We are entering a “brave new world” full of difficult questions: What is the definition of “brain death,” and is it biblical? When does the soul leave the body? How should Christians respond to debates over artificial wombs and stem cell research? What techniques are lawful to overcome barrenness? Are economic and personal stress reasons for thwarting conception? What happens to children who die in the womb? These and other difficult ethical questions are addressed from Scripture in this powerful new DVD series featuring Doug Phillips, R.C. Sproul, Jr., Kevin Swanson, and others.
The Long War Against Babies
One of the oldest struggles in the history of the world has been the war against the womb and godly seed, spurred on by Satanic and man-centered idolatry. From the pagan god Molech on whose altar children were sacrificed in ancient times to Margaret Sanger’s vision in the twentieth century for creating the perfect race through mass contraception and abortion, the war against the sanctity of human life by the culture of death has waged on unabated. In this powerful message, Doug Phillips surveys the history of this struggle and demonstrates how today’s Church has fallen prey to the wiles of selfish idolatry. His prescription: God’s people must humbly repent of their sins, embrace children as a blessing, assent to God’s creation order and design, honor the unity of marriage, and trust in God’s sovereignty to open and close the womb.
Should We Starve Grandpa
Our modern culture of death is training the present generation to look at the elderly as unwanted and disposable. And as those in their twilight years increase in staggering numbers over the next decade compared to the shrinking workforce that follows behind them, this refrain will inevitably arise: “You’ve had your day, and your life is no longer worth living.” How will the Church respond to these critical quality of life issues? What if doctors tell you that your aging loved one is in a permanent vegetative state and that it is merciful to withhold food and water from him? What is the definition of “brain death,” and is it biblical? When does a person actually die? Are organ donations appropriate and wise? Doug Phillips, Dr. Mo Gill, Dr. Ed Payne, Dan Becker, and Jay Valenti address these and other pivotal questions in this important symposium on the sanctity of life.
The Hopeful Theology of Miscarriage
What happens to children who die in the womb? How are we to grieve their loss and view their eternal destiny? In this personal message by Doug Phillips, whose wife Beall has lost two children prior to birth, he offers a hopeful theology of miscarriage, emphasizing the hope that miscarriage provides to disciple our families on the priorities, nobilities, and sacrifices of motherhood, as well as the hope that this tragedy offers to model confidence in the sovereignty of God to your children and the world. Doug poses this piercing question to mothers: “What if miscarriage was God’s means of showing mercy and love on a human soul, and if He chose you to be the honored vehicle to usher that child into eternity? Miscarriage is for a moment; a soul is forever.”
Child Training: A Biblical Template
Due to the rising tide of secularism, a new educational philosophy has prevailed: Humility has been separated from the teaching of rhetoric and every other academic discipline, and the importance of character training has been brushed aside for strictly academic aims. Yet this approach runs flatly against the teaching of Scripture which roots wisdom and knowledge in the fear of God. In this engaging message, Kevin Swanson calls Christians back to God’s Word as the foundation for child training, and he stresses the need for parents to invest the time that is required to diligently train theirs sons and daughters. He also discusses five points of theological balance that must be maintained in raising children God’s way: authority and humility, faith and works, affection and correction, heart and hands, and rules and relationships.
Artificial Wombs
What are the biblical principles with regard to new medical technology that now allows for surrogacy, in vitro fertilization, and cloning? How should Christians respond to critical debates over external wombs, stem cell research, as well as the anti-life bias of the medical establishment? In this important symposium, Doug Phillips, Dr. Ed Payne, Geoff Botkin, and Dan Becker navigate the thorny biomedical issues facing the family today and seek to give a biblically-based ethic for how Christians can honor God even as they seek a godly seed. Their overarching conclusion is this: God’s law must govern these issues, for when Christians concede the foundational principles of life where biomedical ethics are concerned, they open the door to a “Brave New World” driven by lawless and utilitarian aims.