Lord, Have Mercy...

Cross-posted from The Dawn Patrol:

Louisiananian James T. Freeman III:

From an emergency notice put on WWL-TV's Web site, which mirrors a bulletin they just had on TV (I'm watching online):

****ALL RESIDENTS ON THE EAST BANK OF ORLEANS AND JEFFERSON REMAINING IN THE METRO AREA ARE BEING TOLD TO EVACUATE AS EFFORTS TO SANDBAG THE LEVEE BREAK HAVE ENDED. THE PUMPS IN THAT AREA ARE EXPECTED TO FAIL SOON AND 9 FEET OF WATER IS EXPECTED IN THE ENTIRE EAST BANK. WITHIN THE NEXT 12-15 HOURS****

As all of us native Louisianians know, the "entire East bank" constitutes all of New Orleans, Metairie, etc.

The question of New Orleans' survival as a city was in some question an hour ago. Now, I think the question may have been answered. New Orleans will not be habitable for a very long time, and then only after the expenditure of unfathomable treasure.

May God have mercy. Lord have mercy. I am out of words for prayer other than that. Lord have mercy.

I think I am going to go cry now.

Please do not fail to pray for the victims and their families. Prayer is the most powerful donation you can make.

Tolerance: A Christian Virtue

After reading the above title, I would expect many Christians to cringe, and most liberals to scoff. Evangelicals will proceed to scold me, saying that tolerance is a distinctly relativistic concept. Liberals will then ridicule me, saying that Christianity is the most bigoted of worldviews. Yet I persist. While the liberal may tell you that the modern principle of tolerance is unchaged from that of the classical view, nothing could be further from the truth. The classical principle of tolerance is a distinctly Christian virtue, very different from the twisted definition given to the word today.

According to the classical principle of tolerance, a person holds that his moral view are true and that his opponent's are false. This person has a duty to tolerate a different moral view, not by thinking it to be equally valid or morally correct, but rather by continuing to value and respect his opponent. Strictly speaking, the classical view dicates that one tolerate persons, not their ideas. We do not persecute those with differing views, but we can denounce and combat their beliefs. As philosophy professors J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig point out:

"In [the classic view of tolerance], even though someone disapproves of another's moral beliefs and practices, he or she will not inappropriately interfere with them. However, it is consistent with this view that a person judges his opponent's view to be wrong and dedicates himself to do everything morally appropriate to counteract those views, such as using argument and persuasion."

This duty to counteract opposing viewpoints stems from the Christian belief in ultimate justice. Though we should tolerate people, we have no duty to tolerate their beliefs. Indeed, it would be un-loving, both to them and to others, for us to do so. Rather we are called to lovingly attempt to persuade them in order to save them from the consequences (whether temporal or eternal) of a false belief. Classical tolerance necessitates morally appropriate negation.

The modern notion of tolerance argues that it is bigoted to judge differing viewpoints to be false. The trouble with such an understanding is that if a person does not believe that an opposing viewpoint is morally wrong, what is there to tolerate? Surely, it is not just the fact that one doesn't like the particular view, but that he judges it mistaken. It is only in a world where truth is absolute and morality is objective that tolerance is even necessary. Tolerance is true tolerance only in the classical interpretation, and therefore, tolerance is a distinctly Christian virtue.

Here on The Rebelution we readily tolerate people with viewpoints opposed to our own. However, we also hold that beliefs have consequences. While we will love and respect you despite our religious or ideological differences, part of that of that love and respet requires that we dedicate ourselves to do everything morally appropriate to counteract what we deem to be false.

For further explanation of this blog's 'rules of engagement', please see the Harris Protocol.

A Guest Post by Our Father

In the comments section of The Myth of Adolescence (Part 2), fellow blogger Jan (The Happy Homemaker) requested that I share about the environment in which Brett and I were raised. There are few better ways to accomplish this end than to share the following article by my father, Gregg Harris. Originally published in TABLETALK magazine in August of 1999, these words capture the heart of my father's approach to raising his children. Long a reformer, my father was a leading member of the home-school movement, and has more recently turned his focus to the reformation of the church. He currently serves as a teaching elder of Household of Faith Community Church. The church was planted in our family's living room in August of 1998, when Brett and I were 9 years old. Besides his study, writing, and teaching, my father still occasionally travels and speaks around the country, and is actively involved in the raising and instructing of his remaining (at home) 5 children. Serving as Brett's and my manager, advisor, and visionary, our father is our hero. Now, without further ado, I present my dad:

Priceless Treasures: My Reasons for Home Schooling
by Gregg Harris
C.S. LEWIS ONCE OBSERVED that God is not so much offended that we want too much as by the fact that we are satisfied with so little. Though He offers us the highest of adventures in our Christian life, we settle for the stale mediocrity of our lukewarm religious routines.

The parental counterpart to this idea is that most mothers and fathers actually want too little for their children - they settle for success in this world's terms. But God would have us aim higher, not like an ambitious stage mother pushing her mildly talented children into the spotlight, but like a fine jeweler making the best possible use of each bit of gold, silver, and precious stone he has. My children are priceless treasures, and I want God's highest and best for them.

What does it mean to aim high in this way? What am I really trying to accomplish in the education of my children?

Is it enough that they read well? No, not for me. I want them to commune with great authors from throughout the ages and be able to comprehend the profound ideas and truths that God has used to change the course of history. Let them be voracious readers of truly great literature.

Do I want my sons and daughters only to write and spell correctly? No, I want them to correspond with fellow enthusiasts in their chosen areas of endeavor. If they have the gifting, let them eventually author intelligent, superbly written works concerning the important issues of their day. Let them be prolific writers, whether privately or publicly

Do I want them merely to know enough history to pass a written test? No, I want them to understand the times in which they live and to be able to pass the real tests of life they will face in voting booths and on battlefields. Let them be like the sons of Issachar ("who had understanding of the times," 1 Chron. 12:32) in the unfolding dramas of future events.

But education is so much more than mere academics. It is primarily matter of character development. Self-discipline may be out of style, but it is never out of work. Do I want my children simply to be nice, well-behaved, and safe from peer pressure? Not at all! Aslan, in Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, is not a tame lion, but he is good. I prefer my children to be like that - good but not tame, men and women of integrity, not conformity. Let them be so influential and contagious in their faith that they turn the hearts of their companions toward God. Let the world grieve that its best and brightest have become Christians.

What about marriage and children? Are these things only a matter of personal comfort and enjoyment? Is a lifelong marriage aiming too high? Is the average number of 1.5 children per family enough? No, I want each of my sons and daughters to have a marriage and a family like that of Jonathan Edwards - enduring, large in number, and deeply devoted to God. Let each future household be devoted as a team for ministry as an effective embassy of the kingdom of God.

