Students learn to apply Bible to current issues

Published 5:26 pm Monday, November 19, 2007

By Ashley McCleery

The North Jefferson News



On Thursday, high school students in the surrounding area gathered at Tabernacle Christian School for an all day Teen Biblical Worldview Conference, which taught students to use biblical truths to address public policy issues.

Sponsored by the Alabama Christian Education Association (ACEA), this event derived from ACEA’s executive director Robin Mears’ burden to prepare the youth of today to make an impact on the state and nation for the Lord.

“Our intent was to get students to focus more on applying principles of Christ on current issues,” Mears said. “We want to equip them to be able to face those who are adverse to their beliefs and come out intact.”

The conference began with ABC 33/40 chief meteorologist James Spann sharing his thoughts on global warming. Spann recently butted heads with Heide Cullen from the Weather Channel on the issue because he said he didn’t believe in global warming.

So, Spann enlightened the students on how science is misused when proving global warming and shared his beliefs that global warming fits into God’s design of the earth.

“I learned a lot about global warming and that it’s not as catastrophic as people make it seem,” Middle Valley High School freshman said.

Then Ned Ryun, a former presidential writer for George W. Bush and a previous director of the Christian right youth organization Generation Joshua, delved into historical and scriptural evidence for Christians being involved in the civic and political arena.

Since Ryun is a son of a congressman and has served as a Defense Fellow at the Pentagon, he used his experience as a Christian involved in the government to examine how the church and government are interrelated.

In Ryun’s last speech detailing fourteen men and women who had a positive influence on history through their Christian faith, he encouraged students to be among this generation’s influential Christians.

“Elijah Lovejoy [an American minister and journalist who was murdered for his abolitionist views] said ‘I fear God more than men.’ It’s a good question for all of us,” Ryun said during his speech. “If we fear God more than men, then He will give us courage to go against injustices.”

In between sessions, the students also watched “Censoring the Church,” a video produced by the Family Research Council that displays how hate crime laws threaten free speech.

Overall, Mears said this conference allowed students to hear perspectives from prominent role models who are not only active Christians but also political and societal figures. “We had quality people speaking that are experts in their field…Students need to be fully educated on these subjects to make a difference for Christ in the world.”