Category: Sexuality
Down the Drain: University Reverses Gender-Neutral Bathroom Decision for the Reason You are Probably Thinking
Posted on October 21, 2015 in Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
I just don’t understand this. This makes no sense.
The University of Toronto is changing its bathroom policy and reducing the number of gender-neutral bathrooms. Why in the world would anyone want to do that? Don’t they want to be “all-inclusive” and make transgender people feel welcome in any bathroom they choose to use?
In fact, the University of Toronto set out to do just that. They eliminated all male and all female bathrooms in order to accommodate transgender students. A move that was praised by everyone that thought making men and women share bathrooms was a good idea. Of course, only people with an incredible lack of common sense would think such an idea was good. And wouldn’t you know it, the people that said it was a terrible idea and warned that incidents of voyeurism and peeping (or worse) could occur, seem to be right.
Yep, you guessed it. Not long after the University of Toronto mandated that men and women share a bathroom and several reports of voyeurism happened.
According to an article at The Star, several women reported seeing cell phones peek above the shower stalls attempting to get images and videos of them showering. The article states:
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.
Can You Think of Any Consequences to the Church for Accepting Homosexuality?
Posted on July 15, 2015 in Marriage, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
What are the consequences for the church (and Christians) to accepting homosexuality as a legitimate sexual orientation and lifestyle?
Wouldn’t it be easier and more pleasant for us all if the church would simply recognize that it made a mistake on the issue and embrace the “love” of Jesus in accepting people? That seems to be a dominate talking point in our culture currently as liberal Christians increasingly call for other Christians and churches to accept and affirm homosexuality as a good and right lifestyle. Their conclusion is that the church has interpreted Scripture all wrong for centuries. But – hallelujah – Scripture has finally been properly interpreted and homosexuality is no longer a sin.
Just imagine how much easier life would be for everyone if the church and Christians would embrace these new interpretations of Scripture. No more lawsuits. No more media smearing’s that ruin people’s lives. No more death threats by activists. Our society could join hands under a rainbow banner and finally come together for a common cause.
But exactly what are the consequences for the church of accepting what – historically – the Bible and the church have taught is sin?
Writing at The Stream, John Zmirak seeks to have a conversation with a pro-gay Christian and answer that very question. He starts laying some ground work:
Why Is No One Celebrating Rachel Dolezal’s Trans-Racialism?
Posted on July 8, 2015 in Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
find the story of Rachel Dolezal very interesting. What I find most interesting is that none of the liberal media or politicians are coming to her aid. As she is scrutinized and criticized for pretending to be black when, in fact, she is white, no one is jumping to her defense and championing her cause of “trans-racialism.”
The story seems to have broken as a result of an image Dolezal posted to her Facebook page of a black man she claimed was her father. Her white family took exception to the photo and called her out. Next thing you know we’re all learning that this “black” NAACP chapter president is actually a white girl pretending.
So the usual media circus ensued as Dolezal tried to explain her reasons for lying about her racial identity. The next thing you know, she’s resigning as president of the Spokane chapter of the NAACP amidst much protesting for her dishonesty. What I find interesting about the whole situation is that no one really came to her defense.
There doesn’t really seem to be a strong vocal proponent of “trans-racialism” even though our society seems bent on encouraging all sorts of alternate reality lifestyles. After all, if someone can be trans-gender, why can’t they be trans-racial? Of course Dolezal’s family finds the whole thing curious, if not disturbing. Her mother recently said in an interview:
All You Need to Know About the Supreme Court Marriage Decision
Posted on June 30, 2015 in Marriage, Public Policy, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
We’ve all heard and read about the recent marriage ruling by the Supreme Court. The number of articles, blog posts, and interviews commenting on this landmark ruling is astounding. That being true, there is no reason for me to comment on the ruling at this time.
Instead, I’ve constructed a detailed list of the articles posted by top voices on the issue. From research analysts, political analysts, pastors, theologians, and cultural commenters, these articles look at the decision from every viewpoint and angle.
