Breakpoint

Today, historically horrific diseases like polio and leprosy have been all but eradicated. Most people consider past moral failures, such as slavery, despicable. Famines are increasingly few and far between, and abject poverty around the world has been dramatically reduced. Among the reasons that our normal is so different from much of history is the work of Christians who saw their lives as a means by which God could accomplish restoration. In living out a Christian worldview within their own time and place, they laid foundations for this current world, which is better in so many ways. Dr. Benjamin Rush is a prime example of someone who had this sense of vocation. Rush was born one of seven children in 1746 just outside of Philadelphia. He studied at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), completing his degree in 1760 at age 15. He received his medical degree in Britain, and then practiced medicine there before returning to the colonies in 1769. At the age of 24, he opened a medical practice in Philadelphia. He was also a chemistry professor, writing the first chemistry textbook published in America. He also wrote treatises on medical education. A significant area of study for Rush was the treatment of mental illness. He argued that people with mental illness shouldn't be treated as criminals but brought into normal hospital settings. He also believed that giving them productive work could aid in their recovery. His ideas proved to be successful strategies in treating many of his patients. Rush was also active in social reform. He was a founding member of the Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons (the Pennsylvania Prison Society today), and an ardent abolitionist, joining abolitionist societies and writing pamphlets against the institution of slavery. He specifically argued, on scientific grounds, that blacks were in no way inferior to whites. All of the activities on Rush's very impressive resume were informed by his faith. His stands on mental health, prisons, and slavery came from his understanding that each person is made in the image of God and is, therefore, worthy of dignity and respect. His observations on the importance of work for well-being reflected ideas contained within the biblical worldview. His stand on abolition had been the historical position of the Church and, in his day, was being advanced by evangelicals (among others) in Britain and America. His concern for the well-being of the black population led him to act as an advisor to Richard Allen in the founding of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He lent the church and Allen his public support. His faith grounded his political beliefs as well. Rush's focus on inalienable rights can be traced through John Locke to medieval scholastic theologians. He wrote numerous patriotic essays. Thomas Paine even consulted with Rush as he wrote Common Sense. Not only was Rush appointed to the Continental Congress, he was a signatory of the Declaration of Independence. Rush also championed education on all levels. Along with his work in higher education, Rush is considered the father of American public education, and he was a major supporter of the American Sunday School Union. Rush believed Christianity to be essential for the proper functioning of society and, therefore, integral at the heart of education. "Without religion," Rush said, "I believe that learning does real mischief to the morals and principles of mankind." This argument is key to Rush's views of the Bible and education. Rush believed education was vitally important to produce a virtuous society, but it needed to be grounded. Though he considered any religion better than none, he advocated for the superiority of Christianity and the specific importance of the Bible. For Rush, teaching the Bible was not just about personal salvation, but also about personal and societal well-being. Stories from history, like that of Benjamin Rush, demonstrate what it means to live as if the Christian worldview is, indeed, true. Thus, aligning with it is good, not only in the hereafter but for individuals and societies here and now. In other words, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer would say much later, Christianity is not an otherworldly religion. It describes the world as it actually is, which allows us to be part of God's work not just to prepare for Heaven, but to repair what is wrong.

The Supreme Court had declined to pick up the case of Barronelle Stutzman in the Arlene's Flowers lawsuit. As a result, she now faces the full consequences of the decisions of the lower court in the State of Washington. It has been an eight year legal battle for Barronelle since she took a stance against gay marriage as a business owner. She stood for what she believed about marriage and was not vindicated by the courts. The case, now in its latest development, has shown a significant nuance in legal culture in America. The court has shown a repeated willingness to defend Christian institutions, pastors, and religious organizations who hold to their deeply held beliefs. But Barronelle's case demonstrates that religious freedom is being lost, not by organizations and people in pastoral roles, but in the rights of parishioners and individuals to order their public lives according to their beliefs, especially in the world of commerce. It is clear we Christians owe Barronelle a debt of gratitude as she has demonstrated that it is possible to stand for truth and goodness, and how to do it. On this week's Strong Women podcast, Barronelle spoke with co-hosts Sarah Stonestreet and Erin Kunkle about her case. She offered her perspective not only on what it has meant for her to stand for truth, but to do it right: by loving her persecutors, and ultimately relinquishing all to God. Below is an excerpt of Barronelle Stutzman's interview on the Strong Women podcast: I absolutely love Rob and I would wait on him for another 10 years if he came in [to the store]. He has a great sense of humor and he loves artistic things, and he would come in and say, "This [arrangement] is for Kurt's birthday, and this is what I'm thinking ... Now just do your thing, just create." And I absolutely love that because I do a lot of "bread and butter" work, as they call it in the floral business. But he let me use my artistic ability to make something different and unique. And we had a great time. We got along awesome until the government stepped in. And I miss him. Rob came in to talk to me about getting married [to Kurt] and before he got too far, I told him that I could not serve his wedding because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. Weddings symbolize the relationship between Christ and his Church. And weddings are very involved. You spend months with the bride and groom; you get to know them, you get to know how they argue, how they met, and what their favorite color is. Those things are so personal, and for me, it is such a sacred ceremony. To create something for Rob and Kurt's wedding was just something I could not do. Our faith, our freedoms, and our constitution are slowly being taken away piece by piece. And because we're Christians, we want to be loving, we want to be kind. But no, Jesus was spit upon, He was kicked out of town, He was called names, He wasn't politically correct. Yet He still loved and He still stood, and He is our example to stand on. I just pray that God gives us the strength and the obedience to stand strong. Pray for our churches, and that our churches would begin to rise up and realize that we need to be obedient to Christ's word. Pray for Kurt and Rob through this also. Barronelle Stutzman's entire interview with Sarah Stonestreet and Erin Kunkle is on the Strong Women podcast. Visit breakpoint.org for a link to the Strong Women podcast interview with Barronelle. Consider subscribing to Strong Women, and never miss an episode.

John is joined by Colson Fellows Director Michael Craven in this week's BreakPoint Q&A. Michael asks John a question about vaccines, where a listener is likely facing a mandate for a vaccine by her employer. She asks John if there is a "theology of being vaccinated". She inquires about a possible habit being formed in going against a mandate for compliance.

After seeing the images out of Kabul in recent days, Maajid Nawaz, a former radical Muslim, said, "Barefoot Taliban conquered a palace. They believed in something and fought for nothing. I have lived with men like this in prison. It is difficult to describe just how seriously they take their cause. There is a lesson here for us in the West, if we are humble enough to see it." We hear the terror from Afghan women who now wonder what the lives of their daughters will be like, worried that 20 years of progress in women's rights have disappeared overnight. We see the desperation of citizens so afraid of what might come next that they're literally clinging to the wheels of American aircraft as they depart. Yet, we struggle to have a category for what they actually fear. Many Westerners don't have the categories to understand the realities of Islamic fundamentalism. Much of the world has long struggled to understand the worldview that is driving the Taliban conquerors today, or the ISIS fanatics from a few years ago, or the al Qaeda terrorists that struck on 9/11. These groups are driven by their own internal logic, their own worldview. I'm not going to try to explain the entirety of Radical Islam. However, there are a few key points about this worldview that can give us clarity in understanding what's happening in Afghanistan and what we might expect in the days ahead. First, for Radical Islam, this isn't about this particular American president or the last American president or any particular foreign policy decision. This is seen as part of a war that's been going on for over 1,000 years. In the wake of 9/11, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, the second in command of Al Qaeda, and in many ways the strategic planner for Osama bin Laden, spoke about his group's goals for this war with the West. In repeated statements to the press, he referred to waging war until all Muslim lands were restored, connecting the conflict in Afghanistan and the battle for Palestine to a worldwide conflict that spans from Iraq to Spain. Yes, Spain. To American ears, it doesn't make any sense. Iraq, Israel, we can follow. Palestine, sure. Spain? You see, what he knew and what many Westerners have forgotten is that the mostly Catholic country of Spain was once the heartland of the Muslim world. Centuries before the Turks or Indonesians followed Islam, Spain was the base of operations for a potential invasion of Europe. It wasn't until 1492 that Spain was retaken for the Cross. For Radical Islam, once lands have come under the sway of Islam, it is vital that good Muslims do whatever it takes to return those regions to the House of Islam – places where Islamic law and teaching is practiced. Whether we're talking about Catholics in Spain or Israelis in Palestine, these people are merely occupying what's rightfully a Muslim land. This connects to another element of this worldview that we often miss. For Islamists, the West is not the primary enemy. We're merely in the way of where history's headed. What they seek is the overthrow of false Muslim rulers who have been corrupted by the wiles of Western influence. These are, as Al-Zawahiri put it, the near enemy and they must be cast down. Only then can true Muslims take control and implement the fullness of Sharia. In other words, what we've seen on the ground in Afghanistan and what we've seen in the Middle East for a long time is the working out of a worldview. None of the happenings of the last 20 years, or the last 20 days, can be understood without understanding the worldview. Now, every worldview answers questions. Among these questions are those that ask, what is wrong with the world, and what must be done to make it right? For Christians, the problem is sin and all of its myriad manifestations. The solution is conversion: the conversions of individuals, as well as the restoration of culture through the grace and work of Christ, and through His Church, the restoration of the goodness of His creation. For secularists and much of contemporary Western culture, the problem is ignorance. Through education and science, and by becoming aware of the perspectives of others, we can hope to improve the structural failings that have plagued our world. But the problem is seen differently in Radical Islam. The problem is seen as the internal corruption of the Islamic states and the unwillingness of the rest of the world to bow to what is ultimately true. Here's how Islamic scholar Bernard Lewis described it: "For Osama bin Laden and those who share in his views, and there are many of them, the object of the struggle is the elimination of the intrusive Western power and corrupting Western influence from all the lands of Islam, and the restoration of Islamic authority in these lands. When this has been accomplished, the stage will be set for the final struggle to bring God's message to all mankind in all the world." Now, I hope one of the things that you notice is that for a true Muslim, Islam is not a point of personal and private belief. Islam describes the actual condition of the world. It describes what's happening and where history is going. And for radicals, whatever needs to be done to accomplish that mission is justified. Whatever atrocities are committed along the way will find their purpose in this overriding goal. For this goal, they are willing to sacrifice themselves by the thousands. Radical Islamic leaders are willing to be incredibly patient to see this goal accomplished, because they are fully assured that one day their work will indeed bear fruit. The brutality, the absolutism, and the unyielding determination that we see in radical Islam are driven by a worldview. Without a true and accurate understanding of the world, they'll continue to pursue their ends by any means necessary. We are right to oppose these ideals because lives are at stake. Ideas have consequences. Bad ideas, like the bad ideas of radical Islam, have victims. How we push back on these forces will take many different forms, sometimes even force, but here's what's clear. We will never make headway if we fail to understand the worldview that animates the whole thing in the first place.

As the world watches the disaster unfold in Afghanistan, there's another chapter of the story we're not hearing nearly as much about. The Afghan church, a growing body of believers that's experienced incredible growth, now faces life under the Taliban. Early indications are not encouraging. Almost as quickly as the Islamic fundamentalists is taking control of cities, Christians are being notified that they are being watched. Yesterday, I spoke at length with World Magazine Senior Editor Mindy Belz, who explained what is happening in Afghanistan. As part of the interview, she described what the Taliban takeover means for the Christian church in Afghanistan. Here is an excerpt from our interview. Here is a transcript of a portion of my conversation with Mindy Belz: — [The Afghan church] is a unique community, mostly aged 40 and younger. They are all Muslim converts. It's one of the fastest growing churches in the world. Since they are a tiny church, now doubled in size, they are considered very fast-growing. There are perhaps only 2,000 people. But they are an important force in Afghanistan, simply because of the force that the Gospel is. Because of the love of Jesus, the reach they have is a real thing in a dark, Taliban-shadowed country. About two years ago, a number of these church community leaders did something amazing and brave: they decided to change their identity, their religious affiliation in particular, on their national identification cards. All Afghan citizens have a national ID card. They are used all the time for many reasons. They often show religious affiliation. That affiliation tends to be handed down by the father of the family. The new Christian church elders wanted to change their identification for the sake of their future generations. Not all Christians agreed that this was a good idea, but several dozens of them have changed their official identification to Christian. Now the government records show Christian affiliation. These are the Christians that have been targeted over the past few days. At least one Christian that I know of has received a letter from the Taliban stating: "We know where you are, and we know what you're doing." This implies that the Taliban has access to this government record. The Taliban then showed up to this Christian's house the day before the full city takeover. They have also visited other Christian homes. You might argue these are small, isolated incidents, but they play against the backdrop of nearby atrocities: Afghan military who have been hauled out of their homes and shot, and in one case beheaded. Afghan Christians are totally vulnerable with no political power. They have no-one to appeal to. They don't even generally qualify for special immigrant visas to the United States or other Western countries because they have avoided working for American organizations or working for the Afghan military. To do so potentially exposes them to attention and danger. — Belz is the most experienced, trustworthy source I know of when it comes to the Middle East, especially on Christians and the Christian movement there. In yesterday's interview, she covered in detail not only the history of Afghanistan and how the past 20 years is understood differently by Islamic fundamentalists, but the failure of U.S. policy under various presidents. This is a disaster of America's own making. Visit breakpoint.org to listen to the entire conversation. And please pray for our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan.

