It is available online at www.creationmuseum.org.

The artist illustrates his disrespect and ignorance of the suffering of Jesus Christ. It is a colossal inequality and injustice to compare the political opposition of any individual to the personal suffering and death of Jesus Christ. This is offensive to Christians and brings no compliment to President Obama. Barack Obama himself should be denouncing this painting.

Christians, however, should be careful how they respond. The fact that a preview of a painting is being publicized before its “unveiling” appears to be a calculated move designed to draw more attention to the artist. According to the popular adage, “any publicity is good publicity.” Christians should not take the bait. Don’t play his game. It is appropriate to speak out and voice our disapproval and repulsion that Jesus Christ would be mocked in such fashion. But on the day of the unveiling, ignore him, and pray for rain.

If people do not properly implement the local church, it is not the fault of the local church concept. If a cook fails to properly follow a recipe, it is not the fault of the recipe if the dish does not taste right. The Scripture defines what the church should be. It is not the fault of the church if the recipe is not being followed.

Those who are dissatisfied with the church are discontent with a poor substitute, not the real thing. At other times in history believers have been dissatisfied with circumstances in the local church. This frustration and disappointment has served to bring revival and reformation as believers move closer to the New Testament model.

Could the Revolutionary trend Barna has identified be the early stage of a new revival or reformation in the church? Historically, it is common for believers to become dissatisfied with existing conditions in the organized church that are inconsistent with the NT ideal. When this occurs we first see efforts to adjust and correct the errant practice. Invariably, leaders of this “revolution” are raised up from within the existing church (often from obscurity) and call for reform. When the course correction is resisted, the leaders of the reform movement eventually are forced to separate from the existing structure.

For a while it appears that the separatists are radicals who oppose the “church.” But in reality they are opposing the practices that have developed in the structure of the church that have moved the church off course or hinder its progress.

As others hear the message of the reformer, they will go through a similar process of reform and attempt to correct the existing structure. If this fails, they too will become separatists and join the ranks of the reform movement. Eventually, these reformers form new congregations and develop a new structure that emphasizes the ideals that birthed their separation.

Elements of this progression can be witnessed throughout the history of the church, even at its very birth. John the Baptist was one such reformer. His call to repentance produced a following that prepared the way for the coming of Christ. Of course, Jesus brought much more than reformation to the existing religious practice, but the effects on the organized structure are very similar.

The followers of Christ first attempted to incorporate the teachings of Christ within the organized Jewish faith. Initially, there was good progress, but eventually resistance developed and the new movement was forced to separate. In fact, they became the “called out” assembly–the Church. The missionary efforts of the Apostle Paul followed a similar pattern.

In later centuries other separatists followed this familiar practice. The Novatians, Donatists, and others in the ancient church challenged popular errors that had crept into the organized structure. Eventually, the points of disagreement became so sharp they separated from the larger movement, much of which devolved into the Roman Catholic Church.

It is important to understand, throughout the Middle Ages groups of faithful believers existed separate from the Catholic Church. John Wycliffe and others prepared the way for Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation.

The Holy Club, established by John and Charles Wesley, was a reaction to the stale formalism of the existing organized churches. The Methodist churches developed from this movement that emphasized holiness and Christian ideals.

Even the revivals of the Great Awakenings in America show the marks of reform and revolution. These revival preachers were met with varying degrees of acceptance and rejection by the established churches. In their wake new churches were organized. As the old denominations departed from the NT ideals, new groups emerged to carry on the ancient faith.

One such example is the Free Will Baptist movement. Benjamin Randall disagreed with the Congregational Church and was forced to separate from the organized denomination that populated New England. For a while he preached in the open fields to those who would listen. In time, new churches were established and a new denomination was born.

The second Great Awakening in America followed the first by 100 years. Many have hoped that a third would take place in the next century. It is later than anticipated, but it may finally be upon us. If this reformation follows the historical pattern, new churches will be birthed, some existing churches will be revitalized, and some churches will fade away.

Barna has identified the emphasis of the new reformation, but perhaps he misinterprets the meaning of the separation. The organized local church will not become insignificant, it will just be different.