On an economic note, will it be enough if my children manage someday to find good jobs, regardless of how restrictive and disruptive their work schedules may be? No, I would like to see my adult sons provide for their wives and children through family business ownership and entrepreneurial stewardship. Contrary to the best efforts of the ACLU, there are still millions of public school students praying secretly to find decent jobs someday. Why not prepare our homeschool students to hire them?

Ultimately, neither academics, nor character, nor a strong marriage, nor a large family, nor financial freedom will matter if my children are still dead in sin and alienated from the promises of God. God help me never to raise up "civil men, lost in sin," as the Puritans would call them. Salvation in Christ is more than merely foundational. It is everything.

Deep within the secret counsels of God's sovereign decretive will lies the very real responsibility I bear as a father to train up my children in the way that they should go (Prov. 22:6). Only God can save my children. Will He do so? The very fact I care at all for the salvation of my children is good evidence that God is already at work on their behalf. Our God is a covenant-keeping God and His sovereign election is the norm, not the exception, when parents respond in faithful obedience to His Word.

As I read the biographies of great men and women, I notice that godly parents often do make a difference. "As the twig is bent, so grows the tree." Our sovereign God, working by concurrence through His created order of parents training their children and children obeying their parents, has ordained that special instruments of His grace will be forged on the anvil of a mother or father's heart. If I am both wise and diligent in my child training, it may be evidence that something extraordinary is brewing in the heavenlies - perhaps my children will be special gifts to Christ's church in their generation.

But if, like Eli of old, I am passive and negligent in this matter, it bodes eternal ill for me and my children. Insight is not action. Knowing is not the same as doing. Faith without works is dead. Think about it. Taking the easier path of conventional schooling is by any measure taking unnecessary chances with the souls of my children. Willfully sending them off to an institution that denies my authority, where the dominant social life is ungodly, where God is not feared and His Word not taught, where I cannot protect my children from falling into dangerous activities that could ruin a young life in one casual act of foolishness, where I cannot even vouch for the moral character of the teachers and administrators, seems to me an odd way of being diligent. The spirit of Eli is upon our nation and our churches as we rationalize with all our rational lies. That is why I ask God for grace to understand and obey Him in all of my obligations. Then, strong in the grace of God, I exert myself to do what He has commanded, even when it is not easy.

But salvation must lead to sanctification, and as a father I have a part to play in that as well. It is not enough that my children confess faith in Christ and go to church. Luke-warmness will not do. I want to see the fire of passion for the presence of God safely burning in the doctrinal fire place of each child's Reformed faith. A perpetual state of spiritual childhood, or even of spiritual adolescence, is not acceptable to God. Why should it be acceptable to me? I want my children to grow up to full maturity in Christ. I want them to bear the fruit of the Spirit and one day be qualified to serve as elders and deacons in a strong local church, with the courage and faith to roll up their sleeves and plant that church themselves if they have to.

To those who ask, "But what about socialization?" I can only weep. Socialization has always been a double-edged sword; it cuts both ways. "He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm" (Prov. 13:20, NASB). What my wife and I are doing in our home school is positive, biblical socialization that makes our children become wise. My children walk with me, and though I definitely have a long way yet to go, I try to be an acceptable companion to my children.

Most of our modem school-based socialization is of the foolish, harmful sort. Pooled ignorance leads to poor taste in clothing, music, films, and TV - the kind of people who read the grocery store tabloids and believe them. But the harm is far more than cultural. Disinterest in school, disrespect for teachers, rapacious dating, promiscuity, substance abuse, and gang violence also come in waves-- pounding waves of youth culture that erode moral standards. Even a small population of these poor creatures requires that high schools be run like youth prisons.

Good socialization is primarily age-integrated. It occurs when the young are included in the lives of older and wiser people, especially parents and other family members at home and the spiritual family of one's local church. Walking with the wise is a lifestyle, not a program. It is a club of fellow enthusiasts, not a class of uninterested age-mates. It includes working together, eating together, playing together, worshiping together, and studying together, This is where God placed the responsibility for child training and education, and it works very well in aiming children at God's highest and best targets in every area of life.

That is what I want for my children - God's highest and best - and that is my purpose in homeschooling them. Forgive what may seem my audacity, but I don't want my children to be merely counted among the Reformed. I want them to stand with the Reformers.

A Definition of 'Sin'

What is sin? This was the question posed by young collegian John Wesley in a letter addressed to his mother. Wesley’s goal was to get a clear, cut-and-dried formula for what comprised "sin." After all, such technical definitions are easy to get around; stretched and bent for the allowance of things that our consciences (except when mollified by sinful rationalization) could never justify.

Wesley woefully underestimated his mother. The response given by this wise and godly woman was far different from what he expected... And it changed his life:

“Would you judge of the lawfulness or unlawfulness of pleasure, of the innocence or malignity of actions? Take this rule: whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off the relish of spiritual things; in short, whatever increases the strength and authority of your body over your mind; that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may be in itself.”

The Washington Examiner Lambasts "Superhero for Choice" Cartoon

As recently announced on 'The Dawn Patrol', our efforts to alert the media regarding Planned Parenthood's "Superhero for Choice" cartoon have resulted in an unexpected editorial in The Washington Examiner.

In the editorial, entitled "Planned Parenthood Takes Low Road," PPGG is taken to task for its film depicting violence against pro-lifers.

The Examiner's editors write:

Apparently, the lesson to be learned [from "A Superhero for Choice"] is that abortions are OK, especially if it means less welfare payments later. The animation ends on the high note of referring to the Rev. Jerry Falwell as a "schmuck."

The video is a shameful and disrespectful take on the very sensitive issue of abortion and reproductive rights, where good, reasonable people disagree for good and reasonable reasons. By taking the low road and appealing to the lowest - and juvenile - common denominator, Planned Parenthood demeans its opponents and, even more, its supporters.

As Dawn points out, the fact that this is a Washington, D.C., paper is particularly exciting, because it will most likely be read by those on Capitol Hill.

If you have not seen the film, please visit my detailed synopsis, which includes a comprehensive list of links of where the video and transcripts are hosted.

As promised, here is the screenshot of "A Superhero for Choice" as featured on PPGG's Web page before being removed by the organization several days ago (without comment or apology).

Myth of Adolescence (Part 2)

In Part 1 of this series, I wrote of the great elephants of India, who, although they have the physical capacity to uproot trees during the day, can be restrained all night long by a piece of twine and a twig. How is this possible?

