Viewpoints with Kerby Anderson

Kerby Anderson
Today is Election Day, and two important questions might or might not be resolved tonight. The first question is: Who will win the election? Given our experience four years ago, the answer might not be obvious. The second question is: How peaceful will be our transition of power? Again, our experience four years ago is reason to be concerned about that.
In 1960, there were questions about whether John F. Kennedy won the presidency fairly. Rumors quickly spread that voting in Illinois and Texas had been manipulated. Perhaps the narrow margin of victory (112,000 votes) indicated that the vote total should be challenged. Richard Nixon conceded the election because he said, “our country cannot afford the agony of a constitutional crisis.”

In 2000, George W. Bush led Al Gore in Florida after the first results were tallied. Because the vote was so close, a statewide recount was implemented. The machine count was even closer, so a legal battle developed.
Those of you who are older probably remember the debate over the “hanging chads.” The case finally reached the Supreme Court which ruled the hand recounts unconstitutional and essentially declared Bush the winner. Al Gore then conceded by saying, “While I strongly disagree with the Court’s decision, I accept it.”
In 2016, Donald Trump won three swing states by a mere 77,744 votes. In 2020, Joe Biden won three swing states by 42,844 votes. Controversy surrounded both elections. If the voting is close again, the election results may go into overtime.
Will we have a clear winner, or will we have to wait days or even weeks to find out? And will there be controversy over this election? We will know in a few hours.

Kerby Anderson
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investment practices have been in the news for some time. But there is growing evidence that the popularity of ESG mandates is fading.
Alison Schrager writes that “The ESG Bubble is Bursting.” Sure, individuals would like to invest in corporations that reflect their values, but she says, “what counts as virtuous is rarely cut and dried.”
Vivek Ramaswamy warns “How Woke Capital Politicizes Your Retirement.” He explains that politics have quickly come to dominate index funds. When you buy an index fund that is managed by these big fund managers, “you’re promoting ESG objectives whether you want to or not.”
Mark Joffe argues in his op-ed that ESG investment practices “distract investors and corporate management from maximizing long-term profitability.” It diverts from priorities that align with increased productivity and focuses on a “shifting array of inconsistently defined social-impact criteria.” That is why he concludes that “ESG is Bad for the Economy.”
Yale law professor Jed Rubenfeld and Former US Attorney General William Barr argue that “ESG Can’t Square with Fiduciary Duty.” They cite a letter written by nineteen state attorneys general warning that the ESG used by one of the fund managers appears to involve “rampant violations of the sole interest rule a well-established legal principle.”
Focusing our attention and investments on companies that are concerned about the environment and their social responsibility may sound like a good idea. But the number of articles coming out is a reminder to all of us that often the details in a policy matter.

Penna Dexter
A false abortion narrative lives in our presidential politics.
The narrative is that state restrictions on abortion passed since the Dobbs decision in 2022 are placing women in serious danger. Supposedly hospitals, fearing they’ll run afoul of state law, are refusing to treat women for miscarriages or abortion complications.
Abortion advocates, including our vice president, blame the Supreme Court for the death of Amber Thurman, age 28, following a medication abortion. She was 9 weeks pregnant with twins.
Medication abortions accounted for 63 percent of all abortions in 2023. The sustained growth in the use of the abortion pill since it was approved in 2000 is due, in large part, to the FDA’s progressive easing of restrictions on its use. (Many medical experts contend the FDA did not adequately study its safety.) The FDA approved the 2-drug regimen to be used during the first seven weeks of pregnancy and, in 2016, extended the requirement to 10 weeks’ gestation and allowed non-physicians to prescribe the drugs. In 2021 the Biden administration eliminated the requirement that women seeking a medical abortion be evaluated in person by a medical professional.
A Wall Street Journal editorial states the obvious:

“Thurman’s death affirms what antiabortion activists have argued: that the two-pill abortion regimen is far more dangerous than its advocates claim.”

