A blog by Adam W. Christman

Category: Current Events

  • A Warning Regarding the Watching of AI Video

    The sophistication and use of Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) has risen in recent months, creating the need for serious awareness and care for anyone who plans to continue watching videos or consuming the news.

    In this blog post, I will use the term AI, but most AI that is being used is not so much a sentient intelligence as it is actually a more sophisticated form of “machine learning” (aka, ML) and “deep learning,” which are AI-related processes for learning from historical data and for mimicking human brain functions, respectively.1 When you search Google with a question, or do an image search (like with Google Lens, which launched in 2017), or have your email or Word document propose text for something, these are often largely based on machine learning or deep learning processes.

    But as you are probably aware, we now live in a world where AI videos are everywhere. They come in all stripes, from humorous videos to heartfelt messages, educational videos and satirical, “just for fun” videos made usually for friends and family, and even more than that. These videos are shared across all platforms that support videos; Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube, everything has them. If you can upload a video, you can certainly upload a video created by AI via the prompts of a user.

    Many of these videos are well-intended. (Again, for humor, or just for fun, and so on.) Here’s a picture I had Google Gemini create with Veo 3. I’ve never had anything pierced, but this picture looks quite magnetic!

    Similarly, I’ve never gone skydiving, and rocket-powered jetpacks don’t even exist. Or do they?

    Let’s leave still images behind and go back to talking about video. The rise of the number of AI-generated videos means the rise in the number of AI video generators. Midjourney is well-known. Other generators include Descript, LTX Studio, Synthesia, Invideo, Runway, and many more. Runway, just to pick one example, founded in 2018 and has focused on improving the use and accessibility of AI tools. They have had 7 years to develop some impressive stuff.

    The rise in the number of AI-generated videos also means the rise of sophistication in those videos. My family and I made silly videos on WOMBO’s AI lip-sync app in 2021. The AI had difficulty working with a human face if it wasn’t centered or facing the camera directly. The movement could be relatively grainy. And the options were limited! You could pick one of a handful of songs and each song had its own head and eye movements that were fixed. You could not customize how the head bobbed or how or when the eyes looked side to side. We all had a good laugh at my wife’s childhood photo singing the chorus of “I Got You” by James Brown, not to mention a ridiculous photo of myself singing along to “Witch Doctor” by Cartoons (LINK).

    But when you take a look at recent AI videos, the movement is often very smooth or more natural than the videos made even just a year ago. The free or low-cost AI tools that produce short videos, especially those that do not do sound, can be less sophisticated, but they are still better than the 2021 WOMBO app, which seems like ancient technology to today’s users.

    Who knew Donald Trump had such smooth dance moves? Here is an AI-generated video of him as a belly dancer. Link: https://youtube.com/shorts/MeJnXo6gIC0?si=oA4g2WAyTR2tBx-Q.2

    And who couldn’t appreciate the fighting skills of a toddler sparring with a rooster? This AI-generated video even has sound. Link: https://youtube.com/shorts/Ulk4JAQ4Kyg?si=-0M1Cd09m6owPevB.3 My brother-in-law assisted me with Midjourney to create a video of me getting into a car. This video prompt was done with a still picture and a text prompt (LINK).

    Seems innocuous enough. If the picture had been taken in a parking lot, or if the text prompt were to relocate that man in the picture (me) to a parking lot, it would look even more natural.

    “So, why the warning, Adam? All these things are harmless.”

    That’s a great question, reader. Thank you for asking.

    Hold in your mind a simple thought experiment for a moment. What if the video of me getting into a car was set in a parking lot? And what if the parking lot were one in the real world, like a parking lot near Petco Park in San Diego? And what if a car had been stolen from that parking lot recently? And what if the make, model, and color of that stolen car were in the AI generator’s text prompt? And what if the end result is a video implicating me in stealing the make, model, and color of a real-world car that really was stolen from that parking lot? Finally, what if that video were submitted as “evidence” to create an arrest warrant and possible trial to prosecute me for that crime?

    What if somebody could create a video of you committing any kind of crime, like robbing a bank (Video Link)?

    Or stealing a purse (Video Link)?

    Or destroying somebody else’s property (Video Link)?

    These examples are silly, but think about what people can do and are already doing with actual malicious intent.

