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Teenage Sex: The Underlying Issue

According to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 46% of high school students have engaged in sexual intercourse, 34% had sexual intercourse during the previous 3 months, and, of these 39% did not use a condom the last time they had sex. What is scary is 14% of high school students had sex with four or more people during their young life; remember, 39% of which did not use a condom. When taking a high school of 1,000 students, 460 of them have engaged in sexual intercourse; seven of which had sex with four or more people. The social network of these 460 students results in all 460 having sex with each other through various degrees of separation!

The focus of this blog post is how the church should deal with the underlying issue regarding teenage sex. First, adultery is the underlying issue, not age, or sex. Essentially, we are dealing with sin and therefore the inherent carnal nature. Now God explains an interesting and unpsychological means of handling teenage sex.

The church's role in teenage sex and all sin for that matter is simple, yet leaves us somewhat inadequate. "Read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and give the sense, and help them to understand the reading" (Nehemiah 8:8). God will do the rest because "the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:2 NKJV).

It is then when Godly sorrow will produce repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted..." (2 Corinthians 7:10 NKJV). For it is the goodness of God that leads to repentance (Romans 2:4), not protests, and a message of self-help (how to be a good little Christian). As it is, the following picture is how the church at large responds to such behavior.

From Sympathy to Empathy: A Must in Ministry and Psychology

When looking at sympathy-the conformity of feelings, inclinations, or temperament that makes persons agreeable to each other; community of feeling; harmony of disposition-there are limitations in sympathy by the mere nature of conformity. Because conformity occurs in three ways: acceptance, compliance, or obedience; so too does sympathy. Essentially sympathizing with another can happen for the sake of sympathy rather than the true assimilation of two people, where one undergoes distress and the sympathizer does not. Empathy, on the other hand, defies the limitations of sympathy.

Empathy is the power of projecting one's personality into (and so fully comprehending) the object of contemplation. In other words two walk entirely together; although not physically, rather personally. I do not use emotionally because emotion is a superficial response to many events. This is not to say that emotional responses are not byproducts of empathy because they are. Empathy is more than emotional enticement; it is truly to experience distress with another, which takes special elements: transparency in the distressed and maturity in the empathizer. Empathy should be the focus of both ministry and psychology, which are inseparable. If counseling is without empathy, the counselor should simply go home.

I learned this simple truth in my minimal experience with ministry and psychology and within two special books in which the authors lay themselves on the table for examination as one author lives with autism and the other with cerebral palsy. These two books (Trapped by Fran Macilvey and Now to Him by Faith Rose) are not yet published but I hope a publisher finds them soon. It is in these two books where the differences between sympathy and empathy are realized. I highly recommend all to visit these two books and read the first chapter, at least! Perhaps the authors will visit this post, answer questions, and provide any new publishing developments

Stress Sweats Blood

Hematohidrosis is a condition in which capillary blood vessels that feed the sweat glands rupture, causing them to exude blood, and occurs under conditions of extreme physical or emotional stress (Patel & Mahajan, 2010). The famous case of Hematohidrosis is Jesus Christ's bout with Hematohidrosis in the Garden of Gethsemane, "And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (Luke 22:44 NKJV). What was Jesus' agony, and what caused that agony? "Acute fear and intense mental contemplation are the most frequent causes, as reported in six cases in men condemned to execution" (Patel & Mahajan, 2010, p. 31).

Patel, R. M., & Mahajan, S. (2010). Hematohidrosis: A rare clinical entity. Indian Dermatology Online Journal, 1(1), 30-32.

Romney Easily Deceived: An Expose of Mormonism

Let us assume the claims that President Obama is a Muslim are true and America elected a President who lied about his faith. Okay, I will accept that. Perhaps McCain would hold the presidency. However, I am astonished how far Romney has come given his professed faith: A Mormon. For the record, Mormonism is just as far from Christianity as Islam; there are no lesser of two evils here.

What is the purpose of the Mormon Church? That man can become God:

"I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that God was god from all eternity, I will refute that ideas, and take away the veil, so that you may see.

It is the FIRST PRINCIPAL OF THE GOSPEL to know for certainty the character of God, to know that we may converse with Him as one man converses with another, and that he was once a man like us, yea that God Himself the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth the same as Jesus Christ did...Here then is eternal life—to know the only wise and true God, and you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, the same as all Gods have done before you"
Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp 346, 347.

So far, we have a man running for the presidency who wants to become a god! Does anybody see a problem with this? Another fundamental doctrine of the Mormons-The Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints- if that is not enough to get you thinking is that Joseph Smith lived and died a true prophet of God - Joseph Smith, The Prophet, p. 485. Additionally, nothing can stop Joseph Smith's prophecies from coming true - Journal of Discourses, Vol. 25, 1884, p. 98. What was Joseph Smith's Prophecy concerning the Temple?

"Hearken, O ye elders of my church, saith the Lord your God, who have assembled yourselves together, according to my commandments, in this land, which is the land of Missouri, which is the land I have appointed and consecrated for the gathering of the saints. Wherefore, this is the land of promise, and the place for the city of Zion. And thus saith the Lord your God, if you will receive wisdom here is wisdom. Behold, the place which is now called Independence is the center place; and a spot for the temple is lying westward, upon a lot which is not far from the court-house" (Doctrine and Covenants, Section 57:1-3).

Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, in Zion, Jackson County, Missouri, July, 1831.

