Breakpoint

Z-ers Identify as LGBT." That was a significantly higher number than reported in previous years. Then, last month, a new survey released by Arizona Christian University reported that about 39 percent of 18-24-year-olds claim the label. Even granting that polling data should always be taken with a grain of salt, that's a shockingly high number. And, in addition to challenging Christians about how much the culture around them has changed, these numbers also challenge the way people have been taught to think about sexuality and, specifically, cultural assumptions about sexuality. For years, a main idea driving activism around sexual orientation was that gay and lesbian people were "born this way." Since, went the argument, no one is attracted to someone of the same gender through any fault of their own, we must let them be who they truly are and love who they want to love. And we must, the argument continued, erase any notion that heterosexuality is "normal" and homosexuality is not. The idea proved persuasive, especially the more it was portrayed in song, film, and television. Millions went to research looking for the genetic causes of same-sex attraction. Though it was never found, professional activists did successfully conflate sexual decisions with the already protected classes of race, sex, and disability. Even as it has become increasingly common to claim that sexual orientation is fluid, the old idea that it was an innate, unchangeable component of identity already served its purpose, shifting the moral norms of society. So, today, most Americans either believe that sexual orientation is something none of us get to choose or is something nobody should question. However, polls like this one should make us question what many in our culture now take for granted about sexual orientation. Otherwise, how can anyone account for the explosion in self-identified LGBTQ youth? The obvious answer is: we can't. We either have to keep foolishly pretending that nearly 40 percent of young people have always been gay, lesbian, bisexual, or (especially now) transgender, or we must admit that our ideas about sexuality have consequences for others. After all, it didn't take long for the other letters in the ever-growing acronym to jump on board this remarkably successful strategy. So today, anyone who defies traditional "sexual norms" is given elevated moral status, considered to be "experts" on all kinds of things, and given a free pass. Is it any wonder young people want to join those ranks, at least on a subconscious level? As one of my colleagues pointed out the other day, a teen who identifies as "bisexual" doesn't have to do anything different to gain a status boost. They can keep dating people of the opposite sex or not date at all. They can be sexually active or not. It's the label that does the magic. It's no accident that the B and the T in the acronym have seen the most growth. Even if the social costs of these ideas are lower than ever, the consequences for young people who adopt them are severe. For one thing, young people are constantly being taught to see every relationship they have as potentially sexual. This robs them of platonic friendships, especially with members of the same sex. CS Lewis famously wrote that "few value (friendship) because few experience it." This has become even more true today, with the loneliest generation on record. To be clear, people's sexual desires almost never feel "chosen." The research has not fully eliminated all biological or genetic factors in same-sex attraction, though there's no justification for treating it as immutable, much less treating gender dysphoria that way. However, given all of the cultural pressure to assume such, it's foolish to think that simply believing the right things about sexuality could eliminate someone's same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria. To put it differently, this generation has been thoroughly catechized into anthropological confusion, literally changing the definitions of normal and abnormal, of moral and immoral, of who we are and what we do. In turn, the choices young people make create, reinforce, and amplify their sexual feelings. It's a vicious cycle that mirrors the Apostle Paul's words, "To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace." Though the Gospel doesn't promise instantly repaired sexual desires, it does tell us to "be transformed by the renewing of [our] minds." In a culture obsessed with sex, drowning in loneliness, and careening towards self-harm, it's good news that renewing our minds is even possible. We must point a generation of confused youth toward the compassion and clarity of this much better story as if their lives depend on it. Because they do.

I received an email from Oklahoma Wesleyan University entitled "Five Questions You Should Ask on Your Next College Visit." The suggestions are good, but given the dismal state of higher education, here are five more. First, why am I going? Too many 18-year-olds are signing up to pay $20,000 a year without knowing why they're there - something the nation-wide 40% dropout rate confirms. Second, what ideas are assumed here? Given today's world, students expecting an education (practical skills, critical thinking, and knowledge) can end up receiving an indoctrination: a barrage of subliminal messaging and social pressure designed to make them conform. Third, can I defend my beliefs? Recognizing bad ideas takes work: defending good ones can be even harder. Christian students need to know the reason for the hope they have. Fourth, how will I live like a Christian here? - because the Kingdom of God is not a matter of mere talk but applied power. Fifth, are there others like me? - because Christians shouldn't be isolated and a strand of three cords is not easily broken. For Christians, college is worth asking questions about. What are yours?

