I’ll Tell You Exactly What I Think of Starbucks and Their Red Cups
Posted on November 16, 2015 in Marriage, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
Last week the country flipped out over the decision by Starbucks to use red cups for Christmas this year. Accusations of religious persecution and limiting free speech abounded as self-proclaimed Christians blasted Starbucks for the red cup design. Social media lit up and arguments got heated as “offended” people made their feelings known.
Despite employees saying that Starbucks has never prohibited them from saying “Merry Christmas,” some urged patrons to tell their barista their name was “Merry Christmas” so they would have to write it on the cup and say it. Hilarity and absurdity ensued from there.
Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed as Christians reminded us all that they were there to get a cup of coffee, not be evangelized or reminded of the true meaning of Christmas. Some even cautioned us from expecting a secular organization to act religious or in any way celebrate Christmas in a biblical way. Good advice.
Common Sense Wins in Houston as Men are Not Allowed in Women’s Bathrooms
Posted on November 10, 2015 in Public Policy, Sexuality, Uncategorized by Nathan Cherry
The people of Houston took to the polls last week to vote on a bill known as HERO (Houston Equal Rights Ordinance). HERO was billed as an anti-discrimination ordinance protecting LGBT people from being discriminated against for their sexual orientation.
But this bill was much more than that.
To understand why the people of Houston were voting on this bill we have to go back a little. Earlier this year the Texas Supreme Court ordered Houston to either remove HERO or allow the people to vote on it. HERO was first put in place by Houston Mayor Annise Parker. While trumpeting HERO Parker was met with opposition by local pastors that saw the measure as a threat to religious freedom. Parker responded by subpoenaing their sermons! That chilling act sent shock-waves across the country. The Texas Supreme Court then ruled that Parker must either remove HERO or allow the city to vote on the measure.
Parker certainly did not want to let the people vote on the measure. As one article reports: Continue reading…
This One Trait Seems Present in Nearly Every Dying Church
Posted on November 9, 2015 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
I think I’ve mentioned this before but, I’ve become a purveyor of church trends. Part of the reason is that much of what happens in the average church seems either opposite of what Scripture teaches, or just simply lacking.
For example, not long ago I was in a church service where the topical sermon was all about money. I was excited at first because I enjoy hearing practical sermons that can teach biblical truths that are desperately needed in our current culture. I sat anxiously waiting to open my Bible and dive into what God has said about being a good steward.
I never opened my Bible.
The entire sermon was a long string of cliches and catch phrases, but it never engaged the people with what God has said about being a good steward and making wise financial decisions. I left disappointed.
The greater concern is that this is a trend in many churches. Many people don’t even take a Bible because they don’t anticipate needing it. It’s true that most people have a Bible app on their phone or tablet, but they seldom use it, even in church. The result is a generation of biblically illiterate people that cannot define their faith or defend their faith. But this disturbing trend is just one of many plaguing the church.
Thom Rainer is a guy that has spent a lot of time observing church trends and trying to help revive dying churches. It might sound strange to talk of a “dying church” but they are all around us. They are the tiny churches on the verge of closing their doors forever. The dying church is a particular church trend that has markers easily spotted a mile away. Continue reading…
Church Silence on Critical Moral Issues is Aiding Sin and Perverting the Gospel
Posted on November 4, 2015 in Public Policy, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
I have long been an interested party in how the Gospel propels us into social involvement. The idea that as Christians we can stick our head in the sand and pretend everything is okay in our society seems both unbiblical and counter-intuitive to what Scripture teaches. That we should be active in helping “the least of these” and doing everything in our power to champion them seems obvious given the Bible’s teaching (see the book of James).
What I have come to realize is that many churches, pastors, and Christians are the least active, least involved (seemingly the least concerned) about matters that have come to be known as “social justice” issues. Whether this is due to such issues becoming highly politicized, or whether it is a result of poor theology is unclear. What is clear is that far too many Christians have little concern for anything that faintly smells political.
Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not suggesting we all quit our jobs and run for political office. That calling must be clear as the person called to run for office will need every ounce of grace and strength God will grant. But as Christians we cannot sit on the sidelines and bemoan the state of our culture and society (politically or morally) while we do absolutely nothing. No one like a backseat driver or am armchair quarterback.
So while a few churches have taken any interest in the world outside their Bible-insulated walls, most have stayed content to meet each week to condemn society, gossip about sinful neighbors, and remain idle. This is lamentable at best. And I wish more churches would connect the Gospel to local and global action that reaches beyond week long mission trips. In fact, I firmly believe that if most churches became involved in “campaigning” for change in their communities we would see our society changed into something more in line with our theology.
