Zach Uram's Blog

  • Women in the Early Church

    Background

    Orthodox Metropolitan Kallistos Ware describes his view, on the possible ordination of women in the Orthodox church below:

    Thankfully, most Orthodox oppose the practice and see it absent in church tradition, and the writing of the Church fathers. Kallistos is a theological liberal who has taken up many heresies over the years.

    This video was posted in one of my Facebook groups. It elicited this response:

    Is Alexander correct, and the church has been wrong for 2,000 years? Has there been a vast and deep seated conspiracy to cover up the role of women in the Early Church? Can this be blamed on patriarchy? In my opinion, this feminist view of the Early Church practice is nonsense. Its defenders are forced to employ specious reasoning, inference from silence, and history so revisionist it is intellectually dishonest. If Christ wanted women priests/bishops He would have made one an Apostle. The entire witness of the New Testament and church history is against this ridiculous idea that there were female priests in the Early Church. It’s actually quite laughable!!! No serious student of history would give this view credence. BTW, it should be noted Alexander is a Roman Catholic.

    Frescoes

    Much attention was given to the frescoes, in the Catacombs of Priscilla, underneath the city of Rome. But contrary to what feminists, and those in favor of women being ordained say, the scenes are not depicting what they claim.

    Fabrizio Bisconti, the superintendent of the Vatican’s sacred archaeology commission, said such a reading of the frescoes was pure “fable, a legend.” Bisconti said the scene of the banquet wasn’t a Eucharistic banquet but a funeral banquet. He said that even though women were present they weren’t celebrating Mass.

    Bisconti said the other fresco of the woman with her hands up in prayer was just that — a woman praying.

    “These are readings of the past that are a bit sensationalistic but aren’t trustworthy,” he said.

    Only those who do not know the basics of Early Christian archeology could write such nonsense. These frescoes were known and represented in the books for centuries, but a careless reader could get the impression that it is a novelty due to the recent restoration. In the Roman catacombs (as in the sarcophagi), there are dozens of representations of figures with arms outstretched (women, men, children), and then this fresco has nothing exceptional. Their meaning is simple: it is the deceased preaching in the paradise. If you look to the fresco from the Catacombs of Priscilla you can see in the center the dead woman preaching and in the left there is the woman wedding and in the right her motherhood.

    The women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says.

    1 Corinthians 14:34

    I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.

    1 Timothy 2:12

    Patristics

    The following quotations from the Church Fathers constitute a part of the tradition on which the teaching that women can’t be ordained rests.

    Irenaeus

    “Pretending to consecrate cups mixed with wine, and protracting to great length the word of invocation, [Marcus the Gnostic heretic] contrives to give them a purple and reddish color. . . . [H]anding mixed cups to the women, he bids them consecrate these in his presence.

    “When this has been done, he himself produces another cup of much larger size than that which the deluded woman has consecrated, and pouring from the smaller one consecrated by the woman into that which has been brought forward by himself, he at the same time pronounces these words: ‘May that Charis who is before all things and who transcends all knowledge and speech fill your inner man and multiply in you her own knowledge, by sowing the grain of mustard seed in you as in good soil.’

    “Repeating certain other similar words, and thus goading on the wretched woman [to madness], he then appears a worker of wonders when the large cup is seen to have been filled out of the small one, so as even to overflow by what has been obtained from it. By accomplishing several other similar things, he has completely deceived many and drawn them away after him” (Against Heresies 1:13:2 [A.D. 189]).

    Tertullian

    “It is of no concern how diverse be their [the heretics’] views, so long as they conspire to erase the one truth. They are puffed up; all offer knowledge. Before they have finished as catechumens, how thoroughly learned they are! And the heretical women themselves, how shameless are they! They make bold to teach, to debate, to work exorcisms, to undertake cures . . . ” (Demurrer Against the Heretics 41:4–5 [A.D. 200]).

    “It is not permitted for a woman to speak in the church [1 Cor 14:34–35], but neither [is it permitted her] . . . to offer, nor to claim to herself a lot in any manly function, not to say sacerdotal office” (The Veiling of Virgins 9 [A.D. 206]).

    Hippolytus

    “When a widow is to be appointed, she is not to be ordained, but is designated by being named [a widow]. . . . A widow is appointed by words alone, and is then associated with the other widows. Hands are not imposed on her, because she does not offer the oblation and she does not conduct the liturgy. Ordination is for the clergy because of the liturgy; but a widow is appointed for prayer, and prayer is the duty of all” (The Apostolic Tradition 11 [A.D. 215]).

    The Didascalia

    “For it is not to teach that you women . . . are appointed. . . . For he, God the Lord, Jesus Christ our Teacher, sent us, the twelve [apostles], out to teach the [chosen] people and the pagans. But there were female disciples among us: Mary of Magdala, Mary the daughter of Jacob, and the other Mary; he did not, however, send them out with us to teach the people. For, if it had been necessary that women should teach, then our Teacher would have directed them to instruct along with us” (Didascalia 3:6:1–2 [A.D. 225]).

    Firmilian

    “[T]here suddenly arose among us a certain woman, who in a state of ecstasy announced herself as a prophetess and acted as if filled with the Holy Ghost. . . . Through the deceptions and illusions of the demon, this woman had previously set about deluding believers in a variety of ways. Among the means by which she had deluded many was daring to pretend that, through proper invocation, she consecrated bread and performed the Eucharist” (collected in Cyprian’s Letters 74:10 [A.D. 253]).

    Council of Nicaea I

    “Similarly, in regard to the deaconesses, as with all who are enrolled in the register, the same procedure is to be observed. We have made mention of the deaconesses, who have been enrolled in this position, although, not having been in any way ordained, they are certainly to be numbered among the laity” (Canon 19 [A.D. 325]).

    Council of Laodicea

    “[T]he so-called ‘presbyteresses’ or ‘presidentesses’ are not to be ordained in the Church” (Canon 11 [A.D. 360]).

    Epiphanius of Salamis

    “Certain women there in Arabia [the Collyridians] . . . In an unlawful and basphemous ceremony . . . ordain women, through whom they offer up the sacrifice in the name of Mary. This means that the entire proceeding is godless and sacrilegious, a perversion of the message of the Holy Spirit; in fact, the whole thing is diabolical and a teaching of the impure spirit” (Against Heresies 78:13 [A.D. 377]).

