Category: Religious Freedom
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.
Seriously!? Pastor Sues Michigan for the Right to Marry Homosexuals
Posted on February 3, 2015 in Marriage, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
A Detroit “pastor” is suing the state of Michigan claiming infringement on his religious freedom. That’s becoming an increasingly normal headline. The problem with that headline in this case is the damage this “pastor” is causing to marriage and the Gospel.
Neil Patrick Carrick was a “pastor” with the United Church of Christ. This is, presumably, a quasi-denomination not serious about being true to the Gospel or God’s design for marriage. Mr. Carrick – because I really have a hard time referring to him as pastor – believes in same-sex “marriage” and wants the freedom to marry homosexuals in his church. Carrick not only wants the freedom to marry homosexuals but also to marry people in polygamous relationships as well.
Carrick recently commented that laws defining marriage between one man and one woman result in the state engaging in “the disparate treatment” of gays, lesbians and “plural relationships.”
The Message A Man Requested Had the Baker Saying No – Now She’s in Trouble
Posted on January 29, 2015 in Marriage, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
I don’t even want to talk about a person calling himself a “Christian” wanting a cake with the words “God hates gays” on it; and what the cake was for. I’m angry at the fact that such a person exists and the damage to the Gospel said person is doing. The fact, however, that the cake shop refused to print the message is another story entirely. That is something we need to talk about.
Azucar Bakery in Denver, CO. was asked to print the cake for a man named Bill Jack. Jack also requested the cake to be in the shape of a Bible with an image of two men holding hands with a big X through them. The bakery refused to comply with the request saying the message was “discriminatory, and hateful.”
Who! Wait a minute. I thought business owners had no rights to refuse such requests based on their personal views. I thought “discriminating” against customers because of a business owners core convictions and beliefs was no frowned upon and illegal. Isn’t the idea that business owners are not allowed to refuse such requests at the heart of the Masterpiece Cake Shop story and Jack Phillips, the owner?
2014: A Record Year for Violence and Persecution Against Christians
Posted on January 13, 2015 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
Did you know that 2014 was one of the worst years on record for violence against Christians around the world?
According to Open Doors USA, a leading organization that serves the persecuted church around the world, last year marked the most dramatic increase in violence and persecution of Christians around the world in the modern era. And, the group says, the worst may yet be ahead.
Open Doors USA released its 24th annual World Watch List, documenting the 50 most dangerous countries to live in if you’re a Christian. Not surprising is the fact that most of the top countries are Muslim, the rest are communist or socialist. This highlights the reality that without religious freedom there is only violence and persecution waiting for people.
Open Doors USA defines persecution as “any hostility experienced as a result of one’s identification with Christ.”
An article at The Blaze shares details from the World Watch list report:
State of Kentucky to Christian Organization: Don’t Share Your Faith
Posted on January 6, 2015 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
The state of Kentucky is trying to force the Christian organization Answers in Genesis (AIG) to hire non-Christians for their new Ark Encounter attraction. That is the claim of AIG president Ken Ham in a new video that accuses the state of backtracking on a previous agreement to honor state and federal law which allows religious preference in hiring.
The issue first came up when AIG applied for a sales tax refund. Atheist groups protested the states consideration in granting the tax incentive saying it was an endorsement of religion. When the state granted the tax incentive the protests grew. But when AIG was asked to resubmit their application for the tax incentive for procedural reasons, the state, seemingly, pulled a bait and switch on AIG. Ham says:
Are You Funding Abortion, Homosexuality, Pornography with Your Retirement Account?
Posted on December 23, 2014 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
But one area of life that is routinely overlooked is in the area of retirement and investment saving. This area of spending is rarely given any consideration and many of these “faith driven consumers” would be surprised at the unbiblical values being supported by their retirement and investment money.
Investment products like IRA’s, Bonds, and Mutual Funds are often stock-market based. Investors use an individual’s money to invest into a certain company with the hope of seeing a return. This is how many organizations and companies make money – by spending other people’s money. And this is how the investor makes money – by earning interest and dividends. But what you may not know is that the organizations and companies your financial advisor is investing your money into could very well be actively opposing your religious convictions.
What if your IRA is built on supporting abortion and euthanasia?
This Classic Christmas Song Would Be Banned in Many Public Schools
Posted on December 12, 2014 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. We love Christmas and look forward to it all year. One of the best parts of Christmas is the music. We have a whole library of songs that we only sing during this time of the year and it brings joy to our hearts to do so. The video below of “Mary, Did You Know” by Pentatonix is no exception.
Unfortunately those who don’t like the inherent religious meaning in the Christmas season are working hard to make sure many of these songs are no longer sung in public places, such as schools. Those who do not like any religious meaning in the Christmas season want to ban anything with that same religious meaning from being part of our Christmas celebration. So school plays and musicals and concerts, town festivals and parades, and even Christmas caroling are all being targeted. Songs such as the one below are being banned as “religious” and therefore not appropriate for such activities. These cherished songs are being replaced with empty, meaningless “holiday” songs.
The reality is that Christmas is not just some arbitrary winter celebration. Christmas is the celebration surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ. At it’s heart, inherent to everything that Christmas is, is the reality that God came down to earth as a a man to redeem mankind. You cannot simply remove this meaning from the Christmas season without creating something new that is not Christmas. So the song below is not just another song, it is a celebration of a historical event that changed the world.
Gay Couple Formally Charges Pastor for Not Marrying Them
Posted on December 10, 2014 in Marriage, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
It finally happened.
I wondered how long it would take before the first “complaint” was lodged.
I think a lot of people expected it to happen long before now. But to this point the inevitability was carefully avoided. Perhaps it was due to waning support. Or maybe it was simply ignored. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t matter now because the first “complaint” against a pastor for refusing to perform a same-sex ceremony has taken place.
We’ve seen hints that this was coming for some time now. The most obvious being the wedding chapel pastor in Idaho that was sued for refusing to perform a same-sex ceremony. He was vindicated and his right to adhere to his religious convictions upheld. That must have irritated a lot of people.
But this case. This is different. This is a pastor in a church being sued for refusing to perform a same-sex ceremony.
Federal Court Makes Ruling Affecting Every Pastor in America
Posted on November 20, 2014 in Public Policy, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
Pastors can breathe a sigh of relief today as the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed a lower court decision to strike down the minister’s housing allowance as unconstitutional.
Previously, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) had argue that the housing allowance given to pastors was unconstitutional because it provided an unfair tax benefit to pastors, creating preferential treatment for religious messages. It was argued that the housing allowance violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and the equal protection provision of the Fourteenth Amendment. The lower court, with Judge Barbara Crabb ruling, agreed with the FFRF and ruled the housing allowance unconstitutional.
Though the ruling only affected pastors in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana, pastors across the country watched the case with serious interest knowing if the ruling was upheld it would soon spread.
The 7th Circuit determined that since the FFRF was never denied tax-exemption under the housing allowance tax code they had no standing concerning the issue: