The Sunday Seven

March 11, 2012

Welcome to this week’s edition of “The Sunday Seven.”  As always, this post is all about sharing some of the more interesting news and insights that I have encountered throughout the week.  What’s more, it also includes one of the funnier videos I’ve seen in quite some time.  Hopefully, there’s a little something here that will peak your interest and give you pause to think.   Enjoy!

Pastor Tim Keller on Creation and Evolution …

Creation, Evolution and Christian Lay People – Part 2.  Last week, I posted the first of a six-part series that Tim Keller is doing over at the Bio Logos site.  You may not agree with Keller’s take on creation/evolution, but even if you disagree, the nuggets of wisdom he sprinkles throughout the discussion are priceless.  Take for instance this week’s discussion on whether we can interpret some passages of Scripture literally while interpreting others in a non-literal fashion.  Keller has the gift of C.S. Lewis in terms of translating the seemingly-complex into the simply-profound.

Are persecuted Christians the “biggest human rights scandal of our generation?”

100 Million Christians persecuted says British group.  For those of us that live in the historically “Christianized” West, this is a great reminder that many around the globe are facing open persecution because of their faith in Jesus the Christ.

I’m not sure I would want this information.  You?

Mapping of the human genome declines to $100o per person.  As the cost of mapping the human genome continues to decline, we are approaching a time when we will possess the ability to predict our susceptibility to certain diseases.

What’s driving this trend?

Divorce rate for couples over 50 doubles over past two decades.  Though the national divorce rate has been on the decline since its all-time peak in the 1980s, “gray divorce” continues to rise, raising questions as to what is driving this trend.

From the Files of the Colossally Stupid …

I’m not telling you anything about this clip.  Just watch and enjoy.

The biggest trade in the history of the NFL?

Washington Redskins Trade for the Number Two Draft pick.  Can’t decide if this is good news or bad news for the Dallas Cowboys.  Either way, an unprecedented move in NFL history.

And back by popular demand, our friend, the Philosoraptor …

 

Facebook: Complicit or Unwitting Accomplice?

In response to seeing a friend’s Facebook relationship status go from “in a relationship” to “single” last night, I found myself curious.  Does Facebook play a role in the destruction of relationships, or is it merely an unwitting accomplice to humanity’s propensity towards using and discarding people?

According to a 2010 survey of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), 4 out of 5 divorce lawyers now report that they are seeing an increased number of cases in which evidence of infidelity has been derived from social networking sites.[1]  Likewise, the British website divorceonline.com reported that more than one-third of all divorce petitions in the United Kingdom cited Facebook in their divorce filings.  This is markedly up from the 1 in 5 petitions that listed Facebook only two years earlier.[2]

While this would seem to suggest a positive correlation between the use of Facebook and divorce, we should be hesitant against drawing too firm a conclusion.  According to the Center for Disease Control, the overall rate of divorce in the United States appears to be relatively unaffected by the emergence of social networking.  In fact, the rate of divorce in the U.S. appears to actually be on the decline.

In a statement issued to the Guardian, a representative for Facebook had this to say:

“It’s ridiculous to suggest that Facebook leads to divorce. Whether you’re breaking up or just getting together, Facebook is just a way to communicate, like letters, phone calls and emails. Facebook doesn’t cause divorces, people do.”

Of course, this sounds an awful lot like: “Guns don’t kill, people do.”  And I’m not sure that a flippant dismissal by a company that has a vested interest in the public perception of its product is the most reliable source of information on the subject.

So the question I pose for you today is this:  In the absence of a definitive correlation between Facebook use and divorce, what, if any, Facebook boundaries would you  be in favor of establishing as a married couple?  What about boundaries for your children?  Are their current Facebook habits training them in accordance with the boundaries you believe to be appropriate for married partners?  If not, what about their “single” status makes you believe that their boundaries should be different  than those of a married couple?

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[1] Sixty-six percent (66%) of the lawyers responding to the survey cited Facebook as the “primary source” of evidence in the divorce proceedings.  An additional 15% cited MySpace, while only 5% cited Twitter.

[2] http://www.divorceonline.com