Truth is ancient; it's grey hairs may make it venerable;
it comes from Him who is the ancient of days. --Thomas Watson

 

9 December, 2005   comments: (0) Today's Worldliness   Inside The Biblezines: A Look At Revolve - Part 1 You see them on the shelves at the store; they're made to look like those ubiquitous fashion magazine on the racks at every check-out counter. But what's different about this magazine is that it contains a full New Testament, that's interspersed with hormone-charged sidebars designed to "meet teenagers where they are at". There's a different version for various demographic groups, but since I have two daughters nearing their teenage years, I decided to take a closer look at Revolve 2 which is aimed at teenage girls. In the first eight weeks of it's release, 40,000 copies of the first version of Revolve were sold. That's the average number of other bibles that it's publisher Thomas Nelson sells in a year. A representative of the bible translation said Revolve's wild popularity in the media "has to be a wake up call to Christians". We should show the media "the relevance of the Bible, of Christianity, as opposed to coming to them with an argument". Revolve is geared toward a fifth-grade reading level, but before you buy one for your 5th grader, you'll want to note that many of the subjects that Revolve attempts to cover in it's sidebar commentary are way beyond what a 5th grader should be exposed to. In fact, most of these issues would be better left for parents to answer, rather than some unknown magazine editor. Here's one example of the controversy that you can expect from this Biblezine: Q: I think I have a crush on my best friend (also a girl), and I am so scared. She's just so smart, cute, and funny. Does this mean I am gay? A: It is not uncommon to be attracted to somebody of the same sex who has all the qualities that you want in yourself. It does not mean you are gay. ... Flirt Quiz - click above Inside the pages of this Biblezine you will find quizzes, blurbs called "Guys Speak Out", beauty secrets, and tips on doing something for the good of the community, such as doing a car wash for charity or participating in the local cancer or AIDS walk, and of course a full version of the NCV New Testament. I have to admit, every time I saw one of the "Guys Speak Out" blurbs, I kept thinking to myself - why not "GOD speaks out" - wouldn't that be a better topic? Isn't that something of greater value? It's as if the publisher is anticipating that what matters the most to their audience is the intriguing opinion of the opposite sex. It seems to be a very low standard of Christianity that they are aiming for here. Some of the most troubling content in the Biblezine is the "Blab" Q&A's. Here are a few more examples of the topics that get brought up as questions throughout this "bible": I am 16, and I have slept with five guys. I am a Christian, but every time a guy wants me to have sex, it feels so good to be liked and wanted that I just do it. How can I stop? I have a crush on one of my teachers. He's young, awesome, and so hot. What do I do? How far can you go sexually before you are no longer pure? My parents like hymns, but I love modern worship. How can I convince them that I am worshipping God, even though it's a rock 'n' roll beat? (it answers this question by telling them how to convince their parents). My little sister has been totally hitting on my boyfriend, and it's really irritating. What can I do? I'm not sure what qualities I should look for in the guy I want to marry - except for good looks and a hot body. Where should I start? My parents have seen my boyfriend and me hug and kiss. Now they think we're going "too far". But we're really not. How can I get them to trust us? (the answer they gave involved "cutting down" on hugging and kissing, not stopping it). My boyfriend and I just had sex for the first time. Now I feel guilty. I don't want to do it again, but he does. What can I do? Does it really matter what kind of music I listen to? I like the beat more than the words. (Their answer indicates that it's the lyrics and not the music that matters, and they suggest listening to Christian rock, rap, punk, music instead). Part 2: Inside The Biblezines: A Look At Revolve Posted by: Jim B.   Link: http://www.oldtruth.com/blog.cfm/id.2.pid.124   Be the first to post a comment about this article        Home  |   About  |  Videos   |  Calvinism