Kevin Swanson's Blog

Special Thank You to the 2010 Conference Team

host@kevinswanson.com — Thursday, March 11, 2010

We're especially thankful for an enthusiastic staff of young men who worked above and beyond the call of duty to launch a powerful conference!

2010 Family Economics Conference Recordings Now Available

host@kevinswanson.com — Monday, March 08, 2010

Couldn't make it to the conference? Or maybe you went there and want to hear that great session you loved one more time. Either way, we've got you covered. Generations with Vision is pleased to announce that the conference recordings are now ready for purchase. Available on CD, MP3, and DVD, you can choose the format that's right for you. Or, for those who want it all, we offer a special collection that contains all of the CDs, MP3s, and DVDs at an incredible value.

Generations with Vision

host@kevinswanson.com — Monday, March 08, 2010

Family Economics Conference 2010

In the middle of the worst recession of our lives, the worst economic down turn since the 1940s, a ministry in Colorado decides to throw a conference. . . asking the simple question, "Does God have anything meaningful to say about economics?" There has never been a better time to ask such a question. As we dusted off the old volume again, we began to see some radical contrasts between the slave-based systems and biblical freedom. We saw differences between the socialist system, the individualist systems, and the family-based, biblical economies. We observed the violations of God's economic principles here, there, and everywhere.

But most importantly, families began to catch a clearer vision for building their own micro-economies out of

the ashes of a failed macro-economy. There's nothing more exciting than families catching a vision based in God's Word for family life that will impact generations to come!

Every speaker made significant contributions to the discussion. Nobody had a full grasp on all of the implications. But everybody had a sense that we had better start talking through these issues now, or regret it later.

For our first conference, we could not have been more delighted with the full-house, the terrific venue, and some of the best weather we've ever seen in Colorado, this time of year. We enjoyed having 200+ people visit us in our home over the weekend as well. We figure that a little hospitality plays an important part in our relational oikonomia vision!

This was the first conference of its kind, and I'm sure there will be many more in the tumultuous years ahead. But, this time we were able to get a few stakes in the ground, laying out the foundations of a family economic vision for the next century.

If you missed this important conference, you will want to obtain the CD's and/or DVD's. We captured some excellent video of the most important 8 presentations, available now at Generations with Vision. Just visit our store to order.

Can't come to the 2010 Family Economics Conference?

host@kevinswanson.com — Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Stay posted next week for Conference CD's, Mp3's and DVD's

A Timely Conference

host@kevinswanson.com — Friday, February 26, 2010

As we appoach the end of the Keynesian age, as the gods of the market tumble in the midst of the Great Recession of 2009-2010, we decided to throw a conference – on Economics. Harking back to the old wisdom (pre-Keynes), we will limp up to explain it once more.

For fathers and families with a vision for the future, we propose consructing a new economic system, from the bottom up. It's not Socialist Economics and it's not Individualist Free Market Economics. It's Family Economics, based on biblical social systems, biblical discipleship, biblical charitable systems, etc. Our goal is to bring biblical emphases back into the way we think about economics, and all of life. God is relevant, and His Word is relevant to the day-to-day, mundane issues of our lives.

I have had personal meetings with all the speakers presenting, and we are committed NOT to play the part of the ivory tower intellectuals and the pie-in-the-sky economists. We intend for the conference to be intensely practical for every Tom, Dick, Harry, Mary, Jane, and Jill who attends.

Praise God! This first conference sponsored by the Generations ministry will be packed out, and we are right now squeezing the last few people in edge-wise (thanks to a few cancellations).

Every economic downturn, every natural disaster is a wake-up call and presents us with the opportunity for serious soul-searching and repentance. I believe that the present "Great Recession" is only a shot across the bow of our national consciousness, and God's people would do well now to heed the warning. Our prayer is that all would walk away with this conference with more of commitment to God's kingdom, God's priority of relationships, God's values, and God's law. Put more plainly, we hope that there would be more families worshiping God in their businesses on Monday morning after this conference.

What Really Irritates Kevin Swanson About Pagan Classical Education

host@kevinswanson.com — Saturday, February 13, 2010

Don't get me wrong. I like classical education. But what do I mean by that? I like to retain a little antithesis in our thinking and education. And the trouble I have with the pagan classics would be their epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, social theory, and a few other things.

So the children and I had a good time putting together this little spot that will air on our Web-TV outlet - thehomeschoolchannel.tv, which you can watch below.