Mindy Belz provides some insight and perspective on how we got to this place, what past administrations have done, and how the current administration is doing that isn't adding up. Mindy also gives perspective on the state of the Church in Afghanistan and what Christians were doing prior to the recent unrest. She bemoans the progress that was made in the country in a variety of rights and privileges that are now likely lost under Sharia law.

At the Colson Center we're always trying to point you to resources, not only from us but from our friends who offer a Christian worldview perspective and hope for living in our cultural moment. There's a reason that a lot of these resources are written by my friend Os Guinness. Os is a gift to the Christian community. He helps us think deeply about things that matter and presents them in a way that is understandable. Os's latest book, "The Magna Carta of Humanity: Sinai's Revolutionary Faith and the Future of Freedom" is another must-read. Christians today are increasingly feeling the pressure of living in a cultural moment that champions freedom, but means something completely different by the word. It's always a freedom from any sort of restraint; not a freedom for who we are, who we were made to be, and what it means to live together. Os Guinness's book describes a choice that's in front of humanity right now. Below is an excerpt of a Os's presentation on his new book: For anyone who's thinking deeply, we're in an extraordinary civilizational moment. The West, which has dominated the world for 500 years, is in evident decline. The United States, which is the world's lead society, is suffering the greatest crisis in its history since the Civil War. The Christian church, which has been the single strongest influence in the West, is plagued with scandals and divisions and confusion and lack of confidence. There's no question that America is as deeply divided at any moment since the Civil War, but why? Some blame the social media. Some the former president. To some, it's the coastals against the heartlanders; some, the nationalists and populists over against the globalists. But what I'm arguing, and I think the deepest way of looking at it, is there's a difference between those who understand the republican freedom from the perspective of the American Revolution, and those who understand it from the perspective of the French Revolution and its heirs. Things like postmodernism, political correctness, tribal politics, identity politics, the sexual revolution, cancel culture, neo-Marxism, all of these have come down from the heirs of the French Revolution, and they are an entirely different revolution and a type of revolution that has never succeeded and that has always ended in oppression. So, my book shows the differences between, say, their sources: one, the Bible, the other, the French Enlightenment. Their views of humanity: The Bible's, very realistic with notions like checks and balances, and separation of powers; and the other's, utopian and very dangerous. And you can see the differences right down to those that are roiling America this year, like critical race theory and different notions of justice. Both sides agree there is injustice, sometimes terrible injustice, but the differences come in how we address them. As I said, the radical left only leads to oppression and failure and always has. Whereas the Gospel, in addressing these things, puts wrongs right, and after repentance and reconciliation and forgiveness, really leads to restoration so that enemies can be made friends again. What I've tried to write is the deepest analysis of what's gone wrong today. I have written this book to provide a constructive way forward. Because Sinai, the exodus roots of the American revolution, are what I argue is a magna carta for humanity. It's time for Christians to get off the back foot and stop being defensive. Our views of freedom, justice, human dignity, words, truth, and many other issues are not only good news, They are the best news ever. I want you to have this book. I think it's incredibly important. And so, for a donation of any amount this month to the Colson Center, I will send you a copy of "The Magna Carta of Humanity," Os Guinness's latest book. This book is important because it drives us towards a deeper understanding of how we got to this time and this place in human history. At the same time, it offers a hopeful way forward, showing us how the Christian worldview is not only true, but good. And it's good, not only for Christians, but it's good for the cultural moment. Go to breakpoint.org/august to make a donation of any amount to the Colson Center, and receive a copy of the book, "The Magna Carta of Humanity," by the brilliant Os Guinness.