    What if someone deliberately tries to impersonate someone who can make decisions that impact people’s lives? Marco Rubio was impersonated in his role as the current US Secretary of State on July 3, 2025. Click this link to read the AP article about it.4

    Let’s talk about an example that is less personal. I live in California, where we suffer wildfires basically all year long. During one of the recent fires, there was a lot more media coverage and attention. In the midst of that time, a video came out of firefighters rescuing forest animals. I cannot find the original video I saw, but I found a similar one where a firefighter stands, peacefully looking down at a large rabbit he holds in his arms while huge flames destroy the forest behind them. Link: https://youtube.com/shorts/c2WikkwTjZY?si=_r2bzfWXqzAfT_Ia.5

    Now, that forest fire clip looks pretty real, doesn’t it? The rabbit looks like a rabbit. The firefighter looks like a real man. Looking closer and thinking clearly helps us, though. The behavior of both the man and the rabbit help us see that this is AI-generated.

    • No firefighter will spend time picking up a rabbit and admiring it when he could be dealing with the fire that seems to be very close to him. (Fire can move very rapidly, after all. He may be safe now, but standing in that spot could get him in big trouble if the wind changes and the fire takes over his position in a few seconds.)
    • Firefighters do not generally rescue forest animals. Their job is to fight the fire.
    • God gave forest animals the good sense to RUN from fire! They don’t hang around waiting for rescue. You might wonder if this is true due to the “deer in the headlights” phenomenon many people have seen, but animals instinctually flee from fire and smoke.
    • Even the bravest firefighter would have the training and the sense to deal with the fire, not face away from it when he is that close to it.

    You may find even more data points to show that this video is AI-generated.

    But I want you to consider how much AI video sophistication has progressed in just the last 4 years. We went from amusingly awkward WOMBO videos in 2021 to smooth videos in 2025 that convince viewers of things that never happened.

    We went from AI videos that were undeniably fake to videos that are difficult to deny as true.

    What do we do with AI videos, given how many there are and how sophisticated they are?

    1. Do not believe everything you see in online videos or photos.

    This principle is easy to use when we see something obviously silly or unreal, like a fish with the head of a kitty cat. But many people are getting deceived by AI videos. Factors that can contribute to our belief in these deceptions include (but are not limited to) failing eyesight, lack of knowledge of the truth related to that video, or our own biases.

    • Failing eyesight can happen at any age. Those of us with failing eyesight can miss the signs that a video was AI-generated. For example, a blurry face, identified as a well-known person, can be trusted by accident.
    • Lack of knowledge of the truth regarding the video occurs frequently. None of us know everything. When we watch a video that claims to show, let’s say, current events in the Middle East, we are more likely to believe whatever it shows us if we live in America, and if we rarely read or watch the news. We are more likely to believe that the reporting is accurate, the less we know about the situation.
    • Our own biases influence how we receive information. For example, if you have a favorite political party, you are more likely to believe the good things about that party’s politicians and you are more likely to believe the bad things about the other party’s politicians. This observation has been shown true countless times. We like to believe our group is mostly or only good and the other group (“the opposition”) is mostly or only bad. So if we watch a video that confirms the bias we already have for or against, we are very likely to believe it.

    I have shown you several videos that are silly, or that have a relatively poor level of sophistication (by 2025 standards). Let me show you another one. The caption at the top of the video is not relevant to my article because this warning related to AI videos is for all ages. But watch it anyway. Link: https://youtu.be/eQU70usQStw?si=xx1XXSDfKiELeTrv.6

    The reporters in that video are incredibly lifelike. So are many of the details, from how their hair blows in the wind, to the movement of water, and more. If AI video is this good now, how much better will it be 4 years from now? 10 years from now?

    There are and there will continue to be deceivers and scam artists who use AI tools, such as videos, to hurt people.

    • AI-generated videos will be used to make it look like a person committed a crime or immoral act. Posting your pictures on the internet creates the raw material that they will use to create these videos.
    • AI-generated videos will be used to falsely report on world events or national news in order to get you to vote a certain way or to turn a blind eye to the immoral or criminal activities of others.
    • AI-generated videos will be used to create p*rnography, especially false celebrity p*rnography and revenge p*rnography. I don’t want to be crass, but it is a reality to be aware of. People post selfies while on family vacations, or when getting a new haircut, etc. Sometimes, they send those pictures directly to loved ones. But when an anonymous user on the same social media platform, or when an upset ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend, decides to inflict pain on you, they can use those pictures against you. Those pictures can be used to create fake videos, referred to as “revenge p*rnography.” Yes, I am aware that such a thing is a serious crime with serious consequences. But people will do this anyway, especially if they think they can get away with it. So don’t immediately trust a news headline that says some celebrity, or someone you know, has a leaked video going around. You can no longer trust that such things are real.

    2. Do your research to find out if the thing really happened.

      If you are looking for something reporting on the truth, you need to take your time, check multiple credible sources,7 and—I would strongly recommend—you READ about that news item. A written article about the news is both easier to fact-check and easier to approach with a critical eye.

      3. Limit how many pictures you share of yourself on the internet.

      If you have posted something on the internet or texted it to someone’s phone, it is discoverable. Maybe you thought that selfie was sent in confidence to that boyfriend or girlfriend. Guess what? It is still discoverable by determined parties. The fewer pictures there are of you online, the fewer opportunities they have to try to ruin your reputation, career, family, etc.

      4. Do not upload pictures of yourself and your family to AI video generators.8

      Most, if not all, of these companies will use what you create as fuel for the machine to create new content. Related both to this point and the one before is the truth that if a service is free to use, then YOU are the product. Free services like Tik Tok, Instagram, et al, sell your data all the time. Call me a Luddite, but we need to seriously consider what we’re doing.

      5. Cultivate healthy habits in the context of a discipleship relationship.

      Put your faith in and follow Jesus Christ with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. As you do so, ask someone who is further along in the faith than you if they would work with you to help you develop healthy habits. Healthy habits will reduce or eliminate opportunity and desire to engage in the 24/7 news cycle, the emotionalism (both the heights of rage and the lows of despair) encouraged by “doomscrolling,” and more. Healthy habits include daily Bible reading and prayer, weekly worship service participation,9 as well as regular (at least once per week) service to your church and/or to those outside the church. Limit your use of the apps that give you opportunity to watch those videos, either by limiting your time spent on those apps, or by uninstalling them from your phone entirely.

      6. Help others be wise in their consumption of video content.

      Maybe you have kids or grandkids who have their first phones and, one way or another, they are consuming video content and have no idea how to do any of this. Or maybe you have parents or grandparents who are perfectly capable, but are unaware of the enormous scale of AI videos or the recent sophistication of AI videos meant to deceive them. Talk with the people in your life to help them be wise in their consumption of videos or images. I have seen multiple examples of AI-generated still pictures that claim to be photographs of historical moments “few have seen” or “nobody has seen” or even simply presented as a picture. They are black-and-white photographs, seemingly. But they are fakes put out there to get users to like, comment, subscribe/follow. Which allows those pages or users to ultimately sell you something or try to hack your account if you start messaging with them and they have a simple link they want you to click.

      I would not want you to finish reading this feeling all gloom and doom about this issue. AI tools have been helpful and will continue to be helpful in all kinds of ways. Ever started typing a search prompt in Google and had it suggest options for you, so you tap or click on it to save you a few seconds? That’s an AI-generated prompt as it guesses what you are searching. There are good and healthy ways to use AI. This article is intended to help you properly handle the bad content. It is NOT intended to scare you or warn you off from all content. If you’d like to add suggestions or thoughts on this in the comments below, I invite you to do so.

      And here’s me with a flamethrower and an unexpected ponytail (one last LINK).

