Kelly Clarkson’s New Song Shares Her Unborn Daughter’s Heartbeat (Video)
Posted on January 20, 2015 in Uncategorized by Nathan Cherry
Anyone that knows me knows I love music. I don’t discriminate either so my ipod has everything from country, bluegrass and folk to opera, rap, and classic rock. At times the lyrics of certain songs strike me and I’m captured by them and love the song for the message. Other times the music (often it’s the music) and especially the melody blows me away and I may not even listen to the words all that closely.
But I have to admit a new song by Kelly Clarkson has me hooked for a completely different reason.
I don’t mind admitting I’ve been a fan of Clarkson since she won the first season of American Idol. Her music career has been a glowing entry on the American Idol resume. But her new song, release last Monday, offers a strong pro-life message in a way I’ve not seen before.
An article at LifeNews.com reports:
“On Monday, new mom and pop/country superstar Kelly Clarkson released ‘Heartbeat Song’ — an upbeat, synth-driven single that celebrates her new baby girl in a unique way. ‘The beat is actually River’s heartbeat slowed down from when she was in my tummy!’ shares Clarkson in a radio interview. Clarkson and her husband Brandon Blackstock, married in 2013, welcomed their baby girl River Rose into the world on June 12, 2014.” Continue reading…
Top Ten Articles of 2014 Defining and Defending Marriage and Family
Posted on January 19, 2015 in Family, Marriage by Nathan Cherry
I like top 10 lists. I don’t know if late-night television popularized making “top” lists or not. But I would rather scan a “top” list than look through a long list any day. So when Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council compiled a list of the top 10 articles worth reading from 2014, I was interested.
As I scanned his list I recognized most of the articles and their authors immediately. They were articles I had read throughout the year. And I can say that they are indeed worth reading. In fact, what I would suggest is that if you are wanting a strong education defending traditional marriage and the family, these articles will serve you very well.
As you peruse the following list of some of the best articles relating to marriage and family from 2014 I hope you will learn from the wisdom and knowledge of some of our culture’s most notable voices. There is more than just a philosophy being advanced here, there is a fundamental idea of what marriage is (and is not) and what the family is supposed to be. It this idea that is under attack and in need of those adhering to traditional values to arm themselves with facts – not rhetoric – and stand in defense.
Many thanks to Mr. Sprigg for compiling such a worthwhile list. Happy reading!
“The Rise of the Same-Sex Marriage Dissidents,” by Mollie Hemingway, The Federalist
Quote: “This is what marriage law was about. Not two friends building a house together. Or two people doing other sexual activities together. It was about the sexual union of men and women and a refusal to lie about what that union and that union alone produces: the propagation of humanity. This is the only way to make sense of marriage laws throughout all time and human history. Believing in this truth is not something that is wrong, and should be a firing offense.” Continue reading…
When Sexual Orientation Becomes a Tool of Insulation
Posted on January 15, 2015 in Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
I can’t speak for all NFL fans, but I am still eagerly watching the post-season unfold. I thought for sure I would be less interested after last week’s round of games just because I was certain my New England Patriots would lose to the Baltimore Ravens. But the Pats are still in and I’m still interested.
I can’t help but wonder who Michael Sam is rooting for at this point. Both St. Louis and Dallas are out of the playoffs and both share the distinction of having Sam on their practice squad. Both teams cut Sam from their practice squad, presumably because Sam did not meet their expectations as a player.
Then again, if you ask Michael Sam why he was cut he will give a different answer.
TMZ recently caught up with Sam in the airport and asked him “Do you think that you coming out had anything to do with it, or do you think it was just the level of talent you went up against after college?” To which Sam replied:
“I think I was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year last year … so I don’t think it had to do with talent.”
Obviously Sam thinks he should be playing for an NFL team right now. It’s no doubt irritating that not a single NFL team agrees with Sam’s assessment. But the question is why?
According to Sam the reason he is not on an NFL team is because he “came out” as gay. Sam was the first openly gay player drafted by the NFL. But from the minute Sam made his world-wide declaration, speculation surrounding it abounded. Continue reading…
Are You a Christian That Affirms Homosexuality? You Need to Read This!
Posted on January 14, 2015 in Marriage, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
What is the message being communicated by Christians and the church regarding homosexuality? In years past we might be quick to answer the question and our chance of accuracy would be fairly certain. Not so much today. The push to normalize homosexuality has caught many churches and Christians up in its net and seemingly dragged them along. The result is a Christian culture that is frayed at the ends with churches that have decided to abandon biblical teaching in favor of a cultural message.
The new message declares the Bible old, outdated, irrelevant for today’s culture, or even just plain wrong. Somehow pastors want their congregations to believe in the veracity and inerrancy of Scripture when it comes to the existence of heaven and hell, the creation of the world, salvation and eternity. But not about human sexuality.
Pastors want people to believe that God created man and woman, that He formed them from the dust of the earth and gave them life – but not that He knows what is best for them. It must be a weird sort of tension to try and affirm Genesis 1 -3 as biblical truth then relate Romans 1 as outdated and irrelevant.
While some professing Christians, like Matthew Vines, seek to accommodate Scripture to culture in order to make sin acceptable; others are refusing to compromise.
Jean Lloyd, writing at The Public Discourse, shares a glimpse of her story from a young teen struggling with same-sex attraction to an open lesbian, to a married mother in a heterosexual marriage. Looking back on her journey Lloyd shares seven things she wishes her pastor knew about her homosexuality that are, insightful, to say the least.
In the end Lloyd makes one simple plea on behalf of herself and others struggling with same-sex attractions: Continue reading…
2014: A Record Year for Violence and Persecution Against Christians
Posted on January 13, 2015 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
Did you know that 2014 was one of the worst years on record for violence against Christians around the world?
According to Open Doors USA, a leading organization that serves the persecuted church around the world, last year marked the most dramatic increase in violence and persecution of Christians around the world in the modern era. And, the group says, the worst may yet be ahead.
Open Doors USA released its 24th annual World Watch List, documenting the 50 most dangerous countries to live in if you’re a Christian. Not surprising is the fact that most of the top countries are Muslim, the rest are communist or socialist. This highlights the reality that without religious freedom there is only violence and persecution waiting for people.
Open Doors USA defines persecution as “any hostility experienced as a result of one’s identification with Christ.”
An article at The Blaze shares details from the World Watch list report:
“Approximately 100 million Christians are persecuted worldwide, making them one of the most persecuted religious groups in the world. Islamic extremism is the main source of persecution in 40 of the 50 countries on the 2015 World Watch List.” Continue reading…
This Viral Video is Changing Minds About Abortion
Posted on January 12, 2015 in Life by Nathan Cherry
We all know that “false advertising” can get you in a lot of trouble. It’s not right to advertise something as one way that is altogether different than reality. So it’s hard to believe that abortionists freely lie to patients about what abortion is, and what it will do the baby inside the womb. And yet, Planned Parenthood is a master of lying to unsuspecting women.
Live Action though, the pro-life organization headed by Lila Rose, has once again gone undercover to expose the lies of Planned Parenthood. In their latest video, “What Is Human?” Live Action records an abortionist in Arizona blatantly lying to a woman about the fact that the child inside her womb is indeed a living, breathing human being worthy of protection. Instead, Planned Parenthood prefers to lie in order to coerce women into killing their unborn children.
An article at LifeNews.com reports that the video is not just “changing the debate about abortion, but it is prompting strong reaction from viewers.”
“Launched as part of Live Action’s ‘Inhuman’ investigation, ‘What is Human?’ is not only changing the debate about abortion, but it is prompting strong reaction from viewers. With over 23,000 comments on the Facebook post and its shares, this video is generating important dialogue about the violence of abortion, and the humanity of the preborn. After watching the short film, some viewers who shared the video said they were now more pro-life than ever, while others even went so far as to say the video changed their minds about abortion:”
The most outrageous part of this video is when the undercover woman, speaking about a child that is 23 weeks old, asks the abortionist if the unborn baby is actually a baby, with all its parts, and fully developed. The abortionist tells her no, and that the unborn child is not even a baby yet. Have you ever seen a picture of a baby born at 23 weeks? If you are not sure if a 23 week old unborn child is “fully developed” and a “baby,” I encourage you to google it. Then you will understand why the lies of Planned Parenthood are so outrageous.
Watch the video below. Be warned, there is some graphic images and discussion. But understand that this organization is willingly lying to women just so they can perform more abortions – and they are willing to kill children capable of life outside the womb. If that’s not enough to make you angry just remember that it is YOUR tax dollars funding Planned Parenthood.
If the video doesn’t appear automatically, please refresh your browser.