I urge you to read some of these articles and have a well-constructed response to the inevitable conversation that you will be involved in soon. Don’t be unprepared. Be informed and able to clearly articulate your position.
What The Supreme Court Said:
Christianity Today: Here’s What Supreme Court Says about Same-Sex Marriage and Religious Freedom
“So the question becomes: How will gay rights and religious rights be balanced? Below is what the justices said in today’s majority opinion and four dissents, as well as a summary of related survey data. Essentially, the majority believe the First Amendment gives religious groups and people “proper protection” to “continue to advocate” their beliefs on traditional marriage. But the dissenters are more skeptical, and concerned that “people of faith can take no comfort” in the ruling.”
Did You Know Abstinence Is The Best Way to Avoid STD’s?
Posted on June 15, 2015 in Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
Common sense would dictate that the best way to avoid things like pregnancy and STD’s is abstinence. After all, if you are not having sex, it would be hard to get pregnant or get a disease transmitted by having sex. Right?
Well, for a number of years the current administration has been trying to convince us that abstinence is one option, but it’s not the best. They want us to consider condoms, and birth control as some of the best ways to avoid these issues.
It’s hard to take seriously anyone that argues condoms over abstinence as a more effective preventative against STD’s. But finally some common sense has kicked in and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has made a two-word change that makes all the difference.
As reported by LifeNews:
How Will Christians Respond to Bruce Jenner?
Posted on June 10, 2015 in Sexuality, Theology by Nathan Cherry
Let’s not pretend that everyone hasn’t seen the Vanity Fair cover featuring acclaimed Olympian Bruce Jenner. Let’s start off being honest enough to admit that we’ve seen it, considered it, and have many mixed emotions and thoughts about it.
Now that we are on the same page about a magazine cover that will become an iconic American symbol (whether we like it or not), we can begin discussing the proper response to it.
As is often the case, our initial response to shocking things can be less than our best. We need time to process things, to fully consider the ramifications, and to understand the details in order to prepare a response. We’ve reached that time. The magazine cover is so widely circulated now that at some point you will be asked if you’ve seen it, and what your thoughts are. Are you prepared for that question?
First, we have to understand the cultural push to recreate “normal.” This isn’t the 50’s when it was as simple as boys are boys and girls are girls. The new normal is nothing less than a full frontal assault on gender and sexuality such as has never been seen in history. Boys are now boys that identify at times as girls, while girls are attracted to other girls. And any combination and variation on that you can imagine is not only happening, it’s hip.
Even Bruce Jenner, in a promo video for his new reality series about his dramatic journey has proclaimed that he is, in fact, the “new normal.” If he is the new normal, how are we to respond with love and compassion to a culture that sees deviant behavior as both acceptable and celebrated?
A good place to start is an article found at The Gospel Coalition. The article puts forth a solid starting point for responding to questions about Bruce Jenner, the Vanity Fair cover, and new cultural norms in general. The article has three simple thoughts it asks us as Christians to keep in mind when we are faced with the need to respond to our culture. Those three simple thoughts are:
Are You Male or Female? Or Something Else?
Posted on May 26, 2015 in Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
Wouldn’t it be a good idea to teach impressionable children that gender is just a construct of society and is really as fluid as they want it to be? In fact, we should teach them that there are many genders, perhaps a dozen, and let them pick and choose which they want to be.
That’s what one of the nation’s largest public school systems is preparing to teach its students via a new health and sexuality curriculum.
At a time when gender is suddenly a debatable topic – because apparently we’re not content with just boys and girls – this school system wants to further confuse the situation by affirming that people can be more than just male and female. No longer is your anatomy the definer of your gender identity, now you can choose; you can even choose to be something other than male and female! (Could someone please explain that one to me!?)
The Fairfax County Public School system is preparing to implement changes to their family life curriculum which includes teaching on gender identity that can only be described as disastrous and unscientific. A report describes the curriculum for middle school this way: