A Trash Thrifter’s Testimony
Breakpoint
that went viral, a 60-year-old New York trash thrifter shared how he makes a living reselling and recycling trash in the Big Apple. From bottles alone, he makes $400 to $800 a week, plus another $1000 from things he resells. He’s found gold, cash, diamonds, and Cartier watches... all in the trash. But his best find was Jesus Christ. As the interview goes on, the man shares how after being involved in human trafficking and drug markets, he lost everything—his wife, his kids, and 10 years of his life in prison. In 1993, three ladies from the Bronx came to his prison...
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Senate Hosts Meeting on AI without Ethicists
Breakpoint
Recently, the U.S. Senate held a closed-door meeting with the biggest names from the world of big tech, such as Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg. Senate leadership informed the media that the purpose of the meeting was to have a conversation about how the federal government could “encourage” the development of while also mitigating its “risks.” Given that focus, it’s more interesting who wasn’t invited than who was: no ethicists, philosophers, or theologians, nor really anyone outside the highly specialized tech sector. For a meeting meant to explore the future...
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Using Questions to Answer Christianity’s Toughest Challenges
Breakpoint
John Stonestreet talks to Greg Koukl, the author of the new book Street Smarts, about effective ways to engage an increasingly hostile culture. This month, for a to the Colson Center, we will send you a copy of Greg Koukl’s book . To receive a copy of Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity’s Toughest Challenges, visit .
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The Sea is Still Worth Seeing
Breakpoint
Based on media reports, you might think the ocean is basically dead from pollution. But rumors of the ocean’s demise are greatly exaggerated. Recently, a colleague from Florida received an email from a Christian mom: My son Christopher, 11, used to be super interested in SCUBA diving. But this morning he revealed that he thinks there’s no point because the oceans are full of trash and there’s nothing beautiful to see anymore. So, my colleague, who loves to SCUBA dive, sent underwater photos of sharks, fish, and coral reefs. Apparently, Christopher has changed his...
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Dear Teens, Virginity Is Good for You
Breakpoint
Research consistently shows that young people who wait until after the wedding have a better chance for a stable, fulfilling, happy marriage. They also do not have to worry about sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies. Though this does not fit with contemporary assumptions about human beings, obedience to the Lord’s loving plan always works best, and brings incalculable benefits into our lives. While we may or may not hear this kind of moral clarity in church, it’s been quite a while since the government has admitted the negative consequences of unmarried...
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Myanmar Junta Persecutes Christians
Breakpoint
After , the Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar has seen an escalation of violence, ethnic conflict, and religious persecution. observers have long hoped for democratic reform and increased freedoms. That now seems more improbable than ever. The country’s ruling junta is waging war against an opposition government consisting of multiple ethnic groups. Civilians are caught in the crossfire, and the religious—especially Christians—are convenient targets. Though the brutality of Myanmar’s government is not restricted to only Christians, they have endured a heavy share of...
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Humanity Isn’t a Problem to Solve: Technology Needs a Telos
Breakpoint
Pixar’s Wall-E has proven to be among the most profound and prophetic films of the last 20 years. After hopelessly polluting the Earth and leaving an army of robots to clean up the planet, humans now live aboard a giant ship built by a company that promises to take care of all its passengers’ needs. Thus, humans are left with nothing to do but amuse themselves and eat a lot. Many Christians wrote off the Pixar classic because of its hyper-environmentalist message. However, the film’s commentary on human exceptionalism and vocation, specifically the inability of our...
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Misleading Abortion Stats
Breakpoint
The pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute recently released for the first six months of 2023. Using these numbers, media outlets quickly announced that pro-life laws after the demise of Roe have been ineffective. Ironically, abortion proponents lament restricted access to abortion while claiming pro-life laws don’t work. However, according to these numbers “reflect a great deal of potential variance.” "[T]hese new abortion estimates are based on samples of abortion facilities, not comprehensive surveys. ... For Georgia, their upper abortion estimate is over 80 percent...
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Religious Liberty Déjà Vu
Breakpoint
In 2017, the that to deny a church “an otherwise available public benefit on account of its religious status” is to violate the Free Exercise Clause of the Constitution. In that case, , a Missouri church that operated a licensed preschool and daycare facility, applied for state “funds for qualifying organizations to purchase recycled tires to resurface playgrounds.” Trinity Lutheran met all the qualifications of the program, but the state informed them that a grant would violate a state constitutional provision that “no money shall ever be taken from the public treasury,...
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Same-Sex Attraction and the Doctrine of Concupiscence
Breakpoint
The government of New South Wales in Australia is that would make it illegal to counsel an individual to “change or suppress” their sexual orientation or gender identity. But the Anglican Diocese of Sydney is refusing to comply. Last year, Anglican leaders there issued a statement , an aspect of the doctrine of sin having to do with fallen desire, clarifying its relevance to same-sex attraction. , “Probably in our culture ... that sounds harsh. But this is basic Christian doctrine. … What we want people to know from a pastoral point of view [is] that there is God’s help...
info_outlineIn today's broadcast, John Stonestreet and Shane Morris unrwap what's behind Planned Parenthood's claim that it performed a record number of abortions last year, and why the abortion giant still reaps hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer funds.
Along with talking about Millennials interest in socialism, they discuss our next Short Course, "Preparing for the 2020 Elections" as well as our upcoming Wilberforce Weekend.
They wrap up the show by noting the passing of Roger Scruton and Christopher Tolkien (the son of J. R. R. Tolkien), both men who were defenders and purveyors of beauty--transcendent beauty that lifts the human spirit, beauty "that is grounded ultimately in the nature of God Himself who is beautiful, who is beauty itself."
Resources:
Register for our next Short Course: Preparing for the 2020 Election
Information on the 2020 Wilberforce Weekend
“Why Beauty Matters,” by Roger Scruton (video)
“Good Times for Planned Parenthood, So It Says” BreakPoint
“Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-Earth,” by J.R.R. Tolkien and Christopher Tolkien
“The Silmarillion” by J.R.R. Tolkien