The Wages of Self-Esteem

Generation Y is getting into the work world, so watch what you say.

NPR's culture beat reports that the self-esteem generation, otherwise tagged as the "Me Generation" or "Generation Y," cannot take any forms of criticism. In fact, they need extreme dosages of encouragement and assurance to continually inflate their self worth.

In there younger years teachers threw out the red pens and competitive play (never play duck, duck, goose because someone may have to sit in the "pot"--and that would make them feel bad). Now that they are older their bosses must do the same. They feel they have to offer rewards for arriving on time, appoint an employee of the day, etc. Some companies are even going so far as to hire special agencies to help promote their employee's self esteem.

I guess we are reaping the consequences of having rejected the Bible's mandate to correct and discipline the child.

Encouragement is a high Christian virtue, but it is never to supplant or exceed corrections and admonitions. Neither is one's worth is not found in another person's words or inflated remarks. Personal dignity is inherent in one's personal nature: being made in the image of God.

Those Pesky Christians!

Should a Christian pray in the name of Jesus? Not if our state's politicians have something to say about it.

The Columbus Dispatch has an article on how one pastor's (I have to say, sweet) prayer was received by House members. It seems that the Scriptures he used were a bit too pointed, the prayers he prayed were a bit too specific, and the Name he invoked was a bit too Christian.

(If you want to see it & hear it for yourself, click here. But please be aware, it may convict you, offend you, or edify you.)

Also it is interesting to read how those who were offended reacted. They thought they were being proselytized!! But there was no gospel shared or invitation offered. The preacher spoke to God about the legislature's simple duty! OOOOOOoooooooooooo. How terrible!

Those who were offended want the Christians to shut up and change their belief system. They have no problem forcing Christians to conform to their religion of an ambiguous and inoffensive god. But simply pray a sincere and scriptural prayer to Jesus (with obviously no intent to proselytize) and look what you get: pure outrage.

Commode Confusion

It was recently reported that Kent State University has broken through the bathroom barrier. This past week Kent State introduced a restroom for those who consider themselves transgender.

The sign posted on the door (for those who cannot read) has a picture of a man, a picture of a woman, a handicap insignia, and the symbols for a man and a woman with a slash between the two to represent those who are not quite sure which they are. (you may click the link to see an actual picture if you wish)

With their recent toilet transition Kent State joins other potty progressive universities in their approval and promotion of alternative lifestyles.

But the commode confusion should not come as a surprise to Christians. The act is consistent with the worldview of those who unabashedly flush the authority of the Bible. The traditional bathroom designations grow out of the Bible's declaration that God created man male and female (with no in-between, crossover, or confusion). Those who reject the Word of God will end up rejecting His standards for sexuality--and, in the end, have to wonder where they should do their business.

But this does make me wonder if the world's restroom revolution is not yet completed. Certainly the transgender bathroom has not caught on yet with the wider society, but the Kent bathroom is still denominated a "unisex" bathroom. If we are to keep consistent with unBiblical thinking, shouldn't it be called a multi-sex bathroom? or bisexual bathroom? Or perhaps we should flush the gender terminology completely.