Links to Your World, Tuesday April 29

Here are 14 things you can do right now that could save you as much as $5,116 a year.


“Couples who live together are gambling and losing in 85 percent of the cases. Many believe the myth that they are in a "trial marriage." Actually it is more like a "trial divorce," in which more than eight out of ten couples will break up either before the wedding or afterwards in divorce.” (Michael McManus, coauthor of Living Together: Myths, Risks & Answers, on cohabitation; HT: The Evangelical Outpost)


Test Your Religious IQ. I got 8 of 10 (I missed the question on Catholic sacraments and the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism).


The Oldest Americans are the Happiest, Research Finds


My brother-in-law has posted his reaction to the first night of "Carrier," a PBS series on life aboard a Navy aircraft carrier. Kevin is a vet from the first Persian Gulf war.


12 Spiritual Lessons from 'Prince Caspian.' Click through this gallery of photos from the new movie, and find out more about the world of "Prince Caspian" and the spiritual wisdom we can gain as we revisit the land of Narnia. The film opens May 16.


“I won't argue that critics of [Intelligent Design] are always wrong or that ID is always--or even mostly--right in its claims. But I do think a compelling case can be made that the anti-IDers are losing the rhetorical battle--their frothing at the mouth reaction to Expelled is a symptom--and that they have only themselves to blame.” Joe Carter, in his three-part must-read article, “10 Ways Darwinists Help Intelligent Design.” His 10 points are exactly what I would have written. Some publisher should pick up this article for a print magazine. Read it here: Part I, Part II, Part III.


“For now, Southern Baptists are a denomination in decline. Some of you were born into an SBC church; others of us chose it of our own accord. Either way, it is dear to us all. Our responsibility before God is, then, to urgently consider how we should respond. Yes, most of our response should be personal and lived out in our local churches—this is a local church issue. But if we are choosing to partner in this network of churches, and the network is faltering, it will also take some joint action. As such, I offer a few suggestions. We’ve heard unfamiliar rumblings the last few years. Concerned voices have warned of a day which has now arrived. Three issues rise to the top.” Read Ed Stetzer’s call-to-arms over the news that the SBC is officially in decline.



“How can I reconcile my belief in the inerrancy of Scripture with comments in Bible translations that state that a particular verse is not 'in better manuscripts'?” J.I. Packer answers this good question.


“Rather than C.S. Lewis’ 'mere' Christianity, we are growing increasingly fragmented and divided by an ever-narrowing explosion of sub-orthodoxies built on divides such as traditional vs. contemporary, Calvin vs. Arminius, emergent vs. seeker-targeted--and then elevating such conversations to the level of the Nicene Creed. We can, and should, have robust conversations about such matters, but with a sense of humility that within orthodox Christianity there can be authentic disagreements of opinion. As Augustine notes, in essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, charity. And much more falls into the “non-essential” camp than many would seem willing to attest.” (“A Fractured Shibboleth,” James Emery White)


The form for an official apology. Keep this on hand.


“A passionate discussion is unfolding in public and in private among Evangelical leaders and communities. Should Christians be involved in politics and if so, how? What has gone wrong, and what has been learned from the Moral Majority up until now. In this live public conversation, Krista [Tippett] probes these ideas with three formative Evangelicals.” Listen to Tippett’s interview with Charles Colson, Greg Boyd, and Shane Claiborne.


“According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, human trafficking is now the fastest-growing criminal industry in the world. As many as 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders annually; the United States is a popular destination, with as many as 17,500 people brought in each year and exploited for sex or labor.” Read about one 17-year-old girl’s rescue and new life in the Reader’s Digest article, “The Slave in the Garage.”


I just finished Gordon Macdonald’s book Who Stole My Church? It’s an all-too-true novel about a group of Christians in their fifties and sixties struggling to come to terms with all the changes to their church. The only real characters in the book are Gordon and his wife, Gail, but you'll recognize others. Read an excerpt here.


Jesus told us to “count the cost” before following him. Muslims who become Christians often pay a high price, according to this BBC article.


In the Boundless webzine, Austin pastor Jonathan Dodson explains six ways to redemptively engage culture: prayerfully, carefully, biblically-theologically, redemptively, humbly and selectively.


Dick Staub interviews Japanese painter and Christian, Makoto Fujimura.


At Dear God you can read notes that people would like to send to God. Read at your own risk because this is one messed-up world.