"What's the use? Life is futile, nothing will turn out right." This really is a dumb and very sad idea. Many people have this approach to life and are overcome with a feeling of hopelessness and futility. And, this is not a new phenomenon.

This dumb idea was a very popular campaign slogan a few years ago, and it is a commonly held belief today. In our consumer-based economic system, which runs on credit or borrowed money, the general state of the economy is important for the well-being of its citizens.

But, when this is the case, the emphasis is all wrong and our collective sense of values goes awry, resulting in spiraling personal debt and a materialistic, short-term mentality. Look around you and see if this does not describe the current situation in much of the developed world today.

What is this dumb idea all about? It has become so pervasive that it impacts all levels of our society and impedes our communication with others. What is the point? Why has this worthless concept and practice become so prevalent?

Does The Bible address such "modern" concepts? Actually, God's Word gives very specific instruction on the motives that drive this dumb idea.

#5 "Animal Rights": Treating animals like human beings

So-called "animal rights activists" are aggressively promoting this incredibly dumb idea. Carried out to the extreme, this cockamamie idea means to ascribe to animals the rights and privileges that human beings have.

As reported by various national news services, one of the leading Presidential candidates spoke to the United Church of Christ national meeting in June. Illinois Senator Barack Obama stated: "Faith got hijacked, partly because of so-called leaders of the Christian Right, all too eager to exploit what divides us." He then referred specifically to issues such as abortion, same-sex marriages, school prayer and intelligent design.