The Symptoms of "Secular Seep"

What is "Secular Seep"
I could be wrong, but I think I have coined a term.  "Secular Seep" is a phrase I use to describe the little things in a Christian's life that are out of place according to the all-encompassing nature of our faith.  Christianity is a religion which proposes to be a way of looking at all of life (in fact, it proposes to be the way of looking at all of life).  This being the case, there isn't a part of a Christian's life that Christ should not be the center.  When we let in an aspect of the world into our lives, we open the door to not only let that aspect in, but, just a little, the door is open to push Christ out.

"Secular Seep" is not an easy disease to diagnose. It is a slight, subtle, subversive, parasitic infection often undetected for years.  The key element is a general trend toward compromise, so slow the sick do not understand their sickness.

However, it is highly contagious (virulent).  It does not spread by touch, or cough, or even blood transfer.  No, as of now, it is the only disease I know that transfers at the rate and speed of thought and communication.  A friend pressures a Christian into compromise, and "secular seep" has started in the Christian's life.  Whole local Churches can be infected in a very quick amount of time.

It is also, highly resilient (resistant).  Once secular seep has infected a subject, or a body of subjects, it is extremely painful to extract or cure.  It fights to continue its parasitic life off the life of the host.

What are the Symptoms of SS?  Do I have SS?
SS is almost impossible to spot for those who have it.  It often takes a trained, outside observer to correctly diagnose SS. However, it is possible to recognize some of the symptoms of SS before it is too late.

Watch What You Watch
If you find yourself watching TV shows that glorify sex, money, or fame and justifying it as "not that bad" you may have symptoms of SS.  One good rule of thumb is, if your TV shows imply sin in their titles, you could have SS (Gossip Girl, Sex in the City).  Remember, not all of these titles are inherently sinful, but instead there is sin implied by their titles.  Sinful talking about someone (gossip), and having intimate relationships God does not want you to have (I mean what else was Sex in the City all about???) are clearly implied in these titles to anyone who has watched even 5 minutes of these shows.

Even one of the best reality shows on television (American Idol) implies a sinful relationship before God.  How is it there wasn't an outcry by Christians about the title of this show?  For the most part, American Idol is only a show about some people trying to make it big.  However, many of these people strive for fame at the expense of others and better lives for themselves.  Also, some people who follow the show are so obsessed with it, it truly has become an idol to them.

It is possible to watch TV or movies like this, and be able to keep SS at bay, but it is extremely difficult.  One must be constantly on guard against attacks against their soul, evaluating the content of what they watch against the word of God.  For some (maybe even most), it is better to be safe by not watching, than sorry for watching.

This is an area I find to be one of the least consistent for Christians.  I know of many people who will avoid the Harry Potter movies because they contain spells (forgetting about the overall message of Good and Evil being different things and battling for the hearts and minds of people), but they are far too eager to watch Glee (forgetting that the message is about how some evil things, sex outside of marriage for example, are actually good and should be pursued at all costs).

Take Stock of Your Friends
Do your friends want you to succeed in your spiritual life?  Or are they constantly asking you to compromise? If they are putting you in situations against God's word, then you might have already contracted SS.  True friends urge you to glorify God.  True friends do not ask you to live against his standards for your life.

This does not mean we should not have friends who are not Christian.  It does mean, however, that non-Christian friends (or Christian friends that are not constantly following Christ) should not have influence in our lives.  These unChristian friends cannot be motivating to us.  We cannot spend so much time with them that we adopt their thinking without knowing we are doing so.  Jesus was stronger than we are, thus he could spend more time the the "tax collectors."

What Do You Listen To?
In a similar way to the movies or TV you watch, the things we listen to can tell us a lot about our health and ability to fight off SS.  Does your music better you as a person, or does it make comments that are not consistent with a godly view of the world?  SS is so subversive, in part, because it is hard to tell where the problem has come from, and there may be nowhere harder to see this than the music we listen to.  Our music can give us thoughts we didn't know we even had.  Christians are children of God, why live or settle for so much less?

The music you listen to can subtly change your worldview to the point where you wouldn't recognize yourself if you are not careful.  We say we "only listen to the beat,"  and to be sure, Satan loves that we think this is the case.

