Olympic Volleyball Star and Mother of Three Makes Feminists Mad by Saying…
Posted on August 16, 2016 in Family, Marriage by Nathan Cherry
If you want to know how out of touch some liberal feminists are, take a look at how some responded to pro volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings’ recent comments about motherhood.
Walsh-Jennings is competing in the Rio Olympic games this week. She was recently interviewed and asked about her life as a mother and pro athlete. It was just four years ago that Walsh-Jennings won the gold medal in London while pregnant, an act that captured the hearts of many. This time around she is competing as the mother of three and says that her kids gave her the perspective she needed. She said:
“Before I had more kids, I was like, this feels trivial. I’d been playing for so long, and I was like I need balance. All my eggs are in this one basket and it’s very self-centered and self-focused. They gave me that perspective and balance I thought I was missing. It took my game and my desire and my passion for life to the next level. I am hugely indebted to my children.”
Walsh-Jennings went on to say, “I feel like I was born to have babies and play volleyball.” Continue reading…
My Facebook Conversation About Christians and Alcohol Was Helpful
Posted on August 10, 2016 in Religious Freedom, Theology by Nathan Cherry
I recently posted a blog about whether or not Christians should drink alcohol. (You can see it here). The ensuing conversation with a pastor-friend that I have known nearly all of my life was helpful as I think through this issue.
First we have to admit that the issue of alcohol for Christians has become both important and controversial. For years the standard talking point was that Christians didn’t drink. The churches I grew up in had that principle so ingrained in their culture that we didn’t even have sermons or lessons on the issue; not even a conversation. It was simply understood that Christians did not drink.
In my youth groups growing up we were told that it was wrong to drink. Given the fact that we were underage that was an easy talking point to repeat. But no one ever prepared me for the day when I was legally allowed to drink alcohol and needed to make the choice, biblically, of whether or not I would. Because, again, it was simply understood that Christians did not drink.
When I recently posted an article about whether or not Christians should drink alcohol I got a Facebook message from a pastor-friend that had some thoughts for me. Now, you might be thinking that a “Facebook friend” sent me a harassing message telling me how wrong I was for my views and “encouraging” me to repent. But you’d be wrong. Continue reading…
VIDEO: If You’re a Christian Voting Democrat – You Need to See This
Posted on August 9, 2016 in Life by Nathan Cherry
The following video is one that should be considered very carefully by anyone voting in the upcoming election. The message of this video is at the heart of what is at stake during this election cycle.
Often, anyone that focuses on a single issue during an election will be called myopic, or a “single issue voter.” This is never considered a good thing and people are often told to look beyond that single issue. But, in the case of the sanctity of life it is hard to “look past” a candidate as rabidly in support of abortion as Hillary Clinton.
The video, shot by David Benham, one half of the famed Benham Brothers, reminds Christians that a vote for the Democratic party (Hillary Clinton) is a vote for a radical abortion agenda. Benham states:
“Yes, they are pro-choice, but here’s what they are doing now: They have actually increased what they want to do against the unborn…They have increased the violence against the unborn…If you call yourself a Christian, and you’re voting Democrat, here’s what you’re voting for: The Democratic National Platform wants to repeal the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits my tax dollars from directly paying for abortion. They want to force your money and my money to directly pay for abortion.” Continue reading…
VICTORY: Creator of Undercover Planned Parenthood Videos Acquitted of All Charges
Posted on August 4, 2016 in Life by Nathan Cherry
A much-needed victory for life against Planned Parenthood happened just as Planned Parenthood CEO Cecil Richards was preparing to speak at the Democratic National Convention.
All charges against David Daleiden of the Center for Medical Progress have been dropped. Daleiden is the man primarily responsible for the damaging undercover videos of various Planned Parenthood executives explaining how they buy and sell aborted baby body parts. The reason this is a big deal is that trafficking aborted baby body parts is a federal crime.