    “It is true that in the Church there is an order of deaconesses, but not for being a priestess, nor for any kind of work of administration, but for the sake of the dignity of the female sex, either at the time of baptism or of examining the sick or suffering, so that the naked body of a female may not be seen by men administering sacred rites, but by the deaconess” (ibid.).

    “From this bishop [James the Just] and the just-named apostles, the succession of bishops and presbyters [priests] in the house of God have been established. Never was a woman called to these. . . . According to the evidence of Scripture, there were, to be sure, the four daughters of the evangelist Philip, who engaged in prophecy, but they were not priestesses” (ibid.).

    “If women were to be charged by God with entering the priesthood or with assuming ecclesiastical office, then in the New Covenant it would have devolved upon no one more than Mary to fulfill a priestly function. She was invested with so great an honor as to be allowed to provide a dwelling in her womb for the heavenly God and King of all things, the Son of God. . . . But he did not find this [the conferring of priesthood on her] good” (ibid., 79:3).

    John Chrysostom

    “[W]hen one is required to preside over the Church and to be entrusted with the care of so many souls, the whole female sex must retire before the magnitude of the task, and the majority of men also, and we must bring forward those who to a large extent surpass all others and soar as much above them in excellence of spirit as Saul overtopped the whole Hebrew nation in bodily stature” (The Priesthood 2:2 [A.D. 387]).

    The Apostolic Constitutions

    “A virgin is not ordained, for we have no such command from the Lord, for this is a state of voluntary trial, not for the reproach of marriage, but on account of leisure for piety” (Apostolic Constitutions 8:24 [A.D. 400]).

    “Appoint, [O Bishop], a deaconess, faithful and holy, for the ministering of women. For sometimes it is not possible to send a deacon into certain houses of women, because of unbelievers. Send a deaconess, because of the thoughts of the petty. A deaconess is of use to us also in many other situations. First of all, in the baptizing of women, a deacon will touch only their forehead with the holy oil, and afterwards the female deacon herself anoints them” (ibid., 3:16).

    “[T]he ‘man is the head of the woman’ [1 Cor. 11:3], and he is originally ordained for the priesthood; it is not just to abrogate the order of the creation and leave the first to come to the last part of the body. For the woman is the body of the man, taken from his side and subject to him, from whom she was separated for the procreation of children. For he says, ‘He shall rule over you’ [Gen. 3:16]. . . . But if in the foregoing constitutions we have not permitted them [women] to teach, how will any one allow them, contrary to nature, to perform the office of the priest? For this is one of the ignorant practices of Gentile atheism, to ordain women priests to the female deities, not one of the constitutions of Christ” (ibid., 3:9).

    “A deaconess does not bless, but neither does she perform anything else that is done by presbyters [priests] and deacons, but she guards the doors and greatly assists the presbyters, for the sake of decorum, when they are baptizing women” (ibid., 8:28).

    Augustine

    “[The Quintillians are heretics who] give women predominance so that these, too, can be honored with the priesthood among them. They say, namely, that Christ revealed himself . . . to Quintilla and Priscilla [two Montanist prophetesses] in the form of a woman” (Heresies 1:17 [A.D. 428]).

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  • Reformed Theology: An Introduction

    Here is a set of 12 videos, by Dr. R.C. Sproul, teaching the basics of Reformed Theology. I highly recommend this video series! Dr. Sproul was a gifted communicator, and conveyor of Reformed theology.

    Click image to be taken to the website with the videos.

    Also, if you’re looking for a book, I highly recommend this one, which has the same name as the video series. It’s probably the best modern book to introduce Reformed theology to someone who knows very little about it.

    What is Reformed Theology?: Understanding the Basics
    by R. C. Sproul

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  • Evolution is a hoax

    THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE OF MACRO EVOLUTION, WHERE ONE SPECIES CHANGES INTO A TOTALLY NEW SPECIES.

    In a recent discussion, a friend who supports evolution offered this site as evidence of evolution in the fossil record:

    Evidence of Evolution

    This “evidence” is laughable. As I said to him earlier, he has been utterly brainwashed. All the transitional fossils are missing, not a single one out of the hundreds of thousands of fossils we have found! This is very sad indeed. Evolution is not a proper scientific theory even. Christians who support theistic evolution ONLY believe in evolution because they have been conditioned to. Theistic evolutionists try to have their cake and eat it too! I’ll stick with God’s Infallible Word, not science and it’s transitory knowledge and conjecture without solid evidence.

    It’s truly sad to see Christians embrace evolution. I hope the next generation won’t be as brainwashed thanks to the homeschooling movement. The public schools are atheism factories. Most evolutionists wouldn’t know real science if it fell on their heads! Evolution is fairy tales for adults who should know better. God’s Word is crystal clear how He created man, it had NOTHING to do with a ape-man common ancestor. I’ll stick with God’s infallible Word.

    Here are 44 reasons why the evolution of one species into another new species is a false scientific theory that is built more on wishful thinking than hard empirical data!

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  • A Reformed conversation on nouthetic and biblical counseling

    I just had a very fruitful exchange with a dear brother, Philip, who is Reformed like me, and who suffers from serious mental illness like me, on the topic of my recent blog post on Jay Adam’s nouthetic counseling. If you’d like to read the blog post to see what precisely he responded to you can find it here:

    Nouthetic Counseling: A Critical Evaluation

    Here are his comments in response to my blog post:

    My reply is below:

    I see. Thanks for your thoughtful reply brother. I shall do some more reading on biblical counseling, meditate on these things, and seek the Lord’s guidance through prayer. I know Scripture can really help with mild cases of anxiety, excessive worrying, nervousness, scrupulosity, mild cases of depression, etc. But I am thoroughly convinced that it is less effective and sometimes is an utter failure in treating more severe mental illness such as major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, etc. I literally cannot function with biblical counseling alone. I would literally be committed to a mental hospital, as a danger to myself and others due to my aggressive psychosis, if I didn’t have the benefit of psychiatric medication. We have to remember that Scripture was written when we had a very primitive understanding of mental illness, brain function, psychosis, etiology of hallucinations and delusions, etc. We have gained such a wealth of knowledge in the past 2,000 years. I believe that this very body of knowledge and expertise is a gift from God to mankind. God often uses natural means in His dealings with man. And I believe psychiatry need not be antithetical to biblical counseling. I know myself better than a biblical counselor. I’ve lived with severe mental illness for 22 years. So this isn’t new to me. I can accurately gauge what my life was like before being medicated, and how it’s been since being medicated, and the difference is remarkable. My life is much better with psychiatric medication.

