New Perspective Counseling » Theology

Fundamentalism: A Term To Reclaim

Terry Jackson — Tue, 22 May 2007 03:47:19 +0000

When I was a young man “fundamentalism” was a term that conservative believers claimed with pride. Oh sure, the term had it’s enemies in the form of liberals and modernists who really didn’t believe much of anything. But fundamentalists believed in the “fundamentals of the Christian faith”. Sad to say, over the years the term has fallen out of favor. It was besmirched by the liberal press and wavering Christians who were too timid to join the battle for the future of Christian influence in America. Then along came terrorism and the perpetrators were increasingly referred to as fundamentalists and that pretty well did it in.

I don’t believe it’s a term we should have surrendered so quickly. Fundamentalist Christians should have found their voice and distinguished themselves from liberals as well as terrorists. In the end they should have hung on to the name chiefly because fundamentalist defines some immutable truths. The origin of the term finds it’s meaning in what fundamental Christians believed in:

· The inerrancy of Scripture
· The virgin birth of Christ
· The substitutionary atonement of Christ
· The bodily resurrection of Christ
· The imminent return of Jesus Christ

Sometimes we let go of good words too easily in our modern world. Do you remember when “gay” was a term used to describe one’s happiness? We should not have given that one up either.

I think I will still claim the word fundamentalist, not only as part of my vocabulary, but also as part of my identity. I am not a liberal, a terrorist or a homosexual but I am fundamentalist and I am gay!

“God never called anyone to be a quitter. The word “retreat” should not be in the Christian’s vocabulary. The only way is upward and onward for the Lord.” -Jerry Falwell

Virginia Tech: My Opinion

Terry Jackson — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 03:45:25 +0000

At this writing, only a week has passed since we were all reminded of the terrible depravity that can surface from members of the human race. Of course, I’m referring to yet another horrible school shooting, this time at Virginia Tech. This time the killer set a new record as perpetrating the worst shooting in history as he entered a building, chained the doors and began a murderous rampage. Students jumped out of windows trying to escape a spray of bullets. It resulted not just in the worst school shooting but the worst shooting in America’s history. Thirty-two students and teachers were murdered with many more injured.

These tragedies seem epidemic in our society today. The Virginia Tech University was shooting dubbed a school massacre and the president of the university said he was at a loss for words to explain how such a slaughter could take place. I watched the press grill the university officials with questions regarding how this might have been prevented in terms of rules and precautions. But the news conference ended with more questions than answers. What was in the mind of this man? What could he have been thinking? The news conference ended the way it began-with the depravity of man. The press wanted assurances of how this could be prevented in the future. I contend the only way such a betrayal of your fellow man can be prevented is through a heart change.

Many will talk about guns in the weeks and months to come and they should. We have too many handguns today. I think we need to return to an earlier era when responsible hunters assumed responsibility to teach and train others in the sport of hunting and gun safety. We don’t need handguns for that. Today, handguns are treated more as status objects to attain than they are instruments of self-defense. They are adult toys more than instruments of sports. We need also to teach our children that you never even entertain the thought of pointing a gun at another human being unless you are burglarized or are in war. We need to teach our children human life is precious and we don’t have the right to be judge and jury. We need to teach them we never touch a gun when we are angry unless it is in times of war. We need to make sure that folks undergoing mental health treatment should not have access to guns. This young Virginia Tech shooter had been in counseling and had been prescribed antidepressants. I think I probably speak for many mental health professionals when I say we would all sleep better at night if we knew our clients didn’t have easy access to guns or gun purchases.

I would also like to say there has been devolution of emotional control in this generation. The generation of WWII knew first hand the destructiveness of firearms and they respected them. Additionally, this generation also lived “closer to the land” and used firearms for better purposes, that is, hunting game. The current generation does not have the emotional control or the emotional intelligence to resolve problems without violence because they have it displayed in video games and movies today. The stuff our society watches today is a far cry from John Wayne and Marshall Dillon shooting the bad guy. We are reaping what we have sown.

