18AR23-35

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AR 23:35 - Spiritual, not religious ... and less stable

In this issue:

ASTROLOGY - why are millennials turning to astrology?

HOMOSEXUALITY - how to prepare for a friend's disclosure about their struggle with same-sex attraction

MORALITY - a sweeping look at the roots of today's cultural debates on sexual morality in the Christian tradition

Apologia Report 23:35 (1,401)

October 25, 2018

ASTROLOGY

"Why Are Millennials Turning to Astrology?" by Stuart Vyse -- rationalized speculation expressed as uncomprehending dismay over the rejection of materialist logic.

"Despite overwhelming evidence that astrology is based on a pseudoscientific theory and is not a reliable measure ... this ancient form of divination has not diminished in popularity. Indeed, Julie Beck writing in The Atlantic <www.bit.ly/2ysrne1> suggests that we're experiencing a boom in astrology among millennials driven by diminished stigma and marketing on the internet. ...

"Gallup polls suggest that approximately 25 percent of adults in the United States, the U.K., and France believe in astrology. ...

"One of the most noteworthy aspects of belief in astrology is that it is more often embraced by liberals. A 2009 Pew Research Center study <www.pewrsr.ch/2Eztja9> found that people who described themselves as liberal were almost twice as likely to say they believe in astrology than self-described conservatives: 30-percent of liberals compared to 16 percent of conservatives. Similarly, a 2015 study <www.bit.ly/2SdfVvd> using data from the General Social Survey and data of the National Opinion Research Survey at the University of Chicago found that conservatives were more likely to endorse the statement, 'We trust too much in science and not enough in religious faith,' and liberals were more likely to have consulted their daily horoscope or astrological profile.

"According to the Pew study, belief is also more likely to be a youthful phenomenon, with the youngest age group, eighteen to twenty-nine year olds, having a 30 percent belief rate and belief decreasing with each increasing age bracket. Only 18 percent of those sixty-five and older endorsed astrology. Education was also systematically associated with lower levels of belief, with 18 percent of college graduates endorsing astrology, as compared to 30 percent of those with high school or less education. Finally, for both Protestants and Catholics, more frequent church attendance was related to lower levels of belief in astrology. ...

"[T]hese studies point to astrology being used as a form of 'compensatory control' to stabilize believers [in horoscopes] when they feel shaky. ...

"[M]illennials are less religious than older generations but not less spiritual. ... [F]or some younger people for whom traditional religion does not appeal, astrology may provide a spiritual outlet. ...

"[S]ince the election in November 2016, the liberal world has been rocked. If ever there was a time when liberals might be looking for a compensatory sense of control, now is it." Vyse also notes that "a surge in interest in the paranormal in Russia follow[ed] the fall of the Berlin Wall and the breakup of the Soviet Union."

In his conclusion, Vyse finds that "the rise of a generation that is not as traditionally religious as previous ones but is still seeking a kind of spiritual satisfaction, combined with the vanquishing of liberal politics in the United States and abroad, has created a fertile environment for this form of superstition and unreason." Skeptical Inquirer, Sep/Oct '18, pp24-27 - and initially available on the SI web site <www.bit.ly/2PMkV8q> last May.

To check out astrology in our back issues, see <www.bit.ly/2AlfEzr>

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HOMOSEXUALITY

"Loving Christians Who Experience Same-Sex Attraction" by Rachel Gilson, director of theological development for Cru Northeast <rachelgilson.com> -- Anyone might experience same-sex attraction - even Christian apologists. As Gilson says, "The variety of reactions to [statements like that] is dizzying. For people who follow Christ and experience sexual attraction to people of the same gender - like ... myself - navigating it all can feel as dangerous as driving on a crowed interstate." She reviews why.

"[A]dmitting that we experience these attractions while actively seeking to die to ourselves out in the world looks pathetically slow and dangerous.

"The confusion isn't limited to those like myself. Many straight Christians feel the danger of this road, too. They don't want to contribute to the chaos, yet aren't sure what to do. They owe more to their neighbors, family, and church members than that, and they know it."

Providing or being "a safe space for the same-sex attracted Christian doesn't mean we condone someone taking the name of Christ and then *not* obeying His Word...." Gilson explains.

We often assume too much about anything we find intense enough to bother us. That can leave us unprepared for someone's disclosure that they are struggling with same-sex attraction. Gilson discusses ways we might become better prepared.

Gilson concludes: "Nate Collins <www.bit.ly/2R95pDI> writes in his book All But Invisible [1] that if churches were to become safe and empowering places of discipleship for all, he suspects 'that gay people might experience Christianity and the traditional sex ethic as more livable than many even dare to imagine.

"Transforming the church into a place where same-sex attracted believers can get the support and encouragement we need to thrive holistically and holy in Christ will not happen overnight. You cannot change the whole church, nor should you try. But you serve a God who casts out fear with love; you worship a Savior who came that we many have life to the full; you are filled with the Sprit who makes all things new. In His power, you can minister compassionately toward people and remain faithful to God's Word. Let us move forward in Him." Christian Research Journal, 41:4 - 2018, pp58-60.

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MORALITY

Moral Combat: How Sex Divided American Christians and Fractured American Politics, by R. Marie Griffith [2] -- This book (mentioned in an earlier issue <www.bit.ly/2R3CGjJ> of AR) merits the brief additional observation of its being "a wide-ranging, panoramic history of the relationship between American Christians and public debates about sexual morality in the 20th and early 21st centuries [and how these groups] share common themes, among them preservation of the traditional order of the family, the 'dignity' of women, and the rights of Christians to educate their own people." Choice, Aug '18.

In her well-written analysis of Moral Combat, Megan Almon (a speaker <www.bit.ly/2R7AlED> with Life Training Institute) presents a concise summary of Griffith's historical overview which "highlights a messy departure from what was once a 'Christian' consensus on sexual morality, and the resulting divides between religious groups, political parties, and the American people. ...

"Griffith's narrative is thoughtful, informative, and serves as a helpful analysis, especially her careful examination of the guiding motivations of revolutionaries.... Conservative Catholics and Protestants, however, will find that while she gives a nod to both churches' sincere commitment to their respective traditions regarding sex and gender roles, her full representation of their views is, on the whole, uncharitable in comparison to those she champions from the other side and, on some counts, incomplete." Almon explains this in more detail.

"As the train [of social change] barreled down the track toward cultural acceptance of casual sex, abortion, homosexuality, and gender fluidity, each step required further denial of biological reality. ...

"Griffith is correct when she concludes that it would be 'naive to imagine that Americans in this standoff can return to any consensus regarding sex and gender and impossible to imagine what such a consensus could possibly look like.'" Christian Research Journal, 41:4 - 2018, pp54-55.

The treatment of morality found in our back issues <www.bit.ly/2SbXB5M> is quite substantial.

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SOURCES: Monographs

1 - All But Invisible: Exploring Identity Questions at the Intersection of Faith, Gender, and Sexuality, by Nate Collins (Zondervan, 2017, paperback, 320 pages) <www.amzn.to/2J8ZlbF>

2 - Moral Combat: How Sex Divided American Christians and Fractured American Politics, by R. Marie Griffith (Basic, 2017, hardcover, 416 pages) <www.goo.gl/b6jdn9>

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