Where Christians died and gladiators fought.

Cara Horn and Liberty Phillips at the Arch of Titus tonight in Rome. (Click on the images to see them enlarged.)

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 30, 2010 | Permalink

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 30, 2010 | Permalink

This evening the Great Author Webinar Series continues with Dr. John Morris discussing The Fossil Record: Unearthing Nature’s History of Life.

Sign up for the Great Authors Webinar Series now.

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 29, 2010 | Permalink

Visit the website and register for the History of Chrisitanity and Western Civilization Virtual Tour and Online Study Course.

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 28, 2010 | Permalink

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 26, 2010 | Permalink

CNN seems to think so.

But I am sure glad that my mother was able to go to her 25th college reunion at the age of forty-seven, carrying my brother Samuel. And I am so thankful that while in her mid-forties, the birth mother to my wife decided to carry Beall to term. Thank God for babies born to women in their forties. May God send many, many more. And may our families remain open to the fruit of the womb.

The subject is especially timely because the birth rate for women age 40-44 increased 4 percent in 2008 from 2007, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On the other hand, the birthrate dropped by 3 percent for women under 40 during the same time period.

In fact, “Having Babies In Your Forties” is the subject of one of our special topics this year at The Baby Conference. Hear from physicians, mothers, and families about the blessing of having children in your forties. This topic will address medical issues, challenges, fears, hopes and dreams of having babies in your forties.

And please take a moment to learn more about The Baby Conference, by watching our video:

The Baby Conference from Douglas Phillips on Vimeo.

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 22, 2010 | Permalink

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 22, 2010 | Permalink

This evening the Great Author Webinar Series continues with Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr. discussing Biblical Economics & the Christian Family.

Sign up for the Great Authors Webinar Series now.

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 22, 2010 | Permalink

In an article published in the Montreal Gazette, entitled, “Earth Day Release of Avatar DVD No Coincidence,” eco-warrior James Cameron offers more commentary on his desire to push his environmentalist agenda with his blockbuster film, Avatar: “I’m not coming out of the closet as an environmentalist.... When people started seeing the movie and asking me about it ... (they said) ‘Hey, it has an environmental message.’ And I said: H— yes! It does.” Read the full article here.

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 22, 2010 | Permalink

Rescue Haiti’s Children: The Adoption Story of Laura and David Birdy from Douglas Phillips on Vimeo.

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 21, 2010 | Permalink

This April 22 marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, and with it comes the release of a spate of new films that advance the environmentalist agenda of the left, including Disney’s Oceans, scheduled to show in select theatres, along with Free Willy 4 and Avatar, which are set for release on DVD.

The choice of Earth Day for these films’ debut is hardly an accident. James Cameron, whose blockbuster film Avatar has become the largest-grossing film of all time, has been a staunch environmentalist since Earth Day’s inception and has openly admitted that Avatar was designed to be “absolutely subversive.” Cameron, who has been called the “new Al Gore”, stated that he “wanted to make an environmentally conscious mainstream movie . . . . [In Avatar], nature gets to fight back. . . . I’ve always been an environmental activist, but I’m going to a whole other level now.”

Cameron opined: “We find ourselves facing the greatest challenge of our time — saving our natural world from ourselves. With the 40th anniversary of Earth Day quickly approaching, the time has come to stand up and be warriors for the Earth. Avatar takes place on a distant world, but it’s really about this miracle planet we have right here.”

At a previous Earth Day gathering, Cameron declared: “I just want to say that we’re all doomed.” Cameron and his fellow environmentalist cronies have made Earth Day into a global guilt-fest that portrays man as the culprit to the environment, rather than being the pinnacle of God’s creation as the Bible teaches. They would have us believe that man is an unwelcome interloper, and that the creation itself should be worshipped and elevated above the Creator.

And to those who differ with Cameron’s radical perspective?

Cameron’s answer: “Let me put it this way. I’m happy to [tick] those guys off. I don’t agree with their worldview.”

But we’re not taking Cameron’s challenge lying down.