This Sunday marks the beginning of Advent. It's the season historically "set aside by the Church to help believers prepare to receive the fullness of Jesus' coming." The word "coming" refers both to Jesus' Incarnation and "His return as the 'Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory," who will "send his angels to gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens." On BreakPoint a few years ago, I said that "walking through this season of Advent in prayer, scripture, and devotional readings have been a huge blessing to my family, to my church, and to me personally." That's definitely still the case. Today I want to explore the relationship between the observance of Advent and our worldview. When most Christians think about worldview (if they think about it at all), what comes to mind are ideas. Worldview isn't less than ideas, of course, but it is more. Bill Brown, Gary Phillips, and I define worldview as the framework of fundamental beliefs that give us a view of and for the world. That framework includes ideas, our imagination, habits, and the fundamental stories—both cultural and personal—that shape our lives. We live out of these stories—they give us, as N. T. Wright puts it, a "way-of-being-in-the-world." The historian Robert Louis Wilken wrote in First Things that "The Church is a culture in its own right. Christ does not simply infiltrate a culture; Christ creates culture by forming another city, another sovereignty with its own social and political life." What distinguishes this culture from the non-Christian world is not some kind of physical separation, or even a spiritual withdrawal, but, to borrow Wright's phrase, a "way-of-being-in-the-world" that's different. According to Wilken, three hallmarks of this "way" were the distinctive Christian uses of space, time, and language. First, Wilken writes, "We should not underestimate the cultural significance of the calendar and its indispensability for a mature spiritual life. Religious rituals carry a resonance of human feeling accumulated over the centuries." He continues, "The season of Advent . . . is a predictable reminder that the Church lives by another time, marked in the home by a simple ritual, the lighting of a violet Advent candle set in an evergreen wreath on a dark evening in early December." Sacred seasons like Advent, "run at right angles to the conventional calendar [and] they offer a regular and fixed cessation of activity." They become "times of reflection and contemplation that open us to mystery and transcendence." What's more, these special days on the calendar provide the "gift of leisure," a much-needed respite from "the world of work and money and minding our p's and q's," as Wright puts it. Only if we truly understand those cultural forces that shape our worldview can we intentionally open ourselves to the possibility that there is a way of being in the world that is both countercultural and transformative. That's why this season can be so helpful. To prepare our hearts and minds, join me in marking Advent this year. Our writing team has created a series of reflections to guide the various worldview themes that are present during advent. To receive these resources, simply visit www.breakpoint.org/advent.

The top baby names for 2021 are now posted. You've got the "Let's be different" parents spelling "Jaxon" with an X or every vowel with a Y, and Disney fans naming their kid "Raya." Of course, there's the gender-neutral fad with nature words like "River" and "Willow." Some are claiming "Ezra" is also gender-neutral, but I doubt the Old Testament prophet would agree. Still, it is interesting how many Biblical names keep cropping up. According to one list, seven of the top ten boy names this year come from the Bible – Noah, Elijah, Lucas, Levi, Asher, James, and Ethan. If you think back about these Apostles in their day, they were nobodies… no power, no wealth, no future, some were even put to death. But we all know people named Matthew, Esther, John, James, Paul, Peter, Mary, Thomas, Elizabeth, Joshua… people who, by the world's standards were failures, but who are still remembered to this day.

