Because We Are Called to Counter Culture: In a World of Poverty, Same-Sex Marriage, Racism, Sex Slavery, Immigration, Persecution, Abortion, Orphans, and Pornography

By David Platt

Poverty, Same-Sex Marriage, Racism, Sex Slavery, Immigration, Persecution, Abortion, Orphans, Pornography—how are we supposed to respond to all of this?

In this companion piece to Counter Culture, David Platt provides Biblical support and practical action steps to help Christians take a courageous and compassionate stand on some of the most controversial issues of our time, and highlights dozens of ways individuals and churches can get involved at both the local and international level.

The stage is set for the God of the universe to do the unthinkable, the unimaginable, the shocking, and the scandalous. And he wants you to be a part of it. It’s time to take a stand for Christ, join the fight against injustice, and counter culture!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
• Release date: Feb 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781496405357

Book preview

COUNTERING CULTURE

Imagine standing at the height of all the earth and seeing the depth of human poverty.

Journey with me to the middle of the Himalayan mountains, where not long ago I met men and women striving for survival. Half the children in these particular villages die before their eighth birthday. Many don’t make it to their first. Meet Radha, a mom who would have fourteen kids if twelve of them hadn’t died before adulthood. Meet Kunsing, a disabled child who spent the first twelve years of his life chained in a barn because his family thought he was cursed. Meet Chimie, a toddler whose brother and sister died when he was two months old, leading his mom to commit suicide and his dad to pass him around desperately to any woman in the village who could provide nourishment.

Just as shocking as those you meet are those you don’t. Some of the villages in these mountains are virtually devoid of young girls between the ages of five and fifteen. Their parents were persuaded by the promises of a better life for their daughters, so they sent them off with men who turned out to be traffickers. Most of these girls live to see their eighth birthday, but by their sixteenth birthday they are forced to have sex with thousands of customers. They will never see their families again.

When we meet people, hear stories, and see faces of injustice like this around the world, it is altogether right for us to respond with compassion, conviction, and courage. Compassion overwhelms us because we care deeply for children, parents, and families whose lives are filled with pain and suffering. Conviction overtakes us, for every one of us knows instinctively that stories like these should not be so. It is not right for half the children in these Himalayan villages to die before their eighth birthday. It is not fair for children born with disabilities to be chained in barns for their entire lives. It is unjust for pimps to deceive parents into selling their precious daughters as sex slaves. Ultimately, such compassion and conviction fuel courage—courage to do

Reviews for Because We Are Called to Counter Culture

[robsumrall · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Counter Culture is an impassioned plea from David Platt for Christians to engage the world in a number of hot-button issues. He takes on such items as poverty, racism, orphan care, and immigration. I was particularly stirred by his call for Christians to confront the sex slavery industry and his call for orphan care. However, the best chapter in the book dealt with his ideas on race relations and the Gospel. He moves the conversation away from the idea of skin-tone to the idea of ethnicity. In doing so, Platt pushes the reader to consider how Christ has commanded us to declare the Gospel to all panta ta ethne, or all people groups as missiologists like to say. Borrowing ideas from Russell Moore, Platt makes a solid case for Christians to reconsider our treatment of aliens, legal or illegal. I commend him for making what will surely be such unpopular points among political conservatives (among whom I count myself....).I stop short of giving this book a five star rating in large part because Platt stops short of saying the things I want and expect him to say. In my opinion, he says much but not enough when it comes to sexual morality. While he deals effectively with the devastating effects of pornography and makes pointed, biblical cases against sexual sins (homo- and heterosexual), I wished he had taken a harder and clearer stance about how Christians should respond to the homosexual agenda in American culture, especially when it comes to politics. I found his soft position even more unsettling considering the fact that he included a chapter on Christians and religious liberty. Those short-comings aside, Counter Culture is a good book that will serve as a great primer for those who are interested in applied biblical ethics. Thanks, Dr. Platt, for sharing it with us!

[hjvanderklis_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Forget the American dreamlife for Christians. Let go of a focus on evangelism only, or its alternative a strive for justice, religious freedom, end of slavery and racism only. Dare to be honest to yourself, the faith you profess and the people around. In Counter Culture, New York Times bestselling author David Platt dares to open tough conversations on the fuel we put into sexual trafficking by watching porn, the supercial end of racism, when we discriminate on auto-pilot, take lives of unborn children, and promote same-sex marriages. The sojourner in our midst, of which the Bible speaks, is the immigrant next door. And did you ever realize what the command to take up your cross and follow Christ really implies? Will you stay silent? Will the Church leave thousands of ethnic groups unreached by the gospel?Or will you and your church pick up challenges like spreading the gospel while taking care of orphans, persecuted Christians and poor? Taking the whole Bible seriously is really counter culture, intolerant and radical. Though I would like to have seen chapters on the possession and use of weapons among Americans, the widespread obese and overconsumption too, this book testifies to a deep love for God and His instructions. Each chapter closes with a short summary of things to pray for, re-read in the Bible and practice. Counterculturebook.com has additional resources, links to organizations and personal stories.

[sparkleandchico · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received this free as it was damaged. It was a really great read. (I was surprised by this as I saw that the author was a best-seller which usually means they haven't written anything that challenges Christians to examine themselves! )

The author Platt honestly admits that he has made mistakes in the past by taking a neutral stance in relation to controversial Christian issues. He has more than compensated for this by writing a book to encourage people to counter the Western culture and to really live out their Christian faith practically.

He covers a range of issues including abortion, same-sex marriage, poverty, sex slavery, immigration, orphans, racism, pornography, persecution. He examines the various cultural viewpoints and explains how Christians have gradually allowed themselves to conform to the culture. He challenges Christians not to hide from these issues or shy away from them but to use them as an opportunity for Gospel witness. He gives practical ways to get involved in responding biblically to all of these issues after encouraging Christians to pray for an area of service.

The author places clear emphasis on the Gospel being the most important aspect that should be at the center of all of our "works" as Christians. He explains how help without hope doesn't really help anyone. I especially enjoyed the last chapter about evangelism and the unreached.

Recommended to all Western Christians who want to challenged.

[Betty Bennett · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good for thought. I appreciate his call for religious freedom. I have a concern with advocating missionary efforts to “the unreached” if these people are worshipped God according to the dictates of their heart.