VDEO: Powerful Hip-Hop Video “Life On Mars” Confronts Definition of Life
Posted on June 28, 2016 in Life by Nathan Cherry
An odd irony I’ve often wondered about is the various definitions of life employed by our culture. It would seem that the definition of life is fixed: if you’re alive, you’re alive. But that doesn’t seem to be the case. The most glaring example of this is seen in discussions of finding life on planet Mars.
Scientists are hoping to find life on Mars. And by life they mean any simple, single-celled organism they can deem alive. However, many of these same scientists would look at an unborn child with all of it’s millions of cells and beating heart, and refuse to admit that it is a living human being. It takes some philosophical gymnastics to arrive at that conclusion.
A new music video by a Christian hip-hop artist addresses this very hypocrisy.
Dove Award winning artist Je’Kob recently released the video for his song “Life On mars,” which discusses the definition of life. (The video is posted below.)
In the video, Je’Kob addresses the idea that bacteria found on Mars is considered “life” while a baby inside the womb is not given this protected status. He sings:
“Don’t let them find one organism, & got the nerve to call that life,
“Yet they say that my baby’s not alive until it lives outside my wife
“Why are we looking for life on Mars
“When don’t respect life on our Planet Earth, Planet Earth, Planet Earth.”
Watch the video below and share it on social media. This powerful message needs to be shared with others that are wrestling with the definition of life. If the video doesn’t appear automatically, please refresh your browser.
How Serving Fried Chicken to People on the Street Illustrates the Gospel
Posted on June 23, 2016 in Sexuality, Theology by Nathan Cherry
How Chik-fil-A responded to the Orlando nightclub shooting sets an example for people everywhere, especially Christians.
Most people know that Chik-fil-A is closed on Sundays. The Christians owned and operated restaurant closes on one of the busiest days of the week in order to allow employees to attend church or just spend time with their families. While most food chains are serving church-goers as they leave worship each Sunday, Chik-fil-A is giving people a day of rest.
And yet Chik-fil-A stands as one of the most successful restaurants in America, and certainly one of the top chicken chains. This is due largely to the fact that making a buck isn’t their priority. Chik-fil-A’s highest priority is to “glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.”
Now, some would say they have failed at that goal. Back in 2012 Chik-fil-A was attacked in response to CEO Dan Cathy’s support of traditional marriage. I’m not sure why that is a surprise. This is a company that has been Christian owned and operated by the Cathy family for decades; they play Christian music in their restaurants, and close on Sundays to give their employees the chance to attend church. Is it really all that surprising that the owner supports the biblical definition of marriage? Continue reading…
To My Catholic Friends: Did You Hear What the Pope Just Said?
Posted on June 22, 2016 in Religious Freedom, Theology by Nathan Cherry
In recent years very prominent Christians have made heretical claims. Claims like hell isn’t real by former pastors like Rob Bell shocked the Christian church and brought immediate outcry. That claim seems to be miniscule in comparison to what Pope Francis has recently claimed.
Pope Francis gave an interview with La Croix, a French-Catholic publication, not long ago. In the interview the Pope made a statement that defies the imagination for the leader of the Catholic Church and has some saying he is the “anti-Pope.”
Pope Francis said:
“I don’t think that there is a fear of Islam as such but of ISIS and its war of conquest, which is partly drawn from Islam,” he told La Croix. “It is true that the idea of conquest is inherent in the soul of Islam. However, it is also possible to interpret the objective in Matthew’s Gospel, where Jesus sends his disciples to all nations, in terms of the same idea of conquest.” Continue reading…
VIDEO: When People See Abortion They Change Their Mind About Supporting Abortion
Posted on June 21, 2016 in Life by Nathan Cherry
The video below has been circulating social media for a couple of weeks now. The video shows people being asked if they are pro-choice or pro-life. When they answer that they are pro-choice, they are shown a video of what a typical first trimester abortion looks like. Their reactions are recorded as they watch the video. Once the video is finished they are asked if their opinions have changed concerning abortion.
Everyone changes their mind.
Years ago Fr. Frank Pavone said “America won’t reject abortion until it sees abortion.” Maybe he knew how preceisely accurate his words were, maybe not. But watching this video makes it clear that many people simply don’t understand just how human the unborn are, and what terrible torture abortion really is.
