Christian Business Owner Wins Important Court Case Protecting Religious Liberty
Posted on August 30, 2017 in Public Policy, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
Photographer Amy Lawson of Maison, Wisconsin
Over the past few years we’ve grown accustomed to hearing about Christian business owners being sued for seeking to live and do business according to their deeply held religious convictions. The media had fun blasting hard-working Christian business owners trying to live out their faith in public when they were taken to court. This time, however, a Christian business owner scored a win in court that could set a major precedent for future cases.
A recent article states:
“Earlier this year Amy Lawson, a professional photographer and blogger who works out of her Madison home, filed what is known as a ‘pre-enforcement challenge’ lawsuit against the City of Madison and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, alleging that the city’s public accommodations ordinance and the state’s public accommodations law prohibit her from conducting her business, Amy Lynn Photography Studio, according to the dictates of her conscience and beliefs. Lawson argued the ordinance and law even force her to use her creative expression in support of activities she doesn’t agree with, including same-sex marriage and abortion.”
The judge in this case determined that Lawson’s home-based business is not subject to the city of Madison’s public accommodations ordinance or the state of Wisconsin’s public accommodations law.
Furthermore, the city of Madison and the state of Wisconsin agreed to this judgment. Continue reading…
God’s Sovereignty: A Misunderstood Doctrine that Answers Our Toughest Questions
Posted on August 23, 2017 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
The more I grow in my faith the more I love the doctrine of God’s sovereignty. And, the more I realize that many Christians don’t truly understand this critical doctrine. Worse still, Christians often say they believe in this doctrine until they are pressed and, only then is it revealed that they don’t really believe in God’s sovereignty.
We first need to define God’s sovereignty.
R.C. Sproul wrote a book in which he addresses God’s sovereignty. In the book, he explains the doctrine like this:
“In my classes in the seminary, I raise questions like, “Is God in control of every single molecule in the universe?” When I raise that question, I say, “The answer to that question will not determine whether you are a Christian or a Moslem, a Calvinist or an Arminian, but it will determine whether you are a theist or an atheist.” Sometimes the students can’t see the connection. And I say to them, “Don’t you realize that if there is one molecule in this universe running around loose outside the scope or the sphere of God’s divine control and authority and power, then that single maverick molecule may be the grain of sand that changes the entire course of human history, that blocks God from keeping the promises he has made to his people?” It may be that one maverick molecule that will prevent Christ from the consummation of his kingdom. For if there is one maverick molecule, it would mean that God is not sovereign. If there is any element of the universe that is outside of his authority, then he no longer is God over all. In other words, sovereignty belongs to deity. Sovereignty is a natural attribute of the Creator. God owns what he makes, and he rules what he owns.” Continue reading…
What is the Biblical Argument for Prohibiting Transgender Military Service?
Posted on August 22, 2017 in Public Policy, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
Cheers and jeers resounded across social media and the halls of political debate when President Trump announced that transgender people would no longer be permitted in the military. Let’s start with some facts.
About a year ago former president Obama announced that transgender people could serve openly in the military. The decision was criticized by many saying it would affect unit cohesion and military readiness. Others panned the decision as a drain on tax dollars that would be needed to fund hormone treatments and sex-reassignment surgeries. And of course there were plenty of privacy discussions.
One thing to be clear about in our “everything is a right” culture is that serving in the military is not a right. There’s nothing in the Constitution or the Bill of Rights that says a person has the right to serve in the military. It is a privilege. If serving in the military were a right there would be no entrance requirements and people could not be disqualified based on bad eyesight, diabetes, or any other physical limitation. But, people are disqualified for any number of reasons, which is further evidence that military service is a privilege and not a right. Continue reading…
Planned Parenthood Has Some Advice for Your Pre-Schooler
Posted on August 16, 2017 in Life, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
When will Planned Parenthood admit that its an abortion business and stop pretending to care about “women’s health”?
You know that bad penny that won’t go away?
Or, the leftovers that never seem to get eaten?
Or even the cockroaches that you can’t get rid of?