Having said all that I also want to say that, in the final analysis, what happened last Monday is not about guns any more than Christ’s crucifixion was about crosses. It is about the condition of our hearts. Ultimately our hearts affect the processes of the mind. The deepest thinkers will be talking about our spiritual condition as they discuss this issue. Our hearts are unregenerate and without value and direction. We have lost the influence of Christianity in American culture. Our decision to kick God out of our society was not a good one.
Matt 15:19 “For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies.”-Holman Christian Standard Bible

It’s About Not Getting Stalled

Terry Jackson — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 03:42:18 +0000

What is more frustrating than traveling in a car only to find oneself stalled by the side of the road due to mechanical breakdown? It’s important to us to be able to get from point A to point B in order to move forward in life. The counselor encounters many people who have stalled out and are complaining of being “stuck” in life. The truth is, it’s just no fun when we can’t get from point A to point B. In fact, psychology helps us to understand the importance of this forward momentum through life in courses like developmental psychology. Developmental psychology is the study of systematic changes that occur from conception, thru our life span and take us to death itself. There are two factors in the process of development. Our physical maturation, that is the biological changes that occur in us which are determine by our genetics and secondly the amount of learning that takes place in our lives as a result of interacting with others at home, school, work, etc. Social philosophers have debated for years as to how and why development takes place in human beings. For instance:

Little Brat Theory-Well that’s the name I will give it for our writing today. Philosopher Tomas Hobbes believed that children were born with a sin nature and were inherently bad due to original sin. This idea says that because children are selfish and egocentric they need to be controlled as they develop. Sounds right to me!

Little Angel Theory-What would you call a philosophy stating that inside each child is innate purity and it is only society that makes them bad? Philosopher Jean-Jacques Rosseau believed that and said parents should not control these little angels. Folks, I had two children of my own and I have 5 grandchildren and one on the way so suffice it to say I’m not buying it!

Little Empty Baby Theory-Yes, you’ve probably heard of John Locke’s theory of the ‘Tabula Rasa’. This philosopher says our children are like blank slates when they are born. They are neither little brats nor little angels. They are neither good nor bad. Society, parents and environment will structure the child’s life. As a parent I wish I could find the eraser-I think I made a few boo-boos on my kids’ slate.

Darwin, G. Stanley Hall and Freud were other pioneers in the study of childhood development. We can see that philosophy and psychology have been trying to find out the mysteries of development for a long time.

So don’t feel like the lone ranger if you’re feeling stuck in life right now and you’re just not moving. From your perspective you may have survived the childhood development but feel like nobody warned you about the adult stages. You know you are getting older physically but you don’t feel like you are moving in terms of accomplishments and purpose.

I think it’s important to do two things when we are stuck. One is keep trying. Winston Churchill said, “Never give in, never give in, never; never; never; never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty-never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense”. I agree with him. If something doesn’t work one way try it another and if it doesn’t work that way try it a third way and so on. Secondly, we would do well to look at ourselves holistically. We are not merely cognitive and physical creatures but we are also spiritual beings. Include God in your plan of action. Jesus promised that when we are in relationship with Him He would never leave us or forsake us. Prayer, the Bible, church attendance, and counsel from a healthy support group can bring renewed strength and new ideas. When we are stuck we often are tempted to turn to unhealthy lifestyles. Don’t do it. Do your best to stay healthy psychologically, physically, and spiritually. If you’re stalled try to get going again today! “There is no such thing as perpetual tranquility of mind while we live here; because life itself is but motion, and can never be without desire, nor without fear, no more than without sense.”-Thomas Hobbes

When Not To Change

Terry Jackson — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 03:34:25 +0000

American culture is constantly pursuing change. We talk about change in religion, politics, education and business. Self help books pour off the presses in record numbers each year. We are encouraged to change and in the month of February I have been joining the chorus of voices that cries out for change. But there are sometimes when change is not in our best interest. It is wrong to change just for the sake of change or to change because it is politically or culturally correct to do so. Some things we need to hold tightly to and stubbornly refuse to change even when such a position will leave us in the minority. Why? Because often many changes today are unexamined. Change because it is change too often qualifies as something good and is seen as progress. Often missing is any reference of criteria by which we evaluate change as good or bad. We don’t stop to ask if this change is for the better or the worse. Change is progress and progress is good so that’s the end of it. Well, I would argue, that change without absolute standards by which to evaluate it ultimately leads to personal, national, and global chaos. Man cannot make his desire the measure of all things. Allow me to leave you with some eternal absolutes by which to evaluate the change you may be considering today. If your change violates one of these you would do well to leave change to another day.

Exodus 20:1-17 And God spake all these words, saying,
2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
13 Thou shalt not kill.
14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
15 Thou shalt not steal.
16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s. –KJV