Since Georgia’s abortion law bans abortions after six weeks gestation, Amber Thurman, made an appointment at a North Carolina clinic for a surgical abortion. She arrived too late for the appointment. Rather than reschedule the surgical abortion, Amber opted to begin a medical abortion. She took the first pill and drove back to Georgia. At home, days later, she vomited and passed out. She was taken to a Stockbridge, Georgia hospital. The babies had no heartbeat. Standard treatment involves an antibiotic and a DNC, but it was hours before Amber received either. She died of sepsis.
No court decision or law prevented her timely treatment.

Kerby Anderson
For centuries, marriage was defined as one man and one woman. But various states and then the Supreme Court in its controversial 5-4 decision ruled that every state must recognize same-sex marriage. That was not the end of the debate. The House of Representatives recently passed the deceptively named Respect for Marriage Act to codify the Supreme Court decision.
There are many good reasons to reject the concept of same-sex marriage, which I recount in our Point of View booklet on a Biblical Point of View on Same Sex Marriage. Many of those arguments that were cited before the 2015 Supreme Court decision are now coming to fruition. And we don’t have to guess how the redefinition of marriage will affect religious liberty. We have seen it play out in the courts.
Nevertheless, a greater percentage of Americans now support same-sex marriage. When Gallup first began tracking support for same-sex marriage in 1996 a quarter of Americans (27%) backed legalization. The most recent poll found that seven in ten (71%) believe same-sex marriage should be recognized by law as valid.
This significant shift illustrates three important points. First, activists presented same-sex marriage as “marriage equality” as illustrated by the bumper sticker that merely had an “equals” sign. Second, Americans tend to take their cues from what is legal. Third, most pastors need to explain the importance of the biblical definition of marriage.
One group of Americans that does still oppose legalized same-sex marriage are weekly churchgoers. In fact, approval for same-sex marriage in this group has fallen a few percentage points in the last few years. By contrast, Americans who seldom or never attend church are much more likely to support same-sex marriage.
That is why pastors must remind their congregation of what the Bible says about marriage, and why it is still important in the 21st century.

Kerby Anderson
Erwin Lutzer calls for Christians to take a bold stand for Christ in a collapsing culture in his new book No Reason to Hide. He says we should not be complicit with the culture, nor should we be complacent in the culture. Instead, we should be courageous.
He identifies all sorts of threats coming at Christians from the culture. Most of them are from outside the church, though some have made their way inside the church. One chapter was surprising to me. He focused our attention on the issue of self-worship.
Erwin Lutzer uses an illustration he heard from John Stonestreet, president of the Colson Center, that illustrated the modern self-movement. Suppose that you are lost and have a compass that points to true north. That means you can figure the direction in which you are walking. But let’s now suppose you have a magnet in your backpack that causes the compass to always point to you. Without a point of reference, you have no idea of which direction you are heading. This is an apt metaphor for self-worship today.
He also quotes Carl Trueman and his book, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution. I did an interview with him when the book came out and have been encouraged to see how many Christians are reading his book. He explains how Sigmund Freud’s drive for sexuality was combined with Karl Marx’s quest for political power.
Sex is now politics. Our modern society now associates sexual freedom with political freedom. Therefore, the great sin in our culture is repression of our sexual desires. That is why Christianity, the church, and the Bible are seen as enemies that must be overthrown. That is why we Christians find ourselves in a society of self-worship promoting sexual freedom.

Kerby Anderson
Once students were back in school, Jeremy Adams decided to write a five-part series that proposed ideas for fixing American education. What I found so surprising was how many of his ideas had less to do with teachers and the classroom. For example, his first idea was to “ban cell phones in class once and for all.”
When he was a guest on a radio program recently, he described what he called “one of the seismic changes to classroom life since the birth of the cell phone era.” Notice what happens when students are given a few minutes of free time at the end of the class period. In the past, the classroom was filled with juvenile chatter, nervous movement, or youthful gossip. Instead, the class is transformed into a silent void with everyone looking at their phone.
More and more teachers have arrived at the conclusion that cell phones in the hands of teens (and pre-teens) is nothing less than a metastasizing generational cancer. He reports that “teachers are fed up. They are tired of students playing video games and watching TikTok videos in the middle of class. They are sick of the incessant cheating. They are sick of students who feign engagement but still have earbuds playing music throughout the entire class period. They are exhausted from having to repeat themselves multiple times because attention spans have been hijacked.”
Fortunately, school districts are setting policies that will make a difference. One school district he mentions requires students to lock up their devices in a magnetically sealed pouch during the school day. One state is considering a bill to ban phones on buses and inside classrooms.
These are all positive steps. In previous commentaries, I’ve talked about the impact these digital devices are having in schools, businesses, and at home. This is one positive step toward fixing American education.