Where Does Your Money Go?
When was the last time you asked God about a decision regarding how you spend your money?  Remember, Christianity claims to be a way of looking at all of life, and this includes your money.  However, as Americans, we often think we are entitled to use our money the way we want to, we think it is ours because "we earned it".

Instead, Christ should be the center of all our transactions.  There is no purchase too small, to ask God if there is something else he would rather us do with this money.  For many of us, we have never even asked God about what he thinks about our purchasing a car, let alone a candy bar, but if Christianity is truly the center of one's life, then even buying a candy bar is a spiritual act.

There May Be Other Symptoms
There are many other things which can be associated with SS.  Many of them are not inherently wrong.  However, the key question to ask yourself is, what does Jesus have to do with the way I live my life?  Satan loves when people do not understand they are in a war for their hearts and minds.  If he can keep us from believing there is a war, then we will die comfortably, but die nonetheless.

How to Treat SS
If you think you, or someone you know, may have contracted SS, do not panic, but know it takes a lot of work to eradicate the disease.  Surround the subject with people who truly love them, who want to see them succeed in the life of Christ.  Get into a mentor relationship with someone who will challenge you on the areas you struggle with.  Delve into God's word in a deep way.  Read more, listen to Christian radio.

In some extremes, it may be necessary to rid oneself of TV or popular music, or even the internet.  However, remember this is a small price to pay to follow the creator of all the universe, who knows how you were made and can give the abundant life.

The truth is, this transformation comes from God himself, and we need to surrender to his leadership in our life.  We can truly live for him, only through his power.  It is not our salvation, but His salvation to us, His life to us.

Why I Teach!, or My Desire to See the End of High School Education

My "Job"

I am a High School teacher.  I teach History and Bible at a small Christian school in southern California.  I absolutely love it.  As far as I know, there is no better job in the world.  I am able to be an integral part in so many minds, at such a formative age.  To see these minds grow and learn to glorify the Creator is a true joy in life.

The job is not without its issues however.  Many students do not care as I care.  They do not find interest in Thoreau or Chaucer, revolution after revolution: French, Glorious or Industrial, mitochondria or rough ER, physics: theoretical or applied.  Many do not see the joy of debating the ideas of existentialism versus nihilism, and they thus do not see the connection between the two.  Even when it comes to knowing the God of the universe, they do not share my enthusiasm for delving deep into the great mystery, to know Him better, and thus to understand ourselves in deeper and truer ways, to find true beauty before all other beauty, and to learn to love the good and the true.

The Problem

Sometimes the students only sleep through class, if not literally, then at least mindlessly.  These students hurt my heart, because they are missing out.
Those students, however, do not nearly make me as sad as the student who finds their only motivation to learn is to "get an 'A.'"  This student does well in class, maybe too well.  When they have graduated, they will have earned all the awards, but not learned who they are.  They might be looking toward getting that "good job," but they have no love of learning.  They might find a way to make a lot of money, but the pursuit will not make them satisfied.

I hate grades!  I hate to give them, I hate to get them.  But I'm told I have to give them.  They do not make sense to me.  Isn't the education I give supposed to help a student discover themselves, and find true joy (or at least the classical idea of happiness)?  How do these grades motivate the student to delve into their own psyche, or even soul, and investigate what makes them tick?  How do grades help them communicate with God?

Grades give an artificial barometer of a student's progress. They give us something to reach, something which will not satisfy.   When you get the 'A' there is always someone smarter than you.  Or even if not someone smarter than you, another school has someone else smarter than you.  Or even if you are the smartest, there will always be another 'A' to reach.  When will this satisfy?

A Broken System
Our whole system of education seems broken.  From the very beginning, we tell students they need to go to school to get into a "good" college.  They may ask, "Why?"  To which we respond, to get a "good" job. "Why?"  To support your family.  "Why?"  So, they can get a "good" education.  Uh, oh, the cycle begins again.

I think our students are asking the wrong questions.  Instead of asking "why," they should be asking "what."  What do the teachers mean when they say "'good' education?" Or job?  Does making money seem all that good?  Is making money enough to satisfy?  I know too many people with money or "good" jobs to know these are not sufficient roads to happiness, as well-traveled as they may be.

When did a liberal arts education become about making money?  I seem to remember Universities developing to try to make sense of the world.  They were looking to find the Unity in the Diversity.  This means a liberal arts education was not a means to an end, but instead an end in itself.  It was about finding one's place in the world, and living a full, well-rounded human life.  This full life would lead to happiness, because we would be living in harmony with our purpose.

Why I Seek to End High School Education
High school education today is involuntary, and, it seems to me, it gives promises it cannot keep.  Now, realize, I do not actually want all HSE to end.  I just would love to see us stop lying to ourselves about it.  HSE makes promises it cannot keep, we tell you an "A" will make you happy, or the right college will make your life right, but they will not.

Instead, I would love to foster a love for learning, in all its glory.  This would mean a student who does not enjoy history, would not have to take my class.  I am now walking on thin ice, because most students do not enjoy history.  This could mean my job would no longer be needed, because no students signed up for my class.  I feel it would be worth the risk.  Let me give you one example why:

I had a student who typifies my struggle with our educational system.  He was extremely bright, exceedingly polite, exorbitantly astute, and enormously motivated.  However, if I engaged him in a conversation of any real depth, he was candid about his motives and perceptions.  "I just need the 'A'" or "Why does this matter to me?" are typical of the statements and questions he made.  He was pressured by the system (and his parents) to learn things in which he saw no value.  Unfortunately, this means he memorized trivia, and never learned any lessons and therefore never grew.  (Coincidently, his parents seemed to act this same way, and although fairly wealthy, they were no closer to living happy or satisfied lives. Interestingly, they were the ones always pushing for extra credit.)

This is akin to the student who asks the calculus teacher, "I'm not gonna be a rocket scientist, when will this show up in my life?"  This is a student working for a paycheck, before a paycheck is even reachable.

What makes us think the student will suddenly find satisfaction when they reach the workplace?  Many are the drones who work to find a paycheck, but never find happiness.  These drones do not work for honey, but instead the weekend.

My Solution (A Work in Progress)
I propose we seek to help students find out who they are, not memorize trivia.  This requires several things:
1. It requires teachers who love what they do.  They are not in the career for the paycheck, but instead to mold minds into harmony with their purpose.
2. It requires less emphasis on grades, especially from parents.  Grades are wonderful for measuring your memorization, yet horrible for measuring a life well-lived.
3. It requires a knowledge of the one true God.  All knowledge finds its home in the Creator, thus any system of education which does not find its center in God will not fill any heart.
4. It requires us to let students have more responsibility at an earlier age.  Students whose lives are forced upon them by parents and teachers do not have time to think deeply about who they are.  To truly learn one's desires and inner workings requires the ability to make mistakes and learn from them.  I know of way too many students who are allowed to stay a Toys 'R' Us kid well into their 20s and sometimes even 30s.  How do we expect them to grow up if we don't baby them?
5. It requires lots and lots of time.  The education I propose is based around relationships.  Unfortunately, this is much more time consuming than trivia and thus most people would rather be lazy.
6. It requires lots and lots of prayer.

P.S.-- A Side Benefit, Avoiding Alex Trebek Syndrome
My dad loves Jeopardy.  I have to admit, I enjoy the show as well.  However, I have real problems with Alex Trebek and others like him.  I call these people 'smug memorizers.'  Alex is always so condescending to people who get wrong answers, because Jeopardy is a results driven show.  In a Jeopardy world, there is no room for growth, because we are only as good as our last correct answer. Thus, those who do not have the answers are looked down upon.

But a world in which we spend our time in relationship, and thus we find our worth in our growth and treatment of others as an act of worship to our Father, avoids the 'smug memorizers' which keep people trapped into boxes in which they do not fit.

Here is a link to a person who thinks somewhat similarly to me: http://examinedlife.wheatstoneacademy.com/2010/09/school-should-make-us-happier/

Defending Pro-Life

I feel one of the most important "causes" for Christians today is to stand against abortion.  As such, it is particularly helpful to have really good resources for training.  Here are some pages and audio clips to help:

Three Audio Lectures
A ton of resources from Life Training Institute
An article by Greg Koukl
Alan Shlemon Debate about abortion

Considering the fact that over 150 babies were killed during the 3-4 minutes I wrote this post (120,000 babies a day), I think the legalization of abortion is one of the worlds greatest evils today.  It does not take long to train yourself to be able to make a difference.  One human life is worth more than all the atoms in the universe, and we need to treat them as such.