I hope this video continues to circulate social media and that many more minds will be changed because of it. There is no doubt that more people are pro-life today than ever before. We need to continue to educate people on the atrocity of abortion and reject the culture of death that Planned Parenthood and its partners want us to accept.
And, let’s not forget the unborn when we vote for a president in November.
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The Reason I Don’t Own Pets Has To Do With Harambe the Ape
Posted on June 15, 2016 in Life, Theology by Nathan Cherry
One reason I don’t own any pets is because I’d be a really bad pet owner.
I had pets growing up. Many of my friends and family today have pets. I don’t have any pets. My kids really like animals and would love to have a pet, but so far I’ve refused to get any pets. One reason for this decision is that I would be a really bad pet owner. I should probably explain that statement.
Pet ownership has gone to a whole new level of crazy in our culture. You can find pet spas, pet resorts, and all manner of comforts and conveniences for your pet: sweaters, shoes, lounge chairs and houses nicer than the people down the street. People now refer to themselves as parents simply because they own a pet and there is a section of greeting cards that is from the pet to the owner (who exactly fills out and signs that card?).
When I say I would be a bad pet owner it’s not because I abuse or neglect animals but because I treat them like…animals. I don’t buy pets expensive food, I don’t celebrate their birthday, and if you call me a parent because I own pets I’m liable to punch you in the throat. I don’t see animals as being on the same level as humans or in any way equal. So the lengths to which some people go to own a pet is beyond my comprehension. (I know a retired lady concerned about running out of money but she refuses to stop taking her dog to groomers or buying unbelievably expensive medicines.)
The fact that so many people have come to the conclusion that pets are “people too” and deserve to be treated the same as people is disturbing. We have elevated the animal kingdom to the level of human beings when only one of us was created in God’s image (see Genesis 1:26 ff). When God created man He did so in His own image and then told man to have dominion over the animal kingdom. The idea that animals would be elevated to equal status with humans is something God never intended. Continue reading…
Why This Progressive Leader in the ACLU Just Quit is Surprising. Hint: Transgender People and Bathrooms
Posted on June 14, 2016 in Public Policy, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
You know you’ve adopted a bad policy position when a leader in the ACLU decides to call it quits because of that policy. President Obama’s push to normalize transgender bathroom laws is having a chilling effect.
I never thought I’d see the day when a progressive person, a leader in the ACLU no less, decides to quit over the implementation of a progressive idea. Yet that is exactly what Maya Dillard Smith did after her young daughters were shaken by having men in the women’s bathroom.
What makes this an interesting story is that a self-described liberal is seeing first hand just how bad the transgender bathroom policy really is. Many voices have shared concern for the safety of women in light of Target’s decision to allow transgender people to use whatever bathroom they choose. And greater concern was shared when President Obama decided to ask all public schools to allow transgender students to use whatever bathroom and locker room they choose.
The public has pushed back against the idea that grown men should be allowed into the locker room and bathroom with young girls and women. The boycott against Target has grown and Target has watched their stock price drop. Fundamentally, people know that grown men and women should not be in the same bathroom or locker room together. But this progressive, liberal idea has become a central focus in our culture.
The ACLU has been front and center in this debate. They have supported Target, supported President Obama, and done all they can to advance the idea that transgender people should be allowed access to whatever bathroom they choose. For this reason, it’s strange that Maya Dillard Smith, a leader in the Georgia chapter of the ACLU has decided to resign her position. Continue reading…
This Graph Will Tell You All You Need to Know About Religion in America
Posted on June 9, 2016 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
The above graph is made from data compiled from 2001-2016 by Gallup Research. The information sheds a very bright light on the state of religion in America and why solid biblical teaching is desperately needed inside our churches.
The quick conclusion I came to after looking over the data is that Mormons have the most biblical views of any religious group represented by the data. In each category Mormons scored lowest when needed (on issues like abortion and homosexual relationships) and highest when needed (on the death penalty). That sad reality is disturbing.
Protestants were not far behind Mormons in most categories. But the difference was often about 10 percentage points, enough to make the difference noticeable. See for yourself how Catholic’s, Jews, and those with no religion scored in critical issues facing our culture. This disturbing chart once again proves that clear, intentional teaching from God’s Word is both lacking and needed.