There's been a transformation in how our culture talks about sex. Since the 1960s, under the banner of so-called "sexual liberation," the dominant message in movies, television, politics, and even advertising was that sex needed to be set free from traditional and repressive rules. The symbols of this liberated sexuality were naked or nearly naked bodies—usually female bodies. More recently, some of the women who were reduced to mere bodies under the guise of liberation have come forward to reveal how they were degraded and dehumanized. The latest is 30-year-old model and actress, Emily Ratajkowski. In her new book My Body, Ratajkowski claims that she was sexually assaulted while filming the music video for Robin Thicke's 2013 song "Blurred Lines." In the uncensored version of that music video, a 21-year-old Ratajkowski appears topless along with several other young women. Thicke and his co-star rapper, Pharrell, leer at the young women, wrapping their arms around them while singing lyrics that critics have rightly slammed as suggestive of rape. At the time, Ratajkowski called her appearance in the video empowering. Not anymore. Earlier this month, in an interview with The Times of London, Ratajkowski admits that her success as a model and actress was largely the result of this video. However, she now wonders if it was worth it. "I had succeeded by commodifying my body," she says. "So why was I so unhappy?" As a cultural artifact, "Blurred Lines" was revealing in more than one way. The very title suggests just how difficult it is to draw the line between the "liberation" sexual revolutionaries promised, and the sexual exploitation or even assault it often delivered. The only answer offered today is "consent," but stories like Ratajkowski's raise the question of whether young women barely out of high school and at the beginning of their careers can meaningfully "consent" when a rich and famous singer asks them to take off their clothes. The same could be said of actresses. Jennifer Lawrence famously revealed that she got "super drunk" on the set of 2016's Passengers before shooting a sex scene. Emilia Clarke became known for her role in HBO's Game of Thrones, a show that featured near-constant nudity and sex. Clarke later confessed that she felt scared and pressured to do those scenes, believing that her career depended on it. Dozens of similar stories have emerged from stars who say they were cajoled and bullied into showing more skin. And, lest we are tempted to place all the blame on directors and producers, it's clear who's buying what they're selling. A 2018 analysis found that popular movies feature 250 percent more female than male nudity. The pressure young women feel to disrobe for the camera comes ultimately from a public eager to watch. Still, it's tragically fascinating how sexual liberation is now forcing us to grapple with this question. Besides sending predatory entertainment moguls like Harvey Weinstein to prison, the #MeToo movement exposed how blurry the line is between sexual freedom and sexual exploitation. In the words of NPR, Hollywood is facing a "reckoning" when it comes to nude and sexually-charged scenes, even hiring so-called "intimacy coordinators" to navigate these tricky waters. But is it enough? I don't recall who first said it, but it's one of the best analogies I know. Sex is like fire. When kept in the fireplace, fire brings warmth and light and life. Once it jumps out of the fireplace onto the curtains, it brings death and destruction and is nearly impossible to contain. As our culture questions the consequences of the sexual revolution, it's also time to question the premise that as long as everyone consents, nobody gets hurt, and everybody has fun. It's clearly not true. As women continue to wrestle with the blurred lines of the sexual revolution and the industry that has long profited from them, Christianity has a lot to offer. As the Wall Street Journal notes, quoting historian Tom Holland, "What's happening with #MeToo is essentially an attempt to reimpose…Christian sexual morality." Having witnessed the destruction of unrestrained sexual impulses, many are now more open to the idea that sex belongs within boundaries. The boundaries Christianity proposes, such as lifelong marriage and chastity, will seem quaint, traditional, and unrealistic. But short of these crisp, solid lines are bad idea bound to have victims—victims who will be asking, like Ratajkowski, "Why am I so unhappy?"

