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#FaithandCulture Reading: Sex Abuse, Social Media, Economics

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In today’s #FaithandCulture Reading, we cull a brief list of some of the most important articles of the week. Today we highlight articles from Keith Whitfield, Diane Chandler, Julie Masson and Elise Daniel.


Sex Abuse Among Southern Baptists

Over at First Things, Southeastern Seminary’s Keith Whitfield published this response to the abuse crisis in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). In it, he highlights five systemic reasons for the scope of the abuse, and he calls for a “Moral Resurgence” within our churches. Here’s an excerpt:

As Southern Baptists, we have to come to face reality: These reports show a systemic problem spanning decades of neglect in handling abuse cases in our local churches and through our cooperative structures. While some of these same issues may be present in churches outside the SBC, this is the moment the Lord has appointed for us to deal with them in our cooperative family of churches. The SBC faces a moral crisis as big (if not bigger) than the theological crisis we faced over the “battle for the Bible” in the 1970s–1980s. The theological crisis called us to protect the faith; this challenge calls us to live it. 

Here’s more:

Our battle is for the soul of our family. The choices we make as the SBC in the days and weeks to come will either lead our convention of churches into the light of repentance or cause us to cry “Ichabod” in the wake of continued destruction.

With ‘Gospel above all,’ Greear tackles sex abuse

Diane Chandler of Baptist Press published this recap of J.D. Greear’s recent comments on the sex abuse crisis and more at the SBC Executive Committee meeting on Feb. 18. Greear, pastor of Summit Church and President of the SBC, said:

“We serve a God who laid down His life to protect the vulnerable,” Greear said in his presidential address. “How dare we proclaim that gospel with our mouths and then turn a blind eye when the vulnerable in our midst cry out for help?”

Helping Your Teen Stay Emotionally Healthy on Social Media

Over at The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), Julie Masson offers practical suggestions to help your teen stay emotionally healthy on social media. She writes,

Many households have a certain time of day when no one (not even Mom and Dad) can be on their phones. We have a rule of no phones at the dinner table or in the bedroom. It’s important for your teen to have time away from her phone so that she doesn’t become addicted. This is especially important as phones become seemingly necessary for our day-to-day lives.

Five Steps to Developing a Christian View on Economics

What does faith have to do with economics? Does Christianity have any bearing on this sphere of culture? Elise Daniel says yes in this piece at The Institute for Faith, Work and Economics. Here’s an excerpt:

Though economics might sound like it has little to do with Christianity, we cannot disconnect any secular study from our faith.

What other articles would you recommend?

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The L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture seeks to engage culture as salt and light, presenting the Christian faith and demonstrating its implications for all areas of human existence.

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