Including me.
Here goes . . . .
1. If reversing 2,000 years of Christian teaching regarding sexual practice was the key to revitalizing the church as a whole, then the United Church of Christ would be thriving and Northpoint Community Church would be hemorrhaging. Neither seems likely to happen anytime soon.
2. If more people loved their kids, there’d be less of a call for people who “just love kids.”
3. If violent video games, TV shows, and movies don’t influence behavior, then why does television advertising exist?
4. If I haven’t lost a bit of sleep over the fact that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was waterboarded, does that give us some kind of moral equivalence?
5. Number of Murders, United States, 2009: 15,241
Number of Murders by Firearms, US, 2009: 9,146
Number of Murders, Britain, 2008*: 648
(Since Britain’s population is 1/5 that of US, this is equivalent to 3,240 US murders)
Number of Murders by[pdf] firearms, Britain, 2008* 39
(equivalent to 195 US murders)
*The Home office reported murder statistics in the UK for the 12 months to March 2009, but these are 12-month figures).
For more on murder by firearms in Britain, see the BBC.
In the case of Britain, firearms murders are 48 times fewer than in the US.
Source: here.
Hmmmm . . . and guns don’t kill people?
6. When MTV broadcasts a show called 16 & Pregnant, it doesn’t do anyone any favors.
7. I’ve wondered if the more charitable services that churches and other non-profits provide, the greater a demand we create. Not sure. Just wondering.
8. Doctrinal unity leads to demographic diversity. The more you treasure ancient truths, the more modern people of all colors and ethnicities will rally around the cause. When will the United Methodist hierarchy realize this?