John and Maria consider the long legal battle endured by Barronelle Stutzman. They highlight her faith convictions and discuss how this offers encouragement for Christians to live their faith in culture, following her example. Maria then asks John to explain why he highlighted the story of Ernie Johnson this week, after the passing of Ernie's son, Michael. John explains how Ernie's faith commitment is an inspiring lesson for Christians to simply and confidently trust the Lord. John also explains the ideas behind what he and Shane Morris wrote this week on "Luxury Beliefs," first defining what luxury beliefs are before revealing how they challenge culture. To close, Maria asks John to comment on a new university organized by both liberal and conservative thinkers as a referendum on bloated and ideologically driven university systems. John goes through the reasoning to develop what is being called The University of Austin, pointing to a recent story where Yale revealed they have as many administrators as students as a sample that we've lost the mission of education in our culture. -- Resources -- BreakPoint Advent Resources>> -- Story References -- Segment 1: The End of Barronelle's Battle For almost ten years now, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the State of Washington have targeted an elderly, small-town florist named Barronelle Stutzman. The case began when Barronelle declined to serve a long-time customer's gay wedding. A few months ago, Barronelle, now 77, filed a request for a final rehearing of her religious liberty case with the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of her business, Arlene's Flowers. This week, the ACLU offered, and Barronelle accepted, a five-thousand-dollar settlement. It's a surprisingly small amount, given how long Barronelle has lived under the threat of losing her business, assets, and life savings due to exorbitant legal fees and penalties.BreakPoint>> Segment 2: Ernie and Michael Johnson In 2015, because of a special edition of the ESPN Documentary series E:60, the world began to learn that Johnson was even more impressive as a dad than he was in the studio. Eric described it this way: Johnson and his wife, Cheryl, have four adopted children: Michael, who was born in Romania; Carmen, born in Paraguay; and Ashley and Allison, whom they adopted out of foster care. This commitment to adoption sets the Johnsons apart all by itself, but the story doesn't end there. Michael, 25, was born with a "progressive form of muscular dystrophy" and has been dependent on a ventilator for the past five years. BreakPoint>> "Luxury Beliefs" According to one Cambridge academic, permissive attitudes about sex, marriage, drugs, and religion are "luxury beliefs; more status symbols for cultural elites than blueprints for the way they live. Rob Henderson first floated the idea of "luxury beliefs" in an essay in the New York Post, later at Quillette, and most recently in a podcast. He argues that beliefs that tend to be disastrous for poor and middle-class communities have become the modern equivalent of buying expensive clothes or hiring servants. It's a way of showing off your wealth and signaling your status to fellow members of the upper class. BreakPoint>> Segment 3: We Can't Wait for Universities to Fix Themselves. So We're Starting a New One. Our project began with a small gathering of those concerned about the state of higher education—Niall Ferguson, Bari Weiss, Heather Heying, Joe Lonsdale, Arthur Brooks, and I—and we have since been joined by many others, including the brave professors mentioned above, Kathleen Stock, Dorian Abbot and Peter Boghossian. We count among our numbers university presidents: Robert Zimmer, Larry Summers, John Nunes, and Gordon Gee, and leading academics, such as Steven Pinker, Deirdre McCloskey, Leon Kass, Jonathan Haidt, Glenn Loury, Joshua Katz, Vickie Sullivan, Geoffrey Stone, Bill McClay, and Tyler Cowen. We are also joined by journalists, artists, philanthropists, researchers, and public intellectuals, including Lex Fridman, Andrew Sullivan, Rob Henderson, Caitlin Flanagan, David Mamet, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Sohrab Ahmari, Stacy Hock, Jonathan Rauch, and Nadine Strossen. We are a dedicated crew that grows by the day. Our backgrounds and experiences are diverse; our political views differ. What unites us is a common dismay at the state of modern academia and a recognition that we can no longer wait for the cavalry. And so we must be the cavalry. Bari Weiss Substack>> A "proliferation of administrators": faculty reflect on two decades of rapid expansion Over the last two decades, the number of managerial and professional staff that Yale employs has risen three times faster than the undergraduate student body, according to University financial reports. The group's 44.7 percent expansion since 2003 has had detrimental effects on faculty, students and tuition, according to eight faculty members. Yale Daily News>>

Drug overdose was the eighth leading cause of death in the United States last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. From May 2020 to April 2021, an estimated 100,300 Americans died from an overdose. That's a roughly 30 percent increase over the year before, and officials believe this year could be even worse. Experts point to a few things to explain the deadly spike, including the flooding of the drug market by the extremely potent and dangerous synthetic opioid Fentanyl. But the pandemic lockdowns share the blame. Not only was the social isolation harmful to the mental health of many, but the lockdowns and the often illogical restrictions on medical care hindered addiction treatment. The drug epidemic isn't fun to debate on Twitter. It's not just another political football. It is an emergency. The Church has to step in here, and quickly - not just to help our neighbors who might be struggling, but to advocate on their behalf to our leaders. This is the pandemic that's not waning. We have to pay attention.

