The Naughty Baptist

Various and Sundry (5/16)

Sex Trafficking in Atlanta #

We tend to think this is something that only happens overseas. That is a mistake. Here's an article from yesterday: Prosecutors: Buckhead couple indicted for pimping juvenile

Steven E. Thompson, 42, and Tierra Michelle Waters, 30, both of Atlanta, were indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury on charges of sex trafficking of a juvenile and conspiring to do the same. Each charge carries the possibility of life in prison.

“These defendants preyed on a young girl in need requiring her to have sex with men if she wanted to keep a roof over her head,” U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said in the news release.

Full Article.

Idle of the Heart. #

Joe Thorn has a great article on Christianity.Com

I continue to find young men who are frustrated at their stage in life in part because of a lack of clarity about their calling, or a lack of opportunity to do what they really want to do.  This frustration leads many to become idle. Inactive if not aimless. And this leads many to become jobless (or nearly so) while becoming overly dependent on others (parents, friends, credit cards). If you find yourself at this stage I would like to address you, my friends. No, I'm not going to lecture you about your motives, growing up, or prolonged adolescence, though such things might be issues for you to deal with. I only want to remind you of three truths than can change how you understand and experience this time in your life.

This time is hard, and it is easy to conclude there is little to no value in these days of uncertainty and disappointment. While you are figuring out (or waiting to do) what you are called to do vocationally, know this: you are called by God to work hard now, to share with others, and to love your neighbor...

Read the whole thing. While you're at it, read Joe's blog. He's also on Twitter.

Preparing for the Future in the Age of Facebook #

I'm a big fan of technology. I also try to be realistic about its pitfalls. This article at Desiring God lists some of them. Nothing very new here, but if you've never considered what all this does to our attention spans and ability to think deeply, I recommend it.

But an endless assortment of instantly-available media and non-stop social interactions are making uninterrupted study less common for young adults in our day (and for all of us). Such distractions radically short-circuit the learning process, preventing students from reaching their God-given potential for usefulness in the kingdom and workplace. If a well-trained mind is a means to loving God and serving others, how can we help students (and ourselves) reverse this harmful trend?

Full Article.