      1. “What is AI?,” Cole Stryker and Eda Kavlakoglu, IBM.com, https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/artificial-intelligence (accessed July 2, 2025). ↩︎
      2. Username @shortaivideos2026 on YouTube. This blog does not necessarily endorse or recommend the content of this video creator. ↩︎
      3. Username @mindcraftai3 on YouTube. This blog does not necessarily endorse or recommend the content of this video creator. ↩︎
      4. “Impostor uses AI to impersonate Rubio and contact foreign and US officials,” Associated Press, accessed July 8, 2025: https://apnews.com/article/rubio-artificial-intelligence-impersonation-1b3cc78464404b54e63f4eba9dd4f5a9?utm_source=copy&utm_medium=share. ↩︎
      5. Username @heroinlife-f20 on YouTube. This blog does not necessarily endorse or recommend the content of this video creator. ↩︎
      6. Username @krayzeeclips on YouTube. This blog does not necessarily endorse or recommend the content of this video creator. ↩︎
      7. This could be a blog post all on its own. If you want to learn more about this kind of thing, reach out to me and I’ll be happy to talk. This sort of thing is called “media literacy;” in other words, knowing how to sort through the completely false, the mixed results of true and false, and the simple facts. Statistics, for example, can be easily manipulated by the skilled propaganda writer/video creator. ↩︎
      8. “But Adam, you did that to create examples for this blog post!” Yes, I know. ↩︎
      9. I say “participation” instead of “attendance” because you should be as fully engaged in the worship service as possible, not just a passive consumer. Get in there and really sing! Really pray! Really encourage people around you! Really sacrifice your time, talents, and treasure! And more! Again, another blog post could be written about this subject. (And has been, by many before me.) ↩︎

    1. Thoughts for those who feel helpless in the wake of George Floyd’s killing

      What a year this week has been. Like many, if not all, of you, I was appalled by George Floyd’s death under the knee of that police officer. And this, on the heels of Breonna Taylor’s death, and the videos of Ahmaud Arbery’s death back in February. A compounding of sin, a compounding of death, a compounding of grief. Like many, if not all, of you, I was convicted to do something to help make our society, our country, better than it is. The question is, how do we do that? If you are like me, you’re seeing all these videos, reading all these articles, or social media posts, and you’re feeling somewhat helpless and like you don’t know what to do.

      I do not pretend to have all the answers here. I have a perspective and some suggestions, and I know at least some of what I will do in the midst of all this chaos and pain.

      Typically, I rely on a view of political involvement you could call a kind of “political quietism.” My Amish, Mennonite, and other brothers and sisters are well-acquainted with this view. If you look up that phrase, you’ll quickly discover a belief that rejects and discourages political involvement. My personal view is somewhat different. I do not believe we should just sit back and say, “That’s just the way it is.” I encourage political involvement in certain ways, but my kind of quietism is to generally encourage a narrower focus. For example, I encourage people to put their focus on local elections, local efforts, meaning to start your focus at levels like local school district, city, region, and then outward up to the national level. A bottom-to-top focus, rather than a top-to-bottom focus.

      The events of recent years, months, and this last week have challenged how I think about that view. I do not want to bind the conscience of people to act in certain ways (to protest or not to protest? Etc). My views on humanity, the church, and society lead me to begin in myself, and I would encourage that in you. One of my recent devotional readings included Jesus’s “Woes” to the Pharisees, who in that day were the experienced religious leaders who should know better. One of those Woes states, “Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside of it may also become clean” (Matt. 23:26 CSB). In the Psalms, King David wrote, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way” (Psalm 139:23-24 CSB). So, I believe if we are to make a change in this country with regard to how Americans of color are treated, we each have to begin with ourselves. In the past, I was the kind of person to say, “I’m not racist” while still holding to subconscious racist tendencies and behaviors. I confess that, in my past, I have been overly suspicious of men of color. I repented of that lack of self-introspection and that kind of racism years ago, but the events of this last week, especially, pushed me to re-examine my heart and to ask the Lord to search me and show me any offensive way in me. I think Scripture shows us that we MUST do the same. If it has been some time or if you have never asked the Lord to search your heart and show you where you need to repent, now is the time. In addition, I would add my voice to those saying that being “colorblind” is not enough. People who genuinely experience grievous treatment due to the color of their skin really do need us to act as friends on their behalf. I believe God created humanity, and that He created human beings in variety because He loves our variety, so to try to erase those differences doesn’t really deal with the racism in our midst (or in ourselves). Jeremiah 6:14 says, “They have treated my people’s brokenness superficially, claiming, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.”

      Introspection isn’t enough to make a difference. We cannot stop with our own souls and motives and methods and assume there will be peace around us. So the question for those feeling helpless, and the question for quietists like myself is, what do we do next?