This is perhaps the first time in history we have had such freedom of travel and such proliferation of information to be able to witness the micro-development of a Reformation or Great Awakening as it happens. Historians have identified previous events after the fact. Barna’s research may be showing us what it looks like while it is taking place.

The Revolutionary separatists will likely follow the same pattern as their ancestral counterparts. Some are working within the local church, some are outside the structure of a local church–but only until there is a sufficient assembly to form a new local church.

While we agree that Jesus calls us to Be the Church, the only way to fulfill the New Testament example is through a local gathering of believers. The ordaining of elders, commissioning of missionaries, shepherding the flock, discipline of erring members–these practices cannot be accomplished without some kind of organized structure. Throughout Acts and the epistles we see local gatherings of believers. They gathered together on the first day of the week. That is the norm.

We should avoid the tendency to identify the American church as The Church, as if what happens here defines all of Christianity. American churches have had a significant role in world evangelism, but only for this time and place. The story of the Christian Church is much older than America and will continue regardless of what happens in this country.

If every church on this continent closed tomorrow the Church of Jesus Christ, including local gatherings of believers, will remain somewhere until Jesus returns.

We realize we have been entrusted with the responsibility to provide the curriculum that is used to teach the principles and application of God’s Word. We are conscious of the significance of this role. We endeavor to make sure that the content of our products is true to the teachings of Scripture.

Scripture teaches that homosexuality is a sin against God. Even though we all inherited a sin nature from Adam, we are not created by God to sin, nor are we born with a particular sin. Neither are we excused for our behavior for practicing sin. We also recognize that homosexuality is a particularly abhorrent sin with serious moral consequences. Still, we also believe that Jesus died to forgive all who will express faith in Him and repent of their sin and turn from their wickedness.

Understanding this topic to be a “hot-button” issue, careful research was done on the writings and perspective of the author. His articles for Exodus International and Boundless.org (a division of Focus on the Family) demonstrate a consistent practice of identifying homosexual behavior as sin and a behavior that is not pleasing to God, which should and can be abandoned. The author is sharing his testimony of his personal struggle and the deliverance God offers to those facing temptation. Some temptations are easier to understand, but ultimately, our response to all sin should be abhorrence.

I acknowledge there is a natural repulsion regarding the sin of homosexuality. Homosexuality is an abomination in the eyes of God. Leviticus 18 provides a list of abominations that include heterosexual sins, and Deuteronomy 18 adds various sins of witchcraft. Proverbs lists more sins that are abomination to a holy God, including “lying lips” (12:22) and “proud in heart” (16:5). While I in no means equate lying and pride with the devastating effects of sexual sins, I am beginning to see that the repulsion I have for homosexuality is a glimpse of the abhorrence God has for my sin. This understanding breaks my heart and motivates me to a more determined pursuit of holiness.

Researching the author’s articles made it abundantly clear that there are people who struggle with temptations that I cannot understand. However, despite their struggle, they recognize what God says about their sin and agree with Him that it is wrong. They strive for obedience to God’s word and seek personal holiness.

The Christian attitude toward people who are in sin does not vary depending on the sin. We are to show the same kind of love to the abominable homosexual as we do to the abominable adulterer and abominable practitioner of witchcraft. Some sinners are easier to love and forgive, but we must be consistent and show the love of Christ to all and offer them the hope of His forgiveness.

The article in Horizon explicitly states, “The Bible is clear that God did not create us to be homosexual, and He certainly doesn’t want us to do those things.” Homosexuality is not inborn. The next paragraph opens with “’Homosexuality is sin’ is not the only truth you need to know.” It points out there are other truths, while still asserting, “homosexual behavior is sin.” He also stresses, “God hates homosexuality because He is holy….”

Of course, homosexual behavior has greater consequences than gossip and lying. But the point of the paragraph was to illustrate that temptation is a “desire for something God calls sin.” It was not trying to downgrade the significance of a type of sin, but to illustrate the common struggle with temptation that all Christians experience.

