Tag: Bible
Why Do Christians Accept Ideas That Are Unbiblical?
Posted on September 8, 2015 in Marriage, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
At one time our Founders sought refuge from government persecution for their religious convictions. They left their homes to establish a place where people could freely live out their faith in every aspect of their life. What is happening today is a return to that same government persecution that our Founders desperately wanted to leave behind.
One area this seems most apparent is in the effort to force Christians to accept homosexuality and same-sex “marriage.” Sure, there may have been a goal of simply seeing this lifestyle legitimized and legalized; but that appears now to have been a precursor for the larger goal of forcing every person to accept and celebrate it. But there can now be no doubt that seeking simple “equality” is a long forgotten idea. And the rhetoric we were fed that “no one would be affected” was nothing more than a well-rehearsed talking point in a carefully crafted campaign.
A statement in an article from a couple months ago echoes what, I believe, many Americans are thinking:
Can A Christian Support Homosexuality and Same-Sex Relationships?
Posted on August 25, 2015 in Marriage, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
That’s a loaded question isn’t it? One that continues to be hotly debated in our culture and in the corners of churches across the country. It’s not like many of the other hotly debated theological questions because, unlike the millennium, the mode of baptism, and worship wars; this question carries eternal consequences.
Few of the theological discussions taking place today affect the eternal destination of a person. Consider, whether you are pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trip, your salvation is secure. Whether you believe in a literal millennial reign of Christ on earth or not in no way affects your salvation. And whether you were baptized three times forward, once backward, or with a bucket over the head doesn’t change your eternal destiny.
But that isn’t true for the question of homosexuality.
There is significant evidence that homosexuality is a moral sin to be repented of (Romans 1:26-28; Lev. 18:22; I Cor. 6:9-11; I Tim. 1:10). These verses, and others, indicate that homosexuality is a sin God finds offensive, an affront to His design for man and woman and marriage. That being the case, it stands to reason that only by repenting of homosexuality can a person be born-again and receive the free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ proclaimed in the Gospel message.
If homosexuality is a sin then there is no way a professing Christian could support homosexuality or same-sex relationships.
Therein lies the problem.
It seems many Christians’ views on homosexuality are “evolving.” For example a well-known Christian counselor for Wheaton College recently resigned her position after revealing that she now supports homosexual relationships; a position she opposed just months before.
Gay Affirming Christians Must Be Reading a Different Bible – Here’s What Mine Says
Posted on July 22, 2015 in Marriage, Sexuality, Theology by Nathan Cherry
One of the biggest challenges in defending traditional marriage in our current culture doesn’t come from the Supreme Court, LGBT activists, or political agendas. Instead, this challenge comes from self-described “gay-affirming Christians.”
This group believes the Bible has been misinterpreted for hundreds of years and now wants to “set the record straight” on the biblical teaching regarding sexuality. For gay-affirming Christians the issue is understanding the cultural context of passages like Romans 1 in order to properly translate them for our current culture.
One standard talking point for gay-affirming Christians is that Romans chapter 1 is not a prohibition of homosexuality or same-sex “marriage,” but only a prohibition of homosexual fornication and abuse. In other words, Paul is simply saying that as long as homosexuals are given the opportunity to marry, as are heterosexuals, their lifestyle as homosexuals will be as pleasing before God as anyone else.
Not only is this “interpretation” of Romans 1 dangerous, it violates any sensible hermeneutic in studying Scripture. First, it goes against the plain text understanding of the Scripture. There is absolutely no way for any reasonable person to read Romans 1 and walk away with that understanding. The only logical conclusion after reading Romans 1 is that homosexuality is a sin. But even if we study the passage’s meaning from a cultural perspective, or look at the original Greek to get the meaning, we see a consistent message.
New Research Shows Christians Aren’t Reading Their Bibles. Thanks Captain Obvious!
Posted on July 14, 2015 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
You are never going to believe this. A new study reveals a major problem among Christians and those who regularly attend church> It’s probably not what you are thinking either.
Sure, we all have problems, no one is perfect and no one goes through a day without making a mistake. But one of the biggest problems plaguing Christians right now could very well be the source of many other issues happening among the family, community, and culture.
According to a new LifeWay Research study, only about 45% of people that claim to attend church regularly say they read the Bible more than once a week. In other words, 55% of people attending church regularly don’t pick their Bible up at any other time than on Sunday. A recent article reports:
Evangelist Says His New Movie Will Change How People Think About Homosexuality
Posted on July 13, 2015 in Marriage by Nathan Cherry
Evangelist Ray Comfort is known for walking around talking to people about the Ten Commandments on camera. He records the exchanges and puts them online in order to train people on one way to effectively share the Gospel. But his latest project has the potential to stir far more controversy.
Comfort has launched a new movie called “Audacity” – a movie about the biblical teaching on homosexuality.
