Month: April 2015
As Churches Die – Millennials Seek Deeper Faith
Posted on April 29, 2015 in Uncategorized by Nathan Cherry
There’s a lot of talk about why younger generations are leaving the church. Some have grown up in the church
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:
I wish I could get this article read, studied, and learned in every church. It’s not that it is some previously unknown theological truth that will amaze with its depth and riches. Quite the opposite. It’s a very simple teaching grounded in biblical truth that should be known by churches, but is, sadly, not.
The bottom line is this: the pastor/overseer/shepherd/elder of the church is answerable to God, not you.
While I love our democratic-republic form of government here in America, it has, unfortunately, caused a little chaos in the church. Many church members have this idea that everything must be voted on, and everyone has to agree. With that in mind we want to vote on who the leaders are, what ministries will and will not exist, and how every dime of “our” money will be spent. The result is a church where the biblical leaders are little more than talking heads and puppets acting on behalf of the people.
But that’s not how God designed the church and certainly not how He intended it to be operated.
The Reason This Gay Woman Supported a Local Business is Stunning! I Hope More People Are Like Her
Posted on April 21, 2015 in Marriage, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
Remember that pizzeria in Indiana that was targeted by hateful people just because they wanted to do business according to their beliefs? The pizzeria said they would not cater a gay wedding because it would violate their convictions. Of course the media exploited their comments and liberals and LGBT people lost their minds.
Then a GoFundMe page was started and people across the country began raising money to support the business because it had to close its doors temporarily due to death threats (that’s some “tolerance” for ya!).
The donations all seemed relatively normal.
Until Courtney Hoffman donated.
Courtney Hoffman is a gay woman. She not only donated to help the pizzeria she expressed her sadness over how the media and LGBT people reacted to the pizzeria owners’ desire to live according to their beliefs. She wrote:
Mean Churches: How to Spot Them and Avoid Them
Posted on April 15, 2015 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
I wrote not long ago about mean people in the church. Sadly, if you’ve been going to church for any length of time, you’ve had an encounter with someone that is known to be mean.
It seems I’m not alone in my discouragement over the growing number of mean people (and mean churches) that give Christ and His church a bad name. In fact, if you’ve never read about “The Dones,” you will find it fascinating. This group, which is the fastest growing group of people is characterized as: once faithfully committed church members walking away from the church because they are tired of the abuse inside the church.
One common trait among The Dones that I have noticed is that they say they are fed up with the mean-spirited, abusive people in the church. One person recently wrote a letter to Lifeway President Thom Rainer saying:
“The non-Christians I associate with are much nicer people than the members of my church.”
As stinging a comment as that may be, it is also very true in many cases. I’ve often said that church people are some of the meanest I’ve ever known. An old adage says “if you want to learn to fight, join a church committee.” I didn’t say it was a good adage.
The Connection Between Dolce and Gabbana and “Synthetic Children”
Posted on April 14, 2015 in Marriage by Nathan Cherry
If you didn’t know better you would think that anyone still in support of the traditional family is an outdated bigot that needs to get with the times. Everyone, the media and “experts” tell us, supports alternative families.
With this in mind I am sure it was a surprise when famed designers Dolce and Gabbana revealed that they support the traditional family. The fact that they are both openly gay makes their support for the traditional family more powerful; and more heinous to LGBT activists.
When the famous duo’s position was made public there was immediate backlash against them. Stars like Elton John called for a boycott of Dolce and Gabbana for simply stating their position. Responding to such backlash the duo said:
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:
Church Bullies: Who They Are and How To Spot Them
Posted on April 8, 2015 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
Bullying is a central topic in the news these days. Truthfully, I would not be surprised if everyone has been bullied at least once in their lives. When I was a kid in school I was bullied for various reasons; of course at that time I didn’t know it was bullying, we just called it teasing. People are much more sensitive to bullying today than they were a few decades ago.
So it would not be much of a surprise if we all sat around sharing our stories of being bullied in school, or college, or in athletics. What would be a surprise, however, is if we all say around and shared our stories of being bullied…in church!
There’s an old (sad) adage that says “Christians are the meanest people in the world.” Another similar (and equally sad) adage says “if you want to learn to fight, join a church.”
It’s unfortunate that people supposedly filled with grace, love, joy, and humility are often some of the meanest, rudest, most hateful and hate-filled people in town. And sadly, most churches have at least one “church bully” in their midst.
I know how mean church people can be; I’m a pastor’s son and have seen and heard more than any person should. On top of that, I spent more than a decade serving churches in various capacities. I’ve been behind closed doors more often than I care to admit. But I never connected the concepts of bullying with people in church until I read a couple of articles that made this obvious.
The first article centered on characteristics of church bullies, you can read it here. See if these characteristics fit the “church bully” you have come to dread:
A Piece of the Indiana Pizzeria Story You Might Have Missed. Hint: It’s the Part the Media Doesn’t Want You to See
Posted on April 7, 2015 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
There has been an overwhelming amount of commentary on the Indiana Religious Freedom bill (RFRA) and the pizzeria that made news for the owner’s position on the subject. I will commend those articles to you. (Click here for a good Q&A on the bill) But there is one part of the story you might not have heard about, it’s the absolute best part. This single part of the pizzeria story is worth every spare minute you have to read this article.
Just for the sake of clarity, let’s make sure we are all on the same page about what transpired this week.
Indiana passed a RFRA bill, essentially the same bill signed into federal law by President Bill Clinton a couple decades ago. It’s virtually the same law on the books in many states, Indiana was simply joining those states.
What the law DOES do: protect the religious convictions and consciences of individuals from being harmed or threatened by government action. In other words, it allows people to live each day according to their religious convictions.
What the law does NOT do: allow people to discriminate based on sexual orientation. In other words, a person cannot refuse service to another person simply because they are gay.
If You Thought Christians and Muslims Were Treated Equal When It Comes to Wedding Cakes – WATCH THIS!
Posted on April 6, 2015 in Marriage, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
I cannot explain the absolute hypocrisy among the liberal media and politicians concerning Christians and wedding cakes any better than this video illustrates. A Christian bakery declines to serve a gay wedding and LGBT activist and media heads explode with every derogatory name and insinuation possible. But, if a Muslim baker refuses…not a peep. The quiet is deafening. Why?
Well, my very uneducated theory is simply that Muslims are a media darling and Christians aren’t. Besides, no one is afraid Christians will come blow them up. That may sound rude but it’s also the truth. While Christians around the world seek peace and try to serve others with acts of compassion, many Muslims are beheading or blowing up people that don’t agree with them. What other possible explanation could there be for ignoring and excusing a “religion” that declares homosexuals should die (and then kills them)?
Watch the video and be enlightened about the culture we face as people of faith. If the video doesn’t appear automatically, please refresh your browser.