The time for fluffy topical sermons is over. That trend has created an entire generation that doesn’t know what they believe, and couldn’t defend their beliefs if they had to. We need in-depth expository preaching that seeks to expound on the truths of scripture. If you don’t know what those words mean, you might be at the wrong church. If your pastor’s sermons consist of 3 ways to do this or 4 reasons for that, you might be at the wrong church. If your pastor doesn’t read from the Bible until 10 minutes into the sermon and then never uses his Bible again, you might be at the wrong church.
I could say a lot more about this; and maybe I will in a future post. For now, let the reality of this data sink in: too many professing Christians hold to unbiblical positions because they don’t know or don’t believe the Bible. That must change.
Most Evangelical Voters Won’t Vote for Trump. Here’s Why That Is Good and Scary
Posted on June 8, 2016 in Uncategorized by Nathan Cherry
For the first time in several election cycles, and certainly in my lifetime, there is no clear choice for evangelical voters in the upcoming presidential election.
I’m going to lay all my cards on the table and say what I think has been going on, and what will happen in November if Trump and Clinton are the nominees.
To this point I think there has been a deliberate effort to prop Trump up as the presumptive nominee for Republicans. The media has done a fantastic job of propping Trump up by giving him far more coverage than any other candidate; when there were more candidates in the race. When you look at some of the outlandish things Trump has said it is hard to believe he is still in the race. That is, unless that was the plan all along.
What if this was the goal: to make Trump the nominee over all the other serious candidates. Standing next to Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio, Trump is a caricature that is hard to take seriously. And somehow, he ended up as the last man standing. And while some would have us believe that Trump can beat Clinton, I think that is a serious error in judgment. Continue reading…
VIDEO: Do You Understand The Difference Between Traditional and Cultural Tolerance? You Need To
Posted on June 7, 2016 in Public Policy by Nathan Cherry
Take a few minutes to watch this video with Josh McDowell on Fox News to understand the difference between traditional and cultural tolerance. The difference is critical for our culture to move away from being “politically correct” and back to one of mutual respect and civility.
Apologist josh McDowell explains the difference between traditional and cultural tolerance this way:
Traditional tolerance separates the person from the action, behavior, or opinion. Traditional tolerance says, “I love you, I care about you, but I disagree with what you are saying (or how you are behaving).” But cultural tolerance does not separate the person from the words or actions and makes disagreement a personal attack. Which is, McDowell says, so many people respond with “why are you being so hateful?” when someone disagrees with them.
This is important. At one time traditional tolerance was the way of life and people had the ability to disagree civilly, with respect. Today, cultural tolerance rules our politically correct culture, making disagreements personal, rather than a matter of onion or belief. Cultural tolerance is a dangerous idea that will erase our ability to civilly discuss divergent ideas. But cultural tolerance also removes our ability to rightly judge the difference between moral good and moral evil.
McDowell explains that if we live under the idea that no one should judge anyone else, we lose the ability to “discern the difference between Mother Theresa and Osama Bin Laden.” If we refuse to use our moral faculties to properly judge the words and actions of others how can we determine whether ISIS is morally good or morally evil?
Watch the video below for a quick lesson on the difference between traditional and cultural tolerance. Then, be intentional about living according to traditional tolerance.
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5 Practical and Spiritual Benefits of Living with Less Junk
Posted on June 2, 2016 in Family, Theology by Nathan Cherry
Some people are going to freak out when they start reading this article. It’s going to send you into nervous twitches and make you want to run from the room screaming. That’s because you have so much stuff in your house the thought of getting rid of anything is one of abject horror.
I’m one of those people that really believe “less is more.” A number of years ago I started looking around our house and realized we had so much stuff we didn’t use. There was things in the kitchen, things in the living room, things on the walls, and things in our closets. From clothes to knick-knacks, utensils to tools, we had more than we needed. I began removing some of these unused items in order to “simplify” life. The more I removed the better I felt. That started a journey into minimalism.
I think it all started with a mission tip to Jamaica. I saw people living with so much less and they seemed to be very happy. They didn’t care that they didn’t have the latest iPhone, or that they only had 3 shirts in their closet instead of 30. The Jamaican people I encountered cared far more about the relationships in their life than the amount of stuff.
My trip to Jamaica was followed up with a trip to Haiti where I saw things that were hard to digest. I saw kids wondering the streets because they had no parents and no home. I watched people rummage through trash piled up on the street to find anything they could eat or use or sell. The people I encountered in Haiti weren’t worried about having the latest clothing; they were worried about having any clothing at all. They too placed a high emphasis on the relationships in their life. Continue reading…