Kerby Anderson
At a time when we are experiencing significant inflation, Jeff Booth argues in his book, The Price of Tomorrow, that we should be seeing deflation. His argument is simple: Technology is deflationary. That is the nature of technology.
Think of how much a flat-screen TV cost when it first hit the market. What does it cost today? One example he uses is his first cell phone (which was a Motorola 8000). “It had thirty minutes of talk time before it needed to be charged for ten to twelve hours, and it cost about $2,000.”
“Our economic systems were not built for a world driven by technology where prices keep falling. They were built for a pre-technology era where labor and capital were inextricably linked, an era that counted on growth and inflation, an era where we made money from scarcity and inefficiency.” We should be experiencing deflation, which is a world where you get more for your money. But we have inflation due to money printing and the declining value of the dollar.
He also documents the ever-changing world due to technology. Blockbuster, at the height of its popularity, had more than 84,000 employees and more than 9,000 stores. But the leadership didn’t see the rate of technological advancement that provided instantaneous digital delivery. No longer did consumers have to walk in the door to rent a video.
He wrote the book to start a conversation. His numerous examples remind us that technology is moving quickly and changing our world. We may be enjoying the benefits of the digital technological revolution, but we certainly aren’t seeing deflation. Sadly, we live in a present world of rising costs and inflation.

Kerby Anderson
The acronym DEI is found in business and the academy. It is now also being used in medical schools. DEI stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion. A new report of the top medical schools’ documents that DEI is being used to weed out applicants who aren’t firmly within the latest woke metric.
The nonprofit, Do No Harm, conducted an analysis of medical school application processes and concluded that these schools were raising an additional entry barrier on top of the grade requirements and testing. The report argues that these medical schools are asking these questions to “turn ideological support for health equity and social justice initiatives into a credential that increases an applicant’s chance of acceptance.”
As you might expect, the questions on the applications ranged widely. One application asked prospective students “how you have committed yourself to understanding and aiding in the pursuit of equity and inclusion in your academic, professional or personal life.” Another was more direct. The school asks applicants to share their “thoughts on opposing systemic racism, anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination, and misogyny.” The application then asks: “How will you contribute?”
This latest medical school trend parallels what has been happening on university campuses for years. Heather MacDonald documents how these woke ideas have spread from the university to the workplace in her book, The Diversity Delusion.
Medical schools certainly have a right to ask questions of prospective students that help faculty determine whether they will make good doctors. You can simply ask an open-ended question like “Why do you want to become a physician?” But these applications are using DEI to weed out certain applicants.

Kerby Anderson
According to an increasing number of politicians, the First Amendment doesn’t protect misinformation. Ironically, most of what many of them are saying is misinformation.
Former Senator John Kerry told the audience at the World Economic Forum that the First Amendment is a roadblock to progress because it allows people to spread misinformation. He lamented that “Our First Amendment stands as a major block to the ability to be able to hammer it out of existence.”
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has criticized social media sites because they “act as a megaphone for misinformation.” And two years ago, he proclaimed, “There’s no guarantee to free speech on misinformation.”
But let’s focus on his more recent statement in the debate he had with Senator J.D. Vance, who challenged him on his prior statement that the First Amendment does not cover misinformation. His response was the classic: “You can’t yell fire in a crowded theater. That’s the test. That’s the Supreme Court test.”
It is not. The quote comes from Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes. In a 1919 case of Schenck v. United States, he argued, “The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing panic.” In the context, it had nothing to do with the case involving two members of the Socialist Party of America.
It is not law and is not the Supreme Court test. In fact, it comes from one of the darkest chapters of U.S. history when the government passed the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918.
I believe the cure for bad speech is more speech. The cure for misinformation is not censorship but making more accurate information available.

Kerby Anderson
Nearly every recent survey documents the need for Christians to get sound, biblically based instruction on finances. One way to maximize your resources for God’s kingdom is to get a copy of Enduring Wealth: Being Rich in This World and the Next by Raymond Harris.
He asks many questions throughout his book and begins with an important one. Are you rich? You probably don’t think you are because you know others who are wealthier. But he reminds us that compared to most of the world’s population, you are very rich. He also reminds us that the wealth that we have is a gift from God (1 Chronicles 29:12)
One chapter reminds us that it is OK to be rich, and another provides biblical advice for the rich. Solomon underscored the inability of wealth to provide security (Proverbs 23:4-5). Jesus warned of the folly of chasing temporary wealth (Matthew 16:26-27).
A very significant chapter talks about developing economic engines. In the future, we will need to develop other ways to fund missions and ministries apart from typical fund-raising activities. He is concerned that as nonprofits and ministries proliferate, the clamor for kingdom dollars will intensify. Developing a business project that can finance God’s kingdom work is something he has not only thought about but accomplished in many parts of the world.
He also has wise advice for businesspeople, who need to see themselves as stewards. He even suggested that the new missionary will be the businessperson. They will need to understand the difference between the world’s economy and God’s economy. We all need to remember, as he says in one chapter, that life is hard, and time is short.
I recommend Enduring Wealth because it will remind you what is important and encourage you to use all your wealth (time, talent, treasure) for God’s kingdom.

Kerby Anderson
Some of the challenges the U.S. will face in the future will exist no matter who is elected in November. But it is also true that sometimes one candidate or policy can make a bad problem worse. The continued funding of Social Security is a good example.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) declared that to fund Social Security, the payroll-tax rate will have to be raised 35 percent. The CBO estimates that revenue for Social Security will remain stable for the rest of the century. But Congress will have to raise the payroll tax rate from 12.4 percent to 16.7 percent (a 35 percent increase).
However, the revenue for Social Security might not be enough if Donald Trump is able to get legislation through Congress that would eliminate the income tax on Social Security benefits. The CBO estimates that the payroll-tax revenue would decline over time but assumes that would be offset by an increase in income-tax revenue from beneficiaries.
On the other hand, Kamala Harris would like to increase Social Security benefits. Since the CBO assumes that revenue would be relatively stable for the rest of the century, any increase in benefits would make Social Security insolvent, unless Congress decides to increase the Social Security payroll-tax by more than 35 percent.
The other variable is Congress. It is questionable whether newly elected members of Congress would be willing to increase the payroll-tax rate. Their opponent in the next election would accuse them of raising taxes on the American people.
As you can see, who you elect to the presidency and who you elect to Congress will determine the financial future of Social Security. Unfortunately, they will probably decide to do nothing, and “kick the can down the road.”

Kerby Anderson
You may not have heard the term “BlueAnon,” but it is being used more and more to describe unhinged left-wing conspiracy theories. Amber Duke writes about “The Rise of BlueAnon” in the October issue of The Spectator. David Harsanyi has his book coming out also documenting The Rise of BlueAnon: How the Democrats Became a Party of Conspiracy Theorists.
The term “BlueAnon” is a variation of the term “QAnon,” which was a series of fabricated claims made by an anonymous individual known as Q. While it is true that the far right have their conspiracy theories, it turns out that many more on the left believe conspiracy theories. These include claims that the attempted assassination of Donald Trump was a staged event. It also includes a viral tweet that J.D. Vance made salacious sexual admissions in his book Hillbilly Elegy that aren’t in his book but spread around the Internet at lightning speed.
The conspiracy theories of the left have a great impact because they receive institutional backing. Conspiracy proponents post on social media claiming a staged assassination attempt. Other conspiracy proponents on TV debate whether Trump’s ear was hit by shattered glass and voice suspicions about how fast his ear healed. This should not be surprising given the many years the media and members of Congress kept promoting the Russian collusion hoax.
Although the media narrative is that conservatives are the ones believing most conspiracy theories, that is not what some of the latest polls have discovered. One poll found twice as many Democrats as Republicans believed “the Holocaust is a myth.” Previous polls have also discovered that Democrats are more likely to be 9/11 “Truthers.”
It turns out that some of the most damaging misinformation is coming from BlueAnon.

Kerby Anderson
What do people in the intelligence community believe are the greatest threats to America? I had an opportunity to watch one presentation that listed five threats.
The first is the possibility of an EMP attack in which a nuclear weapon is detonated at high altitude over this country. The Congressional EMP Commission has stated this could bring down our entire power grid.
The second threat could have a similar impact. This is the concern that sleeper agents from foreign countries in this country get activated and take down this country’s power grid or conduct terrorist actions.
A third concern is the possibility that massive supply chain disruptions surface because of looters or rioters who target food production facilities and supply chains. We have seen many suspicious fires at food production plants. This overlaps with a fourth concern that the country breaks out into a civil war with certain states deciding to secede and close their borders.
A fifth concern results from China invading Taiwan. Some fear that that could trigger World War III if the US decides to respond. China has the largest navy in the world and more warships than the US.
I listed these in descending order of disruption. The first two threats would have a devastating impact on the country. Supply chain disruption would be harsh in some areas, perhaps less in others. And we might hope that the likelihood of a national civil war or the onset of World War III would be less likely, but very devastating if it occurred.
These threats are a reminder that we need to have serious and capable people in office. It is also a reminder that each of us need to also prepare for scenarios like these we hope and pray never occur.

Penna Dexter
According to statistics from George Barna, 41 million Americans who describe themselves as “born-again Christians” are “unlikely” to vote in the November elections. His research, conducted in August and September, dug deeper into the reasons for these Christians’ complacency. Family Research Council’s daily news publication, The Washington Stand, reports that 68 percent of them said they’re not interested in politics, 57 percent don’t like either of the presidential candidates, 52 percent don’t think their vote will make a difference, and 48 percent of respondents cited concerns about manipulation of election results.
It’s not just the presidency that’s at stake. FRC’s president, Tony Perkins, encourages believers to pay attention and weigh in all the way down the ballot, warning that: “Control of the House and Senate hangs in the balance.” He points out that “Governors, state attorneys general, local school boards, even comptrollers are amassing major victories in protecting children from radical gender ideology, pushing back on corporate America’s woke agenda, fighting the Biden administration’s lawless overreach, and passing sweeping pro-life and pro-parent laws.”
FRC brought several speakers and pastors to Washington DC last weekend for its Pray, Vote Stand conference. Cornerstone Chapel Pastor Gary Hamrick told the crowd, “Let me tell you what happens when we are not involved in the political process: We open the door for every evil ideology to fill the vacuum.”
In Romans 13, we read that government is created and established by God. In our nation, we have the opportunity to influence the government by choosing our leaders. Christians who do not vote shirk a crucial responsibility for stewardship. The Left is ready to pass laws that will entrench its power and make elections pointless.
Another pastor, Jack Hibbs, told the DC audience we must take every opportunity God gives us to advance His kingdom. “And,” he said, “voting is the easiest.”
If you’re not planning to vote, he says, “you need to repent.”

Kerby Anderson
The other day I came across a shocking statistic. Lee Burdette Williams says, “About three million first-time college students will soon be arriving on campus—most of them coming directly from high school. About one million of them won’t make it through their first year or return as sophomores.” She concludes that “this attrition is financially and emotionally devastating for families” and it is also “destabilizing for colleges.”
Why is this happening? Many of these departures are financial. Higher education costs so much and has been rising more than twice as fast as inflation. But another factor, often ignored, are the mental challenges these incoming college students face. Just consider these two facts.
First, nearly half (44%) of all college students report symptoms of depression and anxiety. Second, the rate of students taking psychiatric medication doubled in less than a decade and a half (2007 to 2019) and now includes one quarter (25%) of all students.
Lee Burdette Williams has served as dean of students at the University of Connecticut and later at Wheaton College. She suggests that the nine weeks between high school graduation and a student’s arrival on campus are not enough time for social and mental adjustment. They go from being under their parent’s authority and management to independent living. Although many of us made this transition in the past, today’s students seem less mentally equipped to do so.
That is why she suggests two alternatives. One is what she calls a “half-step year” where the student lives at home while attending a local college. The other is a full “gap year” which is becoming more popular and provides students with an opportunity to pursue study or experiences that may enhance their resume.
If you want to make sure your child or grandchild doesn’t drop out of college, you might explore some of her suggested alternatives.

Kerby Anderson
As we look through the corridors of history, we see the rise and fall of nations. The symptoms of societal decline are well known. Governments spend too much and debase their currency. Leaders get decadent and patriotism declines. Families fracture, and eventually the society falls apart.
A nation in decline fails to protect its citizens. One of the important functions of a society is to protect the weak from those who intend them harm. Not only is crime in the streets, but it becomes difficult and eventually impossible to travel anywhere.
In the ancient world, that surfaced in the form of highway robbery. In a recent commentary, Tucker Carlson explained that the modern version of this is carjacking. “Carjacking is the clearest possible sign that your civilization is falling apart and that’s why you find it in places like Somalia and South Africa, places where force, violence, and clan loyalty have replaced law and order, places where ‘might makes right.’ In the city of Johannesburg, for example, a vehicle is hijacked on average once every hour of the day. Now once that happens, there’s really no coming back from it. Nobody’s going to build anything in the city with endemic carjacking.”
Tucker Carlson then brought the story closer to home. He explained that carjacking has become a permanent feature of life in New Orleans. That’s not surprising since the city probably needs 2,000 police and has under 500 active-duty police.
The crime problem in this city can be found in many other cities in the nation. Two years of “defund the police” have had their toll on the officers on the police force and have kept possible recruits from joining the police force in their city.
There are many signs of societal decline. We should add increased crime and carjacking to the growing list of problems in America.

Kerby Anderson
When I talk about the polarization in this country, I am often asked why is there so much hostility against Christians? We are often the greatest source of ministry and encouragement in the community.
In his book, Christians in a Cancel Culture, Joe Dallas devotes a chapter to this question about hostility toward Christians. You can summarize his excellent discussion with three words that begin with the letter “C.”
The first is convenience. Whenever truth is told, someone is inconvenienced. Former worshippers of the Goddess Diana were upset when the gospel was preached in Ephesus. The silversmith who made money selling shrines was negatively affected. Elijah’s words to Ahab were an inconvenience to the King.
The teachings of Jesus were certainly troubling to the religious leaders of His day. He rebuked their hypocrisy (Matthew 23) and presented Himself as Savior (John 3:16) and the way to salvation (John 14:6).
The second is conscience. Presenting biblical truth can prick the conscience of unbelievers and carnal Christians. One example, he cites, is the accusers of the adulterous woman who were convicted of their own sins (John 8), because that conviction can be found in both Christians and non-Christians (Romans 2:15).
The third is conviction. It would be a mistake to assume that hostility toward biblical truth springs only from an inconvenienced agenda or a pricked conscience. Saul of Tarsus had strong convictions. He “persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it” (Galatians 1:13). But after his conversion was able to later say that he “lived in all good conscience before God until this day” (Acts 23:1).
Should we expect hostility? Jesus faced hostility, so we will likely face hostility as well as we present biblical truth. We should speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) and leave the rest to God.

Kerby Anderson
Yesterday I talked about the book, The Sovereign Individual which decades ago predicted the death of the nation state. To paraphrase Mark Twain, the rumors of the demise of the nation state are greatly exaggerated. Governments may still exist and exercise their power, but we can see how the power and influence of some governments are in decline. There are many reasons for this trend.
First, is geography. The information revolution has made it possible for many people to make a living online or by working remotely. A factory has a more difficult time changing locations, though many have done so by even leaving the US. By contrast, an individual participating in the cyber economy can pick up and leave a jurisdiction if taxes, regulations, or even climate is unfavorable. They can move from one state to another or from one country to another, and usually, the government is powerless to stop them.
Second, is the reality of a government monopoly. When we go into a store or a coffee shop, we expect customer service, but governments take us for granted and rarely treat us like customers. The authors use this example:
If you went into a store to buy furniture, and the salespeople took your money but then proceeded to ignore your requests and consult others about how to spend your money, you would quite rightly be upset… The fact that something very like this happens in dealings with governments shows how little control its “customers” actually have.
A third reason, not mentioned in the book, is the sad reality that governments are broke. You could argue that the US is $31 trillion past broke. Put another way, the US national debt is significantly more than GDP. And there are a dozen other countries in the world with higher debt loads. This is not sustainable.
Nation states are not dead, but most of them are dying.

Kerby Anderson
The authors of their book, The Sovereign Individual, explain that we are entering into the fourth stage of human society. First, there were the hunting and gathering societies. Then came the agricultural societies. More recently we had the industrial societies. Now, we live within informational societies.
Although the book was written in the 1990s, there are sections of the book that are quoted even now in the second decade of the 21st century. The authors predicted we would use our phones for news, information, and financial transactions. They predicted more people would be learning online. More and more people would be working remotely. And they predicted the rise of “cybercash” and privatized money.
But let me also add that they were also like a typical baseball player and had both hits and misses. But we should appreciate the predictions that were on target. The accuracy of their predictions resulted in part because of the pandemic and lockdowns. The last two years accelerated the trends of remote working and online education. A federal government that printed so much money, increased consumer interest in cryptocurrencies and digital cash.
The authors say we can learn lessons from the past as we see what happened when the agricultural revolution changed society. We can see parallels between the decline of the Church and what they predict will be the decline of the nation-state. Mass production of books ended the Church’s monopoly on Scripture and information. They predict that the information revolution will destroy the power of the nation-state, and allow people to change locations if laws, taxes, or regulations are unfavorable.
Although this book was written two decades ago, it predicted many of the changes we are seeing in our world today during this fourth stage of society.

Penna Dexter
The New York Times recently reported on an “emerging truth” among Christians. Correspondent Ruth Graham writes, “For the first time in modern American history, young men are now more religious than their female peers. They attend services more often and are more likely to identify as religious.”
This dynamic applies only to Christians who are part of Generation Z. (Gen Z currently encompasses ages 12-27.) A survey of over 5000 Americans done last year by the Survey Center on American Life at the American Enterprise Institute found that, in every other demographic, men were more likely than women to describe themselves as religiously unaffiliated. But, the study shows that within Gen Z, the opposite is the case. As The Times’ Ruth Graham puts it: “The men are staying in church, while the women are leaving at a remarkable clip.”
A recent Wall Street Journal article outlined the metrics in which young men “keep falling behind” their female peers. Fewer are attending college. Fewer are employed. Fewer are looking for work or obtaining workforce training. Fewer feel needed.  More report being lonely. More commit suicide.
One reason more young men are in church may be that many churches are intentionally speaking to these trends. New York Times columnist Ross Douthat writes, “It may be, then, that churches that seem like home to young men are particularly well positioned to do that kind of work — stabilizing and elevating men who are currently adrift and making them more appealing as potential spouses than any currently available force in either ‘normie’ or very online culture.”
The AEI survey shows 61 percent of Gen Z women identify as feminist. Perhaps they’re not as onboard with this “macho Christianity.” Mary Harrington, author of Feminism Against Progress, coined the term and says young men are attracted to “a Christianity that is prepared to fight, to struggle, to refuse therapeutic winsomeness.”
Hopefully, these guys will invite the girls back to church.