Think You Have a Good Reason for Abortion? Read This!
Posted on January 8, 2015 in Life by Nathan Cherry
Writing at Christian Post, pro-life lawyer and activist Kristi Burton Brown has written an article sharing “10 Reasons Not to Have an Abortion.”
Her article is a response to an article at a “parenting” website advocating several reasons for abortion. Being pro-life I find it both ironic and absurd that a website proclaiming to be all about parenting would advocate abortion; but I digress.
Burton-Brown has some excellent points on why women should not have an abortion. Here is her list with some of her thoughts. For the full article go here.
1) It compounds tragedy. Sometimes the circumstances surrounding a pregnancy are tragic. Perhaps the woman was raped. Maybe the baby has been diagnosed with a defect. Or the woman’s health might be at risk. However, one tragedy is not answered with another. We do not erase a rape by killing a child. We do not cure a baby by taking his life. And we do not avoid all health issues by avoiding the reality of another human being. Continue reading…
West Virginia Student Made to Attend “Gay Club” Against His Will (Video)
Posted on January 7, 2015 in Religious Freedom, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
A high school student in Buckhannon, WV, has come under fire for posting a simple picture with an absolutely true message to a social media website.
The student’s school started a LGBT club called “The Gay Straight Alliance” to try and change perception of other students and make homosexuality more welcome. The club could not find any teachers available to sponsor the group so they met it the same room as the “Kindness Club.” This presented a problem for one member of the kindness club that did not want to be part of the gay club because of his religious convictions.
The student took a short video of the combined meeting of the gay club and the kindness club and uploaded it to Snapchat with the caption “Our school has a ‘gay’ club.”
That was all that was needed for one teacher to become angry and accuse the student of bullying.
The story is causing an uproar for a couple of reasons. First, the Christian student could have simply left the meeting if he didn’t want to take part in something that he felt violated his convictions. Right? Except that because the gay club was meeting in the room where his kindness club met, had he left he would have been marked as skipping the meeting. In essence, he was forced, against his will to take part in the gay club meeting.
But let’s be real here for second. The video, which is only 3 seconds long and doesn’t feature anything remotely objectionable, carries nothing more than the words “Our school has a ‘gay’ club” with it. Can anyone find anything even slightly problematic with this? Continue reading…
State of Kentucky to Christian Organization: Don’t Share Your Faith
Posted on January 6, 2015 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
The state of Kentucky is trying to force the Christian organization Answers in Genesis (AIG) to hire non-Christians for their new Ark Encounter attraction. That is the claim of AIG president Ken Ham in a new video that accuses the state of backtracking on a previous agreement to honor state and federal law which allows religious preference in hiring.
The issue first came up when AIG applied for a sales tax refund. Atheist groups protested the states consideration in granting the tax incentive saying it was an endorsement of religion. When the state granted the tax incentive the protests grew. But when AIG was asked to resubmit their application for the tax incentive for procedural reasons, the state, seemingly, pulled a bait and switch on AIG. Ham says:
“As we reapplied for the incentive, the state surprised us with two conditions not found anywhere in the law. That is, one, we can’t show religious preference in our hiring, and two, we couldn’t share our faith at the ark.”
Upset over this demand by the state, AIG supporters have claimed the state is engaging in religious discrimination and persecution against AIG. Some even say this action by the state is at the behest of atheists in order to placate their protest. I don’t have any idea why the state is acting as it is, but some things need to be considered here. Continue reading…
Jefferson Bethke Writes a Letter To His Unborn Daughter
Posted on January 5, 2015 in Life by Nathan Cherry
Jefferson Bethke, a spoken-word artist that gained fame for his video “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus,” recently wrote a letter to his unborn daughter and then read it to her after she was born. In the video Jefferson shares some practical insight with his infant daughter and let’s her know how proud he is to be her daddy. But he also shares truth with her, that life is hard, and sometimes things don’t make sense. Bethke shows that he is pro-life by writing the letter to his still unborn daughter, believing that she was human and knowing that to end her life would be murder. Bethke has been an outspoken advocate for traditional, conservative values for several years. He isn’t a political activist, rather he is a Christian that simply believes the Bible.
But in it all, Jefferson, true to his calling, shares Jesus in the video and lets his daughter know that Christ is the most important thing about life.
Watch the video below. If the video doesn’t appear automatically, please refresh your browser.