    My reply is below:

    I agree brother. God’s Word is absolutely primary. I see now that there is a proper place for biblical counseling. Thanks again for the conversation brother. I appreciate it.

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  • Sexual Abuse in the Church

    An evangelical pastor, John Lowe II, in Warsaw, Indiana, tried to confess adultery, which happened two decade ago, during a Sunday church service at New Life Christian Church and World Outreach, on May 23rd, 2022, and it goes horribly wrong when the victim reveals she was underage 😳 In fact she was just 16 at the time of the abuse! Prosecutors have opened an investigation. The video of the incident, taken by an attendee, went viral on Facebook.

    This victim was extremely brave to get up in front of the entire congregation and share her ordeal. This disgusting, pathetic excuse for a pastor was thinking only of himself. He certainly would have confessed that the victim was underage if he was moved to true biblical repentance. Typical of narcissists, everything is about them, and how they feel, and what’s happening to them.

    This disgraced pastor belongs in prison! One thing I noticed about the video, after this monster is revealed to be a sexual abuser of an underage girl, many in the congregation come forward to surround him, and shower him with love, while only one person goes over to help the abuse victims! That is outrageous. We are not to forgive until there has been true repentance, which there clearly wasn’t in this case.

    Why is sexual abuse so rampant amongst clergy? It plagues Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants. There seem to be so little holiness and sexual morality in our time. Especially, many of these victims are underage at the time of the abuse. I can’t understand how a grown man can sexually abuse a young girl and not serve even a single day in prison?! Outrageous! Makes my blood boil!!!

    This just shows how broken the American Church is. Please watch this documentary film “American Gospel” if you haven’t already. Below is a 1 hour version of the film. To see the complete film you need to purchase it.

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  • Black America: Many problems, little action

    This meme, which is from a recent article in the New York Post, shows that the overwhelming majority of New York City residents are worried about being the victim of crime. In the vast majority of cases, these crimes are committed by black people.

    This is the result of a perfect storm in NYC of inept and corrupt back-to-back mayors with horrible policies on criminal justice, the so-called bail reforms that made in impossible to jail criminals except for grievous violent crime such as murder or rape, the influence of anti-white racist groups like Black Lives Matter (BLM), teaching Critical Race Theory in schools, business, and even in the police force, laying off police or reducing the hours officers work all in the name of de-funding the police, gun control laws which prevent honest law-abiding citizens from defending themselves, their families, and their homes from criminal scum who buy guns illegally anyways, an irresponsible and sensationalist media coverage that highlights every perceived racial injustice, hides the race of the perpetrators of violent crime in the city (they are black in 90% of cases) and foments anti-white sentiment and racial polarization, failing to hold black parents, pastors, and civic leaders responsible for rampant black-on-black and black-on-white violence, failing to identify the root problem of 70% black children growing up in fatherless homes due to their mothers’ rampant sexual immorality which is so bad the mothers often times have no clue who their child’s father is, and a lack of leadership on the city, state and federal levels.

    The real fundamental issue is sin. The problems of the black community are in nearly every instance their own fault. Other races in America faced terrible persecution and racism (the Asians who came to build the transcontinental railroad for one), yet they did not fall into the pattern of blaming all their problems on white people. They worked hard, they made sure their children achieved in school, they saved their money, generations in families rallied around each other, and over time they succeeded. By virtually any socioeconomic metric, Asian Americans in contemporary society are the most successful.

    This stands in stark contrast, to the path that most black Americans chose. They fail to repent and trust in Christ alone, they keep having out-of-wedlock children, they choose to abuse drugs and alcohol, they fail to discipline their children, they fail to disciple their young men, they refuse to get married, they choose to commit a crime, especially violent crime against mainly innocent whites as their victims, they choose to pander and support race hucksters like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, they choose to keep supporting the Democrat party, they choose to have 70% of black children to grow up without a father, they choose to listen to Satanic rap music which glorifies crime, promotes misogyny, encourages blacks to break the law, and attacks law enforcement, they choose to not study in school, they choose to support anti-white racist organizations like BLM, they choose entertainment whether it be TV shows, movies, or apps like TikTok which promote anti-Christian values, they choose to support Critical Race Theory (CRT), they choose to not work, their children choose to spend most of their free time on the streets, their parents choose to not take their kids to church, and they choose in their hearts to hate and resent white people and hold on to generational bitterness, etc. I could go on and on, but it should be apparent that NONE of these problems have ANYTHING to do with slavery, Jim Crow. And that none of these many problems are the fault of whites.

    I hope we can see the black race start to take responsibility for their, and their children and grandchildren’s problems, and start actually implementing solutions. Based on what I’ve seen in my lifetime, I am not optimistic, and I fear the trend is for things to only get worse. As a white man who attended a black majority middle school, who attended a racially mixed high school, and who has paid keen attention to issues of race in my 46 years on this earth, I’m absolutely sick of being blamed for the problems of the black race in America! I’ve had enough. I’ve been honest and blunt in this post, but these things blacks and whites need to hear. In other words, the bottom line is the black community needs JESUS CHRIST!!!!

    As a postscript, just so I’m not accused of being a racist or hating black people, I only wrote this post because I love black people, and wish for them to do better. Both for themselves, and for others who they affect. Anyone in America who goes against the politically correct racial narrative, that blacks are innocent victims and whites are evil racist, and that the solution to racism is CRT, and what advocates call anti-racism – which is really just racism directed against whites, will find themselves out of a job, expelled from university, kicked out of their church, put in Facebook jail, banned from Twitter, or have their voice silenced in other ways. We must not let the bullies silence us. We must speak up and have real conversations about race.

    I have a huge number of friends online who are Africans living in Africa. I’ve noticed a very obvious disparity in the behavior of between many blacks living in America, versus many blacks who live in Africa The blacks who live in Africa are strong Christians who are oftentimes persecuted for their faith, they have solid inter-generational families living together, they respect their elders, they are extremely hard working, they are dedicated students, they respect the law including the police, they don’t like rap music, their music and entertainment doesn’t glorify criminal behavior, nor is it misogynistic, and they are very polite and generally just very nice people. My personal experience with blacks in America is totally different. In my entire life I’ve only heard a white person use the N-word one time, whereas I’ve heard numerous blacks use anti-white pejoratives such as “whitey”, “cracker”, “honkey”. I’ve many time personally witnessed black violence directed against whites, very rarely did I see the reverse. I’ve been dismissed as a racist by black people for being a race realist and talking frank about issues of race. So it’s been a decidedly negative experience. I hope that can change. Through Facebook I’ve met some dear black brothers and sisters in Christ who are Americans.

