Let’s Not Forget About the Asexual Among Us? They Want us to Know They Don’t Care About Sex…or Something Like That.
Posted on December 14, 2015 in Marriage, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
It seems everyone these days is interested in sex in some way. Whether we’re talking about heterosexual, homosexual, bi-sexual or transsexual; everyone is interested in sex in one way or another. Everyone except for…the asexual person.
Asexuality is defined as follows:
“the lack of sexual attraction to anyone, or low or absent interest in sexual activity. It may be considered the lack of a sexual orientation, or one of the variations thereof, alongside heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality. It may also be an umbrella term used to categorize a broader spectrum of various asexual sub-identities.”
Most of us will have a hard time comprehending a life where sex is of absolutely no interest. We can’t begin to understand what it would be like to live with no attraction to anyone. And in our highly sexualized culture the idea that someone is entirely unconcerned with sex is even harder to understand. But there may be value in understanding this sexual orientation sub-culture and what part, if any, they play in the ongoing discussions of gender, sexuality, and marriage.
According to at least one article, potentially 1% of the British population is asexual. This means approximately 640,000 of Britain’s estimated 64 million people is asexual. The number is obviously a very small part of the population, and yet it seems much larger than I would have imagined. If 1% of the American population was asexual it would mean over 3 million people would identify this way. If 1% of the world claimed to be asexual it would be about 70 million people; more than the total population of Britain. Continue reading…
These 5 Tips for Christian Parents Will Help Teach Our Faith to Our Children
Posted on December 9, 2015 in Family, Theology by Nathan Cherry
As a parent, have you ever felt like a failure? Maybe you’ve compared your kids to those “little angels” that have glowing halos around their heads as they wait for their mom to pay at the register. Or perhaps you’ve wondered where you went wrong as you watch the siblings across the street laugh and smile while helping their parents clean the yard. If we’re honest, we’ve all been frustrated as a parent. It comes with the territory.
As a Christian parent I sometimes wonder if my frustrations aren’t compounded by my earnest desire to see my kids grow in faith as they grow into their shoes. I don’t want them to simply be happy and healthy, I want them to be holy as well. And I wonder if I’m doing enough to plant those seeds of faith in their hearts and minds that will one day sprout and grow into a deeply rooted faith.
Once upon a time people thought it was the church’s job to instill faith into their children. Now only the naïve and mistaken parent adheres to that misguided idea. The faith of my children is primarily my responsibility; the church is there to supplement what I am doing to grow my children in the “nurture and admonition” of the Lord. Knowing that I have such a great responsibility means placing a priority on their spiritual development. Before anything else, musical development, athletic development, or even vocational development, comes their spiritual development. Continue reading…
Theologian James White Explains How Christians Should Think About Islam and Muslims
Posted on December 8, 2015 in Family, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
There is no doubt that Muslims, Islam, and ISIS are front and center in the news. All of us will – if we haven’t already – have a conversation about whether these people are one and the same or if they can be separated. The talking points are reaching a fever pitch as political candidates are calling for deportations and registries here in the US for Muslims that want to be in our country. With all the noise it can be hard for Christians to know what the proper, biblical attitude toward Muslims should be. I confess that I have struggled with knowing exactly how the situation should be handled. (I’m thankful I’m not in a position where my opinion matters.)
I found this short video featuring world-renowned scholar James White helpful. In the video, posted on YouTube, White discusses some basics about Islam and a starting point for Christians that want to think through the issue. On one hand we want to extend the love of Christ and be a visual example of the Gospel to people trapped in a dark and violent religion. On the other hand we want to protect our family, our friends, and our country from people that seemingly hate us and want to inflict unending violence against us. That is not an enviable position.
Take a few moments to listen to Dr. White explain a good starting point for us as Christians as we think through this difficult and highly controversial issue. We need to have more than raw emotions and political talking points when we discuss Islam and Muslims. Our theology must carry over to this issue. Dr. White’s thought will help with that. I hope you find this as helpful as I did. (If the video doesn’t appear automatically, please refresh your browser.)
Pro-Lifers – Not Muslim Terrorists – Are Responsible for San Bernardino Shootings?
Posted on December 7, 2015 in Life by Nathan Cherry
Two shootings have occurred in the last month. I know you know about them, we all know about them because the media is fixated on the shootings. They want to bring us every possible detail – even the ones we don’t want or need – in order to make sure we all know that these shootings are the fault of the pro-life movement and global warming skeptics.
Yep, you read that right. According to the media and all their political allies, such as President Obama, Planned Parenthood, members of Congress, and many Hollywood elite, these shootings were caused by pro-lifers and global warming skeptics.
Now, if that seems odd and not at all sensible to you, you are probably exercising common sense and critical thinking skills. These skills are not as common as you think in our current culture where political correctness and groupthink rule the day. So if you’re paying attention to actual facts about these cases and have concluded that the shooters were neither pro-life nor did they have anything to do with the global warming issue, you’re doing just fine.
The first shooting, taking place at a Planned Parenthood facility in Colorado Springs, CO. was the work of a man that has been identified as a registered Independent voter, a woman, and a transgender. To date no one can show any ties to the pro-life movement. And yet, simply because he chose a Planned Parenthood clinic to commit a violent crime every pro-lifer has been blamed. In fact, even pro-life views have been called out by the liberal media for being “violent.” Can someone please help me understand how asking for all life – from conception to natural death – to be respected is “violent”? Continue reading…
Did You Know the Planned Parenthood Shooter was a Pro-Life, Christian, Conservative, Republican?
Posted on December 1, 2015 in Life by Nathan Cherry
Last week a man committed a terrible act of violence at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, CO. Depending on what article you read about this incident the picture you will get of the gunman, Robert Dear, will be very different. In fact, as more details emerge about this man and his crime(s), the entire story becomes very troubling.
Abortion activists are painting Mr. Dear as a pro-life activist and calling his crime an act of “domestic terrorism.” They are using the tragic events as an opportunity to paint pro-life activists as extremists that condone violence (a twisted sort of irony).
Gun control advocates are using the incident as an opportunity to call for stricter gun laws. They see Mr. Dear as the typical American gun owner and want to make it more difficult to own a gun.
Some even decided to be very specific with their blame by saying the shooting was the fault of “Christian, white, conservative, Republicans.” These accusations were made while the shooting was still going on and before the suspect was in custody? Either the media coverage was extremely biased and those reporters should be ashamed of themselves; or someone is trying to create an artificial picture of specific groups for a political agenda.
Listen, I’m not prone to advocate conspiracy theories or join the tin foil hat brigade often or easily. But this incident seems so odd to me. The picture being painted by the media is so very different than the one being painted by those who actually know the suspect. In articles here and here we learn a little about this suspect and his seemingly troubled past. What we quickly learn is this: Continue reading…
Christians Can Learn a Valuable Lesson from a Gay Man Trying to Enter the NFL
Posted on November 30, 2015 in Sexuality, Theology by Nathan Cherry
The major identifier of any Christian should be our identity in Christ. It’s not about our “conversion story,” or where we are in our “walk of faith.” Creating an identity out of something with no inherent worth or value will always lead to frustration when others don’t place as high a value on that thing as we do.
Take for example the story of Michael Sam, the former NFL draft pick that was also the first openly gay player to be drafted by an NFL team.
Before the combine, before the draft, Michael Sam was a decent football player barely hitting the radar of NFL scouts. Most scouting reports had him listed as a little too small and a bit too slow for his defensive position. But he was nonetheless headed for the NFL combine and would try to make an NFL roster. Then, the relatively unknown player from the mid-west decided to have a press conference to announce that he was gay.
In the world of sports this was only news because there was no openly gay players and Sam would be the first if he could make a roster. For the most part though, NFL scouts, coaches, and owners sort of…yawned. They weren’t looking for a poster-child for social causes or to break new sporting ground. They were looking for talented football players that would help them win championships. Because, at the end of the day, wins is all that matters.
The media of course took the story and ran, making all the news, all the coverage of Michael Sam about his “brave” and “courageous” announcement. Many (including me) called it a desperate publicity stunt by a guy whose NFL hopes were fading. And, in the end, it worked. Sam was drafted by the St. Louis Rams. But media circus soon faded as Sam was let go by the Rams, picked up and released by the Cowboys. And while honest sportscasters focused on Sam on-field performance and his lack of size and speed, other media outlets focused on Sam’s sexuality. Continue reading…
THANKSGIVING:
Posted on November 26, 2015 in Family, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
I never cared much for Thanksgiving. That’s a funny way to open a post about Thanksgiving but, the truth is this day never really had a lot of meaning to me. For whatever reason I never saw this day as more than a day off, a day to relax, eat, and play or watch football (or both). Then something happened.
The natural process of life: getting married, having kids, getting older began to change my attitude about Thanksgiving. I saw a desperate need to foster an attitude of thanks and gratitude in my own life. Instead of constantly pursuing more I wanted to be grateful for the many blessings God has given to me and my family. In fact, each night when our family prays we thank God for His “many blessings, like food, clothes, and a warm bed.” And why shouldn’t we?
Taking a quick glance around our world I see hungry people, men and women and kids with no homes, people being forced from their homeland for one reason or another, war, abuse, violence, and sin. The truth is, our world is not a very pleasant place. There is much to be discouraged and disheartened about. But, there is also much to be thankful for.
The phrase “give thanks” appears 62 times in the Bible. The word “thanks” appears 95 times. Many of these verses are in the Psalms where we are told to be thankful or give thanks for all that God has done for us. Numerous verses connect our heart with God’s love and goodness. The message is that we should daily be thankful for God’s love and goodness to us by having a heart that thanks and praises God. (See Psalm 86:12; 100:4; 106:1; 107:1; 118:1) Continue reading…
As Tradition is Replaced by Modernism – Everything from Church to Marriage Changes With It
Posted on November 24, 2015 in Marriage, Theology by Nathan Cherry
According to many polls, surveys, and posts: religion in America is declining while the religious become more resolute in their beliefs. I find this interesting in a number of ways, especially as it pertains to church culture and marriage. In fact, I wonder if some aspects are intricately connected.
A Christianity Today article explains that the last seven years has seen many people abandon the “Christian” label while devout Christians remain devout:
“The newest data confirms…America is becoming more secular, but the faithful are remaining devout. There is more than one thing going on, but a big part is that “nominal” Christians, the data shows us, are abandoning the “Christian” label more in the last seven years than they have before. As every single reliable researcher believes: the church isn’t dying. In other words, there’s not a collapse of practicing Christianity, and that’s the headline of almost every story, though some people still won’t believe it.”
As the seeker sensitive movement bears its long-awaited fruit we can now see what percentage of self-identified Christians were nominal, at best, in their devotion and affiliation with the Christian faith. The rate at which people walk away from the church and the Christian faith is connected in some way with the growing secularization of our culture. And this is connected with the polls and surveys that conclude “Christians support marriage redefinition and homosexuality.” Continue reading…
When Planned Parenthood Talks About “Donating Tissue” This Is What They Mean
Posted on November 23, 2015 in Life by Nathan Cherry
Planned Parenthood has been saying one thing and doing another for years. They are so good at it that die-hard fans of the organization have a hard time distinguishing facts from fiction. I’m not even sure Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards can separate truth from lie when she speaks. But it’s their speech, their words that have created confusion and chaos for anyone trying to figure out what the organization is talking about.
For example, Planned Parenthood has been telling women for years that “it’s not a baby, just a lump of cells.” This despite scientific evidence that shows the undeniable humanity of the unborn. Then, they turn around and accuse anyone that opposes abortion as being “against science.” Uhh, wait a minute, something isn’t right here. But that’s what they do, twist words to mean whatever they want until eventually they lose all meaning.
And let’s not forget the constant claim that abortion is “healthcare” and all the factual problems with that statement.
So when Planned Parenthood talks about harvesting “organs” and selling “tissue” they really believe it means nothing more than that. But for anyone that understands the words they are using we quickly realize that they are killing unborn children in order to sell their organs for profit. It’s shocking.
A recent article comments on the twisted language used by Planned Parenthood to deceive people into believing what they do is harmless, even good: Continue reading…
Have You Ever Wanted to Leave Church? You’re Not the Only One!
Posted on November 17, 2015 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
Have you ever considered walking away from church?
That question has become a central topic in many churches, conferences, and publications. The rise of the “dones” is a phenomenon that is both interesting to watch and terrifying. For many pastors and church leaders it is a nightmare that they are facing and trying to figure out. For church culture commentators it has become a routine topic of discussion.
So, who are the dones?
The dones are the most committed, involved, faithful members of a congregation. They are leaders in ministry; they are teachers; they are the biblically educated; they are the givers. And they are walking away from church. They don’t relocate to another church, and they aren’t retreating to house churches (not all of them). They are simply walking away from the organized, institutional church…forever.
Some will be quick to judge and say that these are backslidden people that need to “get right with God,” and get back in church. Others are little more judgmental and claim that these are people that “may not be saved at all.” Name-calling and judgment won’t stop the dones from walking away so it might be a better use of our time to figure out why they are leaving. Continue reading…