The elephant’s training begins when it is still young and considerably less powerful. Removed from its mother, the elephant is then shackled with an iron chain to a large tree. For days and weeks on end, the baby elephant strains against its restraints, only to find that all exertion is useless. Then slowly, over a period of several weeks, sometimes months, smaller chains and smaller trees are used. Eventually, you can use a piece of twine and a small branch, and the great beast will not budge. Its mind is fully committed to the idea that it cannot go anywhere when there is something around its right hind leg.

And so I ask my generation, individually and corporately, “What is holding us back?” History demonstrates that we are far more capable than we think we are. Our failure to realize substantial achievement at early ages is due, not to any innate inadequacies on our part, but rather to our social conditioning. American society, with its media-saturated youth culture, not only follows trends and fads, but it creates them. Classrooms, TV shows, magazines, and websites, are not only addressing us at the level of social expectations, but they are in fact dictating those expectations. They tell us how to act, think, and talk; they tell us what to wear, what to buy, and where to buy it; they tell us what to dream, what to value, and what to hate. We are being squeezed into a mold where there is no room for Christian character or competence. And as the famous proverb goes, “As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.”

In what could be considered the most maddening aspect of this crisis, not all areas of maturity are being stunted. In a powerful demonstration of teenagers’ ability to meet the expectations set before them, we witness young people today reaching unprecedented levels of technological proficiency and sexual experience. It is ironic that many teenagers, while fluent in multiple computer languages, are not expected to carry on an intelligent conversation with an adult. It is heartbreaking that so many young girls, while constantly pressed to become more and more sexually alluring, are not expected to attain any notable level of character beneath the surface.

Our world cannot last another generation of Christian young people who fit in. The shackles of society are on our minds and hearts, not our ankles. We are held back only by the myth of adolescence and the lies of social expectations. If we would only recognize that our restraints are illusory, and then let God’s Word and all of history govern our sense of what we are capable of, we would be a force this world could no longer ignore.

We face a crisis and an opportunity. A crisis, in the sense that we can no longer afford to slowly drift towards adulthood, viewing the teen years as a vacation from responsibility, and an opportunity, in the sense that we can embrace life now and make a difference for the glory of God, and for the good our family, our nation, and our world. Look down at your “ankle” and see the pathetic contrivance that has been restraining you. Now renew your mind in the light of God’s Word and take a step forward.

[Continue to My iPod Is My Best Friend.]

Empirical Proof: Operation Lars

UPDATE (3:30 PM, PST): I (Alex) just got off the air with Lars for the second time today. When confronted with additional evidence, he gave me a somewhat broader explanation than what I received earlier. He said that he and his people looked into the cartoon when it first came out and called Planned Parenthood, who denied any knowledge of the film. He then admitted that the cartoon has been traced back to the Golden Gate affiliate, but that he didn't think it was that big of a deal. That struck me as odd, because earlier he said that he would definitely "take Planned Parenthood to task" if they were behind it. Unfortunately, people like Lars don't feel that such a news item is worthy of their time... Despite the fact that PPGG gets 53% of its funding from taxes and that a similar cartoon by a pro-life group would spark uproar and lawsuits. Larson is someone I respect and admire, but I am disappointed.


Announcing Operation Lars, a project aimed at alerting conservative men and women of influence, like talk show host Lars Larson, who (by no fault of their own) have been fed misinformation by those sympathetic to Planned Parenthood's agenda.

Empirical Proof:

1.) As of now, Plannned Parenthood Golden Gate still hosts the cartoon on their server, though the link and image from their main page has been removed. Dawn Eden, who originally broke the story, has screenshots of the home page (as it was just a few days ago) on her computer. They should be available for posting soon. If the cartoon was really created by a third-party and uploaded via "hacking" or an "inside" job, wouldn't Planned Parenthood have removed the cartoon immediately and issued a statement of explanation?

2.) Planned Parenthood Golden Gate's annual report includes multiple images of characters found in the cartoon, including title character Dianysus. These are Planned Parenthood Golden Gate's characters... The art is identical to that found in the film.

ATTENTION: This post will be updated throughout the day as evidence comes in.

Planned Parenthood Spreading Lies?

I (Alex) just got off the phone with Lars Larson. He said he had heard about the "Superhero for Choice" cartoon, but that his understanding was that it was made by a third-party and then attributed to Planned Parenthood Golden Gate. I have no idea where he got that from. If that was true, you would expect that PPGG would have removed the snapshot image from its front page last week when the story broke and released a statement denouncing the film and explaining that someone had hacked their server. Conveniently, the snapshot image is gone now. I'm kicking myself for not taking a screenshot. If anyone did, please let me know.

Lars said that if Planned Parenthood was really behind this, he'd take them to task for it. Conveniently for them, he's heard things that neither Dawn nor I (nor anyone else in the blogosphere) have heard... Things which don't line up with the facts, but effectively keep him from using his national radio show to alert people around the country. All these "convenient" happenstances seem a little too fishy. Planned Parenthood seems to be trying to get away with not apologizing, by silencing (with more false information) those with the potential of threatening them.

Myth of Adolescence (Part 1)

The trained elephant of India is a perfect picture of the power of psychological captivity. Tamed and utilized for its enormous strength, the great beast stands nearly 10 feet tall and weighs up to 5 tons when fully grown. Its tasks may include uprooting full-grown trees, hauling great boulders, and carrying enormous loads on its shoulders. And yet, when the day’s work is done and this powerful beast must be kept from wandering off during the night, its owner simply takes a piece of twine, attaches it to a small branch embedded in the ground, and ties it around the elephant’s right hind leg. Reason dictates that the elephant can easily snap the twine or pull the twig from ground, and yet the owner does not worry, fully confident that when morning comes he will find the animal exactly where he left him. And he does.

I’ll admit that upon first hearing of this practice, I couldn’t decide which was harder to believe: that the owner was confident, or that his confidence proved justified. A beast that can uproot trees is suddenly unable to pull up a twig? What is it about the piece of twine and the small branch that allows them to subdue all of the elephant’s power? I soon discovered that it had little to do with the twine around the elephant’s ankle, and everything to do with invisible shackles around its mind.

My contention is simple: The young adults of our generation are the elephant. Our twine is the 20th century concept of adolescence. Our twig is societal expectations. We stand restrained as a hurting world burns around us. Yet our twine and twig are of a recent origin. Young adults of the past were not so encumbered.

David Farragut, the U.S. Navy’s first admiral, became a midshipman on the warship Essex at the age of 10. At the age of 12, a mere boy by modern standards, Farragut was given command of his first ship, sailing a capture vessel, crew, and prisoners, back to the U.S. after a successful battle. Young David was given responsibility at an early age, and he rose to the occasion.

The father of our country, George Washington, though never thought to be particularly bright by his peers, began to master geometry, trigonometry, and surveying when he would have been a 5th or 6th grader in our day and ceased his formal education at 14 years of age. At the age of 16 he was named official surveyor for Culpepper County, Virginia. For the next three years, Washington earned nearly $100,000 a year (in modern purchasing power). By the age of 21, he had leveraged his knowledge of the surrounding land, along with his income, to acquire 2,300 acres of prime Virginian land.

These examples astound us in our day and age, but this is because we view life through an extra social category called ‘adolescence’, a category that would have been completely foreign to men and women just 100 years ago. Prior to the late 1800s there were only 3 categories of age: childhood, adulthood, and old age. It was only with the coming of the early labor movement with its progressive child labor laws, coupled with new compulsory schooling laws, that a new category, called adolescence, was invented. Coined by G. Stanley Hall, who is often considered the father of American psychology, ‘adolescence’ identified the artificial zone between childhood and adulthood when young people ceased to be children, but were no longer permitted by law to assume the normal responsibilities of adulthood, such as entering into a trade or finding gainful employment. Consequently, marriage and family had to be delayed as well, and so we invented ‘the teenager’, an unfortunate creature who had all the yearnings and capabilities of an adult, but none of the freedoms or responsibilities.

Teenage life became a 4-year sentence of continuing primary education and relative idleness known as ‘high school’ (four years of schooling which would later be repeated in the first two years of college). Abolished by law were the young Farraguts and young Washingtons, who couldn’t spare the time to be children any longer than necessary. Cultivated instead was the culture we know today, where young people are allowed, encouraged, and even forced to remain quasi-children for much longer than necessary.

The effect of this seismic shift in America’s philosophy of education is not limited to students in the public schools. As homeschoolers we may feel as though we have escaped the danger, but an honest evaluation proves that, as a whole, we also fall short of realizing our potential. After reading the examples of great men of our country’s past, we should recognize that there is no reason why a 13 to 18 year old cannot behave as a responsible adult. History proves it is possible. Diverse cultures confirm its validity. The only thing holding young people back in America today is the twine of this perpetual recess called adolescence and the twig of lowered social expectations. We expect immaturity and irresponsibility, from ourselves and from one another, and that is exactly what we get.

[Go to Part Two...]

Double Standard: There's the Left, and Then There's the Rest of Us

UPDATE: Links fixed... Sorry, about that.
Over the past week, I have debated with myself over whether or not I should use my blog to alert people regarding Planned Parenthood’s latest exploits. Finally, I came to the conclusion that this is what blogs are for… Prepare to be informed.

WARNING: The following content, while not particularly explicit, does contain information not suitable for younger children.

Early last week, Planned Parenthood Golden Gate (PPGG) posted an eight-minute cartoon entitled “A Superhero for Choice”. The cartoon features Dianysus, PPGG’s CEO-turned-superhero Dian Harrison, who begins the short as a mild-mannered African-American woman in a blue suit rejoicing over the headline “Planned Parenthood Says: Safe is Sexy!” that just happens to adorn a sidewalk newsstand.

Soliloquizing for a moment, Dian speaks of food preferences, sport team loyalties, obeying the law, and presumably, sexual practices and abortion, in the same breath. Transforming into Dianysus (a play on the Greek god, Dionysus, the god of wine and debauchery). Complete with red suit, condom-shaped jet pack, and a mask that reminds one of devil horns, she then flies off to “fight for choice.”

Her first stop is in a back alley, where a short and square man in a purple suit and a high hat (somewhat reminiscent of a Snidely Whiplash/Boris Badenov-type character) preaches abstinence to a group of teens (an Asian female, and two males, Hispanic and African-America). Defending themselves with lines they’ve learned from the Planned Parenthood instructor who visited their high school, the teens explain that there are lots of ways to practice safe sex, like condoms and contraceptives. When warned of STDs, the girl replies, “Yeah, but I don’t plan to get any sexually-transmitted diseases.” Of course, as we all know, if you don’t plan on something, it won’t happen.

However, before anything else can happen, Dianysus appears on the scene and demands to know what’s going on. The man in the purple suit replies that he is informing the kids about the truth, to which Dianysus responds, “The only truth here is that you’re ugly, and your mama dresses you funny.” She then proceeds to fill an empty trashcan with Aqua Slide (I assume this is in reference to ‘Astroglide’, Planned Parenthood’s lubricant for teens engaging in pre-marital sexual activity), tosses the abstinence advocate in it and clamps on the lid. After burbling for a while, the man is silent.

I find it interesting that even in a cartoon bashing abstinence advocates and portraying them as slimy, misinformed, rude, and old-fashioned, the teens still need Dianysus to intervene. What’s even more interesting is that when she comes, she presents nothing in the form of argumentation (unless, of course, insults and violence are considered as arguments). Even when Planned Parenthood writes the script, the abstinence advocates are still more convincing. They just don’t drown you in a tub of lube.

Having deposed the enemy of Planned Parenthood’s propaganda, Dianysus makes sure the kids know where to go for all their health care needs and reproductive advice (I don’t believe their parents were an option). The kids respond, “Planned Parenthood Golden Gate.” Why? “Because,” they say in unison, “we have a choice!” Triumphant, Dianysus tosses the kids a ‘safe sex kit’ to remember her by, before taking to the skies once again.

Dianysus’s second stop takes her to a Planned Parenthood facility surrounded by greenish-blue, zombie-like, pro-life demonstrators who are chanting, grunting, moaning, and carrying “Christian” signs, unlike any I’ve ever seen, that say, “Pray for Thy Sins.” Taking the time to speak to her viewers for a moment, Dianysus explains that such demonstrators are allowed to express their views under the first amendment, but that sometimes they can get unruly and come a little too close. She then wishes out loud that they would just disappear, which gives her an idea. Taking a condom gun, she shoots at the protesters, who are subsequently enveloped by condoms. The condoms slowly expand before exploding in fire and smoke, leaving no trace of the demonstrators. “That’s more like it,” exclaims Dianysus. “Now everyone that needs low-cost and confidential health care may enter freely, without intimidation or violence, and acquire information about reproductive issues, and obtain professional health services that each of us deserve, be they women, men, or teens.” I guess that Planned Parenthood doesn’t categorize blowing up peaceful pro-life demonstrators as violence.

Moving from San Francisco to our nation’s capitol, a helicopter flies across the screen and drops a large pink condom over the Washington Memorial with our national anthem playing in the backround. We then see a pro-life senator stirring a green, bubbling stew in a large iron pot. He tosses in several stacks of papers: “Bill of Rights,” “The Constitution,” “First Amendment,” and “Civil Rights.” The screen then cuts to an odd depiction of the scales of justice, which tip to the side of “ignorance,” as opposed to “choice.”

When confronted by Dianysus, the white, southern senator explains that the laws of the United States do not apply to him. After engaging in a “do not-do too-do not” type argument, the senator tosses Roe. v. Wade into the stew. That gives Dioaysis an idea; she picks up the senator and submerges him in the boiling liquid, holding him there for several moments. When she pulls him out he is kneeling on a platter, naked, with an apple in his mouth, like a roasted pig. When asked how he feels now, he replies, “Great! I feel cleansed! I no longer have the stench of misinformed conservatism. I want all women everywhere to have the ability to choose what they do with their bodies.”

“That’s more like it” says Dianysus, who then proceeds to inform him that money spent now on family planning will save billions of dollars in future social expenditures. His eyes light up with flashing dollar signs. A newspaper is then shown that reads “Planned Parenthood Wins Again,” and the scales of justice tip to the side of “choice” as the hallelujah chorus plays. I found this section particularly chilling. Kill children now, so you won’t have to take care of them later. Great plan.

Having finished her “political” work, Dianysus is off to Ethiopia to check up on Planned Parenthood Golden Gate’s local reproductive health agents. Landing in front of a small grass hut in a small village, she addresses a female doctor standing with a couple and their young child. The doctor fills her in on Planned Parenthood’s mission statement: Terminating unintended pregnancies, preventing women from having children for anything other than the “right” reasons, and making sure unwanted children never see the light of day.

Just then, Dianysus remembers that she has a meeting with Dr. Jerry Falwell. “That schmuck,” she says. After filling her bio-diesel jetpack with coffee bags grown on trees (which carry the label “Morebucks” and possess logo very similar to that of Starbucks), Dianysus flies through a rainbow and into the sky. She speaks to her pre-teen and teenage viewers as she goes, telling them that she hopes they learned a little something.

“Planned Parenthood welcomes everyone, regardless of race, creed, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age or income. After all, we’ve been around for 89 years. We must be doing something right!” This closing statement is a perfect example of the incongruous “logic” used throughout the film. The Ku Klux Klan has been around for even longer, so they must be doing something even more right. For that matter, Christianity has been around for nearly 2,000 years. I’d be interested to see if Planned Parenthood lasts that long. The truth is, Planned Parenthood has been around since Margaret Sanger and her fellow eugenics advocates founded it in the early 1900s.

With this we come to the credits, which have their own interesting moments. They begin with the words, “You too can be a superhero for choice!” spray-painted on a brick wall. I can only suppose that means that anyone can drown people, blow them up, and commit other acts of violence in order to promote Planned Parenthood’s agenda.

The credits feature a condom that stretches across the screen to display the names of different contributors. At one point, the condom comes across and decapitates a pro-life demonstrator, whose body slowly slumps out of the screen (see frame-by-frame images here).

The best part is that our taxes paid for this. Planned Parenthood Golden Gate’s annual report shows that 53 percent of its revenue comes from “government fees and contracts.” Even giving them the benefit of the doubt (i.e. that all of that money was put directly into services), it stills frees them up to use donor money to make “educational cartoons” like this one.

The most amazing aspect about this whole thing, in my mind, is the incredible double standard displayed by both Planned Parenthood and the national news media. While pro-life activists are often accused of violence and bigotry, pro-abortion activists are applauded for similar actions when done in the name of choice (see, at your own risk, AbortionViolence.com). Imagine, for just a moment, what would happen if a conservative group, like National Right to Life, or the Family Research Council, were to release a cartoon depicting pro-choice advocates being drowned, blown up, or decapitated. There. Would. Be. Uproar.

Planned Parenthood (not to mention the ACLU and the liberal media) would come after us with everything they had. It would be on the front page of every major newspaper across the country, featured on the nightly news, and discussed on all the talk radio stations. However, Planned Parenthood does the same thing, and what happens? No one ever hears of it.

But it doesn’t have to be that way this time, and you can help. Dawn Eden (who deserves incredibly mad props for her amazing work) at ‘The Dawn Patrol’ has, over the past week, fired up the pro-life blog community and put the heat on Planned Parenthood. Through her efforts the story has been covered by several smaller, online news outlets and referenced on multiple talk radio shows, including Michael Savage. She is already heading up a grassroots effort to blow this cartoon up in Planned Parenthood’s face (find out more about Project Max).

We have to move fast. Planned Parenthood will waste no time in covering its tracks if they fear that the cartoon will receive national attention. Already, they have removed the link of the animation from PPGG’s main page. Several bloggers, at risk of a lawsuit, are hosting the film on their own servers to keep it accessible to the public:

Planned Parenthood Golden Gate’s Hidden Direct Link: Quicktime (streaming)
SaintKansas: Windows Media (3 MB, zipped, small)
CSNews: Windows Media (with disclaimer)
ArrMatey at Court Zero: Windows Media (direct link)
Joel Helbling: Window Media (streaming)
Catscape: Windows Media (zipped)
Shoutlast.com: Multiple Video Formats (.mp4 [90 MB], .zip, .wmv)
Shoutlast.com: Carton Transcripts (.txt, .rtf, .hqx)

Again… Go here and do what you can to hold Planned Parenthood accountable. There’s the left, and then there’s the rest of us. It’s time the rest of us played offense.

DISCLAIMER: The author bears no responsibility for the content of PPGG’s cartoon, nor the content found on the different sites listed. Please explore at your own risk.

Before I close… I believe it is important for us, as Christians, to learn what we can, even from PPGG’s cartoon. The many men and women I know who have participated in peaceful abortion protests are the exact opposite of what Planned Parenthood would have the public believe they are. And yet, there is an extremely small handful (while nothing compared to that of the other side) who do commit violence and who bring a reproach upon the name of Christ. Let us recommit ourselves to a high standard… That of love. We can and must combat organizations like Planned Parenthood, but to do so, we must not stoop to their level.

God bless you all! Soli Deo Gloria!

Historic Times: A Call to My Generation

Brett and I firmly believe we are living in historic times. We further believe that God is raising up a generation of young people, specifically those in the Christian, homeschool community, who will one day assume positions of leadership in all spheres of life: social, political, and spiritual. This is not a call for the complacent or the lackadaisical. This is not a call to those who are willing to lower their standards to meet the expectations of their culture. This is a call to the rebelutionary.

While these posts are usually made at the inception of a blog, even in the past 5 days our vision for this blog has become more clear. Announcing The Rebelution... a journal of our thoughts, if you will, through which we seek to discipline ourselves to both contemplate the many things we observe and then to write our thoughts down. However, on an even deeper level, we would pray that God would use this blog to mobilize Christian young people; causing them to 1.) wake up, and 2.) catch fire.

Suffice to say that we would greatly appreciate all of your feedback and support. We would even more greatly appreciate your joining ranks with us to make a mark for the kingdom of God. The beauty of technology is the ability to network. It is both of our hope that we would be able to network with high-quality, like-minded, and motivated young Christian bloggers and then draw from one another in order to firmly cement our existence in the online community, and to do so in such a way that the world sits up and takes notice. I pray that we might make the word 'rebelution' a "household-name" in the online blog community, not only as a group of godly young people, but as a reliable source of truth utilized to its full world-changing potential. None of of us, with our limited schedules and busy lives, can be more than a drop in the ocean-sized bucket of the internet community on our own... But together, unified in Christ and through His grace, we believe that we can fill a gap that needs to be filled.

This blog challenges you to throw off the shackles of what society expects of you. The teen years are not a vacation from responsibility. They are the training ground of future leaders who dare to be responsible now.

Let's start a rebelution.

Tom Parker: A Justice After God's Own Heart

“I am so thankful that, even in these perilous times, the Lord continues to give us sign after sign of hope. Every time a godly leader demonstrates that he fears God more than man, the Lord reminds us that He has not abandoned this God-blessed nation.” — Doug Phillips, Vision Forum Ministries
These words, in a statement issued in April of this year, were written in reference to a man I mentioned briefly in my first post: Alabama Supreme Court Justice Tom Parker. At the time of the entry in question, all I knew about Justice Parker was from reading his dissenting opinion last weekend. Since then, I have endeavored to learn more, and the more I learn, the more I admire this man, and the more I desire to follow in his footsteps.

Sovereignly placed into office in November of last year, Parker ousted one of the very opponents who stood against former Chief Justice Roy Moore on the issue of whether or not the state can acknowledge God. As was only fitting, Roy Moore himself swore Parker into office on January 14th of this year, and Parker immediately began following in his footsteps. After only a few months in office, Parker distinguished himself by being the only sitting state Supreme Court judge to speak out, at the death of Terri Schiavo, against the judicial tyranny and executive abdication of responsibility by those authorities empowered by law, but who failed to use their abilities to save Terri’s life. The state-sanctioned killing of Terri Schiavo, said Parker, was a “shameful miscarriage of justice” in violation of the Constitution of the State of Florida and as a direct result of "public officials lacking moral courage and fearing man rather than God.” In the aftermath of countless elected officials allowing their principles to be entombed by political pragmatism, Justice Parker refused to compromise the truth:

"By unduly exalting the judiciary and excusing the executive and legislative branches of government from their constitutional duty to protect life and the most vulnerable members of our society, the Schiavo case establishes a dangerous precedent of judicial supremacy."

"Thomas Jefferson warned us of the dangers of judicial supremacy: 'To consider the judges as the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions [is] a very dangerous doctrine indeed, and one which would place us under the despotism of an oligarchy.' Sadly many elected officials are content to accept such despotism because it helps them avoid controversial issues."

In a day and age where leaders of principle are few and far between, there are several things you quickly recognize about Tom Parker. The first and foremost is that he fears God more than man and is consequently the personification of principled, Christian leadership. He is a skilled thinker who understands the Constitution, but more importantly recognizes the Christian presuppositions of all law. Finally, in a demonstration of great wisdom and foresight, he has surrounded himself with strong, Christian legal minds and a staff that will stand with him and not give in to the pressures of those who viciously oppose the truth. On all accounts, Alabama Justice Parker is a justice after God’s own heart.

I have full confidence that, like Roy Moore, when persecution rears its ugly head, Tom Parker will not back down. Pray for him, that God will strengthen, sustain, and protect him. And pray with him, that God will raise more likeminded leaders, even among ourselves, in fulfillment of His promise through the mouth of Isaiah, “I will restore your judges as in days of old, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called, The City of Righteousness, the Faithful city.“

Amen, Lord. Let it be so.

A Friend In Need: The Promised Essays

Thanks to the assistance of a very helpful friend, I can now (as promised) provide you with my two latest writing projects:

1.) A Practical and Philosophical Dissertation on Atheism

2.) A Treatise Regarding the Supposed Incompatibility of the Divine Sovereignty and the Human Will

A Niece Is Born: Faith Felicity

Faith Felicity Harris (our niece) is born.

Playing Catch Up: Atheism, Predestination, Books, Music, Mice and Governmental Spheres

I probably should have started this some time ago... As it stands now, I have a lot to catch you up on. Because of this, I will not be discussing each topic at the depth that I would like. As a further note, please forgive me for being URL happy on my first post. I should calm down, somewhat, within a few months.

To begin, I would really like to get my two latest writing projects (the first a practical and philosophical critique of atheism and the second a nearly 10,000 word argument for the Calvinist doctrine of predestination) on here, but I haven't figured out a way to host them where they can be downloaded. I'll let you know when I do.

More recently my primary focus has been a semi-intense reading plan my father put together for Brett and I, the details of which are outlined below:

Current Reading:

'Future Grace' by John Piper
'The Lexus and the Olive Tree' by Thomas L. Friedman
'America and Vietnam' by Albert Marrin
'Winning the Future' by Newt Gingrich

Completed Reading:

'The Tipping Point' by Malcolm Gladwell
'Joshua Generation' by Michael Farris
'The Radical Reformission' by Mark Driscoll
'The Fabric of the Cosmos' by Brian Greene
'The Enemy Within' by Kris Lungaard
'The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination' by Loraine Boettner
'God's Lesser Glory' by Bruce A. Ware

Coming Up:

'The Underground History of American Education' by John Taylor Gatto
'The Harsh Truth About Public Schools' by Bruce Shortt
'The World is Flat' both by Thomas L. Friedman
'The Most Real Being' by J.A. Crabtree

Suffice to say that the great wealth of knowledge that my mind is being forced to digest is having a profoundly positive effect on my overall understanding and awareness of the world around me. Philosophy class (coupled with my own theological study and my current reading) has really served to connect a myriad of things in my mind. One particularly gratifying connection that keeps recurring is science's verification of the Calvinist doctrine of predestination. In the arena of human psychology and social manipulation (see 'The Tipping Point' by Malcolm Gladwell) I found several incredible statements. Some of which could have well been taken from a revolutionary essay on topic of predestination. Furthermore, the field of physics (see 'The Fabric of the Cosmos' by Brian Greene) seems to disprove both the Arminian and open theistic position. Both classical and quantum physics are profoundly deterministic (i.e. the nature of spacetime and illusory concepts of past, present, and future reality). The theological concept of an "eternal decree" is shown in a whole new light by the implications of physical law... That is, by the fact that all actions and events (including salvation) were intrinsically established in the creation of the universe. The quotations from Gladwell's book can be found in my argument for predestination, which I mentioned above and which (again) I will try to link to as soon as possible. The physics reading has been more recent, however, if I have time in the near future, I will try to incorporate it into my predestination essay. As a disclaimer, I share these thoughts, not because I wish to start an theological dispute (I believe it would distract from the purpose of the blog), but because the topic has been weighing heavily on my mind and occupying much of my thought life in recent months.

Moving on: In the world of music we are currently enamored with the British band Keane. The trios unusual makeup of only piano, drums, and vocals makes them unique by itself, but their musical talent and maturity is what sets them apart, in my opinion. Their album 'Hopes and Fears' is one of the few where you come to love every track.

As a random fact, I wish I could get one of these, even though I have a laptop.

To conclude, I recently read Alabama Supreme Court Justice Tom Parker's dissenting opinion in a child custody case that has been making headlines recently among the legal and judicial community. The attention is due to several unique aspects of the decision. First, 7 of the 9 justices wrote opinions on the case (unheard of numbers). And second, several justices made multiple references to Scripture to support their decisions. However, it was Justice Parker's lone dissent that I found most compelling and true to both the Founder's intent and biblical teaching on governmental spheres of authority. The AP article on the decision can be found here. Fellow blogger Chad Degenhart links to the full text of Justice Parker's opinion and includes a few (though not all) of the more relevant excerpts here.

There you have it: a highly condensed summary of my recent contemplations. Soli Deo Gloria!

Alex and Brett's Booklist

Welcome to Alex and Brett's Booklist. Last Updated: 8/19/06

Here you will find a frequently-updated list of books we are reading, have read, or plan on reading. Please note that some of the books on this list were written with a non-Christian worldview, but that all contain elements we believe will benefit a mature Christian young person.

Use the comments section to suggest books, discuss books, and ask more detailed questions about books. This dynamic post is linked in the sidebar, so you can keep on checking for further literary discussion and list additions. For more information on a specific book, click on the thumbnail to be directed to Amazon.com or BooksChristian.com.

We believe that reading is one of the best and easiest ways to grow in spirit and intellect. It is an essential part of the Rebelution movement.

For more thoughts on the subject, click here.

God bless your reading!

Alex and Brett Harris

- Special Project -

The Holy Bible (ESV) by God

Inspired by Heidi of A Blessed Servant, Brett and I have decided (along with our dear sister and a good friend) to read through the entire Bible in 50 days. Our deadline is October 7th.


- Currently Reading -
Getting Things Done by David Allen

Purchased upon reading the recommendation of Wayne Grudem, this book is having a big impact on the way we manage our many projects. Promising readers reduced stress and increased productivity, this book delivers.


Total Truth by Nancy Pearcey

We read more than half of this book for philosophy class. It was excellent. We finally are getting back to it, and starting from the beginning. It is worth re-reading.



Knowing God by J.I. Packer

We have heard many great things about this book. It was added to the list upon the recommendation of Lindsey, who blogs at Beauty from the Heart.



Stories from American History edited by Brian Lamb

The more time goes on, the greater appreciation and importance we place on a comprehensive knowledge of history.



- On Our Reading List -

The New Faithful by Colleen Carroll

After reading countless excellent quotes from this book in Hans Zeiger's book Reagan's Children, we decided to get it. It's subtitle: "Why young adults are embracing Christian orthodoxy."


With One Voice by Alex and Marni Chediak

This book on biblical relationships has received solid reviews from several men we respect. We're looking forward to reading it.



Better Off by Eric Brende

A look at technology and the question: How much is too much? MIT graduate Eric Brende and his wife spent eighteen months without electricity. This book is their hands on story.


Confessions of a Reformission Rev. by Mark Driscoll

Warning: Mark Driscoll is often crude, and at times, shocking. At the same time, he also is one of the few men in our country engaging in true evangelism with unflinching loyalty to the Gospel of Christ.


The Life and Diary of David Brainerd edited by Jonathan Edwards

Brainerd was a missionary to the American Indians in NY, NJ, and eastern PA. Although he died of tuberculosis at the age of twenty-nine, he left a tremendous legacy.


Always Ready by Dr. Greg Bahnsen

Listening to The Great Debate between Dr. Greg Bahnsen and atheist Dr. Gordon Stein was a turning point in our approach to apologetics.



When Character Was King by Peggy Noonan

You can make great men and women of the past your companions by reading biographies. Ronald Reagan is a man Brett and I would like to walk with.



Winning the Future by Newt Gingrich

Recommended by our father. Newt Gingrich has a vision for the future of America.




The Underground History of American Education by John Taylor Gatto

An in-depth look at a topic that has (and does) profoundly shape and effect the lives of our nation's young people.


The Fight by John White

We have read this book together as a family in the past and now we want to read it invidually. A handbook for the Christian life.



The Long Tail by Chris Anderson

Addressing the changing landscape of business and marketing, Chris Anderson argues that the future of business is selling less of more.



- Completed Books -

Soul Searching by Christian Smith with Melinda Denton

An must-read book for anyone with a heart for this generation. Reporting the findings of the largest and most detailed study of teens and religion ever undertaken, this book gives a keen and insightful look at a generation.

Crunchy Cons by Rod Dreher

A insightful look at a new breed of conservatives. Those to whom politics is an interest will find this book interesting and thought-provoking.



Reagan's Children by Hans Zeiger

This book is full of hope for a rising generation. Our good friend and rebelutionary Hans Zeiger presents an exhaustively researched look at the future of our nation.



The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn

Whether our priorities are earthly or eternal is made evident by how we spend our time and our money. This book addresses the latter subject and provides the key to unlock the joy of generous giving.


What's The Difference? by John Piper

John Piper does an excellent job describing the beauty of biblical manhood and womanhood. Highly recommended for young men and women looking for a better understanding of the biblical roles.



The Ralph Moody Series by Ralph Moody

This must be the sixth or seventh time we've read through our all-time favorite series as a family. One of Brett's and my dreams is to produce/direct a quality film adaptation.


Eric Liddell: Pure Gold by David M. Casland

We received this book for Christmas from our brother and sister-in-law. An incredible look beyond "Chariots of Fire" and into the life of an incredible missionary.



When I Don't Desire God by John Piper

John Piper is one of our heroes and this book is one of his best. Learn to fight for joy... Soul-satisfying, unquenchable joy.



The Complete Father Brown by GK Chesterton

Chesteron has a way with words. We find that our writing improves dramatically after reading his works. Father Brown's understanding of human nature puts him on par, perhaps above, the great Sherlock Holmes.