Joseph smith repreached this same message in 1832 with clarity. "For verily, this generation shall not all pass away until an house shall be built unto the Lord, and a cloud shall rest upon it, which cloud shall be even the glory of The Lord, which shall fill the house." Joseph Smith preached the same message two more times affirming that the generation of 1832 would not pass away until the "Mormon Temple" is completed.

Elder Orson Pratt continue to preach after thirty nine years had passed, that the generation of 1832 would still build the temple on the spot that had been selected. Within his proclamations, details changed (the size of the church and number of people involved). Was the temple built by the generation of 1832, and was the prophecy of 1832 considered a false prophecy by Joseph Fielding Smith in 1972?

No, the temple was not built, and yes, it is a false prophecy because no soul living in 1832 was still alive. The Latter-day Saints never built a temple in Missouri at the place appointed. They do not own the property. In fact, Zion was moved out of her place two weeks prior to Smith receiving this prophecy. He was in Kirkland, Ohio, and unaware of the Missouri problem when he gave the revelation.

Is America going to vote for a man as its president who believes in a doctrine of demons, and is easily decieved? Probably... I believe Harold Camping should run as his Vice President! There is much more about the mindlessness of Mormonism, but that should do for now.

The Trayvon Martin Case: A Race to Move Toward Social Profiling and Below Reproach-The Perfect Storm

I continue hearing statements like, "Race is not an issue in this case" from both sides of the Trayvon Martin versus George Zimmerman curtain. Let us stop avoiding truth for the sake of political etiquette. Race is a factor in everything regardless (sports, politics, education, justice, and population). The question is where the racial factor becomes the focal point: When all else fails? The media has failed to expose the underlying factors in this case. There are two primary factors: wearing a persona-not a hooded sweater-and a desire for blood. When you look for blood, you find blood. Additionally, when you look like you are up to no good, you are up to no good.

Profiling a human is actually profiling the personification one carries. When you place a man or woman, white or black, Latin or Oriental, old or young into a cloaked hooded sweater; you have a personification of "up to no good." This personification did not spawn from blacks wearing hoods, rather an individual hiding his or her face prior to mischievous activity. Is it to anybody's surprise that George approached Trayvon fulfilling his dubious responsibility? Honestly though, Zimmerman reminds me of Paul Blart the Mall Cop.

However, just as George has a right to approach Trayvon, so too does Trayvon have a right to don a hooded cloak. Is placing oneself under reproach by putting on the universal personification of up to no good wise?   The death of a young man is upsetting (my heart goes out to the family). My desire is that he was born again before tasting the first death. Nevertheless, placing oneself under reproach is never wise. Neither is looking for blood.

Reports say that Zimmerman continually sought power (police academy, neighborhood watch, etc). This was no case of protect and serve, I know what looking for blood looks like and Zimmerman wears the signs. This is a trigger-happy man waiting for an opportunity to strike at somebody up to no good. Call it a perfect storm. However, this incident, although racial, is not racial discrimination.

How Natural Disasters Affect Individual Levels of Stress in a Community: The Christian Principle

Health psychologists refer to the process by which we perceive and respond to events thought of as harmful, threatening, or challenging as stress. The means by which events, such as natural disasters, effects an individual is through either biological processes, psychological influences, or sociocultural influences (Clayton & Myers, 2009). Although many theories exist in an attempt to identify causation; biology, cognition, and social factors all influence levels of stress-the three are inseparable.

Because an individual's physiology is unique, he or she reacts to events differently. For example, a hyperactive autonomic nervous system creates higher stress levels than that compared to an individual with a hypoactive autonomic nervous system (Clayton & Myers, 2009). Consequentially, Hurricane Katrina affected people differently despite the similarity in circumstance. On the other hand, perception too is a factor regarding the reaction to Hurricane Katrina.

How people appraise a potential natural disaster also affects individual levels of stress in a community. Studies show environments prone to natural disasters affording little or no warning increases community awareness and therefore stress (Kar, 2009). For that reason, the potential of a disaster striking at any moment keeps the community in moderate to severe states of arousal. However, factors such as social economic status and disaster response also affect individual levels of stress (Kar, 2009). Therefore, how an individual perceives imminent disaster depends on his or her perception of said natural disaster; thus, the differences in stress levels among a community.   

Social influences do not replace cognitive influences on individual levels of stress in a community. Social influences rather facilitate the reaction to a natural disaster pre-disaster and post-disaster (Yoosun & Miller, 2006). This is not to say that a cultural norm cannot mold an individual's cognitive schemata thereby dictating the perception of a natural disaster. Nevertheless, an individual's unique physiology and cognition can seemingly break the dictated norm.

The Bible has a play in stress management and even prevention. If an imminent disaster was to strike, yet the world knew about it, and sources report that there is nothing to stress over-all will be fine; people should go about life as normal. The Bible states clearly what will unfold (natural disasters, immorality, etc). Should the world worry? That depends on your position on Jesus Christ and His claims.

Clayton, S., & Myers, G. (2009). Conservation Psychology: Understanding and promoting human care for nature. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Kar, N. (2009). Natural disasters in developing countries: Mental health issues. Indian Journal of Medical Sciences, 63(8), 327-329.

Yoosun, P., & Miller, J. (2006). The social ecology of hurricane Katrina: rewriting the discourse of "natural" disasters. Smith College Studies in Social Work, 76(3), 9.