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  • The sad tale of Chick-fil-A

    Sorry folks, but Chick-fil-A is not promoting the Biblical values it was created to follow. Once a stalwart defender of Biblical orthodoxy, a lone voice in the corporate world against the insanity and filth of LGBT. Sorry, but it’s now gone woke!

    Recently, the CEO of Chick-fil-A, Dan Cathy, shined the shoes of Christian rapper Lecrae to repent of slavery and Jim Crow! In a round table discussion with Passion City founder Louie Giglio and Christian rapper Lecrae on Sunday, Cathy called for white people to shine the shoes of black people to repent for their racism – this after about a dozen of the chain’s restaurants suffered vandalism over the past week.

    Instead of condemning the destruction of property, Cathy said victims should have empathy for the frustration at the base of the behavior.

    “[M]y plea would be for the white people, rather than point fingers at that kind of criminal effort, would be to see the level of frustration and exasperation and almost the sense of hopelessness that exists on some of those activists within the African-American community,” Cathy said.

    Cathy cited a story of a young man at a Texas church revival who shined the shoes of an elderly black man at the revival over his feelings about racism in his community. The CEO then shined the shoes of Lecrae!

    So he lets black thugs and criminals off the hook, and blames whites for their violence and aggression. What utter insanity!

    This is absolute woke garbage straight out of the Critical Race Theory (CRT) playbook. We whites are not responsible for the sins of other whites, generations ago! This collective guilt and white guilt the Left is pushing on us is nonsense.

    My ancestors had absolutely NOTHING to do with slavery! They came to America at the turn of the 20th century from Ireland, Slovakia, and Poland! They were poor immigrants. Irish alone were treated worse than blacks in America back then. So my ancestors knew what discrimination and bigotry were like! Take your Black Lives Matter (BLM) Marxist, racist, and anti-white garbage elsewhere.

    I will not be buying food at Chick-fil-A until they repent of this racial divisive nonsense! I will not be bullied into feeling guilty for something I had no part in! Will you still buy food there, or will you join me in boycotting them? If enough of us send a clear and strong message to Chick-fil-A corporate management, they may see the cost to their bottom line of being friendly with racists.

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  • The sad decline of America and the West

    Sadly my parents divorced when I was 12 years old. It was the single most traumatic event in my life, up until I started suffering from severe mental illness. It has continued to negatively affect me my entire adult life. It’s not something I ever got over. The pain is still raw even nearly 35 years later!

    For 2,000 years divorce in Christian nation was extremely rare. To be divorced was a major social scandal which most sought to avoid. This started changing in the 1960s. With the introduction of no-fault divorce laws in America the floodgates were thrown open and divorce rates increased sharply. Under a no-fault divorce system the dissolution of a marriage does not require an allegation or proof of fault of either party.

    Prior to the latter decades of the 20th century, divorce was considered to be against the public interest, and civil courts refused to grant a divorce except if one party to the marriage had betrayed the “innocent spouse.” Thus, a spouse suing for divorce in most states had to show a “fault” such as abandonment, cruelty, incurable mental illness, or adultery. If an “innocent” husband and wife wished to separate, or if both were guilty, “neither would be allowed to escape the bonds of marriage.”[8] Divorce was barred if evidence revealed any hint of complicity between spouses to manufacture grounds for divorce, such as if the suing party engaged in procurement or connivance (contributing to the fault, such as by arranging for adultery), condonation (forgiving the fault either explicitly or by continuing to cohabit after knowing of it), or recrimination (the suing spouse also being guilty).

    Wikipedia

    All states allow no-fault divorce on grounds such as irreconcilable differences, irremediable breakdown, and loss of affection. Some states mandate a separation period before no-fault divorce. Mississippi, South Dakota and Tennessee are the only states that require mutual consent for no-fault divorce. The rest of the states permit unilateral no-fault divorce.

    In the ’40s, the annual divorce rate reached 3.4 divorces for every 1,000 Americans. In 1960, the rate was 2.2 per 1,000 Americans, and reached 2.5 in 1965. By 1969, the rate jumped to 3.2 with 639,000 divorces. The divorce rate had been increased steadily, albeit at a slow rate since the turn of the century. In 1970s, the annual rate was 3.5 per 1,000, but by the end of the decade, it reached 5.1 divorces per 1,000 Americans.

    As we can see from the chart below, during the 1960s the divorce rate skyrockted with the passage of no-fault divorce laws in most states.

    Divorce Rates in America

    • The current divorce rate in the US is 2.9 persons per 1,000 people.
    • Overall, the rate of divorces in America is falling.
    • Divorces amongst people aged 50+ years is rising.
    • Fewer couples choose to marry than pre-1990.
    • The U.S. divorce rate is amongst one of the highest in the world.
    • There are currently over 750,000 divorces in the U.S. each year.
    • Most Americans who file for divorce do so between January and March.
    The divorce rate has been lower in recent years, but that is due in part to the fact that more couples now cohabitate living in sin rather than opting for marriage. This trend is expected to increase sadly. The US still has one of the highest divorce rates in the world. Since 1970, out-of-wedlock birth rates have soared. In 1965, 24 percent of black infants and 3.1 percent of white infants were born to single mothers. By 1990 the rates had risen to 64 percent for black infants, 18 percent for whites. Every year about one million more children are born into fatherless families.

    As of 2020:

    • Total number of births: 3,613,647
    • Number of live births to unmarried women: 1,464,121
    • Percent of all births to unmarried women: 40.5

    Source: Births: Final Data for 2020, tables 9 and 10.

    This is truly shocking! Nearly half of all births are out-of-wedlock so the babies are born as bastards. To see how this rate has increased see the chart below of the percentage of births to unmarried women in the United States from 1980 to 2020.