The Enemy Within by Kris Lungaard

Everytime we read this book we gain new insights. Lungaard brings the works of John Owen to contemporary readers in a way that is easily understood and applied. A must-read book for rebelutionaries.


The Lexus and the Olive Tree by Thomas L. Friedman

A very informative, yet easy to read, book on globalization, by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Thomas Friedman.



The AP Guide to Newswriting by Rene J. Cappon

This book was incredibly helpful and is highly recommended for all writers, particularly bloggers and aspiring journalists.



Humility: True Greatness by CJ Mahaney

CJ Mahaney is another of our heroes and a shining example of godly leadership. This book is written in the spirit of humility it seeks to inspire in its readers.



Federal Husband by Doug Wilson

To our knowledge, we're not close to getting married. But cultivating the leadership, servant's heart, and maturity needed to be a husband and a father starts now.



Reforming Marriage by Doug Wilson

We read several of Doug Wilson's books on a road trip to San Antonio. We really appreciate his biblical convictions on this issue.



Her Hand In Marriage by Doug Wilson

This is an excellent book for guys who want to get married someday. Do we realize the value of what we are asking for? Are we preparing to be worthy of such a prize?


Fidelity by Doug Wilson

A convicting critique of a culture of infidelity and a call to return to a culture of one-woman men and one-man women.



The Purity Principle by Randy Alcorn

An excellent and insightful book on the subject of purity. Great for reading along with your daily devotions.




The Cross-Centered Life by CJ Mahaney

It is easy to wrongly center our lives around certain people, things, hopes or dreams. In this book CJ Mahaney draws our focus back to where it should be, the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.


Thoughts for Young Men by JC Ryle

A classic and timeless book for young men that has lost none of its applicability in the years since it was written. Highly recommended for all our guy readers.



The Universe Next Door by James Sire

Understanding the worldview of other religions is an important step in grasping your own. This book gives a helpful overview and critique of popular (and flawed) religious worldviews.


The Radical Reformission by Mark Driscoll

Mark Driscoll is a controversial man. At the same time, he is one of the few men in our country engaging in true evangelism with unflinching loyalty to the Gospel of Christ.


The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

An indepth and thought-provoking look at social epidemics, this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to change their culture and their world.



Blog by Hugh Hewitt

When we first starting blogging, we read this book. An excellent introduction to the art and power of blogging. This was a great foundation.



The Joshua Generation by Michael Farris

Michael Farris is a man we greatly respect. This book is his call for a generation to rise to leadership. Guys especially, we need to listen to that call.



The World Is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman

Whether we like it or not, globalization is happening. This book does a superb job of identifying the new challenges of the 21st century. To understand the times in which you live, read this book.


ProLife Answers to ProChoice Arguments by Randy Alcorn

It's one thing to be pro-life, it's another to know how to defend and articulate that conviction to those who are opposed. This is an encylopedia of the defense of the pro-life position. Get this book.


Why Pro-Life? by Randy Alcorn

A much shorter and simpler version of the above book. Great for giving to people who have questions or for a simple overview and reminder of why you are pro-life.



Francis Schaeffer Trilogy by Francis Schaeffer

Francis Schaeffer was an incredible man. His influence on our approach to evangelism and apologetics and our worldview has been great. This trilogy has had a lasting impact on how we live and think.


The Passion of Jesus Christ by John Piper

It's easy to get a one-dimensional or simplistic view of Jesus' life and death. This book smashes such thinking as Piper presents 50 reasons why He came and died.



Holiness by JC Ryle

It's tempting to avoid reading "old" books and just read new ones. That's a dangerous error. This book presents a timeless and helpful look at the pursuit and practice of holiness.


The Harsh Truth About Public Schools by Bruce Shortt

We appreciate the great work that is being accomplished by individual teachers and students in public schools, but we strongly believe that the system itself is flawed. This book is a powerful critique of that system.


God's Lesser Glory by Bruce Ware

A response to the destructive theological movement of open theism. Bruce Ware gives a lengthy and accurate overview of the false doctrine and its arguments, then powerfully and biblically refutes it.


Genesis in Space and Time by Francis Schaeffer

This book walks you through the book of Genesis, explaining the enigmas of secular philosophy with the truth of God's word.



Heaven by Randy Alcorn

We were made for a person and a place. Jesus is that person, heaven is that place. This book paints a beautiful picture of our eternal home and refutes many common misconceptions about what the Bible says about heaven.


The Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Greene

A highly thought-provoking book on quantum physics. The field of physics is fascinating and this book puts in terms that a non-math whiz can understand.



Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper

A book of particular significance to young adults and rebelutionaries. The title really does say it all. Don't waste your life. Highly recommended.



Future Grace by John Piper

In what do we put our faith when things go wrong? Where do we find hope? Not just by looking back to the cross, but by look ahead to the future grace that Christ's death has bought.


The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris

Reading biographies of great men and women is a must for rebelutionaries. Theodore Roosevelt is one such man. This biography gives and insightful and inspiring look at his life prior to the presidency.


The Dangerous Duty of Delight by John Piper

A small and short book with a powerful message. The call of a Christian is one of danger, but it is also one of delight. This book shows you how to live a perilous life of Christ-centered joy.


The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination by Loraine Boettner

We include books like this on our list, not to make an argument or statement on our theological beliefs, but rather to encourage our readers (guys especially) in the intentional study of doctrine. You will not regret it.


Boy Meets Girl by Joshua Harris

Neither of us know if we've met "the girl" yet, but suffice to say, we'll be using the principles found in this book when that time comes.



One Thing by Sam Storms

We are made for one thing: To glorify God by enjoying Him forever. Sam Storms communicates this life-shaping truth in a clear and biblical way.



Sex Is Not the Problem, Lust Is by Joshua Harris

We have been blessed to benefit from the insight that God has given our older brother. This book is an example of that reality. Convicting, encouraging, biblical and practical, this is a "PG" book on lust for guys and girls.


I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris

People often ask us if we agree with our older brother about dating and courtship. The short answer is, yes. Perhaps we're biased, but we think this is one of the best
books out there for Christian teens.

- Oft-Referenced Works -

Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem

Our constant theological reference work. A systematic theology that is at once weighty and understandable, firmly based in Scripture.



Valley of Vision edited by Arthur Bennett

A beautiful collection of Puritan prayers. Excellent supplement to devotions and church services.




Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics edited by Norman Geisler

A very helpful companion through our NCFCA apologetics days. Contains a wealth of knowledge on nearly all apologetical topics.


Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview by J.P. Moreland & William Craig

An incredible book that must (unfortunately) be read in bite-sized pieces.