Nothing to See Here. Just a Conflict of Interest Paid for by Planned Parenthood
Posted on April 14, 2016 in Life by Nathan Cherry
This is almost too egregious to believe. And yet the headlines are no joke and make it very clear that Planned Parenthood and their bought-off political allies will stop at nothing to advance their pro-death movement.
David Daleiden, the man that released the undercover videos exposing the sale of aborted baby body parts by Planned Parenthood had his home raided by politicians in California. The California Attorney General, Kamala Harris, ordered the raid on Daleiden’s home. Besides the obvious violation of Daleiden’s First Amendment rights, this is a particularly horrendous crime due to the fact that the people raiding his home have been paid by Planned Parenthood. A recent article reports:
“The pro-abortion California attorney general’s office raided on Tuesday the home of the undercover investigator who exposed Planned Parenthood’s trafficking of aborted babies’ body parts, according to the Center for Medical Progress. David Daleiden, the head of the Center for Medical Progress, has been a target of abortion activists and their political friends ever since he released the first undercover video last summer showing a top Planned Parenthood official discussing the sale of aborted babies’ body parts.”
After the raid on his home, Daleiden released this statement: Continue reading…
Hillary Clinton Has Some Shocking Comments Regarding the Unborn
Posted on April 13, 2016 in Life, Public Policy by Nathan Cherry
As the presidential election continues to dominate headlines, Christians preparing to vote should carefully consider one issue.
Significant progress has been made concerning the defense of the unborn across our country. State legislatures are enacting pro-life laws to defend the unborn at a record pace. Abortion clinics are closing in historic numbers and currently there is far fewer clinics than there was just 15 years ago. As a nation, we are moving towards defending the unborn as science continually affirms the humanity of children in their mother’s womb.
But despite the reality that a majority of Americans want abortion reform; despite a majority of Americans claiming to be pro-life; two presidential candidates want to move us backwards and undo the significant progress made.
In an interview recently, candidate Hillary Clinton made it clear that she believes abortion is more of a right than life for the unborn. She made this statement:
“The unborn person doesn’t have constitutional rights.”
Notice what Clinton just said: a person doesn’t have constitutional rights. Acknowledging that the unborn are persons and then refusing to grant them the same Constitutional rights all citizens have is a particular evil that should concern all voters. Mrs. Clinton has just admitted that she believes that the unborn are people, but that they deserve no Constitutional rights. I wonder who else does not deserve constitutional rights in America? Continue reading…
Ga Gov Nathan Deal: Religious Freedom doesn’t Need Protected – No One’s Being Sued Here
Posted on April 12, 2016 in Marriage, Public Policy, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal caves to pressure from the movie industry in his decision not to protect religious freedom in the state.
There’s a verse in the Bible I’m learning to understand more as our culture moves toward complete rebellion of God’s principles. That verse simply states, “you cannot serve God and money.” (Matt. 6:24 ff)
Now, some would say this means you can’t be rich and serve God, but that’s a false conclusion. One look into Scripture reveals many people that were indeed rich and were used of God; King Solomon is just one example. Nope, that verse is teaching that your priorities cannot be both the pursuit of money and the pursuit of God and serving God.
Our society has become driven by money: the pursuit of money, the protection of money, and the acquisition of more money. And when money is threatened it is not a surprise to see people make decisions in favor of money rather than in favor of serving God. When Georgia Governor Nathan Deal decided to veto a bill defending religious freedom he may not have consciously chosen money over God, but the outcome is the same.
The bill, known as the Free Exercise Protection Act (HB 757), would have protected people with sincerely held religious convictions from violating those convictions by taking part in same-sex weddings and other events they find objectionable. This was a common-sense bill given many incidents from around the country where Christians have been sued and convicted for adhering to their religious convictions. Continue reading…
Is Donald Trump What American Christians Deserve? Maybe?
Posted on April 6, 2016 in Public Policy, Theology by Nathan Cherry
If you didn’t know better, you would be convinced that a vast majority of evangelical Christians support Donald Trump for president. If you didn’t know better.
