Answering Your Kid's Tough Questions
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Thursday, August 4, 2016
3 Key Things Skeptics Will Say to Shame Your Kids for Being Christians
NATASHA CRAIN
Faithful Christian Parenting in a Secular World
AUGUST 1, 2016
I haven’t blogged in the last couple of weeks because my family and I were on vacation. We went on a wonderful trip to the island of Grand Cayman! I successfully managed to avoid email while I was there, but that made for quite a backlog by the time I returned. As I started going through the emails to my blog address, I was struck by the nature of comment after comment left by atheists on various old blog posts while I was gone: one emotional attack after another and not a single discussion of evidence for/against the truth of Christianity.
I actually get such emails all the time and am very used to it. But seeing them all piled together made me realize how often the objective of skeptics is to shame Christians rather than to engage in fair-minded discussions about evidence—something highly ironic given how much skeptics talk in theory about how important evidence is.
Shaming can have an especially negative impact on kids, who are very susceptible to believing emotion-laden statements. But this, too, is something we can (and should) prepare them for. While shaming comes in all kinds of forms, I can roll 90 percent of skeptics’ comments into some version of three general claims.
Here is what your kids are most likely to hear…and what you can do about it.
1. “You’ve been indoctrinated.”
The Implied Shame Claim: You’re just parroting what your parents have drilled into your head throughout your childhood. You’ve been brainwashed and can’t even think for yourself. If you’re brave enough to look at [evidence/science/common sense] instead, you’ll see how crazy Christianity is.
I probably receive at least one blog comment each week about how I’m indoctrinating my kids simply by raising them in a Christian home. Skeptics love to say this. The problem is, it betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of what indoctrination even means. As I explained in this post, indoctrination is “teaching someone to fully accept the ideas, opinions, and beliefs of a particular group and to not consider other ideas, opinions and beliefs.” In other words, indoctrination is a problem with how you teach someone something. It’s not inherently related to any particular belief system, though religion is one type of belief system where indoctrination is possible. Atheists can indoctrinate their kids as well.
So, unless a skeptic has been inside the homes of every Christian in America, seen how we are teaching our kids Christianity, and then had appropriate reason to conclude that we don’t collectively expose our kids to other ideas, it’s utterly meaningless to say that “Christians indoctrinate their kids.”
What Parents Can Do:
3. “Christians are less intelligent than atheists. Studies show it.”
The Implied Shame Claim: You’re stupid if you’re a Christian and that’s not just my opinion—it’s been proven.
You may be surprised to hear that a number of studies have found a negative relationship between intelligence and religiousness—in other words, they suggest that the more intelligent a person is, the less likely they are to be religious. Many passionate atheists are well aware of these studies and use them as ammunition for their arguments that religion is for the poor, ignorant, or unintelligent.
My professional background is in market research (I have an MBA in marketing and statistics) so I decided to personally review the studies that are constantly referenced by skeptics. I explained my findings in detail in my post,Are Christians Less Intelligent Than Atheists? Here’s What Those Studies REALLY Say, and further in Chapter 16 of my book.
Here’s the bottom line of what you should know: Over the last 80+ years, many studies have been done on the relationship between intelligence and religiousness. In 2013, researchers pulled together all the ones that quantified that relationship. Of the 63 studies they identified, roughly half showed no relationship at all. The other half showed at least some kind of negative relationship (the more intelligent you are, the less likely you are to be religious). That said, statistically speaking, it’s not very helpful to simply know there is “some kind” of relationship. You have to know how strong the relationship is to know if it matters. So researchers combined the results of all these individual studies to evaluate that question overall…and found the strength of relationship to be very weak. What do I mean by very weak? A -.17 or -.20 correlation is considered to be a trivial or negligible relationship by most statisticians. In other words, hardly worth mentioning. There is no reasonable basis for suggesting Christians are less intelligent than atheists according to this data.
What Parents Can Do:
I actually get such emails all the time and am very used to it. But seeing them all piled together made me realize how often the objective of skeptics is to shame Christians rather than to engage in fair-minded discussions about evidence—something highly ironic given how much skeptics talk in theory about how important evidence is.
Shaming can have an especially negative impact on kids, who are very susceptible to believing emotion-laden statements. But this, too, is something we can (and should) prepare them for. While shaming comes in all kinds of forms, I can roll 90 percent of skeptics’ comments into some version of three general claims.
Here is what your kids are most likely to hear…and what you can do about it.
1. “You’ve been indoctrinated.”
The Implied Shame Claim: You’re just parroting what your parents have drilled into your head throughout your childhood. You’ve been brainwashed and can’t even think for yourself. If you’re brave enough to look at [evidence/science/common sense] instead, you’ll see how crazy Christianity is.
I probably receive at least one blog comment each week about how I’m indoctrinating my kids simply by raising them in a Christian home. Skeptics love to say this. The problem is, it betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of what indoctrination even means. As I explained in this post, indoctrination is “teaching someone to fully accept the ideas, opinions, and beliefs of a particular group and to not consider other ideas, opinions and beliefs.” In other words, indoctrination is a problem with how you teach someone something. It’s not inherently related to any particular belief system, though religion is one type of belief system where indoctrination is possible. Atheists can indoctrinate their kids as well.
So, unless a skeptic has been inside the homes of every Christian in America, seen how we are teaching our kids Christianity, and then had appropriate reason to conclude that we don’t collectively expose our kids to other ideas, it’s utterly meaningless to say that “Christians indoctrinate their kids.”
What Parents Can Do:
Make sure you’re not actually indoctrinating your kids. Make sure you are teaching them what other people believe. That doesn’t mean you should teach them that what everyone else believes is true (that’s not logically possible)—it simply means you’re appropriately comparing and contrasting other ideas, opinions, and beliefs.
Make it explicitly clear to your kids that you don’t want them to believe in Jesus just because you do. (Read why this is so important in my post, Six Scary But Important Words Every Christian Parent Should Say to Their Kids About Faith.) When you’ve actually demonstrated that it’s important for them to own their spiritual decisions, they’ll have no reason to later question whether they’ve been “indoctrinated” when someone suggests it.
Teach your kids the evidence for the truth of Christianity (you’re going to see a recurring theme on this bullet point). In that very process, you’ll be comparing and contrasting truth claims from various worldviews and your kids will know first-hand that you didn’t “indoctrinate” them.
2. “If you allow yourself to think critically, you’ll see there’s no reason to believe in God.”
The Implied Shame Claim: Don’t you want to be a critical thinker? Someone who is rational, reasonable, and uses their brain? If you have faith, you’re throwing all that out the door. You’re choosing to believe something in spite of all evidence to the contrary.
“Critical thinking” is a buzz phrase today. Technically speaking, critical thinking is the “objective analysis and evaluation of an issue to form a judgment.” The funny thing is, skeptics always assume that such thinking necessarily leads to their own conclusions. The logic goes like this:
Critical thinking means forming beliefs based on evidence.