"I'm Still Young"... And Other Bad Justifications

They are used often, both by the perpetrator and the defender.  I hear them said in a lot of different ways.  They seem to be something to even desire.  These statements are the way people hide behind their youth.  Some wear them as a badge of honor, while others just use them to excuse their behavior.

"Boys will be boys;" "I want to experience life while I can;" "They're just kids;"  "I will always have time to learn about that later, but I want to have fun now;" "I want to live it up while I can!"  These, and others like them, are the "I'm Still Young" class of justifications.  It is a common idea to believe we will always be able to change later.  This is often why youth act like they don't care, they think they will always be able to fix it later.

However, contrary to this idea, there are many problems with this type of justification.   The first problem is easy to see.  Being young does not change the morality of an issue.  Lying, Murder, Hate, etc. are all wrong no matter your age.  This idea is undertaken in Ecclesiastes 11:7-10.  The author does say to live well while still young, enjoy your youth, but remember we will be held accountable.  Clearly, to be young is not to absolve from responsibility.  And I think most people realize this very quickly.

I am not sure we are as ready and eager to recognize the second (and I think deeper) problem behind the "I want to experience life while I can" set of justifications.  I think there is something fundamentally wrong with what we think experiencing life is in reality.

Far too often I will hear, and even think myself, that life is better while you are young.  This seems to be an underlying assumption in our culture today.  "Those were (are) the best days of your life" or other like statements adequately describe our attitude toward life.  We as a culture honestly think life is at its best in High School and College.  This is something that has been documented by Diana West in her book The Death of The Grown Up.  Also, for a couple shorter treatments of this idea, check out these articles by John Stonestreet.

For some reason we have bought the idea that life is all downhill after 30.  This scares me as I turned 30 this year.  But it also scares me, because it means that, if this theory is true, I am now heading into the boring part of life!  Is life really best in the 20s???

I would venture that it shouldn't be true.  And it is a very, very sad thing for people who find it to be true for them.  It is painful to be around people who are in the middle of life, still wishing to be in high school.  Don't believe me??? To show you life should get better with age, like fine wine or cheese, I submit Uncle Rico.

Do you know Uncle Rico?  In the movie Napoleon Dynamite, a set of loser characters combine to make a memorable movie (though maybe memorable for all the wrong reasons.)  In this movie of loser characters, I think we all know the worst one is Uncle Rico.

Rico is a 30s relative of the main character Napoleon. He is often referring to his high school football days, "I bet I could still throw a football over those mountains."  He wishes he could relive his glory days!  Unfortunately, those are his glory days.  He now lives in a van, and tries to come up with get-rich-quick schemes.  It is hard not to understand the pathetic nature of a grown man wishing to be in high school again.

Even so, we, as a culture, try to hold on to our teen years for as long as possible.  This is true enough that it is not actually hard to find an "Uncle Rico" in real life.  We can all probably think of someone like this, or we will find one soon.

I think this goes against the idea Christ had in mind when he spoke of having the full life in John 10:7-10.  It seems to be counter-intuitive to urge people to reach for a "full" life, but it doesn't keep getting better as people grow.  A full life should only get better.  In this case, getting older would be welcome.

Most cultures have understood the value of growing old.  They recognized, that while losing some physical ability, growing old brings an experience and wisdom that is surpassing in its meaning and beauty.  This is one reason why many cultures have a more healthy respect for their elders.

As a culture, we need to recognize the full life begins in Christ, and only gets better as we grow in him.  This will help our students to mature earlier, because they will not be afraid of the life still to come.

When Things Take the Place of People, Or How to Suppress the Truth In Unrighteousness pt. 2

A little while ago, I commented on an article by Al Mohler about the gender-neutral leanings of many universities in the United States today.  I suggested this was a clear case of exchanging the truth of God for a lie as we are told happens in Romans 1:18-32.  When people stop recognizing God's created order, even though it is plain to see we can tell they are suppressing the truth in their unrighteousness.

Well, add another example to the list!  Today, Robin Phillips of Signs of the Times, has found another way our society has decided to believe a lie.