While he was initially unsure about producing the movie, Comfort finally agreed and said the movie is nothing like anyone is expecting a Christian movie on this touchy subject to be. He recently said in an interview that the movie is “nothing like you would expect from a Christian movie about the subject of homosexuality.”
Comfort believes this movie will provide a new perspective to people, especially people supporting same-sex “marriage” or those believing people are born gay. Comfort said:
“There is a delightful portion in the movie where you watch pro-gay people change their minds on camera about the issue of whether or not homosexuals are born that way,” Comfort said. “This is simply because they were given another perspective. So, I think that there’s going to be a lot of mind-changing going on after people have watched.”
Making Church “Cool” Has Failed. Stop It. Please.
Posted on June 23, 2015 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
If you want a picture of what a few progressive Christians want in a church, look no further than the writing of Rachel Held Evans. The picture presented by Evans is a combination of hipster religion and liberal social policy, aimed, it seems, at attracting young people that are otherwise more interested in social media and selfies.
I get it. The effort to create a brand of church that is marketable to the young has become popular; not with everyone, but popular nonetheless. So we have coffee shops, light shows, a ministry tailored for every member of the church, and an entire brand designed to set us apart from every other church in town.
Maybe I’m getting old, but those things are far less appealing to me today than they were 10 years ago. And, it seems, Rachel Held Evans is not really impressed with it either. She wrote an article that appeared in the Washing Post expressing her displeasure with modern attempts to make church “cool.” We would most likely find a great deal of agreement in our rejection of what many church-trend-followers claim is a cool church.
I can stand in solid agreement with the idea that less is more, smaller is better, simpler is more effective, and deeper is needed. The last thing we need in our churches is louder music, more lights, branding, and old people trying to wear skinny jeans. We could use a little more reverence, in-depth study, confessing sins, and the kind of fellowship that leaves you longing for more.
So Evans and I can find mutual agreement in our rejection of “cool” church. Where we tend to disagree is what that looks like and means practically. For Evans, it seems to be a sort of utopia that I’m not sure can exist in a sin-filled world. In her article, Evans shares several ideas that she believes is needed in the church today. They are:
Christians Don’t Hate – But They Do Have Convictions
Posted on May 27, 2015 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
A very significant court ruling was handed down not long ago and I bet you didn’t know anything about it.
The Fayette Circuit Court in Kentucky ruled that a printer did not discriminate by refusing to print a t-shirt for a gay pride parade.
Blaine Adamson owns Hands On Originals. This printing company prints many items, including t-shirts. Not long ago an LGBT pride group came to HOO asking them to print a t-shirt for the upcoming pride rally in Lexington. Adamson refused their request based on his religious convictions and offered to set them up with another local printer for the same price.
The group went elsewhere to get their shirt printed.
But, I’m sure you can guess where this is going, a discrimination suit was filed against HOO and Adamson.
I reported on this incident a while back because of some of the unique aspects to the case. For starters, this is one of a few cases that does not involve someone in the wedding services industry. Most of the cases of “discrimination” we are seeing take place involve photographers, bakers, and florists refusing services for gay weddings. Btu this is a printer being asked to print something for a gay pride parade.
If ever there was a need for protection surely it would be for someone printing actual words. Right? No one would try to force another person to print words that violate his religious and moral convictions, right? Wrong.
Why This Christian Shop Owner is Hurting Christians
Posted on April 28, 2015 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
I get it. Christians want the right to live according to their beliefs. That freedom, which has been foundational in American history, is currently under attack with the advancement of same-sex “marriage” and LGBT rights. So as a Christian, I get it.
Case after case can be cited showing how the rights of Christians to conduct business in accordance with their religious convictions is being assaulted:
Arlene’s Flowers.
Masterpiece Bakery.
Elane Photography.
These are some of the more prominent cases, but the list is ridiculously long and growing.
So I understand Christians wanting to stand up for their religious freedom and live and do business according to their convictions. However, there is a line that must be drawn – and here’s where I draw it.
The owner of a Michigan auto shop posted on its Facebook page that it would refuse to offer services to openly gay people. This announcement came with other revelations, such as people who bring in their guns would be given a discount (including off-duty cops). Citing his freedom of speech and religious freedom the owner, Brian Klawiter, said he has no plans to back down and would stand firm concerning both his convictions and his right to live and do business according to those convictions. He wrote:
9 False Statements Christians Say – And Why They’re False
Posted on April 13, 2015 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
Have you ever made a statement like “we’re all God’s children”? It’s a common phrase heard most often quoted by Christians (and those claiming to be Christians). The problem is that this statement is patently false. So why do Christians say something like it?
Some adages and cliches have become so entrenched in Christians and church culture that they get repeated generation after generation without much thought. But these statements are not just false, some are anti-biblical, and some lead people astray. So what are the most overused and unbiblical statements Christians need to never ever, ever, say again? Here’s the list: