. That's led to over a century of frustrated efforts to understand exactly what the fundamental "stuff" of reality is. It's not that these tiny things aren't real; it's that we can't figure out what they're like. At the same time, quantum theory has proven explanatory power. A theological parallel is the Trinity. We can't comprehend exactly how the Godhead functions, but that doesn't mean it's not real. As C.S. Lewis wrote back in 1952, if Christianity is true, it would be "at least as difficult as modern physics." And, we could add, just as rational.

How Christian must Christians be to still be Christian? For the Colson Center, I'm John Stonestreet. This is Breakpoint. A question every youth pastor should expect to answer at least once in their career is the "how far is too far?" question. Of course, the person asking—usually a guy—wants to know how close to the moral cliff he can get before getting married. It's a common question, albeit fundamentally wrong. The ones asking rarely stay pure for long since purity is better understood as a direction rather than a line. Instead of tip-toeing the edge, a much better approach is to focus on trying to honor God and the young woman as much as possible. This same kind of minimalist thinking affects Christians of all ages, in other areas of life and faith. This is especially true at a time of moral drift, like ours. If someone maintains a bare adherence to Christian form or most of the convictions in the ancient creeds, we hear, what they believe about controversial moral or cultural issues ought not matter (or even, in some cases, how they live). All that matters is that they are "sincere," because, after all, "not all Christians agree" and "Christians have been wrong before" and "we should love everyone," and so forth. An increasing amount of evidence suggests that this kind of superficial allegiance to God and truth does not long keep the one questioning within the fold. Many churches, even entire denominations, that once flirted with the near side of progressivism, long ago dropped nearly every doctrinal and ethical stand of historic Christianity, even while holding to certain external trappings of the faith they now deride in their teachings. Especially during this month, many ornate Gothic buildings that once served as centers of historic Christian worship are not only redecorated with rainbow flags but claimed for another kingdom. Vestments come sleeveless to highlight a pastor's (or pastrix's?) amply tattooed arms and edgy new ways of talking about things. Many in the pulpits and in the pews, it seems, maintain a deep longing to remain connected to God and some semblance of Christianity, but not to the claims of morality and truth that go along with them. More and more, historically Christian institutions are drifting too. In just the last few months, a once-Christian magazine published an article on sex written by a self-described "polyamorous Christian" and another that argued for the "reproductive rights" (abortion) of "women and pregnant people." Many Christian colleges are likewise struggling with their identity and their past convictions, particularly in trying to find the line between loving those who struggle with same-sex attraction and functionally affirming such lifestyles. When Baylor University, a historically Baptist school, offered official status to a campus LGBTQ group, the reason was to "help students gain deeper understanding of their own and others [sic] complex and intersectional identities, including gender and sexuality and faith and spirituality." And then, two weeks ago, Eerdmans Publishing Company, publisher of some of the most important works of Christian theology for over 100 years, tweeted out a list of LGBTQ-affirming books they've published along with, "Wherever you stand or whatever you think you know, #PrideMonth is a time to take a step back, to listen to real stories, and seek to understand." After initially deleting the tweet, they doubled down on their support, insisting in a lengthy tweet thread that Christian ethics couldn't be reduced to "right" and "wrong" opinions. Jake Meador of Mere Orthodoxy rightly described the moral reasoning as "gibberish." The problem in these kinds of situations is not just reaching wrong conclusions about culturally significant issues. It's the approach taken. Throughout church history, Christians have attempted to keep issues of lesser importance from obstructing the overall work of the Church. This has required a sort of prioritization of doctrines and ethical reasoning. So, things like the deity of Christ and the reality of the Trinity are ranked higher than questions about the mode and meaning of baptism, the exact timeline to the Second Coming, or how long hymn lines should be. Often, this principle is summarized by the phrase, "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity." On the whole, this is a wise philosophy. It allows cooperation among Christians who disagree about certain things but share an allegiance to Christ. The non-negotiable doctrines are epitomized in the creeds of the Church, like the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds. For centuries, these statements of faith have been guideposts for the Church, noting the boundaries of Christian truth and warning how far is too far. Even so, what the creeds state, especially about creation, sin, and salvation, further implies things that were once taken for granted. For example, no one claiming the term Christian would have questioned, until yesterday at least, that believing in the "maker of heaven and earth" did not also include believing that He also made humans in His image, male and female. Believing in the death and resurrection of Jesus implied believing that we need His death and resurrection to pay for our sin. Or at least it used to. When these kinds of weighty ethical questions are put into the category of secondary concerns and then dismissed as largely irrelevant, even primary concerns are cut from the roots which give them meaning and definition in the first place. In the end, what is left is a religion that looks like the liberal Christianity H. Richard Niebuhr described a century ago, "A God without wrath brought men without sin into a Kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a Cross." When Christ sent His apostles to convert the world, charging them with the Great Commission, He didn't tell them just to teach new Christians the basics of the faith; He told them to make disciples. They were to do this by teaching all that they had been commanded. A rootless faith, content only with bare minimums, or with seeking the edge of "how far is too far?", will never measure up to the riches both commanded and offered by Christ our Lord.