For almost ten years now, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the State of Washington have targeted an elderly, small-town florist named Barronelle Stutzman. The case began when Barronelle declined to serve a long-time customer's gay wedding. A few months ago, Barronelle, now 77, filed a request for a final rehearing of her religious liberty case with the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of her business, Arlene's Flowers. This week, the ACLU offered, and Barronelle accepted, a five-thousand-dollar settlement. It's a surprisingly small amount, given how long Barronelle has lived under the threat of losing her business, assets, and life savings due to exorbitant legal fees and penalties. Maybe the ACLU has finally seen their case for what it is: petty bullying. Or, maybe they think the optics of bullying a grandmother are just bad. Either way, Barronelle has wisely, I believe, accepted the settlement. Here's a review of the important facts of the case. In 2014, Barronelle told a long-time customer and friend that she couldn't create a floral arrangement for his wedding to another man. Throughout their many years of friendship, Barronelle had served this customer with her creative talents. However, due to her Christian beliefs about marriage, she couldn't, in good conscience, create an arrangement for this occasion. The friend said he understood the decision and asked for referrals for other florists. She recommended three. The two embraced, and then said goodbye. All was quiet until the Attorney General for the state of Washington saw a social media post about the incident and decided to sue Barronelle for discrimination. In 2015, a trial court found her guilty of violating Washington's anti-discrimination law. The Court also ordered her to pay a $1,000 fine and the ACLU's legal fees, and to no longer accept wedding business unless she agreed to also serve gay weddings. Her appeal to the state Supreme Court drew so much interest that oral arguments were held in a local college auditorium. The state Supreme Court ruled unanimously against Stutzman, citing Justice Anthony Kennedy's Obergefell language and even claiming that to not service a same-sex wedding is to "disrespect and subordinate" gays and lesbians. The court also ruled that floral arrangements weren't "speech" but instead "conduct," and that even if the state had violated Barronelle's right to free exercise, it was fair and legal to do so because they'd do it to everyone. In other words, they weren't just singling out Barronelle. From the beginning, Barronelle has been represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). In 2018, ADF appealed the Washington state court ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. After finding the State of Colorado guilty of animus toward the religious beliefs of baker Jack Phillips in a similar case, the Supreme Court vacated the Washington State Court decision and ordered them to re-examine Barronelle's case. Not about to admit it had done anything wrong, the Washington State Court upheld their ruling against Barronelle. Last year, ADF appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. In a baffling move, the Court declined to hear her case. ADF asked the Court to reconsider, something that rarely happens after denial. Earlier this week, Barronelle accepted the ACLU's settlement offer. This means she can retire in peace, having more than earned the right to step off the legal treadmill and out of the media spotlight, which she never sought. And, to be clear, not once did she compromise or violate her conscience throughout this whole ordeal. Instead, her courage, kindness, and long obedience have laid the groundwork for the kind of legal resistance against coercion that will certainly have to continue. Barronelle now passes the baton in this important battle to protect religious freedom to the rest of us, especially to web designer Lorie Smith whose case could go before the U.S. Supreme Court soon. The 10th Circuit ruled last summer that the state of Colorado could compel Lorie's business, 303 Creative, to create websites with speech that violates her religious beliefs. It's impossible to know how many business owners, artists, and others have found the courage of their own convictions by watching Barronelle. Her saga has made it clear to the rest of us that this kind of thing can really happen in the United States, and to say that religious liberty is under threat in this country cannot be dismissed as hyperbolic fear-mongering. It's also important to note that Barronelle made her original decision not only out of her own beliefs, but out of her concern for her friend, Rob. Barronelle was not willing to aid and abet behavior that was damaging to her friend's soul. In other words, it is not only loving God, but also loving our neighbor, that will require courage in the days to come. For her faithfulness, obedience, and courage, the board of the Colson Center has unanimously selected Barronelle Stutzman as a co-honoree of the 2022 Wilberforce Award, along with Jack Phillips. Lord-willing, both will be honored together at the 2022 Wilberforce Weekend in Orlando next May. Because, in so many ways, their long journeys have been endured together and the stands they took have together shown us what faithfulness in the public square might require in the days ahead, I cannot think of more deserving recipients than Barronelle and Jack. Through it all, Barronelle has lived out her faith in an honorable and kind way. I'm proud to call her a sister in Christ and honored to consider her a friend. Thank you, Barronnelle, for your courage and faithful obedience.