    (c) Statista 2022

    For 2018, for all racial and ethnic groups combined, 39.6 percent of births were out-of-wedlock. The breakdown of out-of-wedlock births by race is the following:


    For blacks, the number is 69.4 percent; for American Indians/Alaska Natives, 68.2 percent (Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders were at 50.4 percent); for Hispanics, 51.8 percent; for whites, 28.2 percent; and for Asian Americans, a paltry 11.7 percent. See Table 9, page 25 of this report.

    These rates are truly appalling, nearly 70% of black babies are born as bastards! The sexual immorality in our country has become the default behavior. And if you take into consideration that there are around 1 million babies murdered by abortion every year, if they had lived the out-of-wedlock rates would be even higher! This is truly appalling! And nearly 40% of all births are out-of-wedlock! There is hardly any sexual morality left in America. Even those professing to be Christians are fornicating at younger and younger ages, having abortions, having bastard children out-of-wedlock. There is no holiness. There is no longer any social stigma against out-of-wedlock births. Just 70 years ago during our grandparents generation it was virtually unheard of. The out-of-wedlock birth rate for whites was around less than 1% in 1950, now as of 2010 data it’s 29%! The black rate of out-of-wedlock births went from 18% in 1950 to an astronomical 72.5% in 2010!

    Just how did we reach such a sad reality? In the brief video below, you’ll see how there was a big bush by Hollywood throughout the 1960s to portray divorce as cool and desirable and portray marriage as an antiquated and stifling institution. The correlation between the movies being shown and the skyrocketing of divorce rates in all Western questions in undeniable. There was an orchestrated, and deliberate campaign to encourage divorce. These factors, coupled with the so-called sexual revolution and counter-culture movement of the 1960s opened the door to this wickedness in America. Also the rise of feminism and attack on biblical patriarchy and the family by Satan was instrumental in our downward slide into degeneracy. Please watch this brief video.

    The evidence is overwhelming and incontrovertible when you look at the rise in divorce rates compared to the adoption of no-fault divorce in English-speaking countries. The result is the same in EVERY SINGLE WESTERN COUNTRY!

    I truly believe the only thing that will turnaround our appalling rates of divorce, abortion, out-of-wedlock births, fornication, adultery and all other sins afflicting our once great nation is godly repentance, believing the Gospel and trusting in Christ alone as Lord and Savior. Nothing else will be able to solve our great problems.

    The steady decline of the West into degeneracy and collapse seems inevitable. But with God all things are possible. So I remain hopeful. Pray for our country! Teach your children and grandchildren to fear and love the Lord! Raise them up in godly ways and they shall not depart Scripture promises. America has many things in common with ancient Rome. Both are empires, both are superpowers, both have great advances in science and technology, both have great orators and philosophers, both had great Christian populations, both overtaxed their citizens and engaged in expensive foreign wars abroad, both suffered from sexual degeneracy, both had rampant homosexual behavior. Rome finally collapsed from overextending its empire, the problems associated with having an emperor, the pressure from the pagan tribes which attacked it, a decline in morality, economic problems, and for persecuting God’s children. Will this same fate befall America? God only knows.

    But we must fight to uphold Christian values in America. We must fight back against the degenerate popular culture, weak and compromised false progressive church, biased leftist media, LGBT insanity, the removal of God from our schools and our public institutions and public life, the removal of school prayer, socialism/communism, the wrong interpretation between the separation of church and state, erosion of Constitutional rights such as freedom of speech, religious freedom, rise of atheism and secular humanist philosophy, brainwashing of our children in K-12 public schools and most universities and colleges, which are now godless.

    As our founding fathers affirmed, America was made for a Christian populace! God must be at the center of our government!

    All of these things I’ve mentioned present an enormous challenge to us. We can do nothing apart from God. May we run the good race and keep our eyes on Jesus! He is the triumphant King of Kings and Lord of Lords who is returning to earth to finally defeat all evil and Satan and the children of darkness. Preach the Gospel, die, and be forgotten. All glory to God!

    Divorce Rates in America Statistics 2022

    1. The divorce rate in America is 2.9 per 1,000.

    According to the CDC, the current divorce rate is just 2.9 per 1,000. However, only 45 states and the District of Columbia submitted enough data to be considered in this nationwide study. As Indiana, California, Hawaii, New Mexico and Minnesota are not counted, there may be some variation on this figure.

    2. Recent divorce rates suggest a decrease in the number of people dissolving their marriage.

    The divorce rate has increased since 1960. But since 1990, there has been a downward trend in divorce statistics. This suggests divorce rates over time are changing drastically, as are marriage and cohabitation trends. By assessing the divorce rate statistics by year, it’s easy to see that the rate of divorce in the US is on a general decline. 

    3. More people in the US were married in 2018 than in 1960.

    Despite the overall long-term increase in divorce rates in America, more US residents were married in 2018 than in 1960. This may highlight the effect an increasing population has on the statistics on marriage and divorce. 

    4. Over three-quarters of a million divorces took place in the US in 2017.

    In 2017, approximately 787,251 divorces were granted in America, which means that around one and a half million people got divorced that year. As the national divorce rates continue to fall, it’s likely that the number of divorces in the US per year will continue to fall in the future. 

    5. Remarriage increases the risk of divorce.

     According to the Census Bureau, the rate of divorce increases in relation to how many times you marry. This means, the more you marry, the more likely you are to divorce. 

    6. There is a seasonal spike in divorces in the US.

    More people file for a divorce between January and March than at any other time of year. Some researchers believe this represents the perceived strain on familial relationships over the holiday period. 

    7. Divorce rates vary dramatically from state to state.

    The lowest divorce rate by state occurs in Illinois and Louisiana, with rates of just 1.9 per 1,000 people. Conversely, the states with the highest divorce race are Nevada and Oklahoma, with 4.5 and 4.1 per 1,000 people, respectively. 

    8. The average length of a marriage in the US is 8.2 years.

    Whilst the national average marriage length is just over eight years, couples in New York typically have the longest-lasting unions. The typical marriage in the Empire State lasts for 12.2 years, which is significantly higher than the national average. In fact, some scholars estimate that the actual number is closer to seven years, as the divorce process can take around one year to complete.

    But it’s not all bad news:

    9. The likelihood of divorce might be less than you think.

    The most common question surrounding divorce in the United States is: 

    What percentage of marriages end in divorce? 

    Here’s the kicker:

    Many people believe that this figure is around 50%. However, the actual percentage of marriages that end in divorce in the US varies between 40% and 50%. This means that you are more likely to stay married than you are to dissolve your marriage. Good news!