There’s no evidence for God.
If you believe in God, you’re not thinking critically.
The problem with this logic is the second statement—the foregone conclusion that there’s no evidence for God. A more honest assessment would be that Christians and atheists disagree over what constitutes legitimate evidence for God. As much as many skeptics would like to make critical thinking their own domain based on this implied argument, the reality is that neither Christians nor atheists are willing to believe in something without evidence; Christians believe there is evidence for God. That’s why conversations about who’s thinking more critically than whom are absolutely pointless. There are Christians who think well and Christians who think poorly; atheists who think well and atheists who think poorly. This says nothing about the evidence itself.
What Parents Can Do:
Make it explicitly clear to your kids that you don’t want them to believe in Jesus just because you do. (Read why this is so important in my post, Six Scary But Important Words Every Christian Parent Should Say to Their Kids About Faith.) When you’ve actually demonstrated that it’s important for them to own their spiritual decisions, they’ll have no reason to later question whether they’ve been “indoctrinated” when someone suggests it.
Teach your kids the evidence for the truth of Christianity (you’re going to see a recurring theme on this bullet point). In that very process, you’ll be comparing and contrasting truth claims from various worldviews and your kids will know first-hand that you didn’t “indoctrinate” them.
2. “If you allow yourself to think critically, you’ll see there’s no reason to believe in God.”
The Implied Shame Claim: Don’t you want to be a critical thinker? Someone who is rational, reasonable, and uses their brain? If you have faith, you’re throwing all that out the door. You’re choosing to believe something in spite of all evidence to the contrary.
“Critical thinking” is a buzz phrase today. Technically speaking, critical thinking is the “objective analysis and evaluation of an issue to form a judgment.” The funny thing is, skeptics always assume that such thinking necessarily leads to their own conclusions. The logic goes like this:
Critical thinking means forming beliefs based on evidence.
There’s no evidence for God.
If you believe in God, you’re not thinking critically.
The problem with this logic is the second statement—the foregone conclusion that there’s no evidence for God. A more honest assessment would be that Christians and atheists disagree over what constitutes legitimate evidence for God. As much as many skeptics would like to make critical thinking their own domain based on this implied argument, the reality is that neither Christians nor atheists are willing to believe in something without evidence; Christians believe there is evidence for God. That’s why conversations about who’s thinking more critically than whom are absolutely pointless. There are Christians who think well and Christians who think poorly; atheists who think well and atheists who think poorly. This says nothing about the evidence itself.
What Parents Can Do:
Be intentional in talking to your kids about definitions. So many times, Christians and skeptics talk right past each other with conflicting meanings of the same words. In this case, discuss the words critical thinking and faith(skeptics incorrectly assert that faith means believing something in spite of evidence—see chapter 8 of my bookfor help with this conversation).
Discuss the implied argument of the three points listed above and explain that this is the logic behind skeptics’ claims that Christians don’t think critically. When you expose your kids to the thinking behind the shame claim, they won’t be fazed by it later.
Teach your kids the evidence for the truth of Christianity (yup, here it is again!). It’s one thing to show them the faulty logic (see the point above)—it’s another thing to teach them how to combat a faulty premise themselves.
Discuss the implied argument of the three points listed above and explain that this is the logic behind skeptics’ claims that Christians don’t think critically. When you expose your kids to the thinking behind the shame claim, they won’t be fazed by it later.
Teach your kids the evidence for the truth of Christianity (yup, here it is again!). It’s one thing to show them the faulty logic (see the point above)—it’s another thing to teach them how to combat a faulty premise themselves.
3. “Christians are less intelligent than atheists. Studies show it.”
The Implied Shame Claim: You’re stupid if you’re a Christian and that’s not just my opinion—it’s been proven.
You may be surprised to hear that a number of studies have found a negative relationship between intelligence and religiousness—in other words, they suggest that the more intelligent a person is, the less likely they are to be religious. Many passionate atheists are well aware of these studies and use them as ammunition for their arguments that religion is for the poor, ignorant, or unintelligent.
My professional background is in market research (I have an MBA in marketing and statistics) so I decided to personally review the studies that are constantly referenced by skeptics. I explained my findings in detail in my post,Are Christians Less Intelligent Than Atheists? Here’s What Those Studies REALLY Say, and further in Chapter 16 of my book.
Here’s the bottom line of what you should know: Over the last 80+ years, many studies have been done on the relationship between intelligence and religiousness. In 2013, researchers pulled together all the ones that quantified that relationship. Of the 63 studies they identified, roughly half showed no relationship at all. The other half showed at least some kind of negative relationship (the more intelligent you are, the less likely you are to be religious). That said, statistically speaking, it’s not very helpful to simply know there is “some kind” of relationship. You have to know how strong the relationship is to know if it matters. So researchers combined the results of all these individual studies to evaluate that question overall…and found the strength of relationship to be very weak. What do I mean by very weak? A -.17 or -.20 correlation is considered to be a trivial or negligible relationship by most statisticians. In other words, hardly worth mentioning. There is no reasonable basis for suggesting Christians are less intelligent than atheists according to this data.
What Parents Can Do:
Give your kids an appropriate framework for considering this kind of claim before you even discuss specific studies: Even if we could reliability measure which group is collectively smarter (we can’t), the answer wouldn’t tell us anything about the truth of Christianity. Intelligence doesn’t equate to always having the right answer. The important question we must constantly point our kids back to is, Which worldview is an accurate picture of reality? (Not which worldview theoretically has the smartest adherents.)
If your kids are teens, take the time to read my summary of these studies and findings and then discuss (links to my blog post and book above).
Teach your kids the evidence for the truth of Christianity (I told you this would keep coming up!). How else will they know how to set aside distracting claims like this one about intelligence and answer the key question,Which worldview is an accurate picture of reality?
So, you must have caught the recurring solution that combats all of these attempts at shaming: Teach your kids theevidence for the truth of Christianity.
Consider for a moment why that in particular is the antidote for almost any shaming attempt. Shame by definition is “a painful emotion caused by a strong sense of guilt, embarrassment, unworthiness or disgrace.” In other words, the root of shame is feeling inadequate.
In order for our kids to feel (more than) adequate when they encounter shaming attempts, they need to have the deep conviction that what they believe is really true. Only then will they be able to fully see these shame claims for what they are—shallow and baseless emotional attacks—and be able to say confidently with the apostle Paul, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).
If you need help talking to your kids about the evidence for the truth of Christianity and how to address secular claims with your kids, please check out my book, Keeping Your Kids on God’s Side: 40 Conversations to Help Them Build a Lasting Faith.
If your kids are teens, take the time to read my summary of these studies and findings and then discuss (links to my blog post and book above).
Teach your kids the evidence for the truth of Christianity (I told you this would keep coming up!). How else will they know how to set aside distracting claims like this one about intelligence and answer the key question,Which worldview is an accurate picture of reality?
So, you must have caught the recurring solution that combats all of these attempts at shaming: Teach your kids theevidence for the truth of Christianity.