That’s how I would describe Planned Parenthood. An evil empire bent on killing as many unborn children as possible while making taxpayers foot the bill. In recent months Planned Parenthood has been forced to admit that they don’t really offer prenatal services to expecting mothers. As they try to remain relevant in the public eye amidst revelations that they primarily offer abortion services, Planned Parenthood is getting desperate.
Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards lashed out against republicans for daring to strip their federal funding; even though a massive majority of Americans say tax money should not be used to fund abortion. Or maybe she’s just upset that poll after poll shows Americans are becoming more pro-life with each passing year. She could still be mad about those videos released to the public showing that her top executives actively seek to sell aborted baby body parts despite clear federal bans on such practices. Evidently she has a lot to be mad about. Continue reading…
Charlottesville: Thinking Biblically About Racism and Race-Based Violence
Posted on August 15, 2017 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
I’ll never forget the conversation I had with a friend that is planting a church in North Carolina. He had been there a few years and was seeing God work in his community, people getting saved, and the church was growing. But then he made this incredible statement:
“Our church stands out in our community because it is multi-ethnic.”
I asked him to explain the statement as I had no context, no way to process it. He went on to explain that in their community there was a lot of “white churches” and “black churches.” Only white people were welcome at the white churches and only black people were welcome at the black churches. He even told me that people stood outside the churches to make sure no one with the wrong skin color tried to enter.
That is a sad statement in modern America. And yet the statement that racism is alive and well was once again made when white supremacists and Nazis took to the streets of Charlottesville, VA to try and build unity through racism. I know; it’s an irony that is somehow lost on a group that adheres to an evil, sinful ideology. Is unity possible among a group that is willing to plow a car through a crowd of people, injuring many and killing an innocent woman? I agree with Ted Cruz when he said this is evil and deserving of justice.
As Christians, we need to think biblically about this incident, and about racism in general. Before we do that, I want to point out a couple of things that are important for us to consider. Continue reading…
Pastor Says it is “Bordering on Heresy” to Pray for the President?
Posted on August 10, 2017 in Public Policy, Religious Freedom, Theology by Nathan Cherry
This picture of faith leaders praying over President Donald Trump in the Oval Office recently went viral on social media. I’m not so much interested in who the people are praying for President Trump and Vice President Pence as I am the reaction from around the country.
Specifically, I found the reaction of a “pastor” very curious.
Pastor William Barber of North Carolina said that faith leaders violated “the sacred principles of religion” by praying for President Trump. He went on to say that this prayer is “theological malpractice bordering on heresy.”
These comments were made on an MSNBC show by the pastor and NAACP leader much to the surprise of many that saw the photo as something to be encouraged by. After all, many presidents in history have asked for prayer for wisdom and courage during their time as president. Apparently Barber is not one of those that is encouraged.
I’m trying to figure out why a “pastor” is so vocally opposed to the world’s most powerful leader being prayed over by faith leaders. What could possibly be so offensive to a “pastor” about our president seeking and receiving spiritual direction? What am I missing about this image of the President of the United States and his Vice President seeking prayer and wisdom from God that is so problematic?
The first glaring thing in Mr. barber’s statement is the use of the word heresy. We overuse this word in our culture so it’s no surprise that someone would call just about anything heresy these days. However, for a pastor to use this word in such a poor way is surprising. Heresy, in its original Greek form, means: Continue reading…
Would a loving God send an innocent person to hell?
That question has been asked more than most by lost people, critics of Christianity, and Christians seeking to understand sovereignty, grace, and salvation. It’s an honest question that needs an honest answer. And, the answer might surprise you.
The reason people so desperately want to know the answer to this question is because we are humans that care about other humans. We think about the people in remote parts of the world that don’t have a Bible in their language and wonder what will happen to them. We wonder because we care. But we also wonder because we are curious about the nature of God. Deep down, we wonder if the God we serve is kind, loving, and benevolent. Or, is He a sadistic ruler condemning people to everlasting torture.
I have a friend that moved his family to Belize for the purpose of sharing the Gospel with the people there. One of the reasons he felt called to be there was that the people did not have a Bible in their native language. My friend wanted to go and help translate a Bible and use it to share the Gospel. People often comment about how incredible it is that my friend would make this decision.