But, to be honest, I am not optimistic or hopeful that this will happen. Continue reading…
Did You Hear About the Gay People Supporting Christians for Refusing to Take Part in Gay Weddings?
Posted on November 3, 2015 in Marriage, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
When a Christian person refuses service to a gay person it is all over the news. Every news outlet in the country carries the story and wags their head at the “shameful” treatment of the poor gay people. By the end of the day everyone has seen the story and knows the basic details of how this innocent gay person (or couple) has been terribly mistreated by the awful Christian person (or couple).
Instances of overblown media attention include the case of the baker in Colorado that refused to bake a cake for a gay wedding; the florist in Washington that refused to provide flowers for a gay wedding; and the printer that refused to print t-shirts for a gay-pride parade. (Just for good measure let’s throw in the pizza shop that refused to provide pizza for a gay wedding.)
In each of these accounts a Christian business owner is exercising his or her right to live and do business according to their faith. They are refusing to provide service – not because they hate the gay people – but because they do not want to show support for gay marriage, something their faith will not allow.
But, have you ever heard the mainstream media (MSM) report on the large amount of support these Christians received from the gay community for doing business according to their faith?
My guess is you didn’t find that story on any nightly news program or mainstream media (MSM) website. Sharing the support of LGBT people for Christians goes against the narrative being painted that says all Christians hate all gay people. And in order to make sure that narrative stays in tact the MSM must quash all accounts that defy their narrative. So their willful ignorance is carried out with bliss as they create a portrait that doesn’t accurately represent America or the people involved. Continue reading…
Planned Parenthood Doctor Thinks Harvesting Baby Hearts is “Cute”
Posted on November 2, 2015 in Life by Nathan Cherry
The latest undercover Planned Parenthood video shows us more of the same callousness toward human life that we’ve become accustomed to with Planned Parenthood. In the video, Dr. Amna Dermish can be seen describing her procedure for organ harvesting. Looking at some of her comments it’s clear that there is no remorse for her actions. That alone is deeply disturbing. Take a look at some of the things she said:
“It was trunk intact, so usually what I do, if it’s a breech presentation, I’ll remove the extremities first, the lower extremities, and then go for the spine and sort of bring it down that way.”
“I always try to keep the trunk intact. Always trying to aim for the spine to bring it down. It just makes the procedure easier.”
“One of our POC persons is really into organ development. She’ll pull out kidneys, and heart and like heart we frequently see at nine weeks and she always looks for it.”
Dermish and another Planned Parenthood affiliate described the heart as “cute” when they harvest it. As if it was a game and the not the callous murder of an unborn child. But what they also show us is the humanity of the unborn. If the heart can be harvested at 9 weeks then it is beating. When someone stops a beating heart it is usually considered murder.
The video is below so you can see for yourself the callous disregard for life that seems to come standard each day at Planned Parenthood. Continue to share these videos so people see exactly what an abortion looks like – from the inside. If the video doesn’t appear automatically, please refresh your browser.
The New War on Women: A Man Has Just Been Named “Woman” of the Year
Posted on October 28, 2015 in Marriage, Public Policy, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
This post will likely be deemed “offensive” and “hate speech” by some. It will certainly be considered politically incorrect. Those realities make it all the more necessary and bewildering.
It seems Caitlyn Jenner, the new identity of the man formerly known as Bruce Jenner, will be named “Woman of the Year” by Glamour magazine. Now, there is so much packed into that statement that needs addressed, it is hard to know where to start.
Let’s consider the state of a society that celebrates and throws parties when a man is named “Woman of the Year.” It seems our culture loves embracing confusing ideas that aren’t based in realty. And by doing so we have become hypocrites that loathe the truth. We tell a man dressing as a woman that “she” is courageous and beautiful. We then tell people that believe in God, heaven, and eternity that they are “anti-science.” Even though biologically Bruce Jenner is a man and, therefore, scientifically he is living a lie. Our culture says we should celebrate his decision and support him in his confusion. But don’t you dare claim to pray or believe in divine intervention because that is unscientific.
Speaking of science. It has been shown, scientifically, that unborn babies have a heartbeat by 8 weeks. They can hear sounds and have recordable brain activity by 12 weeks. And by 20 weeks they can feel pain. And yet our President and many others praise Planned Parenthood for killing unborn babies. All the while, Planned Parenthood (and many abortion advocates) can’t really say when an unborn child really becomes human. You know, scientifically speaking. But let’s go ahead and tell a man dressed as a woman that he is in fact, a woman. Because, you know, equality and all.