According to the U.K. Express, the Chinese government is afraid. Afraid of what? Afraid that there could be 300 million Chinese Christians by 2030, which would be a spectacular increase from the 75 to 100 million Christians in China today. Still, for perspective, there were only about 4 million Christians in China when the Communists took over in 1949. That number had barely changed by Mao's death in 1976. But since then, Christianity has grown like the Chinese economy: 7% or 8% a year, despite the fact that even going to church, much less evangelizing, can be difficult if not dangerous. Like the early Church, many Chinese Christians are living lives "that are not only in marked contrast to the lives of their neighbors but better than those practiced in the larger society." This kind of influence one church historian calls "patient ferment." It could transform China just like the early Church transformed the Roman Empire. No wonder the Communist government is scared.

Mary Slessor was born to a Scottish working-class family in 1848. At an early age, Mary joined her parents in the Dundee mills, working half a day while going to school the other half. By age 14, Mary was working 12 hour shifts. Ever an avid reader, she kept a book propped up on her loom so she could read while working. Mary's mother, a devout Presbyterian with an interest in missions, saw that her children were raised in the Faith. When a local mission to the poor opened in Dundee, Mary volunteered to be a teacher. Her sense of humor and sympathy made her popular among her pupils. At age 27, Mary learned of the death of famous missionary, David Livingstone. Inspired to join her church's mission in what is now southern Nigeria, Mary taught and worked in the dispensary. With her devotion to learn the local language, plus by cutting her hair and abandoning the traditional Victorian dress as impractical in the hot climate, Mary quickly set herself apart from the other missionaries. She began eating local foods as a cost-cutting measure. Finding the mission hierarchy frustrating, she welcomed opportunities to go upriver into inland areas. The need for workers in these regions with fewer missionaries was significant, so she asked to be stationed there. However, since male missionaries had been killed in those areas, her request as a single woman was turned down as too dangerous. After a medical furlough for malaria, Mary was stationed in a region where shamans dominated much of life. These men conducted trials in which guilt or innocence was determined by whether or not the accused died after taking poison. Slavery was also rampant among the powerful, and slaves were often sacrificed on their owner's death to be their servants in the afterlife. Women's rights were virtually nonexistent. Despite these challenges, Mary was able to integrate into the community and earn the trust of the local people. As a woman, she was not seen as the threat that male missionaries were. And, her ability to speak Efik and her embrace of local lifestyles in clothing, housing, and food endeared her to the native peoples. It was in Okoyong that Mary began the work for which she is now best known. The locals believed that when twins were born, one of them must be the child of a demon. The mothers were ostracized, and, since there was no way to tell which was cursed, both children would be abandoned to death by starvation or wild animals. Like the earliest Christians who rescued victims of attempted infanticide by exposure, Mary began rescuing twins. She saved hundreds of children and, against the advice of her mission agency, adopted nine as her own. Like the earliest Christians whose example she emulated, the actions of Mary Slessor not only saved lives but played a major role in changing the local culture. Her understanding of the language, history, and customs — plus her standing in the community –enabled her to work as a mediator and give judgments in local tribal courts. When the British attempted to set up a court system in the area, Mary warned them it would be a disaster. So, the British consul appointed Mary as vice-consul in Okoyong, making her the first female magistrate in the British Empire. In this position, Mary continued to mediate disputes, while acting as liaison with the colonial government, continuing to care for children and continuing her work as a missionary. At age 66, Mary finally lost a long fight with malaria. She was given a state funeral, which was attended by many people who travelled from the tribal regions in order to honor her. She was nicknamed the "Queen of Okoyong." Mary Slessor's story is a wonderful part of the larger, ongoing Story of restoration, accomplished by Christ through His people within the time and place they are called. Slessor offers yet another example for Christ-followers that taking the Gospel to pagan cultures will typically involve protecting children. Our calling is no different.