The Pill - A Real Pill

host@kevinswanson.com — Friday, February 05, 2010

200 Million Dead Babies since 1960?

Today's program “celebrates” the 50th anniversary of the Pill, developed and tested by Doctors Gregory Pincus and John Rock and released to the public in 1960. Funding was initially provided by Margaret Sanger via her friend, Kathryn McCormick. The initial funding of $40,000 turned into a total bequest of $2,000,000. We encourage everybody who has ever used the pill to send a thank you card to Planned Parenthood, and acknowledge the commitment of the organization's founder.

Importantly, the abortifacient capacity of the pill was largely ignored until Christian author, Randy Alcorn and several others began to publicize it in the early 1990s. But then again, society didn't really care. After all, we are too much propelled by the existentialist, me-centered world to care about what happens to some stupid cell! To think of how many Christians have wittingly or unwittingly killed millions of their children since 1960 is jarring, to say the least.

About 1/4 of women on the pill still ovulate, but pregnancies are as low as 3-4%. Given that 30% of American women 18-45 years of age are on the pill (http://www.cbs.nl/en-GB/menu/themas/bevolking/publicaties/artikelen/archief/2009/2009-2725-wm.htm), about 6% of American women are having pill-induced abortions in any given year (and it may be as many as 12 abortions)! I would estimate that this would be anywhere from 3- 10 million extra abortions per year!

The true number of aborted children since 1960 or 1973 in this country is far more than 50 million. It may be closer to 200 million if you include those killed by the pill, the day-after pill, and RU486. How much of the birth rate drop from 4.0 (in 1950) to 2.0 presently is made up of dead, aborted babies?

A lot of doctors, pastors, and people with a little basic knowledge concerning the functioning of the pill could have warned their people about it. But somehow, our Christian society didn't really care. After all, “It was just one stupid cell. And, I have MY life, MY quality of life, and MY health to think about here.” BTW, ungodly herbologists and witches have always been well aware of the sorts of plants that induce abortions. There truly is nothing new under the sun. . . just a whole lot more naive Christians, I guess.

May God have mercy on us.

Television Broadcast

host@kevinswanson.com — Sunday, January 31, 2010

After seven years of broadcasting, our Generations Radio program is now available in video at TheHomeschoolChannel.TV. The American Family Association has graciously provided air time for us through their on-line network. Together with our team that films and edits each program, we’re hoping the video content will add some educational value to the program. We know a number of home school families that listen to the program (and will hopefully watch the program), as a helpful supplement to their history, social studies, and civics curriculum. Presently, the channel is in pilot launch. Although we have been told that some member(s) of the Generations broadcast team "look better on radio," we're hoping that won't discourage viewers from checking us out on The HomeschoolChannel.TV.

Shepherd Center. . . Week 1

host@kevinswanson.com — Thursday, January 07, 2010

The Shepherd Center has left the dock!

We study together. We eat. We talk. We work. We worship.

It’s not exactly college. But then again Jesus never bothered with a college for his disciples.

Eight young men and three mentors lived together and worked together for our first week in the Shepherd Center at the Swanson house.

They serve as interns for the Generations ministry, but more importantly they are learning in a relational, and an intellectually and spiritually challenging atmosphere.

I trust, by God’s grace we will have in these fine young men a brotherhood of future leaders.

What Kevin Swanson was Doing in 1977

host@kevinswanson.com — Monday, December 21, 2009

Some have asked me why I do the Family Bible Study Guides. I have been writing these little study guides since I was 12 years old. This morning, I found a Study Guide I wrote for the book of Romans in 1977 for our family devotions in Karatsu, Japan. What follows is the content:

May 30, 1977

Romans 1:16-17

Paul here follows up what he had just said of his readiness to preach the Gospel at Rome, by declaring that he was not ashamed of it. He knew from personal experience the opposition which the gospel everywhere encountered. By the pagans it was branded Atheism; and by the Jews it was abhorred as subverting the law and tending to licentiousness; while both the Jews and Gentiles united in denouncing the Christians as disturbers of the public peace, who in their pride and presumption, separated themselves from the rest of mankind. Besides, a crucified Savior was to the one a stumbling-block, and to the other foolishness (1 Cor. 1:23).

Even they who have tasted of the grace of God, are liable to experience, and often to yield to the deeply-rooted and sinful feeling of being ashamed of the things of God. . .

So 33 years later, I’m still at it. My first Proverbs Family Bible Study Guide is slated for publication in February of 2010.