Biblical Answers for Today’s Tough Questions
James L. Garlow
Every once in a while I read a book about current issues to keep me well-informed as a Christian and as a pastor. I picked up this book because I was interested in most of the subject matter of the author wanted to cover. I found the table of contents to be quite thorough in the amount of area it would cover.
Each of the seven parts of the book cover a different region of society from politics to family life to volatile issues of sexuality. I gained a lot of insight about these topics. I think a lot of times Christians need to simply be knowledgeable about a subject.
Garlow opens in the first part of the book showing Christians how to use their voice to speak to all these issues. Many Christians start from a place of not knowing what to say, and then not feeling they are qualified to talk about these issues. He reassures you that you are qualified and can learn about every issue.
The comprehensive nature of each of the parts moves to the first issue covers how Christianity has dealt with the public square from government to schools and universities. I think a lot of times, Christians have not spoken up when they should have in the past. Now no one listens to Christians, and we have given our voice to other entities.
In the third part on family and life issues, the author deals with issues relating to marriage, abortion, sexual orientation and gender issues, and even healthcare. He has covered every possible issue I can think of. The author gives you information that will help you inform yourself and protect yourself from violations to these areas of life.
In the fourth part of the book, he dives into all things economy. He is unafraid to touch the subjects of socialism, taxes, debt, welfare, and Social Security. He offers biblical wisdom on these topics. We live in a world where people will use anything from government to economics to keep Christians quiet, confused, and afraid to speak up on even these issues.
The author next turns to judicial issues in the fifth part. We don’t realize how much liberals have tried to change this country through the court system instead of through the legislative branch as they should. I think and some practical level they realize the majority would be against some of their agenda. Through the legal branch, they have changed the culture of the country well no one has stood up to them.
In the sixth part of the book, the author addresses the foreign affairs of America. The world has changed so much around us, and some of it is what we have made it. He addresses the nation of Israel, our immigration system, the wars we have thought, and how we have dealt with radical Islam and terrorism, to name a few topics. This was a pretty good section of the book. It really helps every Christian to be informed of what has been happening around the world.
In the final part of the book, Garlow talks about politics and how much a Christian should get involved in them. The media has a huge part to play in politics, and we so rarely address some of the issues the media creates and how much it controls what people know about what’s happened in the political sphere. He has a great understanding of the media and the political system.
He finishes the book with a call to action for every Christian. We must be informed of all of these issues and have a ready and willing attitude. We must know how to talk about them so we’re not in the dark ourselves, or afraid to talk about them with people. This was a very comprehensive and helpful read. I enjoyed how the author covered each perspective without telling me what to do or how to think. He was a factual in his approach. If you do not know what’s happening in the world today, or are afraid to talk with someone about these issues, you need to read this book and keep informed about our world today.
