Thank God society is no longer pretending this debauchery is normal. For too long, our culture tried to rebrand self-destruction as freedom. What was once seen as vice became marketed as identity—an untouchable "lifestyle" no one dared question. But behind the flashing lights and catchy slogans lies a path of wreckage: drug abuse, hollow relationships, mental breakdowns, and wasted years.

In recent years, the lines between Christianity and psychology have become increasingly blurred. Sermons are filled with therapeutic language. Churches offer recovery groups modeled more on 12-step programs than on the New Testament. The Bible is mined for self-help rather than self-denial.

After 25 years of searching for the best Bible translation—and never feeling fully satisfied—I finally decided to try something different. Instead of chasing the latest edition, I went backward. Surprisingly, I’ve fallen in love with the NASB 1977. Not the 1995 revision. Not the 2020 update. The original 1977 edition.