Consider for a moment why that in particular is the antidote for almost any shaming attempt. Shame by definition is “a painful emotion caused by a strong sense of guilt, embarrassment, unworthiness or disgrace.” In other words, the root of shame is feeling inadequate.
In order for our kids to feel (more than) adequate when they encounter shaming attempts, they need to have the deep conviction that what they believe is really true. Only then will they be able to fully see these shame claims for what they are—shallow and baseless emotional attacks—and be able to say confidently with the apostle Paul, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).
If you need help talking to your kids about the evidence for the truth of Christianity and how to address secular claims with your kids, please check out my book, Keeping Your Kids on God’s Side: 40 Conversations to Help Them Build a Lasting Faith.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Announcement from Christian Professionals Worldwide-We Need To Help Our Youth "Guard" Their Hearts!
Darrell "Coach D" Andrews, CSP
Motivational Strategist, Accountability Coach, Speaker
I have been blessed as a former youth pastor and now as a speaker to interact with hundreds of thousands of youth worldwide. I have had the privilege of engaging youth from all walks of life, races and socioeconomic situation. With all this being said, I was recently telling my wife that over the years I noticed a pattern. This pattern is deeply concerning to me. The looks in the eyes of many of our youth are getting darker and their care for others is diminishing. It seems like the influence of this world, with all of its gadgets, negative music, movement away from Godly things, and demise of family structure, is being very effective at winning the hearts of kids, Christians and non-Christians. The bible is very clear in its realization that it is our responsibility to protect our children. The scriptures are very clear on this subject:
1. Genesis 18:19 "For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.”
2. Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."
3. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 "And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."
Besides youth, I speak to parents globally. I find that many Christian parents and caretakers’ parents allow their kids to:
• Play on video games all day long
• Overly engage in social media
• Watch a plethora of TV shows that lack biblical character
• Attend secular event that promote anti-God nature
• Many others
You cannot expect good morals to come from this. The word of God tells us to “Guard our hearts with all diligence, for out of it flows the issues of life.” You can equate the heart in this scripture to the mind. It is telling us that we need to help our children “guard their minds” for if not, they will fall to the trappings sand expectations of the world. My wife and I see training our children as our responsibility, but this is not just the responsibility of parents. We all have a part to play. We as followers of Christ can be a major example and role model to our youth by:
• Sharing an encouraging word with them every opportunity we get
• Letting them know how God has been a blessing in your lives
• Listening to them instead of lecturing them
• Encouraging them to be careful of what they watch and listen to
• Helping them find activities that are healthy and spirit lifting
• Keeping their electronic gadget time at a minimum
• Upholding the scriptures in our own lives. Living for Christ and not imitating the world.
Our children need for us to stand for them. We are losing way to many of them to the world. Even today, way too many saints are straddling the fence. Some are mistaking acceptance of worldly standards and expectations with the truth of God’s word. They are unfortunately “twisting” the scriptures. We have to be diligent in upholding the truth of God’s word or it will be watered down to nothing. Many in the world want it this way. This sends a mixed message to our youth, and many others. Our kids need to see our Godly love for them and their future. If not, the future will be shaped for them by the world and this will not include God.
We will truly become a remnant in our generation if this happens.
Stand strong and be encouraged. God is for us and since he is, we know the end in beginning.
Your brother in Christ
Darrell “Coach D” Andrews
Motivational Strategist, Accountability Coach, Speaker
I have been blessed as a former youth pastor and now as a speaker to interact with hundreds of thousands of youth worldwide. I have had the privilege of engaging youth from all walks of life, races and socioeconomic situation. With all this being said, I was recently telling my wife that over the years I noticed a pattern. This pattern is deeply concerning to me. The looks in the eyes of many of our youth are getting darker and their care for others is diminishing. It seems like the influence of this world, with all of its gadgets, negative music, movement away from Godly things, and demise of family structure, is being very effective at winning the hearts of kids, Christians and non-Christians. The bible is very clear in its realization that it is our responsibility to protect our children. The scriptures are very clear on this subject:
1. Genesis 18:19 "For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.”
2. Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."
3. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 "And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."
Besides youth, I speak to parents globally. I find that many Christian parents and caretakers’ parents allow their kids to:
• Play on video games all day long
• Overly engage in social media
• Watch a plethora of TV shows that lack biblical character
• Attend secular event that promote anti-God nature
• Many others
You cannot expect good morals to come from this. The word of God tells us to “Guard our hearts with all diligence, for out of it flows the issues of life.” You can equate the heart in this scripture to the mind. It is telling us that we need to help our children “guard their minds” for if not, they will fall to the trappings sand expectations of the world. My wife and I see training our children as our responsibility, but this is not just the responsibility of parents. We all have a part to play. We as followers of Christ can be a major example and role model to our youth by:
• Sharing an encouraging word with them every opportunity we get
• Letting them know how God has been a blessing in your lives
• Listening to them instead of lecturing them
• Encouraging them to be careful of what they watch and listen to
• Helping them find activities that are healthy and spirit lifting
• Keeping their electronic gadget time at a minimum
• Upholding the scriptures in our own lives. Living for Christ and not imitating the world.
Our children need for us to stand for them. We are losing way to many of them to the world. Even today, way too many saints are straddling the fence. Some are mistaking acceptance of worldly standards and expectations with the truth of God’s word. They are unfortunately “twisting” the scriptures. We have to be diligent in upholding the truth of God’s word or it will be watered down to nothing. Many in the world want it this way. This sends a mixed message to our youth, and many others. Our kids need to see our Godly love for them and their future. If not, the future will be shaped for them by the world and this will not include God.
We will truly become a remnant in our generation if this happens.
Stand strong and be encouraged. God is for us and since he is, we know the end in beginning.
Your brother in Christ
Darrell “Coach D” Andrews
Saturday, September 20, 2014
65 Apologetics Questions Every Christian Parent Needs to Learn to Answer - Natasha Crain
http://christianmomthoughts.com/65-apologetics-questions-every-christian-parent-needs-to-learn-to-answer/
December 11, 2013 By Natasha Crain - 55 Comments
Updated Note (4/14): Due to the popularity of this post and questions I’ve received, I wanted to clarify that I am answering each of these questions on my blog this year. As I add posts that answer the questions, I’ll hyperlink the questions below to those answers. If you want to be sure to see each post, please sign up to receive my blog via email (see bottom of the post or the right sidebar). I’m aiming to write every other post this year as an answer to one of these questions. The other posts will continue to be about topics relevant to intentional Christian parenting. Thanks for reading!
In prior posts, I’ve talked about why parents have to care about apologetics (the reasoned defense of Christianity) and I’ve shared resources for getting started with apologetics. I realize, however, that it can seem pretty ambiguous to have a goal of “learning apologetics.” We need to know the specific questions we most need to study and discuss with our kids; the ones that non-believers most frequently challenge Christians on and the ones that most frequently turn young adults away from faith after spending 18 years in church.
