Views of the News That You May Not Hear Elsewhere (Excerpted with permission from Focus on the Family's "Pastor's Weekly Briefing" dated March 5, 2010 ©2010 Focus on the Family.)   Profiling the Millennials A new report published last month by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life® shows that young adults today are less religious than former generations were when they were in their 20s. Of the so-called Millennials — those born after 1980 — only 74 percent have a religious affiliation. The research also revealed that the rate of religious affiliation increases with age: Eighty percent of Generation X (born 1965-1980) Eighty-seven percent of Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) Ninety-two percent of the Silent Generation (born 1928-1945) Ninety-five percent of the Greatest Generation (born before 1928) While "religious affiliation" seems high, only 18 percent of Millennials say they attend worship services every week, and only 21 percent of Gen Xers. Just 26 percent of Boomers said they attended worship services weekly when they were in their 20s. Other characteristics of Millennials are: confident, liberal, upbeat, open to change. They embrace multiple modes of self-expression: three-quarters have created a profile on a social networking site; one-in-five have posted a video of themselves online; four-in-ten have a tattoo (for most who do, one is not enough — half of those with tattoos have two to five and 18% have six or more). They treat their hand-held gadgets almost like a body part with eight-in-ten sleeping with a cell phone glowing by their bed. Click here to read more about other millennial characteristics. A Teacher's Victory U.S. District Court Judge Roger T. Benitez has ruled against a San Diego, Calif., school that required one of its teachers to remove signs celebrating the role of God in American history from his classroom walls. Westview High School math teacher, Bradley Johnson, had banners hanging in his classroom for 17 years. But, the signs — with phrases such as "In God We Trust" and "All Men Are Created Equal, They Are Endowed by Their Creator" — were ordered to be torn down during the 2007 school year by the principal. The district, however, permits other teachers to hang Buddhist, Islamic and Tibetan prayer messages on their classroom walls. Johnson filed a lawsuit alleging the order was a violation of his constitutional rights. The federal judge, in his ruling, declared: "May a school district censor a high school teacher's expression because it refers to Judeo-Christian views, while allowing other teachers to express views on a number of controversial subjects, including religion and anti-religion? ... On undisputed evidence, this court holds that it may not. "That God places prominently in our nation's history does not create an Establishment Clause violation requiring curettage and disinfectant for Johnson's public high school classroom walls. It is a matter of historical fact that our institutions and government actors have in past and present times given place to a supreme God." "[While teachers in the district] encourage students to celebrate diversity and value thinking for one's self, [they] apparently fear their students are incapable of dealing with diverse viewpoints that include God's place in American history and culture," Judge Benitez stated. In response to the school district's claim that Johnson's patriotic banners might make a Muslim student, for example, uncomfortable, Judge Benitez said, "An imaginary Islamic student is not entitled to a heckler's veto on a teacher's passive, popular or unpopular expression about God's place in the history of the United States." Richard Thompson, president and chief counsel for the Thomas More Law Center, commented on the case they filed for Johnson: "It was refreshing to read an opinion that does justice to our nation's history, rather than rewrite it." The judge concluded in his ruling that Johnson was entitled to a declaration that the school violated his constitutional rights and ordered the district to pay nominal damages of $10 per defendant plus Johnson's attorney's fees and costs. Benitez also ordered the school district to allow Johnson to immediately rehang the signs. [WorldNetDaily.com] Ancient Wall Discovered An ancient wall uncovered outside of Jerusalem's Old City matches those described in the Bible during the time of King Solomon, reports ChristianPost.com. According to archeologist Dr. Eliat Mazar, the wall dates back some 3,000 years, and would indicate that Jerusalem had a strong central government at that time because it required organization, resources and workers to build the massive structure. "A comparison of this latest finding with city walls and gates from the period of the First Temple, as well as pottery found at the site, enable us to postulate, with a great degree of assurance, that the wall that has been revealed is that which was built by King Solomon in Jerusalem in the latter part of the tenth century BCE [Before the Christian Era]," Mazar told The Jerusalem Post. The archeologist notes that the Old Testament passage of 1 Kings 3:1 says that King Solomon built the temple and his new palace, and surrounded them with a city that was most likely connected to the ancient wall of the City of David. "This is the first time that a structure from that time has been found that may correlate with written descriptions of Solomon's building in Jerusalem." The section of the wall uncovered is nearly 230 feet long and 20 feet high and is located in the area known as the Ophel, between the City of David and the south wall that surrounds the Temple Mount. A 20-foot-high gatehouse has also been uncovered that is part of the wall, as well. In addition, a large watchtower exists that has yet to be fully excavated. Pottery remnants have been found on the floor of the royal building near the gatehouse that date back to the 10th century B.C., supporting the archaeologists' claim about the age of the wall. And on jar handles are the words, "to the king," indicating its use by the monarchy. • Indiana House Votes Down Marriage Amendment For the second time in three years, a state constitutional amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman failed in the Indiana House last week. Even though the votes are there in both chambers of the Indiana Legislature, House Speaker Pat Bauer (D) has blocked the amendment from getting to a vote. [CitizenLink.com] • Maryland Attorney General May Face Charges Charges are likely to be filed against Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler for deciding last week that the state will recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages. Maryland law holds that the state will not recognize the unions and only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid. The state's high court ruled on the issue in 2007, saying only the General Assembly could redefine marriage. Delegate Don Dwyer said charges could be filed within a month. "I plan on holding him accountable. I do plan to bring charges of impeachment against him on the Maryland House floor," said Dwyer. [CitizenLink.com] • Don Wildmon Steps Down Dr. Don Wildmon, founder of the Tupelo, Mississippi-based ministry, American Family Association, has resigned as chairman of the board. Wildmon plans to continue to work at the ministry, but not in a leadership role. Tim, his son and current president of AFA, is expected to continue leading the ministry. [OneNewsNow.com] • More Teens Using Marijuana and Alcohol A study released this week by The Partnership for a Drug-Free America reveals that, after a ten year decline, alcohol and marijuana use among teens is on the rise. The annual survey found that 25 percent of teens reported smoking marijuana in the last month, compared to 19 percent in 2008. The use of alcohol among teens in grades 9 through 12 has risen to 39 percent, which is an 11 percent increase from 2008. • Same-Sex Marriage OK'd in D.C. In December, the Washington, D.C., City Council approved a bill to legalize same-sex marriage. The U.S. Congress oversees the District, but took no action on the new law. Marriage advocates wanted D.C. voters to decide the definition of marriage. Accordingly, the Alliance Defense Fund filed an appeal on Monday with Chief Justice John Roberts over the District's refusal to let the people vote on the issue of marriage. But the U.S. Supreme Court refused to intervene, and thus same-sex marriage became legal this week in Washington, D.C. Efforts by conservatives to overturn the law are continuing. [CitizenLink.com, Family Research Council, CNSNews.com] • New Church "Growth" Stats The 2010 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches reports membership gains over the past year in the Catholic Church (1.49%), the Assemblies of God (1.27%), and the Church of God (Cleveland) (1.76%). A decline in membership was reported by the Southern Baptist Convention (0.24%), the United Methodist Church (0.98%) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (1.62%). For further information and stats about other denominations, visit the 2010 Yearbook online. [return to top]