There is no doubt that the mainstream media is propping Donald Trump up in his bid to be elected president. No one says the crazy things Trump has said on the campaign trail and survives unless the media is helping. Liberal outlets even seem joyful in their reporting that “evangelical Christians” are lining up to support Trump. But is it true that evangelicals en masse are prepared to vote for Trump in this year’s election?
I don’t think so.
Yes, it’s true that Trump has secured (for now) a large part of the Christian vote. We could have a discussion on the difference between “self-identified Christian” and those that are truly Christ-followers, but I’ll save that for another time. For now let’s just agree that many church-going people intend to vote for Trump in November and that reality is causing a stir.
Never in my years of presidential elections have I witnessed so many prominent evangelicals vocally oppose a republican candidate. For the most part church leaders and other prominent evangelicals remain silent. Not because they don’t have opinions and prefer one candidate over another; but because they prefer to focus on the Gospel instead of politics. (That’s also another conversation.) Continue reading…
Pro-Abortion Student Decides to Challenge Ben Shapiro on Life-Learns Quickly That May Have Been a Bad Idea
Posted on April 5, 2016 in Life by Nathan Cherry
Every once in a while an exchange between a pro-life and pro-abortion advocate catches my attention. Sometimes these are thought-provoking exchanges resulting from civil discourse by educated people that are seeking to exchange ideas. And sometimes…not so much.
The video below shows an exchange between Ben Shapiro, a conservative commentator, author, and lawyer, and a Salisbury University student. Shapiro was speaking at the Maryland University when he decided to open the floor for questions. A pro-abortion supporter decided to take the opportunity to challenge Shapiro’s views on life and the legality of abortion. That led to the following exchange which was captured on video.
After watching this exchange I have one conclusion: many pro-abortion advocates have nothing to offer but rhetoric and media talking points.
Watch the video for yourself (posted below) and see if you can find any logic, reason, or anything remotely valuable in the pro-abortion advocates arguments. Here is a brief section of the discussion between Shapiro and the student: Continue reading…
Do You Have Trouble Memorizing the Bible? Try This.
Posted on March 31, 2016 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
Can I share a little secret with you?
The truth is, I’m not very good at memorizing Scripture.
I’m not talking about memorizing the “essence” of a verse. I can paraphrase Bible verses all day. But when it comes to knowing the reference and the word-for-word text of the verse, I have trouble.
Maybe that’s a surprise since I spent so many years studying the Bible and teaching the Bible. Maybe it’s disappointing to some who have known me in a pastoral role. Whatever the case may be, the truth is that it is a battle to memorize God’s Word.
But I’m trying. I have a number of verses that I have worked on and continue to memorize. And I read Scripture daily in order to keep it filtering through my mind. I need the wisdom and pruning of God’s Word in my mind, heart, and daily life. We all do. And to help with that I am looking for creative ways to study and memorize Scripture. And, since I thought someone else out there might struggle with memorizing the Bible like I do, I wanted to share this practical, and helpful article I found.
The article shares “10 hints” to help with Scripture memorization. I like this article because each “hint” does not have to be followed in sequence to memorize Scripture. Some hints might be more helpful than others for you. So you can determine which “hints” will be more helpful for you and use only those. Not only does that make this list much more practical, but it makes it easier to manage for someone that might otherwise be intimidated by a long list of steps. Continue reading…
I Was Surprised When this Highly Respected Institution Said Encouraging Youth Transgenderism is a Form of Child Abuse
Posted on March 30, 2016 in Public Policy, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
A court finds living as a boy when you are a girl is punishable by jail time. The American College of Pediatrics believes advocating for youth transgenderism is “child abuse.” And I am really confused by it all.
As you probably know, there is a massive push to “support” youth transgenderism. Schools and other public facilities are being pressured to allow transgender students to use whatever bathroom and locker room they want. Apparently they think it’s a great idea to let hormone-driven boys into girls bathrooms and locker rooms. Since everyone now has cell phones with cameras you can only imagine the privacy and safety issues that will result from such actions. Nonetheless, the push continues because: equality.