That’s the purpose of this post.
I want to give you a very specific list of 65 apologetics questions every Christian parent needs to learn to answer and discuss with their kids (in age appropriate ways). Of course, any such list is subjective. I created this list based on my own study and experience with engaging in these topics, with a special emphasis on the issues challenging young adults today.
You may not think I’ve narrowed it down much by giving you 65, but there are hundreds of questions that could have been listed! In case this looks overwhelming, I’ve highlighted in red my “top 20.” Start with those if you’re new to these topics.
I encourage you to take some time and challenge yourself here. Read each question and give yourself a “point” for each one you feel you could thoroughly answer. What would your score be if you had to answer these questions today?
Questions About the Existence and Nature of God
1. What key arguments are there for (and against) God’s existence?
2. What are the practical implications of an atheistic worldview?
3. Why would a good God allow evil to exist?
4. Why would a good God allow suffering to exist?
5. Why would God command the death of so many people in the Bible (e.g., the Canaanites)?
6. How can a loving God send people to hell?
7. Why does God remain so “hidden?”
8. Why does the “Old Testament God” seem different than the “New Testament God?”
9. Why would God need people to worship Him (isn’t that egotistical and arrogant)?
Questions About Truth and Worldviews
10. What is the difference between absolute and relative truth?
11. How can it be reasonable for Christians to claim knowledge of an objective truth?
12. What is the role and danger of using “common sense” in evaluating truth claims?
13. Isn’t hell an unreasonable punishment for not believing in a specific set of truth claims?
14. How can Christians think their personal religious experiences with God are any more “true” than those of adherents to other belief systems?
15. Do all religions ultimately point to the same God? Why or why not?
16. What are key similarities and differences between the world’s major religions (e.g., Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism)?
17. Is Christianity a less intelligent worldview than atheism? Why or why not?
Questions About Jesus
18. What extra-biblical evidence is there that Jesus existed (as a historical person)?
19. What major Old Testament prophecies did Jesus fulfill?
20. Was Jesus wrong about the timing of his second coming? Why or why not?
21. What are the key passages in the Bible that show Jesus claimed to be God?
22. What does the Bible say about the exclusivity of Jesus with regard to salvation?
23. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross for our sins to be forgiven (couldn’t God have just pardoned sins without a gruesome death involved)?
24. What are the four minimal facts of the resurrection that are “so strongly attested historically that they are granted by nearly every scholar who studies the subject, even the rather skeptical ones?”
25. What are the main theories non-believers have about the resurrection (e.g., unknown tomb, wrong tomb, disciples stole the body, authorities hid the body, etc.)?
26. Why do Christians believe a supernatural (bodily) resurrection explains the minimal facts better than all the other theories?
27. Why does it matter whether or not Jesus was resurrected (and that the resurrection wasn’t simply a metaphor)?
Questions About the Bible
28. Who selected what books are in the Bible?
29. How were the books of the Bible selected?
30. Why were some “books” we know about today (e.g., the Gospel of Thomas) left out of the Bible?
31. How can we know that the Bible we have today is a reliable record of the original writings?
32. What major “contradictions” exist in the Bible (and what are the explanations)?
33. Does the Bible support slavery? Why or why not? (Don’t laugh at this and the next two questions…these come up constantly in discussion with atheists.)
34. Does the Bible support rape? Why or why not?
35. Does the Bible support human sacrifice? Why or why not?
36. What does the Bible say about homosexuality?
37. How do Christians determine what parts of the Bible are prescriptive and which are descriptive?
Science and Christianity
Young Earth Creationism
38. What is Young Earth Creationism (YEC)?
39. What are key pieces of scriptural support for the YEC interpretation of creation in six 24-hour days?
40. How do YECs determine that the earth is 6,000-10,000 years old?
Evidence for an Old Earth (i.e., billions of years old)
41. What areas of science have implications for the age of the earth?
42. What are major methods scientists use to estimate the age of the earth, and what is their consensus on the estimate?
43. What is the relationship between belief in a global flood and the age of the earth?
Old Earth Creationism
44. What is “Old Earth Creationism (OEC)?”
45. What are the major reasons OECs reject the YEC interpretation of creation?
46. What are the key pieces of scriptural support for the OEC interpretation?
Intelligent Design
47. What is Intelligent Design?
48. Why do Intelligent Design proponents consider it a scientific theory and not a religious one?
49. What are the major reasons Intelligent Design proponents reject evolution as a sufficient explanation for the existence of life?
50. What does it mean that the universe appears to be “finely tuned?”
Evolution
51. What is evolution (from a purely scientific perspective)?
52. What are the key pieces of evidence for evolution?
53. What are the key questions evolution has not answered?
54. What do people mean when they talk about “macroevolution” versus “microevolution”?
55. Why do evolutionists reject the theory of intelligent design?
56. What are the theological implications for an acceptance of evolution?
57. What are the theological implications specifically for Adam and Eve not being literal, historical people?
Other Science and Christianity Questions
58. Why would Jesus-loving, Bible-believing Christians differ on their view of origins?
59. How can Christians believe miracles are possible, given what we know about science (e.g., the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection)?
Other Important (and Common) Questions
60. What does it mean (biblically) to have faith, and how is that different than the popular definition of faith?
61. If Christianity is true, why are there so many Christians whose lives look no different than those of non-believers (aren’t many Christians hypocrites)?
62. Why are there so many denominations (and does the fact of many denominations invalidate the truth of Christianity)?
63. Is Christianity “responsible” for millions of deaths throughout history? Why or why not, and what implications does the answer have for the evaluation of Christian truth claims?
64. What happens to people who have never heard the Gospel?
65. Why don’t miracles happen as frequently today as they did in the Bible?
You needed something to work on in 2014, right? I know I have my work cut out for me! I’ll be blogging about these topics over time, with my usual emphasis on delivering the message to our kids. Want to be sure to see each post? Sign up for my email list below!
Does anyone want to share their “score?” :) Are there questions that stand out to you which aren’t on my list? Please add them below!
December 11, 2013 By Natasha Crain - 55 Comments
Updated Note (4/14): Due to the popularity of this post and questions I’ve received, I wanted to clarify that I am answering each of these questions on my blog this year. As I add posts that answer the questions, I’ll hyperlink the questions below to those answers. If you want to be sure to see each post, please sign up to receive my blog via email (see bottom of the post or the right sidebar). I’m aiming to write every other post this year as an answer to one of these questions. The other posts will continue to be about topics relevant to intentional Christian parenting. Thanks for reading!
In prior posts, I’ve talked about why parents have to care about apologetics (the reasoned defense of Christianity) and I’ve shared resources for getting started with apologetics. I realize, however, that it can seem pretty ambiguous to have a goal of “learning apologetics.” We need to know the specific questions we most need to study and discuss with our kids; the ones that non-believers most frequently challenge Christians on and the ones that most frequently turn young adults away from faith after spending 18 years in church.