John and Maria revisit a host of BreakPoint commentaries that highlight bright spots from the Olympics. They also explore how Christians can live well in a confusing world. The main story of the week is a new IPCC report on climate change that is raising the alarm. John provides a way to think well and live with responsibility in light of these types of reports.

We live in a confused and confusing age. Things once considered obviously true are now rejected. Things once considered unthinkable are now thought to be unquestionable. How should a Christian think? In the state of Oregon, high school graduates will now no longer have to demonstrate proficiency in reading, writing, or arithmetic. The logic behind the suspension of the state standards, according to the governor, has to do with equity. Somehow, she missed that "helping" racial minorities by not giving them even the most basic tools for life is a different kind of bigotry altogether, one which Andrew Sullivan has called a bigotry of low expectations. Then, there's the story of Michaela Kennedy Cuomo announcing to the world that she's moved beyond identifying as a homosexual and bisexual, and even beyond pan-sexual, to now demi-sexual, meaning that she's only attracted to those with whom she shares an emotional bond. The need to publicize each and every stop on a journey of identity tourism is an odd feature of our day. The idea that every feeling, attraction, or preference is in and of itself an identity, is a tragic feature of our day. And, in case anyone thinks we've reached the bottom of this slippery slope, a TikTok video has now resurfaced from last fall in which a young woman passionately explains what may be next. Instead of identifying as "he" or "she," many now claim the words "kitty-," "pup-," or "bunny-self" as pronouns. All this means that we may soon see chosen identities that transcend species, not just gender. As my friend Dr. Kathy Koch said at a recent event, "Our first response in all of this should be tears, not anger." It's true, of course, that many are the victims of self-inflicted bad ideas. But it's also true that we live in a cultural moment in which even medical schools deny the basics of biology. How sad for young people to feel so distant from their own bodies that they'd rather be called rabbits than humans. But to be clear, our crisis is not merely a moral one, it's a cosmological one and an epistemological one. We've not just lost the ability to know right from wrong, we've lost the ability to know what's real, what's true, and what's false. In the ancient world, it was much simpler. There were authorities, civic and religious, that would announce what was good and true. You were told these berries are good. The water from that spring will make you sick. Your people came from this place and therefore you worship these gods. People came to know the world primarily by trusting the accumulated wisdom of those who had lived before. A major shift emerged a few hundred years ago, first in the West and then elsewhere. People discovered that their ancestors weren't always right. As society began to question the knowledge it had been given, the growing distrust in revealed wisdom grew alongside a greater confidence in what could be learned through reason and science. Reason offered not only a critique of revelation and tradition, but a compelling replacement for it. However, along with material comforts, this human-centered approach to knowledge brought along new and oppressive ideologies. On a societal level, we saw state-sponsored evils unleashed under the banners of "progress" for "the common good." On a personal level, these coldly clinical beliefs of the Enlightenment made life easier, but they also left it emptier. Beauty and truth lost their meaning, and the arts and social sciences in particular took a hedonistic turn. Truth claims built on human reason alone proved inadequate for human needs and human nature. With the postmodern shift, in whose waters we now swim, suspicion and doubt are just the only things we can trust. There's now a skepticism, not only of authority but also the objectivity of human reason, and this underlies and permeates our relationships to ourselves, to one another, and to the outside world. This habitual doubt now dominates the search for knowledge. This leaves truth as subjective, found within, and created by and for each of us individually. We imagine ourselves to be free thinkers. We're "free" from the constraints of governing authorities, "free" from the tyranny of tradition, and "free" from anyone else's expectations. We're "free" to imagine that reality conforms to our imaginations and fantasies, even though it doesn't. Underlying this brief history of Western civilization is a very basic reality. Without God, true knowledge is impossible. Without God, certainty loses to skepticism. Truth claims devolve into power plays, and objectivity can never escape subjectivism. Philosopher Richard Rorty put it this way, saying, "I came to realize that the search of the philosophers for a grand scheme that would encompass everything was an illusion, because only atheism that combined a God with equal measures of truth, love and justice could do the trick." I know what you're thinking: I know that "Who" that God is. But Rorty had already dismissed the possibility of God. And so that made any real attempt at discovering truth a dead end. But 1,000 years ago, Anselm of Canterbury offered a way forward, suggesting that the pursuit of truth could best be understood as, fides quaerens intellectum, or "faith seeking understanding." The Christian worldview acknowledges the frailty of the human mind, but still grounds knowledge in the eternal, unchanging nature of a God outside of us. And, even better, a God who communicates to us. In this vision, our limitations are best understood not as dead ends, but as invitations to ask questions, and to seek answers from the One who has them. Christianity offers something far better than the fallible traditions of ancient days, better than the arrogant ideology of the modern era, and better than the socially constructed tales of our postmodern time. What it offers is the true description of the world — true as it really is, true as the self-revelation of an omniscient God who not only loves us, but He wants us to know Him.