    And that’s not all:

    10. The divorce rate today is lower than a decade ago. 

    The divorce rate in America in 2018 and 2019 is significantly lower than in 2008 and 2009. Despite a slight increase in 2011-12, the divorce rate has fallen overall throughout the last decade.

    One of the major reasons for this is due to the high attorney fees that can rack up to a whopping $12,800. Luckily, online divorces are becoming a thing among married couples as these can save thousands of dollars for those looking to separate from their spouse.

    11. The national divorce rate for adults aged between 25-39 years is 24 per 1,000 persons.

    For adults aged between 40-49 years of age, it’s 21 per 1,000 persons. In contrast, the divorce rate amongst adults aged 50+ years is 10 in 1,000 persons. When looking at divorce rates by age groups, it’s clear that there are significant differences between demographics. 

    12. The rate of divorce after 10 years is 48% for those who marry before the age of 18.

    But the rate is just 25% for those who marry after the age of 25. For people who marry between the ages of 20-25, there is a 44%-60% chance of the union ending in divorce. 

    Key takeaway:

    These statistics confirm that the age of the couple at the time of marrying does impact subsequent divorce rates. 

    13. “Gray divorce” rates have risen dramatically over the last 30 years.

    Amongst adults aged 50+, the national divorce rate has roughly doubled since 1990. For those aged 65+, it has actually tripled, from 2 in 1,000 married persons to 6 in 1,000. This indicates that people over the age of 50 are more likely to get divorced now than ever before. 

    14. Successful marriage statistics are on the increase.

    As divorce rates continue to reduce overall, successful marriage statistics increase accordingly. With a 40-50% chance of a marriage in the US ending in divorce, there is a 50%-60% chance that the marriage will not be dissolved. So, people who marry today stand a much better chance of having a successful marriage than ever before!

    15. Ages 28-32 could be the best time to get married.

    As we know by now, divorce rates vary by age. But there isn’t a linear trend that shows divorce rates increase or decrease as you get older. Still, people who get married in their late-twenties or early-thirties are statistically less likely to get divorced.

    16. People are 75% more likely to end their marriage if a friend is divorced.

    Having friends who are divorced can greatly increase your chances of becoming divorced yourself, according to a research team from Brown University. Whilst you are 75% more likely to end your own marriage if you are friends with a divorcee, you are 33% more likely to get divorced if you have a friend of a friend who has formally ended a marriage.

    17. Second marriages have a higher rate of divorce.

    While the rate for first marriages is 40%-50%, second marriage statistics show this increases to 67% for second marriages and a whopping 75% for third marriages. When it comes to a happy union, the third time clearly isn’t a charm. 

    18. Divorce rates may not give the true picture.

    Although divorce rates have fallen in recent years, marriage rates have dropped, too. When comparing marriage vs divorce statistics, it is important to assess the rates in context. In the 1990s, the national marriage rate in America was 9.8 people per 1,000. Currently, it is 6.9 per 1,000. With more couples living together without formalizing their union, the rate of divorce cannot accurately represent the number of long-term relationship breakdowns. 

    19. Separation doesn’t count in terms of divorce statistics.

    The majority of people who separate do go on to divorce, but that’s not always the case.

    Check this out:

    91% of white women who are separated will divorce within three years, but this figure drops to 77% for Hispanic women and 67% for African-American women. As long-term separation is not counted in most divorce statistics, the rate of marriage breakdowns could be higher than divorce rates suggest. 

    20. Education may impact divorce rates.

    The average marriage failure rate varies depending on each spouse’s level of education. 78% of women with bachelor’s degrees who married for the first time in 2006-2010 can expect their marriage to last for at least 20 years. In contrast, 49% of women with some college education and 40% of women with a high school diploma or less can expect their marriage to last for the same period. 

    Even though education-related divorce rate statistics imply that a higher level of education equates to less chance of divorce, this may not show the full picture. People who get a college degree before marrying are likely to be a few years older than those with just a high school. So, the statistics relating to education and divorce could be influenced by the age of each spouse and have more to do with divorce rates for young couples, as opposed to their educational experience.

    22. Millennial divorce rate is lower than those of their predecessors.

    People born between 1981 and 1996 are showing lower rates of divorce than older age groups. However, the millennial divorce rate may be impacted by the fact that this demographic typically chooses to marry at a later age and many forego marriage in favor of cohabitation. As earlier generations typically got married at a younger age and were less likely to cohabit, this could contribute to the lower divorce rate amongst millennials. 

    23. Millenials are more cautious about marriage.

    The decreasing marriage rates in the US may not signify a general dislike of the institution but rather a more cautious approach. 

    The thing is:

    The generational gap in divorce rates may be partly due to the fact many millenials complete further education and begin their careers before tying the knot. While marriage and divorce rates in the US have fallen, the age at which millenials are choosing to marry is much higher when compared to pre-1980 statistics.

    24. Cohabiting can impact your risk of divorce.

    Couples who do not cohabit before getting married are less likely to obtain a divorce within the first 20 years of their union. Men who live with their partner prior to marriage have a 49% chance of avoiding divorce for at least 20 years, while women who live with their partner before marrying have a 46% chance of remaining married for at least 20 years.

    25. Divorce is less likely than cohabitee break-ups.

    There is a 20% chance of a first marriage resulting in divorce within five years. In comparison, couples who cohabit for five years have a 49% chance of separating. Similarly, married couples have a 33% chance of divorce within 10 years, whilst cohabiting couples have a 62% chance of splitting up in this time frame. These statistics indicate that married couples are likely to remain together longer than couples who choose to cohabit but do not marry. 

    26. Incompatibility is the leading cause of divorce in the US.

    What is the #1 cause of divorce?

    According to the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts, the number one reason for divorce in America is “basic incompatibility.” 43% of research participants cited this reason as their primary decision to get a divorce. Infidelity and money issues were also highly relevant, with statistics showing that 28% and 22% of participants cited these reasons for obtaining a divorce. These causes of divorce statistics highlight the most common reasons for couples to request a divorce, although parenting differences, addiction, and abuse are commonly cited, too.

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  • Nouthetic Counseling: A Critical Evaluation

    So I made the mistake of asking my Facebook friends what nouthetic counseling (Greek: noutheteo, to admonish) is yesterday. I received a flood of responses. However, most of the responses were very much pro- nouthetic counseling. And they spoke glowingly about self-styled BIBLICAL COUNSELOR Jay Adams.