Daleiden and a partner secretly taped the videos, released over the last year, as they conversed with a number of Planned Parenthood executives directly responsible for obtaining and selling the body parts. As they were released to the public a great outcry ensued. Planned Parenthood (PP) CEO Cecile Richards immediately went into damage control mode as she tried to convince the American people that PP did nothing wrong.
Richards and the PP media machine went into overdrive to discredit the videos, saying they were doctored. Daleiden responded by releasing the unedited footage. So Richards went on a media tour explaining that there was no profit from the sale of the body parts. Again, Daleiden released footage to the contrary. At every turn the videos undermined what PP said and showed that the abortion merchant is a criminal organization.
The response? Continue reading…
The NBA Moving the 2017 All-Star Game is Really Irritating. But Not for the Reason You Think
Posted on August 3, 2016 in Public Policy, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
The NBA has decided to move the 2017 all-star game because it doesn’t like a state law requiring people to use the bathroom that corresponds with their biological gender! Can’t make this up.
Last week the NBA announced that it would be moving the 2017 all-star game from Charlotte, NC in light of the state’s recently passed bill requiring people to use the bathroom that corresponds with their biological gender. That is an irritating turn of events for several reasons.
The NBA’s statement on the issue is chock-full of silly and hypocritical statements. Take a look:
“Our week-long schedule of All-Star events and activities is intended to be a global celebration of basketball, our league, and the values for which we stand, and to bring together all members of the NBA community. [W]hile we recognize that the NBA cannot choose the law in every city, state and country in which we do business, we do not believe we can successfully host our All -Star festivities in Charlotte in the climate created by HB2.”
Did you spot the absurdity? Don’t miss it because some of those statements are so silly that you have to feel sorry for…er…umm…whoever decided to write that nonsense. Let me show you. Continue reading…
This Commercial Airing in Michigan is Worth Watching
Posted on August 2, 2016 in Life by Nathan Cherry
A new commercial airing in the state of Michigan is reminding voters that a core issue in the upcoming election is that of life. The commercial, produced by Right to life of Michigan, is called “Start with Life.”
The commercial flashes scenes of daily life in America as a narrator reminds us that our country was founded on the principle that every life is valuable and should be treated equally. The narrator says:
“It is in politics that the battle for life can have its greatest repercussions. Our government is founded on the premise that every human being is endowed with certain unalienable rights. In the battle for life this means that the government, which is strong, would protect the rights of the individual, which by comparison, are weak.”
At a time when race relations are at an all-time low in our country, the narrator goes on to remind us that every life, regardless of race or any other factor, is equal to every other life. The narrator states:
“Whether born or unborn, the life of a woman is equal to the life of a man. A person of one race is equal to a person of any other race. A person with disadvantages is equal to a person with many advantages.”
This video is a timely message as the election season continues to move towards its November conclusion. Hillary Clinton is as extreme a pro-abortion supporter as you can get. Her choice for Vice President, Tim Kaine is not better. Together they would continue the radical abortion policies shaped by President Obama.
Take a moment to watch this timely message and share it with others. Remind people that if we do not defend the life of the most vulnerable among us, the unborn, no life is safe, or sacred. Remind people, as this commercial does, “The political candidates we vote for either uphold this principle, or undermine it.”
What If Kids Don’t Want to Go to Church Because of Their Parents?
Posted on July 28, 2016 in Family, Theology by Nathan Cherry
Image by © Ocean/Corbis
What if parents aren’t teaching their kids that faithful attendance in a local church body is a priority, and that is a reason we see church attendance dropping?
I watched a short clip recently with Carl Trueman in which the scholar made the observation that one likely reason we are seeing a drop in church attendance is that parents are simply not teaching their kids that it is a priority. Trueman said:
“The church is losing its young people because the parents never taught their children that it was important. I think that applies across the board. It applies to family worship, and it also applies to whether you are in church every Sunday and what priority you demonstrate to your children church has on a Sunday. If the sun shines out and their friends are going to the beach, do you decide to skip church and go to the beach? In which case, you send signals to your children that it is not important.”