Despite any outward appearance, the truth is that Bruce Jenner is still a man. From the time he was born, everything about him has been and (mostly) will continue to be male. Jenner’s genetic code, his biological composition, and even the hardwiring in his brain continue to be male. Continue reading…
People Claim Jesus Was “Inclusive.” Did Jesus Really Accept Sin?
Posted on October 27, 2015 in Public Policy, Sexuality, Theology by Nathan Cherry
Lately, much has been made of the word “inclusive.” We want to make sure no one is excluded, unwelcome, or alienated. We want to be one big happy family that gets along all the time. And in order to do that, we are hell-bent on accepting people – and their views – just as they are.
So dedicated are we to this idea of universal inclusion that we stand ready to revise centuries of tradition, values, and faith in order to ensure everyone has a seat at the table. For Christians the struggle to rightly live our faith each and every day according to the transcendent truth of Scripture has never been more difficult.
How do we “love your neighbor as yourself” in a culture that says unless you celebrate and advocate for my sin you are a discriminatory bigot? That might be the question of the century for every Christian. And some Christians have decided the only way to “love your neighbor” is to joyfully accept, celebrate, and endorse his sin. So whether that sin is homosexuality, co-habitation, gambling, or any other form of sin – they cheer.
This theological error has resulted in an entire group of people that believe it is biblical to be homosexual and a Christian. Did we ever think we would live in a day when people believed they could call themselves a Christian while living in sin? Continue reading…
Hackers Release More Undercover Planned Parenthood Videos
Posted on October 26, 2015 in Uncategorized by Nathan Cherry
Efforts have been made to censor the footage almost since the day the very first undercover Planned Parenthood video was released. Planned Parenthood and their affiliates and partners have tried to keep the videos from the public in order to keep their whitewashed image squeaky clean. The mainstream media has been a willing partner in that effort. Nonetheless, the videos have been released and sparked public outrage over the bloody business of harvesting aborted baby body parts for profit.
The video below, however, was released by hackers.
The videos were first released to the Congressional committee investigating Planned Parenthood. Someone, from somewhere on the inside leaked the videos to the public. When a legal firm issued a cease and desist order the videos were then hacked and released to the public. Here’s some commentary on the content of the new series of videos:
“Deb Vanderhei of Planned Parenthood is caught on tape talking about how Planned Parenthood abortion business affiliates may ‘want to increase revenue [from selling baby parts] but we can’t stop them…’
“Another video has a woman talking about the ‘financial incentives’ of selling aborted baby body parts.
“Lisa Harris, Medical Director for Planned Parenthood Mid-South Michigan, is shown in another video selling the eyeball of an aborted baby.
“Another video has a Planned Parenthood staffer talking about how babies are aborted at 19-20 weeks of pregnancy and their body parts sold for profit.”
Clearly the videos are more of the same shocking admissions we’ve come to learn regarding the everyday practices of Planned Parenthood. From the top down it seems everyone involved in the Planned Parenthood organization are accustomed to selling aborted baby body parts. It seems to be an expectation for anyone that works at the abortion merchant. my hope is that people will continue to show their disdain for Planned Parenthood; boycotting their affiliates and demanding that federal money be stripped. It is making a difference and we can see life protected if we continue to defend it.
Down the Drain: University Reverses Gender-Neutral Bathroom Decision for the Reason You are Probably Thinking
Posted on October 21, 2015 in Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
I just don’t understand this. This makes no sense.
The University of Toronto is changing its bathroom policy and reducing the number of gender-neutral bathrooms. Why in the world would anyone want to do that? Don’t they want to be “all-inclusive” and make transgender people feel welcome in any bathroom they choose to use?
In fact, the University of Toronto set out to do just that. They eliminated all male and all female bathrooms in order to accommodate transgender students. A move that was praised by everyone that thought making men and women share bathrooms was a good idea. Of course, only people with an incredible lack of common sense would think such an idea was good. And wouldn’t you know it, the people that said it was a terrible idea and warned that incidents of voyeurism and peeping (or worse) could occur, seem to be right.
Yep, you guessed it. Not long after the University of Toronto mandated that men and women share a bathroom and several reports of voyeurism happened.
According to an article at The Star, several women reported seeing cell phones peek above the shower stalls attempting to get images and videos of them showering. The article states: Continue reading…