The Barna Group released a new study last week finding almost two-thirds (64%) of Americans believe professional athletes have a greater influence on society than faith leaders. The report also suggested most people are increasingly comfortable with the blending of faith and sports, even to the point of having no problem with the fact that an athlete like Tim Tebow is widely seen as a more effective ambassador of the Christian faith than a given national religious figure.
Peggy Noonan on Why the Paul Harvey Ad Worked
Here are some reasons it was great:
Because it spoke respectfully and even reverently of others. We don’t do that so much anymore. We’re afraid of looking corny or naive, and we fear that to praise one group is to suggest another group is less worthy of admiration. So we keep things bland and nonspecific. Harvey wasn’t afraid to valorize, and his specificity had the effect of reminding us there’s a lot of uncelebrated valor out there.
Don’t Do This to Your Family
Clovis Chappell, a minister from a century back, used to tell the story of two paddleboats. They left Memphis about the same time, traveling down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. As they traveled side by side, sailors from one vessel made a few remarks about the snail’s pace of the other.
Words were exchanged.
Challenges were made.
And the race began. Competition became vicious as the two boats roared through the Deep South.
One boat began falling behind.
Do Traditional Husband Chores Lead to More Frequent Intimacy?
I just came across a story about a controversial study that was featured on NBC’s Today Show.
Here is an excerpt:
Heterosexual married men who spend their time doing yard work, paying bills and changing the oil have more sex than husbands who spend their time cooking, cleaning and shopping, according to a new study on the subject of housework and sex.
From the study:
“Households with a more traditional gender division of labor report higher sexual frequency than households with less traditional gender divisions of labor,” says Sabino Kornrich, lead author of a study that appears in the February issue of the American Sociological Review.
Space Babies and “The Talk”
Continuing on yesterday’s theme of Super Bowl commercials, I wanted to highlight the larger issue brought up by Kia’s ad.
Do you remember it? It’s the one where a dad creates a fantastical story about “Babylandia” to answer his child’s question of “where do babies come from?”
While we laugh at the desire of the father in the commercial to side-step the birds and the bees conversation, the truth is there’s a tendency to not proactively talk to our kids about sex and as a result, they’ll often hear it from someone else.
Super Bowl Ads a Contrast of Culture
For good or bad, advertisements are a reflection and extension of the culture.
So, what did the commercials during last night’s Super Bowl communicate?
Just two observations:
1. The most popular ads lifted up noble ideals: Charles Revson was the founder of Revlon cosmetics. He once reflected that his company may make lipstick in a factory – but it is hope that they sell in the drugstores. Super Bowl XLVII’s highest scoring spots struck a similar hope-filled chord:
A trainer and his horse were reunited (Anheuser-Busch)
Hard-working farmers were lauded and honored (Dodge)
The sacrifices and demands facing military families were recognized (Jeep)
The everyday challenges of parent-child communication were noted(Kia)
2.
These Parents are Guaranteed to Win the Super Bowl
This Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers is being dubbed the “Harbaugh Bowl” – or even better, the “Super Baugh.”
The designation stems from the fact that for the first time in the championship game’s history the teams are being coached by brothers. Jim Harbaugh is the head coach of San Francisco, and John is at the helm for Baltimore.
What are the odds of such a matchup between two brothers?
Are You a Happy Warrior?
I’ve always liked the poem by William Wordsworth titled “Character of the Happy Warrior.” Though not so intended, it is an appropriate charge to Christians who seek God’s strength in their efforts to engage the culture winsomely. Space does not permit me to share it in its entirety, but here are a few poignant verses:
Who is the happy Warrior? Who is he
That every man in arms should wish to be? …
Whose high endeavours are an inward light
That makes the path before him always bright …
Who, doomed to go in company with Pain,
And Fear, and Bloodshed, miserable train!
Another Reason I Love Chick-fil-A
How are friendships forged and formed?
There are many ways, of course, from the traditional to the unorthodox, but C.S. Lewis once put it this way:
Friendship is born at the moment when one person says to another: “What! You too?”
Dan Cathy is the president of Chick-fil-A and the son of the company’s founder, Truett Cathy. Dan is also a friend of mine, and I was reminded again this week of how much I appreciate the man when I saw a column about him from a homosexual activist in the Huffington Post.
Are the Boy Scouts Endangering Boys?
To the shock and disappointment of many of us, the Boy Scouts of America released a statement yesterday indicating the possibility of changing its policy that prevents the participation of openly practicing homosexuals.
According to press reports, the 100-year-old organization’s board will meet next week at which time the matter will be debated and likely decided.
In an official statement, the Scouts stated:
This would mean there would no longer be any national policy regarding sexual orientation, and the chartered organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting would accept membership and select leaders consistent with each organization’s mission, principles, or religious beliefs.
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