Last year, the Loudoun County (VA) school board informed teachers they must refer to students by their preferred pronouns, and allow students to use restrooms that align with the gender they self-identify as. At a public school board meeting, gym teacher Tanner Cross publicly informed the board, out of love for his students, he could not comply. The board immediately retaliated by suspending him. Cross, with the assistance of the Alliance Defending Freedom, filed for a temporary injunction. He returned to the classroom to finish the school year with his students after a ruling by a lower court, which The Virginia Supreme Court later affirmed. Though the case against the damaging policy continues, on Monday, the State Supreme Court passed "a permanent injunction prohibiting it (the Loudoun County school board) from retaliating further against Cross." The board also agreed to "remove any reference to Cross' suspension from his personnel file and pay $20,000 toward his attorney fees." Cross refused to live by lies and has prevailed. But, as ADF Attorney Tyson Langhoffer said, "While we are pleased Tanner will be able to keep serving students…the concerns (about) the district's policy remain."

Back in 2016, my then BreakPoint colleague Eric Metaxas did something we don't typically do on this commentary. "We don't usually wish people a "Happy Birthday!" on the air, but I'm going to make an exception in this case. On August 7, one of the most inspiring and just downright likable people in American sports turned 60, Ernie Johnson of TNT. If you are unfamiliar with Johnson's work and his story, let me fill you in. Most people who have heard of Johnson know him through his work both as an announcer and a studio host. Between 1993 and 1996, Johnson, alongside his father, Ernie Johnson, Sr., was the TV announcer for the Atlanta Braves. In addition to his play-by-play work for the Braves, Johnson has also announced Major League playoff games, college and professional football, and PGA golf events, among many other things. But he's best known for his work in covering the NBA. He's the host of TNT's "Inside the NBA," which has won nine Emmy awards. Johnson and the show's regulars—Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley—good-natured trade insults and basketball insights. But what makes the show work is Johnson. His gentle management of hugely outsized personalities keeps the show from descending into chaos while keeping the fun quotient high. But it's more than astute people skills that make Johnson so special. As Charles Barkley said in a 2015 ESPN profile of Johnson, he has "uncommon courage and a pure heart." As a big basketball fan myself, I have long enjoyed the on-air chemistry and in-depth analysis of Inside the NBA. And, I agree that the show would not be what it is without Ernie Johnson. In 2015, because of a special edition of the ESPN Documentary series E:60, the world began to learn that Johnson was even more impressive as a dad than he was in the studio. Eric described it this way: Johnson and his wife, Cheryl, have four adopted children: Michael, who was born in Romania; Carmen, born in Paraguay; and Ashley and Allison, whom they adopted out of foster care. This commitment to adoption sets the Johnsons apart all by itself, but the story doesn't end there. Michael, 25, was born with a "progressive form of muscular dystrophy" and has been dependent on a ventilator for the past five years. Earlier this fall, Ernie Johnson talked about his son Michael in an inspirational speech to the Alabama football team. "For Michael to move any part of his body takes maximal effort," said Johnson. That maximal effort was why the basketball coach at Michael's high school wanted him to be a part of the team as, he said, the "five-foot-tall impact player with no vertical leap." He also wanted Michael to teach his team what it means to have a heart for others. It worked. In fact, by the time Michael was a senior, he had the entire high school saying "I love you" in sign language and, by wiggling a finger, "love you too." The impact that Ernie Johnson and his son Michael have had on those around was evident recently when, on an episode of Inside the NBA, it was announced that Michael Johnson had passed away at age 33. Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith spoke, through tears, about the honor of sharing the broadcast platform with Ernie Johnson, and the honor of knowing his son, Michael. Back in 2006, Johnson announced on-air that he was battling non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. After thanking his doctors, he described how he would get through it: "[my family continues], as we always have, in both good times and bad, to place our faith in Jesus Christ, and to trust God . . . period." Please join me in praying that this same faith will encourage and uplift Ernie Johnson, his wife, and their other children at this time; that they will know in time the peace only God gives, which surpasses our understanding. And that, in faith, they will rest in the confidence that they will see Michael again in the new heaven and new earth. And when they do see Michael in his new body, he will have a vertical.