John and Maria discuss the way some Christians are handling PRIDE month. Notably, Maria asks John to explain the background of a known publisher of Christian-based books, Eerdmans, and a list of books they've published to "help" Christians think about PRIDE month. Maria then asks John to comment on a recent article by journalist and commentator Ezra Klein who discussed how climate change is impacting the decisions of some adults on whether to have kids. Maria offers some helpful thoughts for us on how we got to this place and why Klein's thinking and reporting isn't shedding light on the whole story. To close, Maria wants John to explain a new report from Harvard that purports scientists have reversed the aging in mice. An article on the report says that aging is a disease, and John critiques that phrasing and offers some ways the Christian perspective is wholly different, especially as it looks to redeem and restore life in a fallen world. -- Recommendations -- What is a Woman>> -- In Show References -- Segment 1: Eerdmans Publishers Promote "Books for PRIDE Month" "We find ourselves at a time again where we should be willing to listen and seek to understand those in the LGBTQ+ community who are simply fighting to be seen and heard, cared for and loved." https://eerdword.com/pride-month-books/ Eerdman's defending itself after posting on Twitter, removing it, and re-posting it: https://twitter.com/eerdmansbooks/status/1534269600736563200 State Farm drops its partnership with "GenderCool" program to distribute LGBT books to kids in publis schools after uproar "The mission of GenderCool, founded in 2018 in Chicago, is to "replace misinformed opinions with positive experiences meeting transgender and non-binary youth who are thriving," according to its website. The organization, which describes itself as "an inspiring disrupter," has partnered with some of the biggest companies in the world, including Bank of America, Dell, General Mills, NBCUniversal and Nike." WaPo>> {Pizza Hut features "Drag Kids" book for kids as young as kindergarteners} "Pizza Hut is featuring a book about "drag kids" as one of the books promoted by its "Book It!" reading incentive program aimed at children in pre-kindergarten through 6th grade." FoxNews>> Segment 2: Ezra Klein says "Your Kids Are Not Doomed" "Over the past few years, I've been asked one question more than any other. It comes up at speeches, at dinners, in conversation. It's the most popular query when I open my podcast to suggestions, time and again. It comes in two forms. The first: Should I have kids, given the climate crisis they will face? The second: Should I have kids, knowing they will contribute to the climate crisis the world faces?" "We will have caused incalculable damage to ecosystems. We will have worsened droughts, floods, famines, heat waves. We will have bleached coral reefs, acidified the ocean, driven countless animal species to extinction. Millions, maybe tens of millions, of people will die from increased heat, and more will be killed by the indirect consequences of climate change. Far more yet will be forced to flee their homes or live lives of deep poverty or suffering. We will have stolen the full possibility of their flourishing from them." NYT>> Pew Research in 2021 finds that a tiny percentage of childless adults cite "climate concerns" as their reason for not having kids>> Segment 3: Scientists Can Reverse Aging in Mice. The goal is to do the same for humans. " "It's a permanent reset, as far as we can tell, and we think it may be a universal process that could be applied across the body to reset our age," said Sinclair, who has spent the last 20 years studying ways to reverse the ravages of time." "His research shows you can change aging to make lives younger for longer. Now he wants to change the world and make aging a disease," said Whitney Casey, an investor who is partnering with Sinclair to create a do-it-yourself biological age test." CNN>>