      Christian ethics come from what Jesus said were the two greatest commandments, to love God, and to love neighbor. There are times when it can be unloving of us to be introspective, and then do nothing for our neighbors. This is not to say that everyone needs to make social media posts! I have been reticent to make social media posts or blog posts about many things. By now, you probably already have read about how most people do not use social media to get their minds changed, but merely to reinforce what they already believe. (I have a blog post in the works to deal with my view on how to use social media.) You and I have the most impact on the people we actually know, and the people to whom we have committed ourselves as fellow “coworkers in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 16:3) such as fellow church members or other ministry partners, but also our friends and family. I know many people who actively work with their churches and communities who don’t “live” on social media. They make real efforts, they make real changes, all without posting about it. (I am aware of the irony of my saying so here, on the internet.) I am grateful for their example and I aspire to be like them in making a better impact in real life apart from internet posts. Before we congratulate ourselves for not being “always online,” we return to introspection. Some of us post online and then do nothing about that cause in real life (aka “slacktivism”). Some of us don’t post online and also fail to act in real life. We can’t excuse either behavior in ourselves. We can’t keep acting like things will get better without our involvement at some level.

      Here is where I am at. I am an associate pastor for our church. My primary responsibility is the youth ministry. As a part of that, I minister to 7th-12th grade students, their parents/families, and I minister to and lead our youth ministry team. Outside of the changes I make in myself, and how I impact my family as their husband/father, my greatest impact is to those 7th-12th grade students, their families, and the team around me. I have to address these issues with the students and their families as I have opportunity and as I create opportunities. That is my primary target once I have dealt with myself and my family. For you, whoever is reading this, your next level of impact outside of yourself and your family is your ministry. How do you serve your church? That’s your target for pushing back the sin of racism. Take your ministry, whether volunteer or paid, as a serious priority after your relationship with God and your relationship with your family. Stop playing church and step up to really love those people and meet those needs.

      The next step is, I think, between you and God as you seek how to make a change in our society. Some will attend protests like the one set for Fresno’s city hall on May 31st at 2pm. If you attend, I urge you to attend peacefully. I believe that Christians in recent protests have intended those events to remain peaceful. Some, like this prayer gathering at the Hennepin Avenue bridge in Minneapolis (link), have remained peaceful. I do not know how exactly all these violent protests began or developed. Journalists are still gathering data on that. (I won’t comment on those potential reasons here, except to say, don’t jump to blaming “Soros” or whatever; I think it’s more than any one cause.) If you protest, be better than the officers who killed Floyd and Taylor, or the vigilantes who killed Arbery. Some of you won’t attend a protest, but maybe you’d be willing to donate to causes that will help Americans of color to build something constructive like better marriages and more mature individuals (Build a Better Us), or you can donate to causes that train people of color for Christian ministry like Gateway Seminary or Southeastern Seminary through their Kingdom Diversity initiative (Gateway; SEBTS).

      Beyond that, I think we need to build up good people to become good law enforcement officers and other relevant vocations (elected and otherwise) who can make real change in how our cities and counties do policing.

      We pray. We seek change in ourselves and our families. Then we make an impact in our ministries and in our churches to turn racism into true love for neighbor. Then we seek to support through donations and attendance in any effort you believe the Lord has called you to support. To do nothing is, truly, to do nothing. If we don’t want the violent protesting, or even the nonviolent protesting, we have to do something about the cause.

    2. Jesus Loves Sinners

      Jesus loves sinners. This is one of his least-disputed characteristics across lines of belief, tradition, race, and politics. And I thank God for that He does! Because it means He loves even me, too.

      When I first joined Facebook in 2010 (I’m not sure whether it makes me more of a dinosaur for joining so late or a hipster for taking so long, given my age), I considered the whole machine as essentially a joke. I saw people getting upset and provoking anger left and right. It was as if Zuckerberg had designed it as a way to keep the Thanksgiving table arguments going year round through the convenience of the internet. I treated it somewhat flippantly for a long time, then decided to also share pictures of my kids or other meaningful moments. In more recent years, I’ve taken it a little more seriously as a way to try to and engage in cultural issues with family, friends, and acquaintances. Even so, I experience what anybody else does when they share earnest blog posts or articles intended to provoke thought (rather than anger). Those who agree with the sentiment make that known quickly and briefly. Those who disagree poorly comment angrily or “unfriend” the original poster. Those who disagree well are few and far between.