Our film, The Mysterious Islands, refutes the foundation on which the leftist environmental movement is built upon by exploring the true origin and purpose of the earth in the context of the Galápagos Islands — the famed archipelago that Charles Darwin visited in 1835 during the voyage of the Beagle.

The Mysterious Islands Now Available for Pre-Order on Blu-ray

Darwin got it wrong on the Galápagos, and his conclusions have lead these islands to not only become the Mecca for evolutionists, but also the launching ground for the modern environmental movement.

Here’s what Christians must understand: Darwin argued that man is not a unique creature supernaturally created by God in His image with a responsibility to exercise dominion over creation, but he is simply another animal. Radical environmentalists embrace this as their starting point and thus view man of no greater significance than a fish, a frog, or a whale. This has led to the devaluing of human life on the one hand, and the exaltation of the animal and plant kingdoms on the other.

The Mysterious Islands helps set the false ideologies to rest. The film portrays the Galápagos Islands — where Darwin’s Theory and the modern environmental movement were birthed — as a showcase for God’s creation, not a laboratory for evolution. Our documentary places the role of man and the animal and plant kingdoms in their proper perspective and maintains that we must worship the Creator, not the creation.

Many Christians are genuinely confused on how best to respond to the worldview of the environmental movement as expressed in Cameron’s wildly-popular film, Avatar. The Mysterious Islands helps to fill this critical gap through a cinematically beautiful film that offers an alternative for families to enjoy this Earth Day. You can pre-order your copy of The Mysterious Islands on stunning high-definition Blu-Ray for the special price of $30 $25.

Screen ‘The Mysterious Islands’ Free of Charge For the Next Two Weeks

Now through May 1, Vision Forum is granting the opportunity for you to screen The Mysterious Islands in your community free of charge. We encourage you to gather your community into homes, churches, or other venues, and to show The Mysterious Islands as a positive alternative to the wrong perspectives being espoused in connection with Earth Day.

If you are interested in taking advantage of this free screening opportunity, write to tmiscreening@visionforum.com.

Save 50% When You Buy the Evangelism Pack

Vision Forum is pleased to make copies of The Mysterious Islands standard DVD available for 50% off when you buy our special Evangelism 8-packs. Purchase the film in lots of eight, and give them out to friends, family, and skeptics.

Vision Forum is pleased to make copies of The Mysterious Islands standard DVD available for 50% off when you buy our special Evangelism 8-packs. Purchase the film in lots of eight, and give them out to friends, family, and skeptics.

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 21, 2010 | Permalink

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — April 19, 2010 — Michelle Duggar, mother to 19 and star of TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting” has been selected to receive the “Mother of the Year Award” as part of a special ceremony at the Baby Conference: A Historic Family Summit on the Triumph of Life Over the Culture of Death, to be held July 8-10 in San Antonio. Michelle and her husband Jim Bob are featured speakers at the event, sponsored by Vision Forum Ministries, which is expected to draw more than 2,000 to the Alamo City.

“Michelle Duggar is the real deal,” noted Doug Phillips, President of Vision Forum Ministries. “She embodies the very best of a Christian role model for women. She is a highly intelligent and gracious woman of God and a capable and faithful helpmeet to her husband Jim Bob. As a mother, Michelle is singular. She has modeled for millions a passion for God’s gift of the fruit of the womb and a tenderness and wisdom in raising her 19 children that have been downright inspiring.”

Phillips added: “Michelle’s love for life and the blessing of childbearing has been an integral part of their family’s uplifting witness. She is clearly a mother deserving of this award, and we are excited to honor her as ‘Mother of the Year.’”

The Baby Conference will feature encouraging messages on the blessing of children and the culture of life, special lectures and panel discussions for mothers, forums on child-training, and presentations for the whole family that explore the wonder of God’s creation through the intricacies of the womb. It is also expected to bring out a large number of families that have adopted children as well as many who are considering adoption. The event will address the “who, what, where, why, and how” of adoption, and featured experts will address the plight of the Haitian orphan, as well as other international adoption priorities.

