When was the last time you watched a little child listening and responding to the comments of a parent? The simplicity of a child's worldview is astounding. Sure they have their moments of rebellion and fussing, but don't we all? Their innocent faith, on the other hand, is something we adults seem to rarely exhibit in our own lives.

As we grow older, we tend to mistake knowledge for wisdom. The more we know, (or think we know) the more we tend to be skeptical and doubting. We lose that innocent faith in others we once had way back in our own childhood. Whenever people disappoint you, and theories bombard you, the temptation is to stop placing full confidence in God.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/childlike-faith-isnt-just-for-little-children-94741/

Atheism changes over time and is a reaction to the dominant religious beliefs of the time. Today's atheism is, in part, a reaction to the political activism of conservative Christians, or the "Christian Right." This is one of the conclusions found in a new study of American atheists, There is No God: Atheists in America, by University of North Texas sociologists David A. Williamson and George Yancey.

For their research, Williamson, associate professor of sociology, and Yancey, professor of sociology, used an online survey, with open-ended questions, of 1,451 atheists and conducted face-to-face interviews with 51 atheists from two separate regions of the country.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/modern-american-atheism-is-reaction-to-christian-right-sociologists-argue-94946/#HIY7YvYGXxYe3jJi.99

In a blogpost earlier this week, I presented the findings of my "autopsy" on a church that just closed its doors and died. I knew the church well because I had been their consultant ten years earlier. The only surprise I found was that the church kept its door open five years longer than I had anticipated.

The post generated much interest. Indeed it is still buzzing today. Many church leaders and laypersons saw early warning signs in the post that related to their own churches. Many are concerned. Many want to know if there is any hope.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/can-a-dying-church-find-life-six-radical-steps-to-yes-94845/#YvpfY1eiy2kAXzLd.99

In a scene from Jurassic Park, Ian Malcolm, the mathematician skeptical about whether the park is a good idea, watches the T-Rex burst out of its enclosure and says, "I hate being right all the time."

Princeton Professor Robert George and other defenders of traditional marriage understand these sentiments. For years, they've warned that redefining marriage beyond the union of one man and one woman wouldn't-indeed couldn't-stop with same-sex unions. The same reasoning that extends marriage to same-sex couples would easily be applied to polygamy and polyamory also.

The standard response to these concerns was scoffing and accusations of fear mongering.
Well, the fences are down and the beast is loose.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/we-hate-to-say-we-told-you-so-94777/#H57G39lEvCbILhIr.99

Phil Robertson, the patriarch of the Robertson family whose Duck Commander business is the backdrop for A&E's hit program "Duck Dynasty" will release a new book on May 7 titled, Happy, Happy, Happy, in which he shares his faith in Jesus Christ, his knowledge about the founding fathers, and how he's grown Duck Commander into a multimillion dollar business.

The hour-long season finale of Duck Dynasty was the most-watched program on television Wednesday night, beating out American Idol with 9.6 million viewers, which is a record for A&E.

Robertson credits all of his family's success to their faith in Jesus Christ and their devotion to living a Christian lifestyle. He told CP on Thursday that his family has managed to stay humble, amid all of the fame, because they know that all blessings come from God; and in the end, everyone's going to the same place: a six-foot hole.

"Fame is rather fleeting, as you know, or should know," Robertson said. "Money can come and go, and fame comes and goes. Peace of mind and a relationship with God is far more important, so this is the precedent that we've set in our lives. The bottom line is, we all die, so Jesus is the answer. Many have told me through the years: 'I think I'll take my chances without Jesus.' And I always come back and say, 'so what chance is that?'"

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/duck-dynasty-star-fame-is-fleeting-what-matters-most-is-jesus-christ-94805/#uRmDmPuwww8GTVYb.99

Evangelist Franklin Graham has stated that a solution to the problem of violence in American culture could be a tax on violent entertainment.

The CEO of the international relief group Samaritan's Purse stated this in some remarks delivered Wednesday at Camp Bethelwoods in York, S.C.

"How much violence as a nation are we willing to accept?" asked Graham, who was present in York to speak about this and other issues to those involved in a Samaritan's Purse disaster relief training event.

"We tax cigarettes, we can tax violence … only God can change your heart. We need to bring God's laws back into society."

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/franklin-graham-supports-tax-on-violent-movies-games-94696/#xZS2d9X7GJMStz6O.99

Brad Lomenick, who is the key visionary and president of one of America's most influential leadership movements, said it is time for Christian leaders to take responsibility for equipping the millennial generation to lead successfully.

Lomenick's recently released book, The Catalyst Leader, is about him sharing more than 20 years of leadership, including the last ten years at the helm of the 14-year-old Catalyst movement. The movement has found a community primarily inside a series of successful conferences throughout the year.

"Part of the whole premise of the book is that the next generation is called, but not equipped," Lomenick told The Christian Post recently at Catalyst West held at Mariner's Church in Irvine, Calif. "They are passionate. They want to change the world, but they have not been given tools because in many ways we have skipped a leadership handoff that my generation is responsible for.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/catalyst-leader-says-church-is-dropping-the-ball-on-equipping-millennials-94580/#iurpLFbIW1cJo8hQ.99

Jim Putman, founder and senior pastor of Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, Idaho, shared Tuesday at the 2013 Exponential Conference what he believes can help churches and their leaders to make genuine disciples of Christ, primary of which, he says, is being sensitive to Jesus' example in the Bible instead of being seeker-sensitive.

"They're not being disciplined," said Putman of spiritually immature Christians. "They're being converted and asked to come and watch."

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/churches-should-stop-pleasing-people-and-start-pleasing-jesus-says-idaho-pastor-94539/#Wq1rWXlcVzDidsma.99

Ted Kluck and Ronnie Martin are the authors of "Finding God in the Dark: Faith, Disappointment, and the Struggle to Believe." They spoke with The Christian Post about their own personal struggles with faith and how they hope the book will impact others.

Read more at http://global.christianpost.com/news/finding-god-in-the-dark-authors-this-is-for-people-who-are-hurting-94547/#KqbCZlwObKzAuZ2Z.99

"I can earn my way to heaven."
"If I don't think about the afterlife, it won't ever reach me."
"A loving God would never send people to hell."
"Almost everyone is going to heaven anyway."
"Heaven and hell are not real places."
"My sin isn't bad enough for me to deserve going to hell."
"All religions lead to God and heaven."
"The only heaven and hell are the pleasant things and the horrible things people experience here right now."
"Spending eternity in hell is a myth."

What do these 9 notions have in common, in addition to all being false? Each of them is part of the pavement on the highway to hell. It is a wide road, and many are on it. That by the way is what Jesus said about it. (see Matthew 7:13,14)

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/preconceived-notions-pave-the-road-to-hell-93890/#gHCI0xs30CXdSJ0s.99