by Jason Joyner | Mar 5, 2007 | Biblical worldview, Blog, missions, social justice
I had the privilege to attend a lecture last week from Laura Lederer, the Senior Advisor on Human Trafficking for the U.S. State Department. She spoke on the problem of human trafficking in regards to the forum’s theme of Women and Children: Second-Class Citizens of the World.
In one sense it was a discouraging subject, as some of the statistics and stories told were horrendous. It is estimated that 800,000 – 1,200,000 people are trafficked each year, and 80% of these are women and children. She told personal stories of women who were tricked into coming to the U.S. and treated horribly as sexual slaves. Children are preferred for industries like brick factories, cocoa plantations, and rug weaving, as their small bodies are better able to perform the required duties.
As Ms. Lederer discussed factors related to this terror, aspects like globalism opening borders and new technologies allowing cartels to organize were noted. However, one of the most interesting causes was the idea of materialism. Human beings are seen as mere commodities to be bought and sold.
People don’t like this idea, but it does become the logical end of the philosophy of naturalism, that all we are is a mix of proteins that radomly became more complex over lots of time. If all we are consists of only material, then what makes humans any more special to be utilized over a rock or domestic animals?
The good news from this talk is that the United States has seen the horrors going on around the whole world (not one country or area is to blame or immune) and has committed to be a leader in this field. The government is working on passing laws here, using diplomacy to work with other countries worldwide, and giving money to support efforts to help with prevention, prosecution, and protection.
It is not only the government that works on behalf of these powerless victims. There are numerous groups that work in this field. One such group is International Justice Mission. They are one of the most comprehensive groups in this arena. They identify cases of abuse and slavery in different areas, they investigate, and they bring the information to the local authorities and remind them of what local law says regarding such activity. They have programs to help victims cope after such trauma, as well as working toward prevention of the abuse to begin with. This page shows quotes from such varied people as Rick Warren, Chuck Colson, and Senator Hillary Clinton. You can read the truth of such atrocities in the book Terrify No More, by the founder of IJM.
Finally, I encourage any reading this to consider giving to such groups as IJM, World Vision, or other organizations known to be helping victims of trafficking. You can give to IJM by going here.
I mentioned human trafficking being the natural outworking of a naturalistic philosophy. I don’t mean that all who hold to this idea support human trafficking – it is just a logical conclusion from such a worldview. Conversely, it is people from a Biblical worldview, who value life because of the Creator and Giver of life, who are in the forefront of the new abolitionist movement to defeat this evil and bring justice and peace to the most vunerable.
Micah 6:8 says, “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” I invite those who love Jesus to follow through with His heart of mercy in reaching the least of these!
by Jason Joyner | Mar 5, 2007 | Biblical worldview, Blog, missions, social justice
I had the privilege to attend a lecture last week from Laura Lederer, the Senior Advisor on Human Trafficking for the U.S. State Department. She spoke on the problem of human trafficking in regards to the forum’s theme of Women and Children: Second-Class Citizens of the World.
In one sense it was a discouraging subject, as some of the statistics and stories told were horrendous. It is estimated that 800,000 – 1,200,000 people are trafficked each year, and 80% of these are women and children. She told personal stories of women who were tricked into coming to the U.S. and treated horribly as sexual slaves. Children are preferred for industries like brick factories, cocoa plantations, and rug weaving, as their small bodies are better able to perform the required duties.
As Ms. Lederer discussed factors related to this terror, aspects like globalism opening borders and new technologies allowing cartels to organize were noted. However, one of the most interesting causes was the idea of materialism. Human beings are seen as mere commodities to be bought and sold.
People don’t like this idea, but it does become the logical end of the philosophy of naturalism, that all we are is a mix of proteins that radomly became more complex over lots of time. If all we are consists of only material, then what makes humans any more special to be utilized over a rock or domestic animals?
The good news from this talk is that the United States has seen the horrors going on around the whole world (not one country or area is to blame or immune) and has committed to be a leader in this field. The government is working on passing laws here, using diplomacy to work with other countries worldwide, and giving money to support efforts to help with prevention, prosecution, and protection.
It is not only the government that works on behalf of these powerless victims. There are numerous groups that work in this field. One such group is International Justice Mission. They are one of the most comprehensive groups in this arena. They identify cases of abuse and slavery in different areas, they investigate, and they bring the information to the local authorities and remind them of what local law says regarding such activity. They have programs to help victims cope after such trauma, as well as working toward prevention of the abuse to begin with. This page shows quotes from such varied people as Rick Warren, Chuck Colson, and Senator Hillary Clinton. You can read the truth of such atrocities in the book Terrify No More, by the founder of IJM.
Finally, I encourage any reading this to consider giving to such groups as IJM, World Vision, or other organizations known to be helping victims of trafficking. You can give to IJM by going here.
I mentioned human trafficking being the natural outworking of a naturalistic philosophy. I don’t mean that all who hold to this idea support human trafficking – it is just a logical conclusion from such a worldview. Conversely, it is people from a Biblical worldview, who value life because of the Creator and Giver of life, who are in the forefront of the new abolitionist movement to defeat this evil and bring justice and peace to the most vunerable.
Micah 6:8 says, “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” I invite those who love Jesus to follow through with His heart of mercy in reaching the least of these!
by Jason Joyner | Feb 17, 2007 | Biblical worldview, Blog, Jesus
I saw a fairly disturbing snippet of Oprah yesterday. On the show they were talking about a book called The Secret. Some attractive and well-meaning people were talking about it earnestly. I don’t fault any of them (don’t know ’em, didn’t watch long enough to find out), but the part that I saw had a flawed concept, and I wanted to address that.
Apparently the book in question talks about the law of attraction, saying that we receive what we think about. If we think about the obstacles in our path, that’s what we’ll get. If we think positively, and think about-say, the promotion we want, that’s what we’ll receive.
This all comes from the worldview that people are basically good, and we just need to think/do good and everything will be alright. Nevermind that this bedrock of postmodern society doesn’t work and isn’t changing life as we know it. There was a quote on the show that was the main kicker for this topic.
As a Christian, Maureen says she believes in heaven and hell, and she’s concerned that The Secret’s promotion of free will and personal choice imply that you do not face a final judgment.
James says that while he honors Maureen’s Christian belief system, he suggests looking at the concepts of heaven, hell and judgment in a different way. “Jesus the Christ said the kingdom of heaven is within. He didn’t say it was out there somewhere—[he said] within. And so is it possible to consider that the kingdom of hell is within as well?” he says.
“The kingdom of God is actually in us, and what comes out of your mouth, what you think about, how you express—you’re either participating in the realm of ever-expanding good or you’re cutting yourself off from the realm,” Michael says.
Michael suggests that instead of living a life preparing for some ultimate reward, you should live in the now. “When you’re anticipating some future good, you’re preventing that good that is all around you from expressing through you,” he says. “[Don’t] put life on the layaway plan and try to anticipate that it’s going to get good in the future.”
It is too bad that this is the idea Michael has about the Kingdom of Heaven. I’m afraid to say that Christians can give support to the idea that all we’re doing is putting “life on the layaway plan” by focusing on eternity rather than what is going on today.
The truth is that Jesus came to proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. As Christians, we are to live a life by faith. According to Romans 8, we live a resurrection life. In short, we look ahead to the life we will have when we are with Jesus, and by faith walk as if we were there now. According to Francis Schaeffer:
It means that, through faith, I am to die to all things both good and bad, but then to take my resurrected body, as though I had already been raised physically from the dead, and step back into this present world, to serve in the power of the indwelling Spirit.
(The Finished Work of Christ, pg 188)
As we walk as children of God, we are to bring light and life to those around us. Jesus said that “no man knows the hour” of His return. Keeping our head on a swivel trying to see if He’s come back yet isn’t going to help this world. By showing the love of Jesus in living out the example AND telling them about His great gift of salvation. The Kingdom will grow as we work with what God is doing to bring people to Himself. The Kingdom is invading this present age, but not as those on Oprah would suggest. It is only through people submitting to Christ as Lord that it is here. There is still a future aspect of the Kingdom, when it is fully revealed at His second return.
So I take the Oprah episode in two ways. In one way it is a rebuke. Christians need to be about loving people, and loving is not just an attitude but action as well. If we are seen as “too heavenly minded to be any earthly good”, that isn’t how we are commanded to live.