Many Christians settle for a reductionistic view of salvation, in which eternity is secured but the rest of life left untouched. The Bible, however, presents a much more holistic vision of redemption. To explore salvation from a broader point of view, this year's Wilberforce Weekend looked at "Life Redeemed." The event was framed around three questions: What are we saved from, what are we saved to, and what are we saved for? Rachel Gilson is the author of a fascinating book entitled Born Again This Way: Coming Out, Coming to Faith, and What Comes Next. She spoke specifically on something the Bible describes that we are saved from: confusion. Here's a portion of Rachel's compelling message. As I started having romantic and sexual relationships with other young women, I thought, "Oh, this is where home is for me." So, I got to Yale, and I was like, "Oh no!" The girl I was dating at the time, well, she left me for this guy that lived in a van. And I was, like, "That is bad news, no matter what." And also, I'm just sad, you know? So teenage breakups—very dramatic. I was basically dumped into the pit of an identity crisis, and never once did, I think, "Oh, I should turn to Jesus" because I didn't believe in Jesus. So, a little while after that, I happened to be in the room of—I could call her a friend; she was more like an acquaintance—a non-practicing Catholic. And I remember standing in her doorway, and she was further into her room getting something, putting it in a bag, whatever. We're going to walk somewhere. And she had a bookshelf next to her doorway, and one of my favorite hobbies is to look at people's bookshelves and judge them, you know? So, I'm checking it out, looking up and down. And there was a copy—there was a book on this shelf. The spine read Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, and so I thought, "Oh, I really want to read that book," but I was too embarrassed to ask my friend for it. So, I just stole the book because, again, I had no moral code, right? My bag, it's not that big—you can just slip it right in. So, I was sitting in the library soon after that, reading Mere Christianity, and while I was reading it one day, I was just overwhelmed with the realization that God exists. I was trying to explain this to an atheist friend of mine recently. He's, like, "Tell me again." I'm, like, "I don't really want to say." I was sitting there, and it was clear to me suddenly—I don't remember where, what chapter I was in, what page, anything like that, but I was just overwhelmed with the reality of God. And not like a store brand, you know, like Zeus or something, but the God who made me and who made everything and who was perfect. It was like I could sense God's holiness even though I didn't know that vocabulary and the only thing I felt was fear. I'm arrogant. I'm cruel. I'm sexually immoral. I lie. I cheat. I'm reading a stolen book. It's clear all of the chips are in the guilty category, right? I had no confusion at that moment either, but really quickly with that I also understood that part of the reason Jesus had come was to place himself as a barrier between God's wrath and me. And that the only way to be safe was to run towards Him, not away from Him. It was lovely, but it also was really clear to me really soon in my walk with the Lord that my attraction to other women wasn't going anywhere. And it's been 18 years, and my attraction to women still hasn't gone anywhere. So, it was where the confusion actually entered in. I was, like, "How, how am I supposed to thrive in Christ when these attractions aren't gone?" And the Lord kept pushing on me at this time. Like, "Hey, if you're only willing to obey when you both understand and agree, maybe you're actually serving yourself as God and not me." Probably many of you experience other places where you feel confused because there's something the Lord says and it doesn't seem to line up with you intuitively. There's maybe some sin that you love, that you don't know how to—you don't know how to part with. And I would just say again and again, the only place of safety is found in Him and in His Word. And He promises by His Word, by His Spirit, by His people, to lead us out of confusion and to lead us into love and joy and peace and patience, into the obedience of faith that He's calling us to. That was Rachel Gilson, author of a book called Born Again This Way. To hear more of Rachel's message, and other speakers from this year's Wilberforce Weekend event, "Life Redeemed," including Os Guinness, Nancy Guthrie, Jim Daly, Monique Duson, and others, go to www.wilberforceweekend.org.

This summer the U.S. Supreme Court could overturn Roe v. Wade in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Part of what the justices will have to consider is a legal principle called stare decisis, which means respecting precedent. If the High Court wants to respect Roe, especially its deep ideological and legal flaws, it should take into account why Roe was decided the way it was. Since then, the pro-abortion movement has insisted that abortion is a "women's rights" issue. But in 1973, many Americans, especially elites, believed a now-debunked theory that the world was headed for catastrophe due to over-population. The Supreme Court justices themselves noted in the official majority opinion in Roe v. Wade that this concern, in part, motivated their decision to legalize abortion. In the Dobbs case, the justices should consider that this part of the legal precedent is a debunked and harmful theory, and therefore should see abortion for what it truly is: an unconstitutional evil.

