From the pages of

1
Destination Heaven or Hell?
When asked where they would spend eternity, 64
percent of U.S. adults believe they will go to
heaven. Five percent believe they will come back
to life in another form and five percent contend
they will simply cease to exist. Even though 81
percent of adults believe in some sort of
afterlife, 24 percent have no idea what will
happen after they die. Only half of one percent
expect to go to hell after their death. 81 U.S.
adults who believe in an afterlife of some
sort 76 Adults who believe heaven exists 71
Adults who believe there is such a thing as
hell Source The Barna Update, Oct. 21, 2003
From the pages of
2
TV viewers dont speak out
While television networks continue to push the
envelope on what is acceptable for television, TV
Guide asked viewers their thoughts. When asked if
they had noticed an increase in offensive
material on television lately, 57 percent of
respondents said yes and 71 percent of those
polled said they had actually switched channels
because they had found a shows material too
offensive. However, only 8 percent said they had
ever called a network to complain about offensive
material. Randall Murphree, a spokesman for the
TV watchdog group American Family Association,
told TV Guide that he is puzzled by the lack of
opposition to network TVs offensive material.
We grow desensitized to things in our culture
gradually, and we reach a point where we think,
Im overwhelmed, and I get the feeling my voice
wont be heard no matter how loud I scream.
From the pages of
3
U.S. Families are in crisis
Speaking at a Kingdom Families conference, Tom
Elliff, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church,
Del City, Oklahoma, noted the overwhelming
evidence in the breakdown of families. Each
day in the U.S. more than 3,500 families are
devastated by divorce. Americas divorce rate
is now more than double the rate of 1960.
Currently, more marriages are terminated by
divorce than by the death of a spouse. One
million children a year see their parents
divorce. More than 50 percent of the children
in Americas public schools live in single-parent
homes. 35 percent of Americas children live
apart from their biological fathers. 50 percent
of children who live apart from their biological
fathers have never stepped foot in their
fathers house. Children in single-parent homes
have a 300 percent greater possibility of a
negative life outcome than children raised in
homes where both parents are present. In the
past 40 years, pregnancies out of wedlock have
increased 600 percent. Fewer than 40 percent of
married couples claim to be very happy. Among
evangelicals, Internet pornography is now a major
factor in the dissolution of families and
departure from ministry. Personal bankruptcies
are at an all-time high in America. Tithing and
giving are becoming practices that are lost to
succeeding generations. The majority of
children in America have fewer than 10 minutes of
significant and meaningful conversation with
their parents each week. Source Facts Trends,
November 2003
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