On the other hand, the world won’t understand that the true “heavenly minded” will be the ones who make the most difference in this world, because we see the light of God and reflect it, helping others to see the Way. On Amazon The Secret is described as an ideal that permeates all cultures and religions, being brought forth all together for the first time now, although people like Plato and Jesus walked in it. Um, not my Jesus, sorry. My Jesus was the Son of God who was and continues to be rejected by the world. He was not just one of many great teachers in history. Without revelation, man cannot understand Jesus, the Kingdom of Heaven, or His followers.
It is incumbent on us who call on His name to show the Way as best we can, knowing that it is Jesus that will ultimately draw people to Him.
by Jason Joyner | Feb 17, 2007 | Biblical worldview, Blog, Jesus
I saw a fairly disturbing snippet of Oprah yesterday. On the show they were talking about a book called The Secret. Some attractive and well-meaning people were talking about it earnestly. I don’t fault any of them (don’t know ’em, didn’t watch long enough to find out), but the part that I saw had a flawed concept, and I wanted to address that.
Apparently the book in question talks about the law of attraction, saying that we receive what we think about. If we think about the obstacles in our path, that’s what we’ll get. If we think positively, and think about-say, the promotion we want, that’s what we’ll receive.
This all comes from the worldview that people are basically good, and we just need to think/do good and everything will be alright. Nevermind that this bedrock of postmodern society doesn’t work and isn’t changing life as we know it. There was a quote on the show that was the main kicker for this topic.
As a Christian, Maureen says she believes in heaven and hell, and she’s concerned that The Secret’s promotion of free will and personal choice imply that you do not face a final judgment.
James says that while he honors Maureen’s Christian belief system, he suggests looking at the concepts of heaven, hell and judgment in a different way. “Jesus the Christ said the kingdom of heaven is within. He didn’t say it was out there somewhere—[he said] within. And so is it possible to consider that the kingdom of hell is within as well?” he says.
“The kingdom of God is actually in us, and what comes out of your mouth, what you think about, how you express—you’re either participating in the realm of ever-expanding good or you’re cutting yourself off from the realm,” Michael says.
Michael suggests that instead of living a life preparing for some ultimate reward, you should live in the now. “When you’re anticipating some future good, you’re preventing that good that is all around you from expressing through you,” he says. “[Don’t] put life on the layaway plan and try to anticipate that it’s going to get good in the future.”
It is too bad that this is the idea Michael has about the Kingdom of Heaven. I’m afraid to say that Christians can give support to the idea that all we’re doing is putting “life on the layaway plan” by focusing on eternity rather than what is going on today.
The truth is that Jesus came to proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. As Christians, we are to live a life by faith. According to Romans 8, we live a resurrection life. In short, we look ahead to the life we will have when we are with Jesus, and by faith walk as if we were there now. According to Francis Schaeffer:
It means that, through faith, I am to die to all things both good and bad, but then to take my resurrected body, as though I had already been raised physically from the dead, and step back into this present world, to serve in the power of the indwelling Spirit.
(The Finished Work of Christ, pg 188)
As we walk as children of God, we are to bring light and life to those around us. Jesus said that “no man knows the hour” of His return. Keeping our head on a swivel trying to see if He’s come back yet isn’t going to help this world. By showing the love of Jesus in living out the example AND telling them about His great gift of salvation. The Kingdom will grow as we work with what God is doing to bring people to Himself. The Kingdom is invading this present age, but not as those on Oprah would suggest. It is only through people submitting to Christ as Lord that it is here. There is still a future aspect of the Kingdom, when it is fully revealed at His second return.
So I take the Oprah episode in two ways. In one way it is a rebuke. Christians need to be about loving people, and loving is not just an attitude but action as well. If we are seen as “too heavenly minded to be any earthly good”, that isn’t how we are commanded to live.
On the other hand, the world won’t understand that the true “heavenly minded” will be the ones who make the most difference in this world, because we see the light of God and reflect it, helping others to see the Way. On Amazon The Secret is described as an ideal that permeates all cultures and religions, being brought forth all together for the first time now, although people like Plato and Jesus walked in it. Um, not my Jesus, sorry. My Jesus was the Son of God who was and continues to be rejected by the world. He was not just one of many great teachers in history. Without revelation, man cannot understand Jesus, the Kingdom of Heaven, or His followers.
It is incumbent on us who call on His name to show the Way as best we can, knowing that it is Jesus that will ultimately draw people to Him.