During a prayer gathering on the National Mall a few years ago, Terry Beatley, a commissioned Colson Fellow and president of a pro-life organization called the Hosea Initiative, reminded the crowd of a story Chuck Colson told in a Breakpoint commentary over 25 years ago. The story, of how God changed the heart of one of our nation's most notorious abortionists, is about as dramatic a conversion as Chuck Colson's was. Yet, it came in the wake of one of the greatest defeats pro-lifers had suffered since the Roe v. Wade decision. Here's what Chuck wrote, in a commentary entitled "The Ultimate Victory." "I was [recently] invited to witness a baptism," Chuck said, "in the sacristy chapel of Saint Patrick's cathedral in New York City. About 80 of us sat in a semicircle waiting for John Cardinal O'Connor to arrive. "While waiting, I couldn't help but think back to last fall and the Senate's attempt to override President Clinton's veto of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act—an attempt that failed. I remember walking the Senate corridors that day, looking for senators and pleading with them to vote to override the veto. "One of my most dramatic memories," Chuck continued, "happened while I was sitting in the Senate gallery, listening to the debate over whether it should be legal to commit infanticide—to kill babies already three-quarters born. The senators fell silent for a moment, and just as they did, a baby's cry pierced the silence. A poignant reminder to both sides of what was at stake that day. "After the vote I walked down to the Senate reception room and saw the grinning, almost cheering, crowd of abortion supporters. There was Kate Michelman, president of the National Abortion Rights Action League, surrounded by a crowd of people beaming and congratulating each other. They'd won; they'd scored a tremendous victory for the pro-abortionists. They'd stopped the bill." Chuck then continued: "Scenes of that day kept flashing through my mind as I sat in that dimly lit chapel at Saint Patrick's. Why? Because the candidate for baptism was none other than Bernard Nathanson, one of the abortion industry's greatest leaders, a man who personally presided over some 75,000 abortions, including the abortion of his own child. "I watched as Nathanson walked to the altar. What a moment. Just like the first century—a Jew coming forward in the catacombs to meet Christ. And his sponsor accompanying him to the altar was Joan Andrews. Ironies abound. Joan is one of the pro-life movement's most outspoken warriors, a woman who spent five years in prison for her pro-life activities. "… just above Cardinal O'Connor," Chuck continued, "was a cross. As I reflected on the day when infanticide could not be stopped by the United States Senate, I realized that I was witnessing, this day, the victory. I looked at that cross and realized again that what the Gospel teaches is true: In Christ is the victory. He has overcome the world, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against His Church. "We might have taken a beating in the Senate on partial-birth abortion, but only temporarily. Because there at the altar was a man, who spent three decades in the satanic world of abortion, joyfully accepting forgiveness in Christ. "And there were 80 people huddled in the catacombs of Saint Patrick's Cathedral, celebrating a victory Kate Michelman could do nothing about: the triumph of the Gospel over evil. "This," Chuck concluded, "is the way the abortion war will ultimately be won: through Jesus Christ changing hearts, one by one. No amount of political force, no government, no laws, no army of Planned Parenthood workers, can ever stop that. It is the one thing absolutely invincible. "That simple baptism, held without fanfare in the basement of a great cathedral, is a reminder that a holy Baby, born in a stable 20 centuries ago, defies the wisdom of man. He cannot be defeated."

John and Os Guinness discuss the privitization of faith, if Americans should support revolution or revival in this cultural moment, and what Christians should do with public school. They also answer a host of other questions from the audience at Wilberforce Weekend this year asked by Michael Craven, Vice President of Equipping and Mobilization at the Colson Center.

Kudos to these Tampa Bay Rays. On Saturday night, several players for the Tampa Bay Rays opted out of wearing rainbow logos for "Pride Night." Pitcher Jason Adam represented those players to reporters, saying, while players want all to feel "welcome and loved" at games, We don't want to encourage [an LGBTQ lifestyle] if we believe in Jesus, who's encouraged us to live a lifestyle that would abstain from that behavior. Just like (Jesus) encourages me as a heterosexual male to abstain from sex outside of the confines of marriage. Adam's clarity and his teammate's bravery despite the furnace of public outrage reminds me of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego facing Nebuchadnezzar's idol. They are following the example of U.S. women's soccer player Jaelene Daniels, formerly Hinkel, who refused to wear a pride jersey in 2017. She also was castigated for her stand. According to Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash,. instead of causing dissension, the opting out "has created … a lot of conversation and valuing the different perspectives inside the clubhouse but really appreciating the community that we're trying to support here." In other words, opting out creates real diversity and inclusion.