That’s the purpose of this post.
I want to give you a very specific list of 65 apologetics questions every Christian parent needs to learn to answer and discuss with their kids (in age appropriate ways). Of course, any such list is subjective. I created this list based on my own study and experience with engaging in these topics, with a special emphasis on the issues challenging young adults today.
You may not think I’ve narrowed it down much by giving you 65, but there are hundreds of questions that could have been listed! In case this looks overwhelming, I’ve highlighted in red my “top 20.” Start with those if you’re new to these topics.
I encourage you to take some time and challenge yourself here. Read each question and give yourself a “point” for each one you feel you could thoroughly answer. What would your score be if you had to answer these questions today?
Questions About the Existence and Nature of God
1. What key arguments are there for (and against) God’s existence?
2. What are the practical implications of an atheistic worldview?
3. Why would a good God allow evil to exist?
4. Why would a good God allow suffering to exist?
5. Why would God command the death of so many people in the Bible (e.g., the Canaanites)?
6. How can a loving God send people to hell?
7. Why does God remain so “hidden?”
8. Why does the “Old Testament God” seem different than the “New Testament God?”
9. Why would God need people to worship Him (isn’t that egotistical and arrogant)?
Questions About Truth and Worldviews
10. What is the difference between absolute and relative truth?
11. How can it be reasonable for Christians to claim knowledge of an objective truth?
12. What is the role and danger of using “common sense” in evaluating truth claims?
13. Isn’t hell an unreasonable punishment for not believing in a specific set of truth claims?
14. How can Christians think their personal religious experiences with God are any more “true” than those of adherents to other belief systems?
15. Do all religions ultimately point to the same God? Why or why not?
16. What are key similarities and differences between the world’s major religions (e.g., Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism)?
17. Is Christianity a less intelligent worldview than atheism? Why or why not?
Questions About Jesus
18. What extra-biblical evidence is there that Jesus existed (as a historical person)?
19. What major Old Testament prophecies did Jesus fulfill?
20. Was Jesus wrong about the timing of his second coming? Why or why not?
21. What are the key passages in the Bible that show Jesus claimed to be God?
22. What does the Bible say about the exclusivity of Jesus with regard to salvation?
23. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross for our sins to be forgiven (couldn’t God have just pardoned sins without a gruesome death involved)?
24. What are the four minimal facts of the resurrection that are “so strongly attested historically that they are granted by nearly every scholar who studies the subject, even the rather skeptical ones?”
25. What are the main theories non-believers have about the resurrection (e.g., unknown tomb, wrong tomb, disciples stole the body, authorities hid the body, etc.)?
26. Why do Christians believe a supernatural (bodily) resurrection explains the minimal facts better than all the other theories?
27. Why does it matter whether or not Jesus was resurrected (and that the resurrection wasn’t simply a metaphor)?
Questions About the Bible
28. Who selected what books are in the Bible?
29. How were the books of the Bible selected?
30. Why were some “books” we know about today (e.g., the Gospel of Thomas) left out of the Bible?
31. How can we know that the Bible we have today is a reliable record of the original writings?
32. What major “contradictions” exist in the Bible (and what are the explanations)?
33. Does the Bible support slavery? Why or why not? (Don’t laugh at this and the next two questions…these come up constantly in discussion with atheists.)
34. Does the Bible support rape? Why or why not?
35. Does the Bible support human sacrifice? Why or why not?
36. What does the Bible say about homosexuality?
37. How do Christians determine what parts of the Bible are prescriptive and which are descriptive?
Science and Christianity
Young Earth Creationism
38. What is Young Earth Creationism (YEC)?
39. What are key pieces of scriptural support for the YEC interpretation of creation in six 24-hour days?
40. How do YECs determine that the earth is 6,000-10,000 years old?
Evidence for an Old Earth (i.e., billions of years old)
41. What areas of science have implications for the age of the earth?
42. What are major methods scientists use to estimate the age of the earth, and what is their consensus on the estimate?
43. What is the relationship between belief in a global flood and the age of the earth?
Old Earth Creationism
44. What is “Old Earth Creationism (OEC)?”
45. What are the major reasons OECs reject the YEC interpretation of creation?
46. What are the key pieces of scriptural support for the OEC interpretation?
Intelligent Design
47. What is Intelligent Design?
48. Why do Intelligent Design proponents consider it a scientific theory and not a religious one?
49. What are the major reasons Intelligent Design proponents reject evolution as a sufficient explanation for the existence of life?
50. What does it mean that the universe appears to be “finely tuned?”
Evolution
51. What is evolution (from a purely scientific perspective)?
52. What are the key pieces of evidence for evolution?
53. What are the key questions evolution has not answered?
54. What do people mean when they talk about “macroevolution” versus “microevolution”?
55. Why do evolutionists reject the theory of intelligent design?
56. What are the theological implications for an acceptance of evolution?
57. What are the theological implications specifically for Adam and Eve not being literal, historical people?
Other Science and Christianity Questions
58. Why would Jesus-loving, Bible-believing Christians differ on their view of origins?
59. How can Christians believe miracles are possible, given what we know about science (e.g., the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection)?
Other Important (and Common) Questions
60. What does it mean (biblically) to have faith, and how is that different than the popular definition of faith?
61. If Christianity is true, why are there so many Christians whose lives look no different than those of non-believers (aren’t many Christians hypocrites)?
62. Why are there so many denominations (and does the fact of many denominations invalidate the truth of Christianity)?
63. Is Christianity “responsible” for millions of deaths throughout history? Why or why not, and what implications does the answer have for the evaluation of Christian truth claims?
64. What happens to people who have never heard the Gospel?
65. Why don’t miracles happen as frequently today as they did in the Bible?
You needed something to work on in 2014, right? I know I have my work cut out for me! I’ll be blogging about these topics over time, with my usual emphasis on delivering the message to our kids. Want to be sure to see each post? Sign up for my email list below!
Does anyone want to share their “score?” :) Are there questions that stand out to you which aren’t on my list? Please add them below!
Monday, September 15, 2014
About Me by Natasha Crain
http://christianmomthoughts.com/about/
Welcome to my blog!
Here’s a little about me: My name is Natasha and I’ve been married 14 years to my husband, Bryan. We have three children: Kenna and Nathan, twins age 5, and Alexa, age 3. Bryan and I met while we were both undergraduates at the University of Southern California. While in college, Bryan co-founded a company which he and his partner run to this day. I went into a career in business consulting and then corporate marketing, and got an MBA in marketing and statistics from UCLA. I currently work part time as the Vice President of Marketing for a media company.
Things I love: Genealogy, cooking, Disneyland, holidays, setting goals, traveling, reading non-fiction, USC Trojan football, learning new things, history, backpacking, camping and hiking
Things I don’t love: Elevators, having to be patient (for anything) and people drinking water loudly (really, it drives me crazy!)
…But you’re probably more interested in my faith background given the nature of this blog, so let me tell you about my spiritual journey.
I was raised as a Christian in a non-denominational protestant church. The application of my faith outside of church, however, was limited. My family didn’t pray together, have conversations about faith, study the Bible together, find ways to serve together, or worship at home together. By the time I left for college, I was more of a general believer in God than a Christ-follower whose life had been changed. Christianity was really just a belief system for me, rather than an applied way of life.
In college I rarely went to church. Fortunately, it did remain important to me to marry a Christian, and I fell in love with my (Christian) husband Bryan, who was spiritually in a very similar place at the time. After we married, we attended various churches that were theologically very liberal. I recall one Easter sermon where the pastor explained why it isn’t important whether or not Jesus rose from the dead; what is important is following his teachings and doing good works. I wasn’t a very grounded Christian at that point, but the warning bells started going off in my head.
If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, he isn’t who he said he was. That would make him nothing more than a human with just another life philosophy to take or leave. Why would it even matter if I decided to be a “Christian?”
I realized at that point that I had to either accept the resurrection as evidence that Jesus was indeed God – and live all for Christ – or abandon Jesus as nothing more than a teacher of nice things. The problem was that I didn’t know where to begin with making that decision. I had so many questions and doubts. I didn’t know how they could ever be resolved enough to commit my life one way or another.
Everything changed for us when we started attending a large evangelical Christian church teaching biblically-sound theology. I started to understand that believing in what the Bible actually says doesn’t require the intellectual leap that had been hinted at by our past churches.
With a new passion for discovering God’s Word, I started digging in deep. When I had questions, I read other biblical references and many external sources. (I have read thousands of pages on archaeology and ancient Near Eastern thought. Oh, yes. I have.) Many questions were answered and many more were opened. More importantly, I could see that there would never be a point where all questions would be perfectly answered. And most importantly, that made me no less of a Christian; all Christians, all atheists, and everyone in between has questions (if they are honest with themselves). For the first time, I gained a conviction of the truth of Christianity while coming to peace with the questions I still had. And for the first time, that allowed me to step beyond a “Sunday faith” and put Christ at the center of my daily life.
Becoming a committed Christian did not come naturally to me. I certainly wasn’t born with the gift of faith! It’s been a process, and that process is ongoing.
I do hope it will come more naturally to my kids. Quite honestly, I find it shocking that the gulf between Christian theology and applied Christian living can be so huge and yet so not obvious to someone who was raised in church. I pray that I am the hand that pulls my children across the gulf it took me so long to cross. It’s my passion now to raise my kids in a Christ-centered home. I started this blog to help others do so as well.
Welcome to my blog!
What Christian Parents Need to Know About New Age and Occult Beliefs
http://christianmomthoughts.com/what-christian-parents-need-to-know-about-new-age-and-occult-beliefs/
May 5, 2014 By Natasha Crain - 24 Comments
Today I’m excited to share an interview with Marcia Montenegro!
Marcia was involved for many years in Eastern and New Age beliefs, and was a licensed professional astrologer. She became a Christian in 1990 and today has a ministry called Christian Answers for the New Age. Her ministry exists to 1) educate Christians about the New Age and occult so they can be more discerning and equipped to witness, and 2) reach people in the New Age and the occult with the love and truth of the Gospel. Marcia has a Masters in Religion from Southern Evangelical Seminary and is a missionary with Fellowship International Mission. She has spoken in 30 states, is a frequent radio guest, and has published articles in several Christian publications. She is the mother of an adult son, and is the author of SpellBound: The Paranormal Seduction of Today’s Kids.
I had the opportunity to ask Marcia several questions on what Christian parents need to know about New Age and occult beliefs. This is an area I personally knew very little about before doing this interview. I learned a lot, and I know you will too! As Marcia explains, your kids are probably exposed to these beliefs more than you realize.
1. Marcia, can you start by telling us a little about your own journey from being a professional astrologer to becoming a Christian?
I was deeply involved in the New Age and followed Eastern spiritual teachings (Hindu, Buddhist, and Taoist) for many years. I also practiced and taught astrology. I was very hostile to what I viewed as narrow-minded Christianity. In the year I ended my term as President of the Astrological Society in Atlanta, I suddenly experienced a compulsion to go to church. This led me to attend a (very open-minded) church several months later, where I amazingly experienced the feeling of God’s love pouring down on me (from a personal God I didn’t even believe in!). I then gave up astrology. I eventually encountered and began trusting in Jesus while reading the Gospel of Matthew. All of this took place over just 8 or 9 months!
2. Can you help parents understand exactly what “New Age” means, and why New Age ideas are so appealing to young people?
The term “New Age” covers a broad ground and can be difficult to define. The New Age itself doesn’t even use the term “New Age!” The more popular term is “spirituality” – someone forming their own spiritual path. That type of path is usually New Age or partly New Age.
But here is how I define New Age: It is a network of beliefs whose roots areGnostic, Eastern, and New Thought.
The Gnostic part values spiritual above the material/physical; the material is merely a manifestation of the spiritual, so everything is spiritual. In New Age views, the body is a manifestation of the spiritual state.
The Eastern beliefs of Taoism, Hinduism, and Buddhism contribute several ideas to the New Age: principles of reincarnation, an impersonal source that we all come from and go back to, the view that this world is not ultimately real, the claim that there are no absolutes (all spirituality is subjective), and the need for Eastern-based meditation to achieve spiritual understanding or awakening.
Finally, the New Age draws heavily from New Thought, which includes the belief that Jesus came to correct wrong thinking and model how to achieve Christ Consciousness, the awareness of our innate divinity. New Thought also teaches that one’s thoughts and words can bring one’s desires into reality via certain techniques. The bestselling book, The Secret, is a classic example of New Thought. New Thought claims to be Christian and often sounds like it. It is very deceptive.
You can find people in the New Age anywhere along this spectrum from Gnostic to Eastern to New Thought, as well as many who combine these beliefs. Additionally, the New Age adopts some occult views and practices (see my response to the next question.)
The New Age can appeal to young people for several reasons. One is because it is very different from the Judeo-Christian worldview, which makes it intriguing. Another is that it seems to offer ancient wisdom, since Eastern and pagan beliefs were established before Christianity. Some areas of the New Age emphasize the power or divinity of the female, and draw women in that way.
One of the chief appeals is that the New Age is experiential in nature, so what a person experiences and feels is highly valued over objective truth. This allows you to have a customized spirituality, which is especially appealing to young people.
3. Could you also define the occult and explain how occult ideas relate to New Age ideas?
The occult is a set of practices based on Deuteronomy 18:10-12, where God lists and denounces all of them. They are divination (often called fortunetelling),spirit contact, and sorcery.
Divination is the practice of gaining information by reading hidden meanings in nature or patterns (for example, astrology, tarot cards, numerology or palm reading) or via supernatural means (for example, psychic powers).
Spirit contact is seeking information or guidance from disembodied beings, who are believed to be ghosts (dead people), aliens, ascended masters, angels or deities from non-Christian religions.
Sorcery (today usually called ritual or ceremonial magic) involves using the will to bring about a desired end through incantations, rituals, magical tools, contact with spirit beings, and/or the manipulation of powers or energies.
Although many New Agers use occult practices or consult those in the occult, the New Age and occult worldviews differ. The New Age is transcendent and future-oriented; the person is always seen as evolving toward a goal, learning lessons, and eventually being liberated from this life and reality.
The occult is more here-and-now oriented, is more pragmatic in nature, and focuses on the practical use of one’s energy and/or nature’s energy to manifest happiness and results.
As a general disclaimer, New Agers and occultists disagree amongst themselves on their beliefs, and certainly some would likely disagree with my descriptions as well.
4. In your experience, what are the dangers of kids getting interested in these ideas?
My two main concerns are desensitization and glamorization. I believe that the massive amounts of books, TV shows, and movies that promote occultism and heroes/heroines who have occult powers have desensitized the culture as a whole. No longer is it seen as a bad thing for a child to pretend to cast spells, for example; now that is viewed almost endearingly. It is easy to become desensitized to the fact that these activities are evil.
Ultimately, being desensitized can lead to acceptance of New Age or occult beliefs, which in turn can lead to disinterest in or rejection of what God has to say about false beliefs. That acceptance can lead to active participation in New Age or occult practices.
5. Most parents probably aren’t aware of how New Age or occult ideas might touch their kids. Can you give us examples of where kids might encounter New Age or occult ideas in popular culture today?
One of the most popular ways is the Ouija Board, made by Parker Brothers and sold in toy stores. It was originally designed by a Spiritualist as a tool for contacting the dead. The dead cannot respond to us, but fallen angels can and do. They don’t care if you are using the Board as a game. A well-known series of books, the Seth series, came about from the author’s initial contact with an entity calling itself Seth via the Ouija Board. Seth eventually began to speak directly through the author, Jane Roberts, while she was in a deep trance state, and these messages formed the book series (the first one influenced me deeply as a New Ager). There are other cases of people who channeled teachings after using a Ouija Board. It’s not simply a game.
Probably the biggest purveyor of occult concepts is the media: television, video games, and movies which emphasize stories where the hero or heroine wields supernatural powers. Some of these abilities are harmless fantasy (e.g., X-ray vision), while others involve casting spells, using psychic powers, or even contacting spirits. It is common for books and movies to mix fantasy with the occult, further confusing the problem.
Parents often want a list of media to avoid, but it is impossible to maintain such a list. Ideally, parents need to understand Deuteronomy 18:10-12 so they can recognize occult ideas and teach their children to be discerning.
I offer parents a resource for this in my book, SpellBound: The Paranormal Seduction of Today’s Kids (2006), which is now on Kindle and is an e-book on sites such as Barnes & Noble and Christianbook.com. This is a guide for parents (and others) that offers suggestions on how to talk to children about these areas and how to answer objections.
6. What do you feel is the best way to handle New Age/occult exposure with your kids? What should parents say?
My concern is not so much that a TV program or book contains New Age/occult ideas as it is that a program or book glamorizes or promotes them.
A lot depends on the age and maturity of the child. I would say that kids under age 12 should have no exposure to books or media that promote occult ideas, no matter how mildly. At this age, children don’t yet have critical thinking skills and they emotionally identify with the heroes.
For early teens, be very selective and discuss any questionable material that pops up. I would completely avoid books or programs that have a focus on occult themes or have heroes who blatantly practice occultism.
For older teens, there is less control, of course, but if you discover they are reading or have watched something that promotes occult or New Age ideas, have a discussion with them. Ask them what they think of it, show them Scripture, and help them understand it is a fallen world that is under the sway of the evil one (1 John 5:19). Evil things will be accepted and even admired by the world, but that doesn’t make them harmless.
In my book for parents on the occult, I give suggestions at the end of each chapter on how to talk to your children about that chapter’s particular topic.
7. If there are parents reading this whose kids are already involved somehow in New Age/occult ideas, what resources do you recommend to help them?
I have articles on the occult on my website atwww.christiananswersforthenewage.org. Also, aside from my book, there is Jeff Harshbarger’s From Darkness to Light: How to Rescue Someone You Love From the Occult.
For older teens and parents, a resource explaining biblical miracles versus occult paranormal activities is Norman Geisler’s book, Signs and Wonders: Healings, Miracles, and Unusual Events: Which Are Real? Which Are Supernormal? Which Are Counterfeit?
If your child is getting interested or involved in the occult, it is imperative to have a talk with him or her. Don’t postpone it or hope it goes away. At the same time, don’t show fear of it. Ask questions, use Scripture to show why these areas should be avoided, and make it clear you will not allow occult materials in the home. Be low-key about it, but firm. It is your home and your responsibility to guide your child in the wisdom of the Lord.
May 5, 2014 By Natasha Crain - 24 Comments
Today I’m excited to share an interview with Marcia Montenegro!
Marcia was involved for many years in Eastern and New Age beliefs, and was a licensed professional astrologer. She became a Christian in 1990 and today has a ministry called Christian Answers for the New Age. Her ministry exists to 1) educate Christians about the New Age and occult so they can be more discerning and equipped to witness, and 2) reach people in the New Age and the occult with the love and truth of the Gospel. Marcia has a Masters in Religion from Southern Evangelical Seminary and is a missionary with Fellowship International Mission. She has spoken in 30 states, is a frequent radio guest, and has published articles in several Christian publications. She is the mother of an adult son, and is the author of SpellBound: The Paranormal Seduction of Today’s Kids.
I had the opportunity to ask Marcia several questions on what Christian parents need to know about New Age and occult beliefs. This is an area I personally knew very little about before doing this interview. I learned a lot, and I know you will too! As Marcia explains, your kids are probably exposed to these beliefs more than you realize.
1. Marcia, can you start by telling us a little about your own journey from being a professional astrologer to becoming a Christian?
I was deeply involved in the New Age and followed Eastern spiritual teachings (Hindu, Buddhist, and Taoist) for many years. I also practiced and taught astrology. I was very hostile to what I viewed as narrow-minded Christianity. In the year I ended my term as President of the Astrological Society in Atlanta, I suddenly experienced a compulsion to go to church. This led me to attend a (very open-minded) church several months later, where I amazingly experienced the feeling of God’s love pouring down on me (from a personal God I didn’t even believe in!). I then gave up astrology. I eventually encountered and began trusting in Jesus while reading the Gospel of Matthew. All of this took place over just 8 or 9 months!
2. Can you help parents understand exactly what “New Age” means, and why New Age ideas are so appealing to young people?
The term “New Age” covers a broad ground and can be difficult to define. The New Age itself doesn’t even use the term “New Age!” The more popular term is “spirituality” – someone forming their own spiritual path. That type of path is usually New Age or partly New Age.
But here is how I define New Age: It is a network of beliefs whose roots areGnostic, Eastern, and New Thought.
