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Questions?
Are you looking for answers based on sound biblical advice? E-mail our staff
and get a personal response.
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Jóvenes
Hispanos Unidos—el
sitio Web de entendimiento para los líderes del
mañana—y Vertical Thought se esfuerzan por
entregar contenidos relevantes para ayudar a los adolescentes
y jóvenes adultos a descubrir
y vivir el verdadero camino de Dios.
Read the
July - September 2009 issue of Vertical Thought
Starting with this issue of Vertical Thought we've decided
to call the personal letter from the editor on this page "Vantage Point." The
name ties in with the vertical thinking (about God) we promote and conveys
what I like to share within this space—an overall perspective
on one or more of the major themes of the current issue.
Now that you understand the name, let me share a few thoughts with
you about the issue you are now viewing.
As we began planning the articles, two major issues seemed to stand
out in the news and weighed heavily on the minds of our staff. First,
there was the foreboding sense of pessimism that seems to be affecting
much of the world due to the present worldwide financial crisis.
The downturn in the global economy is having a negative effect on many.
Your grandparents and parents may be angry that their retirement savings
have lost approximately half of their value. Some have lost almost all
of their wealth and also their jobs. Many are worried about how they'll
survive. And the discouragement continues, as no one knows how long
it will be before the economy recovers.
Young people are also hit by the financial devastation. Some have to
choose less expensive schools at which to continue their educations.
Some have to borrow more money for school, and others simply won't be
able to go to college at all.
In addition to the financial troubles, our world is also plagued with
diplomatic tensions, corrupt governments and heartless terrorism. There
are plenty of reasons to be down.
In the face of these sad realities, how can we be positive? In our
lead article "The World's a Mess:
Can You Be Positive?" we provide three important reasons
why Christians can and should be positive about the future.
The second issue our staff felt compelled to address was honesty. A
national survey released last December by the Josephson Institute for
Ethics indicated that cheating was on the rise in U.S. high schools.
A staggering 64 percent of the 30,000 students who participated in the
survey admitted they had cheated on a test during the last year. Reports
indicate that problems with student cheating also exist in countries
outside the United States.
Cheating is no longer an isolated incident involving only a few people.
It's now become the norm. Some think that young people are simply following
the example of their elders who also cheat in business, on their taxes
and in their relationships.
What many are beginning to realize is that there is an obvious connection
between cheating and our current economic crisis. The former led to
the latter. In these troubled times, vertical thinkers have a great
opportunity to let their positive outlooks and honest conduct shine.
David Treybig
Managing Editor - Vertical Thought
Beyond Today Weekly Commentary
June 29, 2009
Courage Blossoms
Your best attitude should show when it's needed the most.