The intent of the article was to advise students about how to respond to the Day of Silence. We realize this was not clear and seek to correct that error. The article intentionally leads with the title, “Breaking the Silence,” which opposes the intent of the protest and challenges Christian teens to speak the truth. The author pointed out that teachers and students would be saying, “homosexuality is normal, good, healthy, and not a sin.” He followed with, “These things aren’t true and you shouldn’t pretend like they are.” He explicitly refutes the idea that homosexuality is normal.

Students were not encouraged to accept or think of the sinful behavior, but to comprehend the fear and confusion as a result of a personal struggle. This article intentionally followed the lesson and devotion on compassion. Christians are challenged to show compassion to the world–that includes people who are mired in the depths of sin. Not to excuse sin or tolerate sin, but we demonstrate the compassion of Christ to draw people to Him so they can be delivered of their sin. Paul testified this is possible when he reminded the believers in Corinth of the sins from which they had been delivered–“such were some of you” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

We can demonstrate kindness and compassion as a platform for sharing the message of Jesus. This is consistent with how Jesus treated the adulterous woman at the well. While all others shunned her to the point that she was ostracized, Jesus joined in conversation with her without diminishing her sin. The final challenge for the students was, “tell the bold truth-the truth about God, about you, and about the wonderful hope you have in Jesus.”

These are the elements of the article that stood out to me. While I agree this is a subject that causes me to be uncomfortable, we cannot ignore it. We must equip young people with a plan of action that is consistent with Biblical principles and the character of Jesus Christ. This article was an effort toward that purpose.

Obviously, there are some points that have been misunderstood, and we regret that. We will be diligent to communicate more clearly. Still there are specific points to recall. It identifies homosexual behavior as sin against a holy God. It warns students to not accept the untrue statements from those promoting homosexuality. It challenges Christian students to be kind and compassionate and boldly share the truth of God’s word and the hope we have in Christ. We consistently affirm these scriptural teachings.

Homosexuality is an escalating issue in teen culture. This article can give parents and pastors an opportunity to address this matter with their teens. They are facing these issues and need to know how Christians should respond biblically and in a Christ-like manner. We are careful to avoid overwhelming younger teens with some of these issues, so we did not include this article in the Direction magazine. We also included a “What’s Up?” page in the Horizon Teaching Essentials to inform parents and teachers about this upcoming article in the magazine. We also included a web link to additional resources to help inform people about this issue.

It would be quite easy to avoid all controversial issues and be safe. But this would be disconnecting our faith from life and ignoring that the Bible has the answers to the difficult questions. We choose to face these issues from a biblical perspective and deal with the problems of this fallen world. The editorial staff is dedicated to high standards in the treatment of tough issues with practical instruction and doctrinal integrity.

Please let me know if you have other questions. Please share this post with others and encourage them to contact me if they have additional concerns.

Thank you,

Danny Conn
Editorial Director
Randall House Publications

download the article here: breaking-the-silence

When given one last chance, they affirmed their commitment to stand firm in their faith. They would not bow to the pressure to conform. They would not follow the crowd in worshiping a false god. Faithfulness to their God was worth their very lives. They trusted that the Creator of the universe was more powerful than a man-made god of gold.

Not knowing the outcome, they stood firm in the face of death. They literally walked through the fire. This strength of character and perseverance is only possible when one is grounded in the faith. That is our task as youth workers: first to BE, then to EQUIP others to be grounded in the faith so as to stand true.

Is student ministry accomplishing what we think it is? Roughly two-thirds of students leave the church after graduation. Baptisms are down. Student pastors are walking away from ministry at startling rates. It’s time to rethink student ministry. This book pairs the most up-to-date research available with an overview of a biblical framework for ministry. It will arm you with facts, Scripture, and real-life ideas that will help you find new ways to involve parents back into the equation and help you escape the busy, bigger-and-better, number-driven model of student ministry.

This book is a must read for parents, youth workers, and pastors. It verbalizes questions we have been kicking around for a while. Check it out. Let’s examine what we are doing. See what works and what doesn’t. Then let’s do more of what works.

Ken Ham

Ken Ham, a native Australian now residing near Cincinnati, Ohio, is the author of numerous books on the book of Genesis, the accuracy and authority of the Bible, dinosaurs, and the destructive fruits of evolutionary thinking.