Jim Bob and Michelle will share their story together, and Michelle will also be hosting a separate Ladies Tea Time, which is close to selling-out in the two weeks since the event was announced.

“The hard-heartedness of the pro-abortion, statist Left toward life is really highlighted by the contempt and scorn shown toward the Duggars,” Phillips observed. “Liberal commentators and leftist activist groups such as PETA have viciously mocked the Duggars for having a large family, often using language too obscene to repeat.

“The remarkable success of their television show, as well as their widespread popularity within mainstream America, points to the fact that there is still a significant part of the American culture that view children as a blessing,” remarked Phillips. “We rejoice in the Duggars’ outspoken testimony in favor of fruitfulness. The Bible calls the fruitful womb a blessing, and we support the Duggars in their defense of this proposition.”

The Baby Conference will also engage hard-hitting, but pertinent bio-ethical issues ranging from abortion to human cloning, from surrogacy to genetic engineering, from brain death to the use of abortifacient technology like “the Pill.” Featured speakers at the summit will address these and other pertinent topics in a way that edifies and equips families to have a joyful and triumphant outlook toward the blessing of children.

“This year marks the 50th anniversary of the introduction of ‘the Pill’,” Phillips concluded. “And as media attention centers on the victory of selfishness and the defeat of the biblical family that has followed in the wake of the contraceptive movement, we are committed to defending and celebrating life — in particular, the blessing of children and their role in building healthy cultures and vibrant households. Our unequivocal counsel is this: We must preserve and celebrate life amidst a culture of death.”

To interview Doug Phillips about the Duggars and The Baby Conference, contact Wesley Strackbein by e-mail at wesley@visionforum.com or by phone at (210) 340-5250, ext. 222.

Visit The Baby Conference homepage to learn more about the event.

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 19, 2010 | Permalink

Joshua Titus with Virginia and Lonise. A few months ago we were with Lonise in Haiti when she was an orphan. Today she is an American and a member of the David Birdy family living in San Antonio.

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 18, 2010 | Permalink

One by one, the old country stores are disappearing from the American landscape. The latest casualty of the march of time is our own dear Waring General Store. The death of the landlord resulted in the termination of the lease. Pictured above with Joshua is the proprietor, our friend Ed, He tells us that the store will be reborn in another, not-so-picturesque, not-so-ancient building, about twenty-five yards away.

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 18, 2010 | Permalink

“For such is the kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 19:14)

Miscarriage is not merely the conclusion of a pregnancy, it is the death of a child with an eternal soul, and the loss of a member of the family. If you have ever experienced miscarriage, then you have known the profound heartache and sorrow which comes from losing a child. And it is not unusual that families who actively seek the Lord for the blessing of children will experience one or more miscarriages in the course of their life. But in the midst of the tragedy of miscarriage, there is a biblical message of great hope for mothers and fathers. This hope springs for the sovereign God’s eternal promises, from the glory and privilege of being used of God to conceive a life bearing an eternal soul that will live on forever, and for the message of life communicated to the world every time a mother and father joyfully embrace God’s “reward.” Join me at The Baby Conference for “The Message of Miscarriage.”

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 15, 2010 | Permalink

Here is a four-minute sample of highlights from the “Freedom at Risk” speech the Lord gave me the opportunity to deliver at the San Antonio TEA Party rally on the grounds of the Alamo before an estimated 15,000 people last year.

You may hear or watch the entire speech as a free download on Behemoth.com. Secondly, a full press release on the event is now available on the Vision Forum Ministries website.

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 15, 2010 | Permalink

Historically, a love and understanding of poetry has been a mark of manhood. The first example of poetic parallelism comes from the story of Adam, and throughout the Word of God, poetry is presented through the God-breathed, Holy Spirit-inspired writings of the human authors. This is why poetry has long been understood as an essential component of a fully-developed Christian aesthetic. But this is no longer the case. Modern poetry tends to be silly, foppish, effeminate, meaningless and banal. Consequently, it means little to modern man.

