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Again, I hear what you're saying and know where you're coming from. If I can make an analogy: When I was in junior high school in 1962, the State of California Dept. of Education sent a woman around to lecture us about the evils of drugs, marijuana in particular. This was before Tim Leary's "turn on, tune in, and drop out." In fact, at that time, the most likely consumers of marijuana were the local Mexican kids known as pachuchos who wore duck-tail haircuts, rode around in "low rider" cars and were into petty (and not so petty) crime. The highlight of the presentation was the 1930's movie Reefer Madness. The movie, which a few years later was shown on college campuses all over the country as a camp tribute to the silliness of anti-drug hysteria, was so over the top that everyone was laughing by the time it was over. And, as first a few, and then more, kids tried pot without the immediately doleful effects depicted in the movie, even ordinary good kids came to think that the warnings against pot were way overblown and hyped. The anti-drug forces lost credibility to such an extent that they have not yet fully recovered it. I fear that your approach -- as satisfying as would be to me -- might have the same effect to undermining the credibility of the message. Based on my own childrens' experiences, I think what the kids hunger for are ways of understanding how they can make Christian choices, and deal with the dilemmas as they really run into them on a daily basis. I think, again, without having read it, that's what the Zondervan people (who can hardly be called weak Christians as a group) are trying to accomplish. How well they've succeeded, I cannot say. But, I do think the effort is worthwhile.

I think, again, without having read it, that's what the Zondervan people (who can hardly be called weak Christians as a group) are trying to accomplish. How well they've succeeded, I cannot say. But, I do think the effort is worthwhile.

And I would have to say they are going about it the wrong way. Holding up bad art with good intentions ("Reefer Madness") doesn't really argue your point, or do justice to mine. The role of art is to make heroism and virtue look credible, not ridiculous. Opting for titles like "Am I Gay?", moreover, almost surrenders the argument before it is ever made.