    In this post I will give a critical (yet fair) evaluation of Adams’ work from the viewpoint of a Reformed believer who has suffered from severe mental illness for 22 years. I know I’m emotionally invested in this discussion, but I will let the data and the soundness of my arguments speak for themselves.

    Nouthetic counselors are found under the ACDC (Association of Certified Biblical Counselors).

    It seems to be this ignorant, pre-scientific system of beliefs invented by someone called Jay Adams who has no expertise in psychiatry, nor even in psychology, he isn’t a scientist, or even an MD. He decided that “nouthetic counseling” == BIBLICAL COUNSELING! And tragically, many Christians agree with him. Even many pastors with seminary degrees. So someone with virtually no knowledge of modern psychiatry and psychology writes a bestseller and is lauded soon after as a paragon of wisdom and expertise in Christian counseling. How sad! In some Reformed circles, this man is lionized and even idolized.

    It seems that virtually nothing is taught in most seminaries to equip pastors to deal with the profoundly mentally ill. It is like 99% his fallible opinion and 1% Scripture. His exegesis and Biblical reasoning is so so superficial and flawed that I marvel he’s been able to take the Reformed world by storm. It’s really sad when this is the state of mental health understanding in the Church. God created us with minds to learn and comprehend. Capable of making make advances in knowledge, and how we understand the brain, to help people.

    Jay dismisses all of that and reduces a complex set of emotional, behavioral, neurological, and biochemical processes to a simple mantra that our mental illness, even severe mental illness, is caused in ALL CASES or 99% CASES by hidden sin in the person’s life. Jay’s teaching is not only NOT biblical, but it’s very dangerous and has the potential to cause greater pain, harm, and misery for believers who are mentally ill.

    Yes, nouthetic counseling may help a limited number of people who have mild forms of mental illness, such as excessive worrying, and some types of mild anxiety. But it cannot do much for severe mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, borderline personality disorder, dissociative identity disorder, and others. These people are not suffering from hidden sin, their fundamental brain chemistry is not functioning correctly. Mental illness is a physical disease, just like heart disease, cancer, or diabetes. The amount of harm nouthetic counselors have inflicted on the Church is staggering and makes me so angry! How dare they. They are playing God and ruining people’s lives.

    Please educate yourself and talk to some Christian psychiatrists before subjecting someone you love, who suffers from a severe mental illness to nouthetic counseling.

    And I’ve read many times nouthetic counselors get their patients to wean off or stop taking their prescribed psychiatric medications completely. They have them take natural supplements! I’ve yet to find a natural supplement that can make the constant voices I hear in my head stop, make me stop having horrible visual hallucinations, or cure my major depressive disorder. It is powerless to help in such cases. Any sane, rational, educated person should be able to see that. However sadly, that is not the case. Millions of believers have been duped by what amounts to snake oil salesmen using biblical lingo.

    I’m glad that I asked the question and did my own research on nouthetic counseling. It’s very sad to realize this is the most popular and recommended treatment, for believers suffering from severe mental illness, in the Church. We can do better folks. Much better.

    God expects us to engage our full minds (which He created), to use our knowledge to treat severe mental illnesses (whether with cognitive behavioral therapy, psychiatric medications, or other methods of legitimate psychiatry. There should be no shame or stigma, no accusation of hidden sin, and no dismissal of brain chemistry and other hard scientific knowledge, associated with our treatment of believers suffering from severe mental illness.

    My hope is that seminaries will do much better in treating the severely mentally ill and that pastors will be equipped to provide spiritual support while at the same time not discounting the help of modern psychiatry. I also hope that more regular members of churches will become educated on these issues, and no longer remain in ignorance. I pray that severely mentally ill believers will find the love and assistance they need to become well, and able to function in society.

    If you care to learn what causes my schizophrenia (no, it isn’t due to hidden sin), you can read this excellent article on Johns Hopkins Medicine’s website.

    Nouthetic counseling seems to be one level up from the common view of the severely mentally ill throughout history, namely that they were demon possessed. Now they are informed that their complex, deep seated, harmful, and negative affectations are all illusory, and that the true problem is hidden sin in their life. This is cruel, condescending, patronizing, ignorant, anachronistic, unscientific, and frankly very unbiblical. As I admonished earlier, we can do better.

    By the way, this article is an excellent review of Adam’s book “Competent to Counsel” which sold millions of copies, and launched the nouthetic counseling movement. Here is another useful article which critiques Adams’ work. And here is an excellent article which goes more into the background of psychology and Adams’ work and argues that nouthetic counseling is unbiblical.

    If you’d like some more in-depth critical analysis I highly recommend the following PhD doctoral dissertation on Adams’ work.

    A critique of the nouthetic counseling technique of Jay E. Adams
    Roger Clayton White, Wilfrid Laurier University
    Click here to download the PDF.

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  • Mental Illness: A Blessing in Disguise?

    I know that most readers may be taken aback by the title of this post. Some will be confused as to how mental illness could be a blessing. Can something which disturbs your life on a fundamental level, which causes so much pain, heartache, grief and even despair, be on any level good? I say with an emphatic yes that mental illness, specifically in my case severe mental illness, can be a blessing.

    How is this possible, you’re probably wondering? First, let me preface my remarks by saying that I don’t wish mental illness, let alone severe mental illness, on everyone. Even for Christians mental illness can be daunting and difficult to deal with. I’m not saying my experience will be the same for every believer who has severe mental illness. But I think it’s possible for every believer with mental illness to find refuge in Christ.

    Before I had mental illness, some 22 years ago, I was in a bad state in my life. I had neglected regular Bible study, my prayer life was abysmal and I was seriously backslidden. God humbled me through mental illness, and got my attention so to speak. He broke me down psychologically and physically to the point that I couldn’t have survived without Him. Mine may have been an extreme case, but I believe the general principle is sound. We see throughout Scripture how God has used suffering and difficult circumstances to bring a person, or even a nation, to repentance and for their own good.