The Olympics ended Sunday night, though many of us hardly noticed they were on. It's hard to cheer for athletes representing our country who don't seem to actually like our country. That, plus the insufferable push to sexualize these games have turned many of us off. This is a shame, because there were a number of inspiring athletes competing in Tokyo this year whose performances and stories are worth knowing and celebrating. Sydney McLaughlin is certainly one of them. After winning the gold medal in the 400m hurdles last week, she said, "What I have in Christ is far greater than what I have or don't have in life." She then went on to say, "I pray my journey may be a clear depiction of submission and obedience to God." Another female runner who shocked the world is only a teenager. Athing Mu won Olympic gold in the 800m as a 19-year-old. She's the first U.S. woman to win the event since 1968. In an interview in June Mu said, "As a follower of Christ, our main goal is to live in the image of Jesus in order to connect to God." And then there is Tamyra Mensah-Stock, the first African American to win gold for the U.S. in wrestling. Her interview after the Olympics will bring a smile to the face of any American, and her testimony of God's faithfulness put it all in perspective. Before the Olympics, she told Faithwire that "It's by the grace of God I'm even able to move my feet … I just leave it in His hands, and I pray that all the practice … my coaches put me through pays off and, every single time, it does." Mensah-Stock also noted that her dad would have been the loudest one cheering in the room. Tragically, he died in a car crash after one of Tamyra's wrestling meets in high school. He likely would have approved of the way his daughter responded after winning the gold, she said in an interview that has gone viral. In it she stated, "I love representing the U.S. … I love living here. I love it. And I'm so happy I get to represent the USA." Another U.S. Olympian who set a record despite incredible challenges is 400m sprinter Allyson Felix. In Tokyo, she earned the distinction of becoming the most decorated U.S. track star in history, with ten medals over five Olympics. However, she almost didn't live to see this one. She'd already won six gold medals and three silvers before becoming pregnant in 2018. Faced with a choice between her career and her child, Allyson endured a challenging pregnancy that nearly took her life and that of her unborn baby, who was delivered at 32 weeks by emergency C-section. Felix lost 70 percent of her endorsement pay with Nike after becoming pregnant. The sports brand wanted her to get an abortion to preserve her career. Instead, Felix chose life, and the stress of juggling motherhood and being an Olympic sprinter over an abortion. There are other stories, too, including those of athletes from other countries. After defeating New Zealand for the gold in men's rugby, the Fiji national team sang a hymn: "We have overcome, by the blood of the lamb, and the word of the Lord, we have overcome." It was a wonderful moment, and a wonderful reminder that whether we win in rugby or anything else, the most certain thing in the world is what Jesus Christ has done for us, not what we will ever do. U.S. wrestler Kyle Snyder faced his familiar Russian foe for the gold, but came up short. "I'm a competitor so I hate to lose," said Snyder, but winning doesn't define him. As he told an interviewer back in June, "God alone defines me. I'm always consistent with my Scripture study and prayer, and during the pandemic I was able to continue to grow and focus on God and hear what He wanted to teach me." These stories offer a more complete picture of the Olympics than what has been portrayed in so many media reports. These are athletes who have found in Christ that which is "more lovely than silver, and most costly than gold."