The Gnostic part values spiritual above the material/physical; the material is merely a manifestation of the spiritual, so everything is spiritual. In New Age views, the body is a manifestation of the spiritual state.
The Eastern beliefs of Taoism, Hinduism, and Buddhism contribute several ideas to the New Age: principles of reincarnation, an impersonal source that we all come from and go back to, the view that this world is not ultimately real, the claim that there are no absolutes (all spirituality is subjective), and the need for Eastern-based meditation to achieve spiritual understanding or awakening.
Finally, the New Age draws heavily from New Thought, which includes the belief that Jesus came to correct wrong thinking and model how to achieve Christ Consciousness, the awareness of our innate divinity. New Thought also teaches that one’s thoughts and words can bring one’s desires into reality via certain techniques. The bestselling book, The Secret, is a classic example of New Thought. New Thought claims to be Christian and often sounds like it. It is very deceptive.
You can find people in the New Age anywhere along this spectrum from Gnostic to Eastern to New Thought, as well as many who combine these beliefs. Additionally, the New Age adopts some occult views and practices (see my response to the next question.)
The New Age can appeal to young people for several reasons. One is because it is very different from the Judeo-Christian worldview, which makes it intriguing. Another is that it seems to offer ancient wisdom, since Eastern and pagan beliefs were established before Christianity. Some areas of the New Age emphasize the power or divinity of the female, and draw women in that way.
One of the chief appeals is that the New Age is experiential in nature, so what a person experiences and feels is highly valued over objective truth. This allows you to have a customized spirituality, which is especially appealing to young people.
3. Could you also define the occult and explain how occult ideas relate to New Age ideas?
The occult is a set of practices based on Deuteronomy 18:10-12, where God lists and denounces all of them. They are divination (often called fortunetelling),spirit contact, and sorcery.
Divination is the practice of gaining information by reading hidden meanings in nature or patterns (for example, astrology, tarot cards, numerology or palm reading) or via supernatural means (for example, psychic powers).
Spirit contact is seeking information or guidance from disembodied beings, who are believed to be ghosts (dead people), aliens, ascended masters, angels or deities from non-Christian religions.
Sorcery (today usually called ritual or ceremonial magic) involves using the will to bring about a desired end through incantations, rituals, magical tools, contact with spirit beings, and/or the manipulation of powers or energies.
Although many New Agers use occult practices or consult those in the occult, the New Age and occult worldviews differ. The New Age is transcendent and future-oriented; the person is always seen as evolving toward a goal, learning lessons, and eventually being liberated from this life and reality.
The occult is more here-and-now oriented, is more pragmatic in nature, and focuses on the practical use of one’s energy and/or nature’s energy to manifest happiness and results.
As a general disclaimer, New Agers and occultists disagree amongst themselves on their beliefs, and certainly some would likely disagree with my descriptions as well.
4. In your experience, what are the dangers of kids getting interested in these ideas?
My two main concerns are desensitization and glamorization. I believe that the massive amounts of books, TV shows, and movies that promote occultism and heroes/heroines who have occult powers have desensitized the culture as a whole. No longer is it seen as a bad thing for a child to pretend to cast spells, for example; now that is viewed almost endearingly. It is easy to become desensitized to the fact that these activities are evil.
Ultimately, being desensitized can lead to acceptance of New Age or occult beliefs, which in turn can lead to disinterest in or rejection of what God has to say about false beliefs. That acceptance can lead to active participation in New Age or occult practices.
5. Most parents probably aren’t aware of how New Age or occult ideas might touch their kids. Can you give us examples of where kids might encounter New Age or occult ideas in popular culture today?
One of the most popular ways is the Ouija Board, made by Parker Brothers and sold in toy stores. It was originally designed by a Spiritualist as a tool for contacting the dead. The dead cannot respond to us, but fallen angels can and do. They don’t care if you are using the Board as a game. A well-known series of books, the Seth series, came about from the author’s initial contact with an entity calling itself Seth via the Ouija Board. Seth eventually began to speak directly through the author, Jane Roberts, while she was in a deep trance state, and these messages formed the book series (the first one influenced me deeply as a New Ager). There are other cases of people who channeled teachings after using a Ouija Board. It’s not simply a game.
Probably the biggest purveyor of occult concepts is the media: television, video games, and movies which emphasize stories where the hero or heroine wields supernatural powers. Some of these abilities are harmless fantasy (e.g., X-ray vision), while others involve casting spells, using psychic powers, or even contacting spirits. It is common for books and movies to mix fantasy with the occult, further confusing the problem.
Parents often want a list of media to avoid, but it is impossible to maintain such a list. Ideally, parents need to understand Deuteronomy 18:10-12 so they can recognize occult ideas and teach their children to be discerning.
I offer parents a resource for this in my book, SpellBound: The Paranormal Seduction of Today’s Kids (2006), which is now on Kindle and is an e-book on sites such as Barnes & Noble and Christianbook.com. This is a guide for parents (and others) that offers suggestions on how to talk to children about these areas and how to answer objections.
6. What do you feel is the best way to handle New Age/occult exposure with your kids? What should parents say?
My concern is not so much that a TV program or book contains New Age/occult ideas as it is that a program or book glamorizes or promotes them.
A lot depends on the age and maturity of the child. I would say that kids under age 12 should have no exposure to books or media that promote occult ideas, no matter how mildly. At this age, children don’t yet have critical thinking skills and they emotionally identify with the heroes.
For early teens, be very selective and discuss any questionable material that pops up. I would completely avoid books or programs that have a focus on occult themes or have heroes who blatantly practice occultism.
For older teens, there is less control, of course, but if you discover they are reading or have watched something that promotes occult or New Age ideas, have a discussion with them. Ask them what they think of it, show them Scripture, and help them understand it is a fallen world that is under the sway of the evil one (1 John 5:19). Evil things will be accepted and even admired by the world, but that doesn’t make them harmless.
In my book for parents on the occult, I give suggestions at the end of each chapter on how to talk to your children about that chapter’s particular topic.
7. If there are parents reading this whose kids are already involved somehow in New Age/occult ideas, what resources do you recommend to help them?
I have articles on the occult on my website atwww.christiananswersforthenewage.org. Also, aside from my book, there is Jeff Harshbarger’s From Darkness to Light: How to Rescue Someone You Love From the Occult.
For older teens and parents, a resource explaining biblical miracles versus occult paranormal activities is Norman Geisler’s book, Signs and Wonders: Healings, Miracles, and Unusual Events: Which Are Real? Which Are Supernormal? Which Are Counterfeit?
If your child is getting interested or involved in the occult, it is imperative to have a talk with him or her. Don’t postpone it or hope it goes away. At the same time, don’t show fear of it. Ask questions, use Scripture to show why these areas should be avoided, and make it clear you will not allow occult materials in the home. Be low-key about it, but firm. It is your home and your responsibility to guide your child in the wisdom of the Lord.