Trueman was answering questions on a panel when he was asked why churches seem to be losing their young people. That answer is a keen insight into our current culture where so many things seem to take priority over faithful church attendance. And while this could end up being a very long post in order to address all the critical aspects of that reality, I want to stick with a narrower answer.
I’ve watched with concern over the years as well-meaning Christian parents allow many things to interrupt church attendance. Everything from sports, dance, boys and girl clubs, to chasing hobbies and recreations has taken priority over faithfully gathering with God’s people. It’s become a sore subject though; any mention of how these hobbies are interfering with church attendance is met with accusations of legalism. Legalism? Continue reading…
My Son Said He Wanted to Wear a Skirt – So I Told Him…
Posted on July 27, 2016 in Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
“I like your skirt, mom.”
“Thank-you, now go to bed.”
Tucking my son into bed he said:
“Dad, I’m gonna wear a skirt when I’m a girl.”
“When are you going to be a girl?”
“Uuuh, maybe in ten days.”
Yes, that’s an actual dialogue I had with my 4 year-old son recently. He says some of the most off the wall things. The kinds of things that stick with you and make you laugh at 11 o’clock at night when you’re brushing your teeth. But this time I was more curious about what he had to say.
I think it’s because I’ve read too many accounts of parents having similar conversations and determining that their child must be a “girl trapped in a boy’s body” and they begin buying him skirts and high-heels. Some of the stories I read are about 4 and 5 year old kids whose parents accommodate them when they declare they are the opposite gender.
Then again, we live in a world where gender, to some, is not quite as fixed as it once was. At one point, certain biological features determined whether a person was male or female. But the brave new world we live in today says that those features are arbitrary and don’t determine anything. I can’t quite wrap my mind around a world where a penis doesn’t definitively determine a person is male. All the biology books say it does. Science says it does. Even the ultra-sound tech at the hospital will happily declare your unborn child is male if a penis is spotted. Continue reading…
VIDEO: Mike Pence: “I’m a Christian, a Conservative and a Republican…In That Order”
Posted on July 26, 2016 in Public Policy by Nathan Cherry
Accepting the nomination for Vice President and to be Donald Trump’s running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence made it very clear what kind of person he is. He told a cheering audience:
“I’m a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order.”
Watching his speech made me wish Pence were running for president, it would be an easy choice to vote for him. He has been a strong conservative voice in Washington when he was in Congress, and, as Governor of Indiana he continued those same traditional, conservative policies.
Pence understands what it means to be a socially, fiscally conservative lawmaker. He also knows what is at stake in this election. Pence told the packed crowd: Continue reading…
An Honest Commentary On Race Relations from Someone that is Curious
Posted on July 21, 2016 in Public Policy, Theology by Nathan Cherry
The perspective of kids concerning race is one of the most amazing sights. I hope I can keep my kids from “growing up” in this one area.
I’ll never forget the time my son told me about his new friend with the “brown skin.” He was playing at the playground near our house when he was 7 years old. When he came back I asked if he played with any other kids. He responded, “yes, I made a new friend and he has brown skin.” I smiled and told him “that’s great.”
That account is similar to the time my daughter met her soon-to-be best friend. My daughter was 5 and the little girl was Asian-American. They hit it off quickly and my daughter asked why her eyes were “shaped different.” Her parents laughed and so did we as I told my daughter that she was Asian-American and simply had eyes shaped differently than hers. The two were best friends from that moment on.
What I love about my kids is that they are free to see the differences in people without prejudice. It would be unfair to say they don’t see color, because clearly my son noted the difference between his skin and the skin of his playground friend. But it didn’t matter. His skin color wasn’t a prerequisite for playing nor was it a barrier; it was just a factual difference he noticed. And both my son and my daughter felt free to ask honest questions and make honest observations about the differences they saw in people.
America seems to be at a point in history when race relations are as tense as I can remember. It has been noted that race relations are as tense as they were during the 1992 L.A. riots resulting from the Rodney King incident, or even in 1965. Some wonder if they will get worse, or if they even can get worse. Continue reading…