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AR 28:30 - North American Muslims against sexuality culture
In this issue:
HOMESCHOOL MOVEMENT - What's behind Amazon picking this ill-advised fight?
ISLAM - responding to Muslim accusations about the Bible's trustworthiness
+ "Navigating Differences" statement fuels America's growing dissatisfaction with sexuality culture
MARRIAGE - update on the cost of 2015's landmark Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage
Apologia Report 28:30 (1,627)
August 18, 2023
HOMESCHOOL MOVEMENT
"Why is Amazon Prime trashing the Duggar parents and the wide world of homeschooling?" by Julia Duin (GetReligion, Jun 8 '23) -- "This past week or so has been a bad media moment for homeschooling. First there was a Washington Post expose on 'the revolt of the Christian homeschoolers' that ran May 30.
"Mind you, this is a time when homeschooling in America is at all-time highs. Then, starting [June 2], Amazon Prime premiered 'Shiny Happy People,' its four-part series on the woes of the Duggar family, the stars of the long-running reality TV special '19 Kids and Counting.'
"The latter is one of the more bizarre examples of circumstantial evidence, imputed (but not proven) guilt and overkill that I've seen in a long time. ...
"For starters, not only does the series go after the Duggar parents Jim Bob and Michelle, but it also trashes the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) or what a lot of us who attended it in the 1970s used to call Basic Youth Conflicts. Bill Gothard, its founder, resigned in 2014 after being accused by multiple women of sexual abuse. ...
"The series (I've watched two of the episodes so far) careens back and forth from homeschooling to the Duggars to conservative politics to the IBLP, trying to throw as much dirt as possible on them all. ...
"My friends (and I) attended these seminars in the mid-1970s when Gothard was filling coliseums. Our biggest criticism was that here was a single guy without kids purporting to tell families how to raise their children. ...
"Then there was another woman called Brooke Arnold who attended IBLP and happened not to like it. She called Wheaton the 'Harvard for fundamentalists' whereas no, Wheaton is the Harvard for evangelicals. Bob Jones University exists for fundamentalists. With factual misses like that, it's clear that Amazon didn't care about the finer points of Christian culture. They saw the Duggars and Gothard as ripe for the picking."
Duin concludes that "it's the poorest sort of journalism to marshal all sorts of naysayers on one side and to not represent the other side - other than to say they didn't respond to questions. There's always a way to get the other side of the story; you just have to want to. ...
"Homeschoolers used to be an alternative universe for the Post, which is why I pitched them this article back in 2012; a multi-source piece about disagreements within the homeschooling camp. ...
"In a piece about 'the revolt of the Christian homeschoolers,' far less space should have been spent on the one family profiled. I would have liked to have seen in-person visits with more families to convince us that this disenchantment is a common experience."
Duin also objects that "to portray this couple as having 'a weight incomprehensible' to other parents is loading on the drama pretty thick. ...
"I understand the writer is trying to note that these specific conservative Christians are a 'faction' of the diverse homeschooling movement, but that point gets completely lost. ...
"The bottom line: Only two people are quoted as having been former homeschoolers who are coming out against the movement.
"Counting the couple profiled in the story, it sounds like it's more of a revolt of a handful of people." <www.bit.ly/3KlQO60>
POSTSCRIPT Aug 20 '23: Some time ago, we came across two apologetics resources from Brave Books that would appeal to homeschoolers and have been waiting for the appropriate related opportunity to mention them. That moment did not come. Yet, we can wait no more to mention them:
- No More Secrets, by Chaya Raichik <www.bit.ly/3OGnwAp> is written for children ages 4-8. This book reveals the dangers of keeping secrets from your parents.
- Hidden Headlines: A Seymore Clues Mystery is a Christian children's book <www.bit.ly/3P7iaQo> that teaches kids how to search for the truth written by John Solomon, co-host of Just the News. <www.bit.ly/3KNGKmt> You may have seen John if you are familiar with Steve Bannon's War Room.
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ISLAM
"Are Muslims Right About the Bible?" by Gordon Nickel (Gospel Coalition, May 24, '23) -- "A recent public debate <www.bit.ly/43Jk5yw>> between British Muslim polemicist Zakir Hussain and American Christian author Michael Brown helpfully illustrates the two most common Islamic approaches to the Bible. On the one hand, Muslims will often argue that the Bible predicts the coming of Muhammad. On the other hand, they will often undermine the Bible's accuracy and authority. ...
"The debate ... points to the remarkable efforts some Muslims make to search the Bible's text for claims about their messenger while casting doubt on the text when its content doesn't agree with Islamic dogma. It also shows how, when all arguments fail, Muslims typically fall back on their accusation that the Bible is corrupt and falsified. ...