But is it really a good thing?
R.C. Sproul is one of the world’s leading theologians, pastors, apologists, and evangelical authors. His podcast is listened to daily by people across the globe. His books are in house all over the world. He is a respected Christian that ahs dedicated his life to addressing the tough questions we often ask. Recently I was listening to one of his podcasts in which he was addressing the question of whether innocent people that have never heard the Gospel go to hell. Sproul says the question is loaded with presumptions, but the answer is very simple: Continue reading…
Here’s Some Verses Christians Need to Stop Taking Out of Context
Posted on August 3, 2017 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
The lost world often takes Scripture out of context in order to make it mean what they want it to mean. Verses are twisted and little to no exegesis is ever used in the effort to justify sin. This is completely understandable, as lost people do not have the Holy Spirit to guide them in understanding the Bible.
What about Christians that seem to do the same thing? How do we make sense of a professing Christian that holds to an unbiblical view or takes verses out of context? That’s a big conversation reserved for another day. For today, let’s focus on some of the most abused verses in the Bible and see if we can gain some clarity on their proper, contextual and biblical meaning.
Here’s a short list of some of the most misused, abused, and taken out of context verses in the Bible.
Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Christians love to share this verse. We share it with people feeling down about the path their life has taken in order to inspire and give hope. We say this verse to ourselves in the mirror to motivate ourselves to push forward. This verse, more than most others, have been printed on everything from t-shirts to mugs, mouse pads, and Bible covers. There’s just one problem: this verse isn’t a promise to modern day Christians. Continue reading…
Altar Call? What’s An Altar Call?
Posted on August 1, 2017 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
Anyone that has spent time in a Baptist Church has no doubt witnessed the often-discussed altar call. But what exactly is it and why is it only found in some churches?
Much of my life has been spent in the Baptist Churches where cultural Christianity was often the order of the day. Our churches didn’t teach lessons on why smoking and drinking alcohol was wrong, we just knew they were wrong. As far as I knew, everyone was a Republican because only lost people were Democrats. Piano was okay but drums were the devil’s music. And you better believe that at the end of every sermon there would be an altar call.
The preacher would end his sermon by saying “every head bowed and every eye closed.” I knew that the next few minutes would be spent listening to the pianist play “Just As I Am” on the piano while the preacher encouraged people to come down front and pray. At some point the preacher would inevitably say “if you want to be saved, repeat this simple prayer after me,” after which he would recite the “sinners prayer” from memory. Then, with every head bowed and every eye closed, the preacher would ask if anyone said that prayer. He would ask people that said the prayer to raise their hand while assuring them that “no one will see and no one will approach you.”
That might be a familiar routine to you. You also might be wondering what it is and why some churches do it.
First, let’s talk about the history of the altar call and how it came to be a sacred ritual in many churches today. An article at Christianity Today shares some of the history of the altar call: Continue reading…
Christians Support Abortion and Britain Seeks to Legalize It
Posted on July 27, 2017 in Life by Nathan Cherry
It might surprise some to know that abortion is still illegal in Britain. In our world where abortion seems to be all the rage everywhere you go, it’s noteworthy that some countries, Britain and Ireland for example, have not caved to pressure to legalize abortion.
That could be changing soon as a result of a British medical group’s recent vote to legalize abortion up to the moment of birth.
For me, it’s hard to imagine killing a child at any stage of development in the womb. The most vulnerable and defenseless of our society deserve to be protected, not hunted and murdered. But the idea of waiting until a child is ready to be born, and then deciding to kill him/her is a special kind of evil.
The fact that a very small group of doctors made a decision that impacts a very large group of doctors and citizens does not make this any better. A recent article reports that this decision was made “by a very small number of doctors…about 0.1% or one thousandth of the total membership of the BMA” (British Medical Association). This group of more than 175,000 members held an annual meeting in which only 155-180 members voted to legalize abortion.
Also noteworthy is the fact that the entire campaign to change the abortion laws was based on a false premise. Advocates of change said that women wanted to loosen the laws on abortion. But, as the article noted, a recent poll suggests otherwise: Continue reading…