Month: August 2014
Roundup: Notable Voices Regarding the New HHS Mandate in Light of the Supreme Court Ruling in Favor of Hobby Lobby
Posted on August 29, 2014 in Life, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
After the Supreme Court dealt a devastating blow to the Obama Administration’s HHS mandate, the administration promised a “fix” to make it all legal. True to their promise a new HHS mandate “fix” was released last week. Unfortunately, the new “fix” does nothing to protect the religious conscience and convictions of business owners and religious organizations.
The following articles provide a detailed analysis of the new “fix” and why it’s really nothing new and doesn’t really fix anything. Stay informed about this very critical issue. At stake is the ability for business owners to live and do business according to their religious convictions without fear of government reprisal. This is important because religious freedom is a cornerstone of our country. If the government can force a business owner to violate his/her religious convictions it won’t be long before every person can and will be made to do the same.
ADF COMMENT ON HHS MANDATE ‘ACCOMMODATION’
Well Known Christian Musician Says She is a Lesbian
Posted on August 28, 2014 in Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
Let me just get right to the point. Another well-known professing Christian musician has declared to the world that she is gay. She believes and is “certain God loves me just the way I am.” The catalyst for her acceptance of this sexual orientation seems to be some emotional, nearly traumatic religious experiences from her youth.
Vicky Beeching has made a name for herself in Contemporary Christian Music. Her gifts brought her to Nashville when she was just 23 years old. By that time she identified as lesbian, she simply didn’t tell anyone. Her struggle, according to her own account, began when she was young. By age 13 she recalls feeling alone and despondent as a result of the attractions she was experiencing.
Shock! State Marriage Amendment Stands Against Court Challenge
Posted on August 27, 2014 in Marriage, Public Policy by Nathan Cherry
Imagine my shock when I read that a state’s marriage amendment defining marriage as the union of one woman and one man was upheld in a federal court.
It’s not that I think such amendments aren’t Constitutional, quite the opposite. In fact I believe that each state has the sovereign right to decide for itself what the definition of marriage will be. I believe the federal government should stay out of the debate between states and refuse to interfere in the decision each state will make. I believe the people of each state – not a court or a single judge – should make the decision.
So my shock has nothing to do with the constitutionality of such amendments. Instead, my shock is that a federal court would actually uphold the will of the people rather than trample all over it as so many have already done.
A post at ScotusBlog reports:
Has the Supreme Court Already Decided the Definition of Marriage for America?
Posted on August 26, 2014 in Marriage by Nathan Cherry
Here’s an important question we need to answer. Is there a Constitutional right to same-sex “marriage”?
If a Constitutional right exists then it should end all the debate. The Supreme Court should simply cite the Constitution and the entire issue will be settled. And yet, when they had the chance not even the Supreme Court was willing to say that such a right exists. That leaves me wondering whether such a right – as some activists claim – is reasonable.
One of the most important court decisions concerning the definition of marriage has been issued and you probably didn’t even know it. Not only did the media fail to cover the decision adequately, but the fact that it took place in Europe made it a little harder to hear about. But, let me share a brief recap to ensure you are up to speed with this monumental decision. Here’s a recap as reported by Alliance Defending Freedom:
Government Mandates Re-Education for Christians Adhering to Biblical Convictions
Posted on August 25, 2014 in Marriage, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
By now any aware individual that pays the least bit of attention to the news knows about the cases of the photographer in New Mexico, florist in Washington, and baker in Colorado.
If you’ve not heard of these ground-breaking cases it’s time to get your head out from under the rock and start paying attention.
Why are these cases so important? Simply put, they are testing the waters for the trampling of religious freedom in a way not before experienced in the United States. In each of these cases the religious freedom and free speech rights of private business owners were discarded in favor of homosexual rights. Courts in each of these cases told business owners that they can and will be prosecuted if they did not violate their religious convictions.
But if you think these are isolated cases or that they are exceptional you couldn’t be more wrong.
A recent article highlights the case of Liberty Ridge Farms where, Christian owners were not only fined for refusing to host a same-sex ceremony but were ordered to retrain their staff. The article states:
The Most Pornographic Place Your Kids Will Visit is Their School
Posted on August 21, 2014 in Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
Parents have enough to protect their kids from these days. Not only do they need to monitor what they watch on television – because apparently naked reality shows are all the rage – but the Internet has it all. Then there’s making sure they aren’t receiving naked pictures via text or drinking at parties. Even parents that are fully engaged, teaching their kids solid morals and values will be exhausted at the sheer magnitude of ways kids need protected.