    I had been arrogant in my youth. I put too much faith in my intellect and the soundness and superiority of my mind compared to others. I didn’t show enough compassion for others. I even was condescending and looked down on others who weren’t as intellectually gifted as I was. In other words, what God had given me as a gift to be used to edify and build up His Kingdom, my mind, I had turned into an idol! Once I lost my sanity due to psychosis caused by acute schizophrenia, and I no longer could rely on the health of my own mind to function, God brought me to true repentance. I see how mental illness was used by God to draw me back to Himself. It was 100%, a monergistic process.

    As my troubled mind dealt with the new reality of living with severe mental illness, I took great comfort in Reformed theology. Specifically the glorious sovereignty of God. And also I took refuge in the fact that God was working all things together for my good and His glory. If my mental illness could glorify God then it was worth it for just that alone!

    Also as I had nothing left to anchor me to reality, I clung to Christ desperately, like a drowning man clings onto a life preserver. I found that I could weather any trial, any tribulation, any storm of the mind, if I was in Christ. Those were difficult times, but also very sweet and rewarding times in my life. I felt as if the world had passed away and there was only Jesus and me. It was a wonderful intimacy, and I saw a tremendous spiritual growth and maturity transpire as I poured myself into God’s Word, meditated on His awesome greatness and goodness. And found great assurance in the doctrines of grace. Both for my own assurance of salvation, as well as my confidence that Christ was molding me to conform to His image daily as I battled against my own demons of mental illness. I discovered a type of freedom I had caught only glimpses of in my pre- mental illness world. Truly whom the Son sets free is free indeed. Glory to God!

    Life is not all roses, I still daily have trials and problems stemming from my mental illness. But the difference now is that I know I’m a new creation in Christ, I know I am in Christ and because of that I know I can withstand any storm of life I may encounter, even death. My assurance of salvation has been such a sweet and much needed gift from the Lord. Without it I don’t know how I could function. I take great pity on believers who don’t have that rock solid assurance. I would tell them to run to Christ, to digest His Word daily, to meditate on the attributes of God, and to ask the Lord to grant them that assurance which the Scriptures promise us.

    I should also mention that, since I developed severe mental illness (acute schizophrenia, major depression, anxiety disorder, and PTSD), my sanctification has increased exponentially. I’m not saying that to be self-righteous or boast about my level of holiness. I’m saying it for God’s glory, I’m being totally honest about what God has done in my life as I submitted to Him and obeyed Him. I used to understand sanctification as something that was automatic, something you didn’t focus on too much. I give God all the credit and all the glory. He broke me down to a bare bones level and built me back up. I believe God creates the good works we do, and gives us the strength and resolve to do them.

    My advice to those who are suffering from mental illness, whether mild or severe, is to seek Christ first, to spend time reading His Word every single day, to read good Reformed books, such as the Puritans, as well as contemporary authors like Dr. R.C. Sproul, Dr. John MacArthur, Dr. Joel Beeke, and others. Mediate upon God’s Word daily, have a rich and robust prayer life, and be plugged into a Biblically faithful local church. Yes, you may need to take psychiatric medication, or you may be able to function with just nouthetic counseling, or you may find that a combination of the two works best for you.

    Also coming to a Reformed understanding of the Christian faith will benefit your mental illness in some of the ways I’ve articulated. Understanding God’s supreme sovereignty has been an anchor in my life in a sea of emotional and mental chaos. It’s acted as a stabilizing force in both my spiritual as well as my mental life.

    To relay a personal journey of mine, I hadn’t been attending a local church for a number of years. I had allowed Satan to control me, using fear, because of my mental illnesses. Through much prayer, meditation on God’s Word, and some exhortation and even rebuke by some dear Christian brothers, I finally attended church last Lord’s Day at a wonderful RPCNA church, Providence Reformed Presbyterian Church, here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, my city. Providence is lead by Pastor Steve Bradley and the team of elders. They follow the Regulative Principle of Worship. Which is that you only worship according to what God’s Word explicitly allows. I really have been enjoying Pastor Steve’s preaching, and singing the Psalms in corporate worship, for the first time, was a very beautiful experience. Pastor Steve, the deacons, elders, and members have been so kind to me and welcoming, even though I’m a credobaptist! Just kidding – hehe. The Lord has led me to this church, so as long as I’m able to I plan on faithfully attending every Lord’s Day, and look forward to formally becoming a member at some point in the future. Glory to God! Many of the women at Providence cover their heads as the apostle Paul exhorted! And men have their heads uncovered, which is also faithful to Scripture.

    I think the Reformed church does a good job in dealing with mental illness overall, however there is certainly room for improvement. Unlike physical maladies, which are readily apparent, mental illness affects the mind, which we can’t observe or measure with our naked eye. There is, sadly, a long history of negative stigma, physical and sexual abuse, even what I’d describe as torture, for mentally ill believers throughout history. We’ve made enormous progress in the Church as a whole. However, ignorance, misinformation, half truths, unsupported assertions, hasty generalizations, still abound in far too many churches. That includes the Reformed church.

    Our pastors and elders and deacons have enormous responsibilities, and are often working long hours, and not receiving much thanks in return. I think people who have been taught wrongly concerning mental health and believers are not at totally at fault for being misled. However, if they persist in willful and deliberate ignorance, and choose to gossip, to slander, to demonize, to rebuke falsely, to judge falsely, then that becomes sinful, and something they must repent of forthwith. Mentally ill believers should feel welcome and loved at church. They shouldn’t have to have psychological walls up and be in defense mode. I think the vast majority of Reformed churches try to do that. But with limited time, limited resources, prejudices and bigotry against the mentally ill which have become ingrained throughout many years, these will all require grace and time to overcome. Pray for your pastors, elders, deacons and fellow church members.

    Don’t be afraid to take the first step and reach out to someone in your church who suffers from mental illness. I’ve had people tell me I’m not healed of my mental illnesses due to lack of faith, that I’m demon possessed, that God is testing me like He did Job, that my mental illness is caused by willful and unrepentant sin in my life, etc. These are all very damaging and can inflict incalculable harm to hurting souls and damaged minds. Let us strive to be educated about mental health issues, and committed to loving and supporting our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ!

    Finally, here are some Scripture which have been a real blessing to me as I deal with mental illness. I hope they will bless you as well!

    Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

    Romans 12:2

    Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

    Philippians 4:8

    Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

    Philippians 4:6-7

    So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

    2 Corinthians 4:16

    Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

    1 Peter 1:13

    And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

    John 8:32

    For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.

    2 Corinthians 10:4-5

    Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

    Colossians 3:2

    Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus

    Philippians 2:5
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