Poetry, like all of culture, is religion externalized. This means that the poetry and prose of any generation will never rise above the religious ethic of the people who use these mediums for communication. In addition,a love of great prose and poetry has been on the wane at least since the Second World War, as it has been surpassed by a teen music culture that emphasizes foolishness over significance, and the banal over the beautiful.

In this lecture, I make the case that great poetry is not highbrow pseudo-intellectualism in verse, nor is it a love of words for the sake of loving words. Great poetry is accessible, understandable, uplifting, virile, and consistent with the basic principles of poetic expression found in the Word of God. Join me tomorrow night for a rousing discussion on the lost art of manly poetry.

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 14, 2010 | Permalink

Join us at The Baby Conference for a visually stunning journey through the mysteries and wonders of the human embryo: How do two cells come together, and then divide, and then multiply to make a baby? The stunning story of fetal development is not simply a wonder of God’s mighty and providential creation. It is a record of biological information that is crucial in understanding the pressing bioethical issues of contraception, abortion, stem cell research, fertility, cloning, and surrogate parenthood. Geoffrey Botkin takes us from the moment of cellular conception to birth, tracking specialization of the cells, organs and systems that make man fearfully and wonderfully made. A message for the whole family. An important message for home educators or anyone who wants to better understand both how to rejoice in the gift of life, and defend life against the arguments of modernity and post-modernity.

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 14, 2010 | Permalink

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 14, 2010 | Permalink

This weekend was the MidWest Ohio Home School Convention, and 10,000 attended. It was a pleasure to meet Doug and Nancy Wilson on the occasion of their very first home school conference. Doug sat in on one of my sessions, and I on his.

Next we had a Doug Summit over lunch, replete with what my son described as a “refreshingly manly conversation.”

The controversy was intense, but in the end he ordered soup and I had a fried egg.

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 13, 2010 | Permalink

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 13, 2010 | Permalink

The Baby Conference from Douglas Phillips on Vimeo.

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 13, 2010 | Permalink

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 13, 2010 | Permalink

This weekend marked a milestone in the Phillips family as Joshua Titus Phillips joined me for his very first message as a speaker at a home school conference. Before an overflow crowd of just under one thousand in attendance for “Rebuilding A Culture of Virtuous Boyhood,” Josh and I spoke on manhood, books, adventures, child training and even music. The Lord greatly blessed my son’s presentation and it was a pleasure to teach tag-team with him on a subject matter for which we both share such passion. Watching Joshua was a highlight of the conference for me (“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” 3 John 1:4.)

Here is a nice comment from one listener:

We are writing to thank you for the messages you presented this past weekend at the Cincinnati Homeschool Convention. We were especially encouraged by your message on Virtuous Boyhood because it was a delight to hear from your son on these matters. It was great to see Joshua watch you with respect & delight and then be able to speak well on the topic-this was such an encouragement to us with young children! This is what we want in our children! We continue to pray for your family & your ministry! God Bless! The Tully Family

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 13, 2010 | Permalink

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 12, 2010 | Permalink

Adoption from Douglas Phillips on Vimeo.

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 8, 2010 | Permalink

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 8, 2010 | Permalink

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 8, 2010 | Permalink

First, they awake from their airplane slumber and discover they are home.

Next, they contemplate the joy of telling Momma all their stories from their great adventure.

They jump for the sky.

Then they sprint.

Then they really fly.

And finally, they are off to see Momma.

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 5, 2010 | Permalink

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 5, 2010 | Permalink

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 2, 2010 | Permalink

Rescue Haiti’s Children: Delivering Bibles and Boxes of Hope from Douglas Phillips on Vimeo.

Imagine if all of your possessions in the world fit into a shoe box. That is reality for most Haitian orphans. But on this special day, we brought them clothing, Bibles, and boxes with gifts.

Special thanks to our dear friends Carmen and Lourdes Torres in San Antonio, Texas, for weeks of work assembling the boxes and clothing for the orphans of Haiti. This video report is the fruit of their labors.

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 2, 2010 | Permalink

Posted by Doug Phillips on April 1, 2010 | Permalink