The media has been focused on North Carolina where a “controversial” bill to require people to use bathrooms and locker rooms according to their biological sex has been passed. There has been nationwide outcry from media and activists saying that this a form of discrimination. Again, some people think allowing anyone to use any facility they choose simply by claiming to be the opposite sex is a good idea. I’m sure pedophiles and sex offenders do think it’s a good idea. However, common sense says that such measures are absurd, at best. Continue reading…
POWERFUL VIDEO: Former Abortionist Explains What Happens During an Abortion
Posted on March 29, 2016 in Life by Nathan Cherry
For years pro-abortion advocates have labeled pro-life advocates as “anti-science” in discussing abortion. But in recent years that ploy has been unmasked as medicine and science have both confirmed the absolute humanity of the unborn. This has left pro-abortion advocates with one less tool in their belt to deceive people into supporting their culture of death.
The following video is no exception.
In this video, produced by Live Action, Dr. Anthony Levatino, a former abortionist, explains exactly what takes place during a second trimester abortion. The video uses animation to show the brutal reality of what happens during abortion. It is a difficult video to watch. A recent article comments on the powerful message of this video:
“The new video series features Dr. Anthony Levatino, a former abortionist who became pro-life. In the videos, Dr. Levatino uses simple medical descriptions of the most prevalent abortion procedures. These innovative videos use medical animations (not graphic photos) to show the brutal injustice committed against preborn children. Information presented in the videos is backed by peer-reviewed medical journals and has been developed and reviewed by practicing OB/GYNs, medical professionals, and former abortionists… As this new video project is showing, when people see what an abortion really does to an unborn baby, many change their minds.”
Watch the video below and please share it. Many Americans are uninformed or misinformed about what an abortion is. This video shows exactly what takes place and has been medically verified for accuracy. This video has the power to change someone’s mind and maybe even safe lives.
If the video doesn’t appear automatically, please refresh your browser.
Have You Ever Considered the Miracle Before Easter? Think About This…
Posted on March 24, 2016 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
Easter has all sort of controversies (like the picture used in this article).
Some think the name “Easter” has pagan origins and refuse to use.
Some think having anything to do with bunnies and eggs filled with candy is a perversion of a sacred day.
Some don’t think the resurrection occurred in the Spring and want to change the date.
For me and my family those things are mostly peripheral issues that take a back seat to the celebration of the resurrection. But before we get to the celebration we have to consider all of the divine miracles that led to the glorious culmination of God’s redemptive plan.
So I want to ask, have you ever stopped to think about the incredible miracles that took place prior to the resurrection?
Let’s start with the fact that Jesus was born of a virgin. Not the part where a virgin gives birth. Don’t get me wrong, that’s amazing all by itself. I’m talking about the part where the Creator of all that exists comes to earth wrapped in the flesh and bones of a tiny baby. Continue reading…
Is Voting for “The Lesser of Two Evils” a Biblical Position for Christians?
Posted on March 23, 2016 in Public Policy, Theology by Nathan Cherry
Is it appropriate for Christians to vote for the “lesser of two evils” in an election where there is not a good candidate?
I was in a discussion with some friends recently in which the question was raised of who Christians should vote for if the candidate choices were Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. On one hand, Clinton is pro-abortion, pro-homosexuality and same-sex “marriage” and pro- many other things that Christians oppose. She is not a fit candidate for any Christian to support.
But on the other hand is Donald Trump. Trump claims to be a Christian but says he has never asked God for forgiveness and doesn’t need to, he is belligerent, insulting, and proud of his own sins. His brand of “Christian” is false and has the potential to drive people away from Jesus rather than to Him. Overall he is not an expression of Christianity or an example of Christ that a Christian should endorse.
The conversation turned to the idea of voting for the “lesser of two evils” and it was quickly decided that Trump is that choice. This bothered me. I knew I could not vote for Trump just because he was a little less “evil” than Clinton but I wasn’t sure how to articulate why. Then I read an article by Dr. Albert Mohler on the subject and it made perfect sense.
Dr. Mohler reminds us that “unless Jesus of Nazareth is on the ballot, any election forces us to choose the lesser of evils.” Good point. In this life we will constantly face a choosing what is lesser simply because we live in a fallen world filled with sin. Does that justify us in voting for someone that is evil, but only slightly less evil than his opponent? Not so fast. Dr. Mohler makes it perfectly clear where our responsibility lies as Christ-followers:
“In our system, citizen is an office; we too bear responsibility for the actions of the government. Just as the lordship of Christ made demands for public justice on office-holders in the New Testament (Luke 4:15), the same is true for those who rule as citizens…In a democratic republic, the authority over statecraft rests with the people themselves. In the voting booth, we delegate others to swing the sword of public justice on our behalf. If we think of a campaign like a job interview, we cannot ethically contract someone to do evil on our behalf. Can a candidate make promises about issues then do something different in office? Yes. Can a candidate present a sense of good character in public then later be revealed to be a fraud? Sure. The same happens with pastors, spouses, employees, and in virtually every other relationship. But that sense of surprise and disappointment is not the same as knowingly delegating our authority to someone with poor character or wicked public stances. Doing so makes us as voters culpable. Saying, “the alternative would be worse” is no valid excuse…The Bible tells us we will be held accountable not only for the evil deeds we do but also when we “give approval to those who practice them” (Rom. 1:32).”
Read that paragraph again.
Dr. Mohler perfectly summarizes the biblical position for what it means to be a citizen and vote. We have a responsibility to vote according to our biblical beliefs. For this reason we simply cannot vote for a candidate in whom we find deficiency of character, a lack of respect for others, a lack of civility, or immoral public policy positions. This does not mean we have to agree with the candidate on every issue; I’m not sure that is possible. But it does mean the candidate we vote for must not be obviously “evil.”
In other words, we must evaluate the candidates through a biblical lens. If the candidate espouses a belief that is anti-biblical or un-biblical, we cannot in good conscience support that candidate. So, for example, a candidate that says abortion is acceptable would not be a candidate a Christian can support. A candidate that supports taking from the “rich” and giving to everyone else is not an option either. And a candidate that wants to send foreigners home and keep people out of our country is equally wrong.
As Dr. Mohler stated, we will one day be held accountable for our own evil deeds and also for the evil deeds of others wherein we gave our approval (Rom. 1:32). This includes giving support by electing someone to public office. For this reason Christians need to take very seriously the responsibility of electing a president and the implications of the person we elect.
Someone might say “to be sure no one does anything I disagree with, I simply won’t vote at all.” This position is problematic in that it ignores the responsibility we have as citizens to be an active part in the governance of our country. We have a marvelous gift in our freedom to vote for the people we want to see in office. Refusing to take part in that process is just as troubling as voting for an unfit candidate. It’s one thing, as Dr. Mohler put it, to be disappointed by a candidate that breaks campaign promises and does the opposite of what he/she said they would do as president. It’s another thing entirely to knowingly vote for an unfit candidate or to refuse to vote at all.
I am concerned that Christians will be put in a very difficult position during this election. It appears that we will have to choose between voting for an unfit candidate in Mr. Trump, or voting for a third party candidate or writing in a candidate’s name. The most likely outcome of this scenario is that Mr. Trump would lose and the other candidate would win. Let me be the first to say that such an outcome terrifies me.
But, and this is important, Christians cannot put politics above being faithful to biblical principles; that includes when the outcome is uncertain at best. God is sovereign, He works all things out for our good and His glory. If it is God’s will that we should be given a less than ideal president then so be it. We need to be more concerned with our faithfulness to biblical principles and God’s judgment than what any earthly ruler can do.
Perhaps God’s judgment is on us this very day, and more judgment is to follow. Would God be unjust for judging our country after we have turned our back on Him? We’ve killed millions of unborn and remained silent. We’ve given our blessing to homosexuality and same-sex “marriage” and remained silent. We’re more concerned with our bank account than our culture. There is plenty of reason for God to judge our nation and yet, He has shown great grace to us. But make no mistake, God is just.
So when I step into that ballot box in November I will most definitely vote and will do so with all the weight and seriousness this election brings with it. But I will not vote for Trump (or Clinton or Sanders). I cannot vote for any of these candidates with a clear conscience in keeping with my biblical responsibility. So I am unsure of who I will vote for.