•   More Teens Using Marijuana and Alcohol
A study released this week by The Partnership for a Drug-Free America reveals that, after a ten year decline, alcohol and marijuana use among teens is on the rise. The annual survey found that 25 percent of teens reported smoking marijuana in the last month, compared to 19 percent in 2008. The use of alcohol among teens in grades 9 through 12 has risen to 39 percent, which is an 11 percent increase from 2008.

•   Ouija Board for Tots
A pink edition of the Ouija Board is being sold by Toys R Us^® and is being marketed as acceptable for girls as young as eight-years-old. The regular version is designated for all children eight and up. Stephen Phelan, communication manager of Human Life International, commented that the primary groups that deny the evils of the Ouija board are the ones who deny the spirit world entirely. He goes on to say Christians have a biblical mandate. "We're supposed to deal with the truth only," he notes. "We're supposed to have nothing to do with dark spirits. We're not supposed to dabble in anything that would compromise our souls, and that's exactly what this does." [OneNewsNow.com]

•   "Blind Side" Wins Top Movieguide Award
The blockbuster movie, "The Blind Side," won the top prize at Movieguide's 2010 sold-out annual dinner and awards gala this week at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Ted Baehr, founder and publisher of Movieguide and chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission, said that the film's touting of the power of evangelical Christian beliefs has once again upended Hollywood conventional wisdom that sex, violence and spectacular special effects are what sells in today's big-budget American cinema. The film grossed nearly $250 million since the end of November and cost $35 million to produce. [WorldNetDaily.com]

Changes in Tweens' and Teens' Attitudes

The results of a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive for the Girl Scouts of the USA, Good Intentions: The Beliefs and Values of Teens and Tweens Today, show that many more teens and preteens are accepting of homosexual relationships and far fewer find them unacceptable than was the case in 1989.

The research revealed that:

·         Fifty-nine percent of teens and preteens now feel that "gay or lesbian relations are OK if that is the person's choice." In 1989, only 31 percent believed that "homosexual relations are OK if that is the person's choice."

·         Only 30 percent of 7th-12th graders now believe that homosexual relationships are never acceptable because it is unnatural, compared to 56 percent who felt this way about homosexual relations twenty years ago.

·         Twenty-five percent of teens and preteens believe that "abortion is all right if having the baby will change your life plans in a way that you will find hard to live with." In 1989, 33 percent felt this way.

The survey was based on a nationwide sample of 3,263 students in grades 3 through 12, of whom 1,833 are in grades 7 through 12.


Ancient Wall Discovered

An ancient wall uncovered outside of Jerusalem's Old City matches those described in the Bible during the time of King Solomon, reports ChristianPost.com.

According to archeologist Dr. Eliat Mazar, the wall dates back some 3,000 years, and would indicate that Jerusalem had a strong central government at that time because it required organization, resources and workers to build the massive structure. "A comparison of this latest finding with city walls and gates from the period of the First Temple, as well as pottery found at the site, enable us to postulate, with a great degree of assurance, that the wall that has been revealed is that which was built by King Solomon in Jerusalem in the latter part of the tenth century BCE [Before the Christian Era]," Mazar told The Jerusalem Post.

The archeologist notes that the Old Testament passage of 1 Kings 3:1 says that King Solomon built the temple and his new palace, and surrounded them with a city that was most likely connected to the ancient wall of the City of David. "This is the first time that a structure from that time has been found that may correlate with written descriptions of Solomon's building in Jerusalem."

The section of the wall uncovered is nearly 230 feet long and 20 feet high and is located in the area known as the Ophel, between the City of David and the south wall that surrounds the Temple Mount. A 20-foot-high gatehouse has also been uncovered that is part of the wall, as well. In addition, a large watchtower exists that has yet to be fully excavated.

Pottery remnants have been found on the floor of the royal building near the gatehouse that date back to the 10th century B.C., supporting the archaeologists' claim about the age of the wall. And on jar handles are the words, "to the king," indicating its use by the monarchy. Source: Focus on the Family