"Making a case for the reliability and authority of the Word of God with Muslims is always worthwhile. This is especially true of the New Testament and, within it, the Gospel accounts.
"Traditionally, Muslim accusations against the Bible have been the main line of attack against accepting the deity and redemptive death of Jesus. ...
"Most Muslims know little about the Bible and its contents, yet typically they're familiar from childhood with several lines of accusation against it. ...
"The best context in which to respond to accusations is one-on-one within a personal relationship. Written apologetics and public dialogue can be effective and helpful. However, better than a merely defensive response to Muslim accusations is a proactive and positive presentation of the reliability and authority of the Bible in Muslim terms. To do this, Christians should familiarize themselves with the best scholarly resources and learn to tailor that information to the points Muslims are likely to raise." Examples are included.
"Many testimonies of Christians from Muslim backgrounds will highlight how their reading of the Bible and their personal encounters with the Jesus to whom the Bible bears witness were influential in their coming to faith in Christ. There are no substitutes for the Jesus of Scripture, the spiritual power of the gospel (Rom. 1:16), and the effective work of the Word of God (Heb. 4:12). ...
"In his alert response, Brown noted correctly that Deuteronomy 18:15 isn't found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Meanwhile, he showed the Hebrew term for 'from among their brothers' three verses later in Deuteronomy 18:18 - which is attested to in the Scrolls - carries the same basic meaning as the expression disputed by the polemicist from the Masoretic Text." <www.bit.ly/3KjPXCZ>
"200-plus North American Muslim authorities join the sexuality culture wars" by "Religion Guy" Richard Ostling (GetReligion, Jun 6 '23) -- For some time now, we've been wondering when we would see a substantial Muslim group response to non-conservative Western views on sexuality and marriage. Finally, it appears that something has coalesced.
On May 23 "Muslim websites and social media" publicized the statement "Navigating Differences," <www.bit.ly/3YixkVW> which Ostling describes as "a new declaration of alarm from a broad group of 59 authorities, quickly joined by 150 further endorsers from Muslim organizations and local mosques."
Ostling's summary explains that "religious dissenters face 'unwarranted accusations of bigotry' and, more troubling, 'an increasing push to promote LGBTQ+ beliefs among children through legislation and regulations, disregarding parental consent' and suppressing Muslims' 'conscientious objection.' This is said to 'subvert' parents, worsen 'intolerance' in society and violate citizens' religious freedom. ...
"The Guy double-checked and finds that no orthodox Muslim entity filed a 'friend of the court' brief in that case, even though just about every other sector of American society did so, not to mention 27 lawyers from foreign lands.
"Reviewing Islam's belief, the group states that 'by a decree from God, sexual relations are permitted within the bounds of marriage, and marriage can only occur between a man and a woman,' citing Quran 4:16, 7:80-83, 17:32, and 27:55-58.
"As for gender identity, 'God defined humanity as consisting of males and females,' citing Quran 49:13 and 53:45. Also, the Prophet 'condemned imitating the appearance of the opposite gender.'
"The text says that 'God holds individuals accountable for their words and actions, not for their involuntary thoughts and feelings. … The sinful actions of an individual do not and should not dictate his or her identity. As such it is impermissible for Muslims to take pride in identifying with labels that categorize them by their sins.' It adds that Muslims 'who struggle with desires that fall outside the boundaries set by God' always have 'the potential to be forgiven.'" <www.bit.ly/47aL9cR>
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MARRIAGE
"Legalization of Polygamy Was Always the Logical Consequence of Obergefell" by Jonathan S. Tobin (senior contributor, The Federalist; editor-in-chief, Jewish News Syndicate) -- reflections upon the landmark Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage.
"In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court decided the landmark case of Obergefell v. Hodges, legalizing gay marriage in all 50 states and the District of Columbia by a 5-4 vote. Justice Anthony Kennedy, who wrote the majority opinion for the case, didn't seem to believe that the issue of polyamory could possibly be relevant or arise due to the court's decision."
Tobin observes that "it is worth remembering that at the time the gay marriage ruling was handed down, both the majority opinion and liberals cheering it sought to assure the nation that its implications were limited." That is, "according to the five-justice majority and the rest of enlightened opinion."
Tobin adds: "In their view, the traditional conception of marriage as a union of one man and one woman that dates back to the beginnings of civilization was antithetical to the law's guarantee of equal protection to all. Any objections to this principle were deemed to be rooted in religion and not the secular laws of the United States."
Tobin reviews the formative internal Supreme Court debate and the influence of their ruling upon the present. The Federalist, May 26 '23, <www.bit.ly/3Yh1LeN>
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