      Lately, I have sensed a distance between Trump supporters and everyone else that only appears wider and wider every week. Those of us who won’t vote for him are tempted to shy away for his supporters. (What IS the term for Trump supporters? “Trumpeters”?) We may wonder how they could knowingly continue to support that man after [reasons]. On the other hand, Trumpeters (I’m going with that one; it works for me) are tempted to shy away from folks like me, who won’t vote for that man. Maybe they think anyone so foolish as to prioritize [reasons] over [achieving whatever it is each Trumpeter hopes will result from his election] is a fool.

      Put more directly, those who disagree over politics, whether left or right, whether Clinton or Trump or third party, are increasingly less able to argue amicably. We are less able to disagree in a loving manner. We are less able to put aside our self-interest (whatever that may be) and listen to the other person, to know them and to be known by them.

      So I put the challenge to myself, and to anybody reading this: let us treat each other as Jesus would have us do, regardless of political or ideological lines. Christians, especially, take this to heart. Jesus had dinner with an embezzling, corrupt local tax collector and his friends (and what kind of friends does a person like that have?), and made known to them His love for them such that it changed their lives. Surely, we are called to imitate nobody less than Him.

      To the Trump supporters, Jesus loves you, and so I will try to, also.

      To the Clinton supporters, Jesus loves you, and so I will try to, also.

      To the #NeverTrump (and #NeverHillary) crowds, Jesus loves you, and so I will try to also.

    3. What Some Conscientiously-Dissenting Christians Think About the SCOTUS Ruling and Why

      This morning the Supreme Court handed down their decision ruling on the nationwide legality of same-sex marriage. Quite a few of my friends and acquaintances celebrate this, and quite a few of my friends and acquaintances do not. In my reading today, I have come across a variety of responses within those two streams. There are some Christians who are angry, even vitriolic, over the decision. On the other hand, there are LGBTQ folks and their supporters who do not understand why anyone might be a conscientious dissenter to the legalization of same-sex marriage.

      What you will find below is a curated list of articles and a video that demonstrate what I consider good responses from biblical thinkers. I provide short introductions on who each person is and the subject they discuss in their article or video. I will update this list in the days and weeks ahead as more helpful articles, letters, or videos come up. I prepared this for Christians wondering what a good response is to the news and for non-Christians who might want to understand what we think and why.

      “Why the church should neither cave nor panic about the decision on gay marriage” – opinion piece by Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention via The Washington Post.

      Moore explains the significance of the Supreme Court’s decision for future cultural debate, legislation, and so on, but he also explains the insignificance of the decision on core matters for Christian life and faith.

      A supporting video, “Reaction to the Supreme Court Decision on Same-Sex Marriage,” was released today by Moore through the ERLC YouTube channel. It ends on an important note, that Christians and churches are not to respond with yelling and anger, but rather with the love of Jesus. Borrowing from his Washington Post piece, we must speak with the “accent” of Jesus. We must speak the truth in love, and we must speak love with truth.

      “So-Called Same-Sex Marriage” – article by John Piper, theologian, preacher, and retired pastor from the Baptist General Conference.

      Piper gives a short-hand account of the biblical view on humanity, God, sin, and salvation. He explains that Christians do not support same-sex marriage because it is a push to institutionalize a sin. Sin kills the soul, and so we need a Savior from that sin and its consequences. In my reading of his books and listening to his sermons over the years, I can tell you I believe John Piper’s concern for those who are not saved.

      “Mohler responds to Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage decision” – article by R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

      Mohler’s article covers much of the same ground as Moore’s, though it has several distinctive features. I would highlight for you what I believe is Mohler’s wise assessment of what this means for the future of religious liberty, even the near future of religious liberty. Again, I agree with what Moore asserted in the Washington Post, that Christians should not panic, but I believe these two writers agree that today’s Supreme Court decision has implications for Christians, Christian-owned businesses, churches, and Christian schools that will be argued and decided in public discourse and eventually in the court system.

      Here is a supporting article to many of the points Mohler makes about the potential future of America based on looking at the ten years of legalized same-sex marriage in Canada, “Same-Sex Marriage Ten Years On: Lessons from Canada” by Bradley Miller. I don’t know anything about Miller, but the history he recounts is very interesting and eye-opening.

      “Black Christian Leaders Respond to SCOTUS Ruling on Same-Sex Unions” by Jemar Tisby, writer, and president & co-founder of the Reformed African American Network.

      Tisby collected statements from several black Christian leaders on the SCOTUS ruling. Maybe the most interesting to me is the last one from Phillip Holmes, co-founder of RAAN, on love.

      “Don Carson Responds to the SCOTUS Ruling on (So-Called) Same-Sex Marriage.” This is from the “Ask Pastor John” podcast, hosted by Tony Reinke. It usually features John Piper, but this special episode is an interview with Don Carson, writer, preacher, and always a gentleman scholar. Run time is ~18.5 minutes, available streaming or as a download at this link or through the “Ask Pastor John” podcast.

      In the early part of the interview, Carson covers pretty much the same topics as I have done here. The latter part of the interview is a discussion of potential problems for Christians from the SCOTUS ruling. I agree with Carson on this, that the most realistic threat (or, at least, the nearest) is to para-church organizations and Christian schools (especially those less tied to particular denominations or outright non-denominational).

      “Christians React to the Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage: 9 Key Findings” by Barna Group.
      Barna Group is a well-known research group, having conducted thorough surveys for years. On July 1st, they released this data on how American Christians have reacted to the SCOTUS decision. Most of this data isn’t too surprising. What DID surprise me is the significant percentage of Christians under the age of 40 finding so much in common with Christians over 40. I thought we were more fractured than that.

      *        *        *

      When I read these articles, I did not sense anger or hatred. These are people expressing their worldviews calmly and considerately. So on that count, please reconsider whether “bigot” is actually a helpful term at any level of discussion with those who are disappointed by the SCOTUS decision. Recent statistics say that around 70% of Americans claim Christianity as their religion, and many of those are conscientious dissenters, like myself. Religions are defined by their traditions. (Oh, and are all traditions bad? Let’s remember that the baggage associated with this word thanks to the Protestant Reformation and recent decades is not the only way to understand that term.) Many religions base their traditions on their holy writings. This is the way in Christianity. The Bible shows that sin spiritually kills humanity by separating us from God. It is, in God’s eyes, a rebellion against the King of creation. Jesus died, was buried, and came to life again to pay our penalty for that sin. This is how Christians think of the world at large. The Bible defines many sins. One of those is homosexual behavior. Christians dissent from this SCOTUS decision because it is an institutionalization of sin, putting it on a pedestal. Why would we celebrate something that kills? Our entire worldview is based on the idea that sin kills and we need Jesus to save us from it. Christians struggle with sin every day, losing many battles, but winning a few, as well, by the grace of God. We seek salvation from our sin, we seek to be changed from our previous sinful habits and mindsets into the habits and mindsets that characterize Jesus Christ, and we seek to bring those who are willing with us away from sin and into life.

      This is historical, biblical Christian thinking.

      So to the angry Christian yelling quotes from Leviticus today, I say calm down. Look in the Gospels and see how Jesus spoke to people. How many times was he angry and shouting? Those moments are rare. How did Paul and Peter respond to the courts of their day? Paul especially suffered specific and physical persecution. How many times is he angry and shouting in the book of Acts? I would argue that number as zero.

      To the non-Christian who might want to understand what we believe and why we dissent from the SCOTUS ruling, this is what I have to offer. If you want to engage in a kind discussion on the issue, I will happily speak with you in kindness and sincerity. If not, I hope that at least my brief thoughts and the items I listed above help you understand me and people like me to a better degree.

    4. When a Man Attacks, Or: Another Day Ending in ‘Y’

      By now you all will have heard of the shooting perpetrated near the University of California, Santa Barbara on Friday, May 23rd, 2014. The shooter was 22 years old, the son of a successful assistant director of major Hollywood films, and did not seem to want for anything materially. Except for the bodies of young women. According to his youtube video (now taken down), he was repeatedly rejected by women for romantic interest as well as by popular students as he sought friends. “Girls gave their affection and sex and love to other men but never to me.” His words drip with entitlement and anger.

      “Tomorrow is the day of retribution. The day in which I will have my revenge.” And “I’ll take great pleasure in slaughtering all of you. You will finally see that I am, in truth, the superior one. The true alpha male.” This is just a taste of what his video was like. This young man was apparently so angry that he felt it his right to take ‘revenge’ on a crowd of unsuspecting women who had nothing to do with him.

      We could talk all day about sin and its consequences in the shooter’s heart and the lives of those murdered and injured women. We could talk about how the Bible says that violent force belongs to the government to keep order, and how Jesus is the last warrior at the end of time while we are called not to fight any more. But I think a conversation about what to do next is more helpful. How do we prevent another tragedy like this one?

      ENTITLEMENT & HUMILITY

      It is my belief that the first step to prevent another tragedy of this kind is for parents, ministers, and friends to train the children and young people around us to be humble; they must avoid entitlement. For good or for ill, every human being’s core values and problems begin at home as children. This means we need to provide solid teaching and encouragement to our children and young people we know.

      This also means we have to become humble people who carry no entitlement. I’m going to say it again. We have to put our entitlements to rest. When you read the word “we” in this blog, please understand that I am not trying to say “YOU” in a nice way. I am fully aware of my own feelings of entitlement and so I include myself here. I must put my entitlements to rest, and so must we all. If we put ourselves first, entitlement will breed in our hearts.

      In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 6, Jesus is recorded as saying, “43 For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

      We will be known by our ‘fruit.’ In the case of this shooter, his fruit turned out spoiled. Rotten. Bitter. As a result of that, we know some of what was in his heart: deep, embittered entitlement. Humility is the antidote to entitlement, but we must work to become humble and stay that way.

      ANGER & PEACE

      “Anger, the inner arsonist, held a match to her brain.” -Jane Kenyon, “Portrait of a Figure Near Water.”

      If you were to ask my family and close friends what one of my main faults is, they will tell you that it’s my temper. I get angry easily, and often. It is a struggle I’ve fought for over a decade now. Anger can be more than a temporary emotion. It can be a bubbling force threatening to explode. As a child, I acted out by breaking things or hitting people. I’m not proud to say that. Maybe this violent young man from UCSB and I are a lot alike in that way. I don’t know.

      What I do know is that anger is a powerful force. It can be extremely destructive. I won’t go through more examples because we all know plenty of them. But anger can also be extremely constructive. When Jesus got angry, he cleared the Jerusalem temple so that the people who wanted to worship there could do so without being blocked by money traders or distracted by activities that weren’t about worship. When man sinned, God’s wrath began. But He sent Jesus to die in the place of sinners, that we who rebelled against Him might glorify Him and live with Him for eternity.

      Destructive anger brings violence and devastation. Destructive anger murders innocent young women while they are out having dinner with friends on the streets of Santa Barbara, celebrating the end of the school year.

      Constructive anger builds. Constructive anger creates peace. Constructive anger creates an opportunity for worship, and for being reconciled with God.

      We must teach our children and the young people we know that anger has to be channeled into constructive thoughts and actions. Along with that teaching, we must model such constructive anger. We all get angry. But we need to demonstrate to them how to channel it into something good.

      WHAT IS THE ANSWER?

      The way to avoid another tragedy like the one at UCSB is not better gun control. Humanity is violent, and the people who are willing to kill will find a way. How many mass knife attacks have occurred in China in the last 5 years? I have lost count.

      The way to avoid another tragedy like the one at UCSB is not necessarily better access to mental health professionals. Access is already available, and while such methods are helpful, they are not the only element in this equation.

      We must model and educate our children and the other young people we know about entitlement, humility, anger, and peace. This is and will be hard work. We may want to avoid saying something to our kids because it’s been a long day, or everyone has problems, so we think “Surely MY child wouldn’t do something like that.” But giving up on hard work like this results in tragedies like the victims of the Isla Vista shooting.

      If you’re on board with me so far, consider pointing our children and young people to the best example we have of humility and constructive anger. Jesus showed us what constructive anger looks like. He showed us humility. Jesus, the only innocent human being in history, died as a criminal so that criminals, you and I and our young people, might live as innocents.

      Do have any other suggestions for how we respond to this tragedy in order to prevent others like it in the future? What other steps can we take?

      Pray with me for the injured, the murdered victims, and their families. I do not know all their names as yet, but I will update this post as I learn them. Out of seven dead (six victims and the shooter), two confirmations of names I found are:

      Veronika Weiss, who was 19 years old.

      Katie Cooper, 22 years old.

      Christopher Ross Michael-Martinez, 20 years old.