The debate about global warming has been pretty heated for quite a while now.  Often I have wondered if proponents of the climate change phenomenon care more about the environment than people.  Well, it seems as though we have confirmation of this.  At least one global warming/enviro friendly person does care about trees and Mother Nature more than he does about his fellow man.

It seems as though Bill Gates has decided we need to decrease the human population, in order to ensure the survival of the planet.  In fact, he is advocating the use of vaccines to help achieve this goal!

I want to be clear, I recycle (sometimes because my wife makes me), I do care about the world we live in.  It seems clear to me we are supposed to be stewards of our environment.  This world is not ours to destroy, it is God's and he has asked us to rule over it (Genesis 1:28).

However, it is also clear humans are the epitome of the created order.  God has given us creation to rule over, which logically means we are greater.  A lesser cannot rule a greater!  It has been said, that one human being is worth more than all the molecules in all the universe.  This being so, we cannot stand by and watch as people suggest we are worth less than what God has said.  He created us in His image, and we must stand for the truth.

Warning: Where Are You Sending Your Children To College? Is It Gender Neutral? Or How to Suppress the Truth in Unrighteousness

Al Mohler has highlighted a growing problem in the United States (and the West in general) today.  We are losing our sense of morality, as evidenced by our confusion about gender.

Mohler, keying off an article in the LA Times,  explains how many universities are now offering "gender neutral" housing.  The universities defend this position by exclaiming the students are adults who have the right to choose their comfortable zone.  While the students defend by saying, "a roommate is a roommate."

This is a problem I have wondered about a lot recently.  I do approve of some of the changes of our views of the roles of Men and Women as they have blurred the lines of artificial shackles.  However, how are we as a society going to survive (let alone thrive) if we cannot recognize the most basic of realities of God's world, such as the physical and emotional differences of men and women.  If God has created some differences in our nature, these differences are not artificial, but instead normal, natural, and freeing.  They help us understand how to fulfill our purpose.

Our society's need to erase and preempt the way God has created seems to be a clear case of a fulfillment of "exchanging the truth of God for a lie" in Romans 1:18-32 .  We love our "freedom" so much we believe lies to enable our immorality.  Christians need to stand against this confusion of roles and stand for the truth. 

Great Post on Obamacare

Frank Turk has written a great post which reflects my thoughts on Obamacare perfectly.  I had been having trouble to truly put my thoughts into words, but now that is ok, because he has done so.

The Scandal of Gendercide — War on Baby Girls - AlbertMohler.com

An Eye Opening Article: The Scandal of Gendercide — War on Baby Girls - AlbertMohler.com

We are on the Moon!

On July 16th, 1969, two United States astronauts began a journey to finally land on the moon. This was one of the most remarkable and important events of the 20th century.

We began to conquer space... Science was believed to be able to solve all of man's problems. If we can only understand the physical world, we can harness it and bend it to our will. Even our amusement parks resembled our optimism in the Scientific universe.

When Tomorrowland was first created, Walt Disney tried to show the possibilities of science, and Tomorrowland was made to look futuristic, and optimistic. It was a tribute to the ingenuity of man. Man would be traveling at light-speed, and never want for anything!

40 years later, much is better, but much is worse. Conquering space did not solve humanity's problems. Neither did the rest of Science. In fact, Science has actually created some more problems. For those who held to Science, many stopped being able to find meaning. An unhealthy dependence on the promises of Science actually brought a sense of anguish, because many people believed the natural world was all that exists. This meant to these people there was no heaven, no supernatural, no life after death. When we die, we die.

Science has lost credibility to the "postmodern" mind. Even the development of Disneyland shows our general lack of faith in Science now.

Go visit Disneyland today... much has changed. Tomorrowland does not seem optimistic anymore. Instead it resembles more cartoon or sci-fi worlds than anything actually attainable. This metamorphosis in Disneyland has closely paralleled the general public's trust of Science. People no longer trust Science. When Science stopped being able to give meaning, people have moved to despair.

We have "conquered" the moon, but we have lost our confidence. Today is a great opportunity for Christianity to be a beacon of renewed hope. In a world searching for meaning, because Science has taken meaning of existence and obliterated it, Christianity can give true hope. Using the Scriptural example of showing reasons for our hope (I Peter 3:15), Christians can be light in a dark world.