And of course parents must be defended from their local school!
Yep, you read that right. Where once the local school was a place of safety and learning, it seems it is now a place of undermining parental authority and sex.
The newest example of school-overreach into the lives of students comes from California where a book that will be used in a sex-ed class is being called nothing short of pornographic.
A Very Clear Warning to Churches Regarding Youth Ministry (Kids Ministry Too)
Posted on August 20, 2014 in Family, Theology by Nathan Cherry
The following article from the Christian Post should serve as a very sobering warning to every church regarding youth ministry. I would also suggest that it applies to kids ministry as well. Churches that are quick to entertain and lack the ability to challenge their kids and students could be setting them up to reject faith entirely during their college years.
As parents it should be our most sincere desire to be in a church that will intentionally challenge our kids and students in their faith. We should be looking for leaders that are not just convicted in their beliefs, but know the Bible and how to communicate it. At the end of the day the fun and games must take a back seat to imparting solid doctrine and teaching biblical values to the impressionable people in our care.
I encourage you to take a few moments and read this article if you are a parent or church leader. Let us be reminded of the eternal nature of our charge to share our faith and disciple our kids and students.
Learning From Young Atheists: What Turned Them Off Christianity
It’s something most Christian parents worry about: You send your kids off to college and when they come back, you find they’ve lost their faith. The prospect of this happening is why many parents nudge their kids towards Christian colleges, or at least schools with a strong Christian presence on campus.
But in many ways, the damage has been done long before our children set foot on campus. That’s the message from a recent article in the Atlantic Monthly.
How Does “Gay Marriage” Hurt Straight Marriage? A Simple Answer
Posted on August 15, 2014 in Marriage by Nathan Cherry
I’ve spent some time lately discussing whether or not homosexual relationships are the same as heterosexual ones. The very fact that this needs to be discussed at length, that others are pondering this thought, indicates a fundamental lack of understanding of what marriage and the man-woman relationship is truly all about.
I don’t want to be juvenile or crude here, but the obvious answer to the question “are homosexual relationships exactly like heterosexual relationships?” is, no.
By not wanting to be juvenile or crude I mean that I want to point out the obvious…er…um…plumbing problem, without going into detail. Phrases like “you can’t put a square peg into a round hole” come to mind and I think you get the idea. But to begin and end the discussion with the sexual aspect is the problem.
Part of the success of the LGBT movement has to do with their ability to separate marriage and sex. For years sex has been downplayed in our society as just another recreational activity. Everything from television to movies made sex nothing more than a decision for consenting adults: have sex on the third date or the fourth? Now they don’t even wait for the third date, entire services and websites are devoted to helping people hook up for “casual sex.” And we’ve all seen social media posts of people in bed with someone they don’t remember, or recognize after a one night stand. There’s no shame. There’s also no morality.
And now that sex and marriage have been successfully separated the uniqueness of the male-female relationship and the need for traditional marriage is also in question. After all, if sex is just another recreational hobby, and who you have sex with is just a matter of personal preference, why does traditional marriage need defended and preserved?
Are Homosexual Relationships Naturally Troublesome? New Research Might Surprise You
Posted on August 14, 2014 in Marriage by Nathan Cherry
Homosexuals have been in the news a lot lately. Oh, you didn’t know that? Yeah, apparently they just want to “be like everyone else” and for everyone to ignore them and go about their business. That plan doesn’t seem to be going well for a photographer in New Mexico, a florist in Washington, or a baker in Colorado. But hey, tolerance.
As gay couples continue to try and convince the rest of us that they are just like everyone else, doing normal relationship things, the world remains unconvinced. This isn’t merely about sex. Yes, that’s an aspect of the relationship that homosexuals desperately want others to believe is normal. But as research shows, the sexual relationship of homosexuals is not nearly as “normal” as they would have us believe.
In an article for Canon and Culture, author Glenn Stanton asks the question: “Are same-sex couples just like you?” Stanton then cites numerous research projects into the sexual habits and durability of same-sex unions to show that they are not, in fact, like others. Stanton begins by stating: