Should Christian Pastors and Leaders Refuse to Speak About Ferguson and New York?
Posted on December 17, 2014 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
I’ve watched with interest at the discussion surrounding the events in Ferguson, MO, and New York with regard to Eric Garner. They are very different events that each have the same outcome: loss of life.
What has interested me most is the response by evangelical leaders concerning the events. As a culture we have come to expect the most influential voices to speak when something gains national attention. Whether this is a good or bad thing is not my point here. But for an excellent perspective on this very topic you can read Voddie Baucham’s post “Thoughts On Ferguson.”
As typical, some leaders have spoken biblical truth into the events in Ferguson and New York and sought to shine a light on the Gospel by doing so. Others however, and these are the ones that most intrigue me, have remained silent.
I’ve even watched with curiosity as several leaders have declared that since they don’t know all the facts there is no need to speak and remaining silent is wiser. And a few have used the “I’m going to focus on the Gospel rather than these events” line.
But here’s my question, and where my curiosity naturally leads me: if Christians, especially influential Christian leaders refuse to speak biblical truth into these tumultuous situations – who’s left speaking? Continue reading…
If A “Gay Gene” Is Found Should Christians Accept Homosexuality?
Posted on December 16, 2014 in Sexuality, Theology by Nathan Cherry
Researchers continue to look for any evidence of the existence of a “gay gene.” If they can find such a gene then it will validate the existence of every homosexual person and the “born that way” explanation; so they say. The problem of course, is that, to date, no evidence for such a gene has been found. In fact, every attempt to locate such a gene has failed.
But failure has not stopped ongoing research from continuing their quest for the elusive answer to all their legitimacy problems. So the search for a “gay gene” continues.
In the latest attempt researchers evaluated genomes from 409 pairs of homosexual brothers in order to determine if there was a genetic marker that caused their homosexuality. A recent report states:
“The researchers conducted genomic analysis on 409 pairs of homosexual brothers in the largest study of its kind to date and identified two areas where they think they found a genetic link to homosexuality among the men. The genomic linkages were found on chromosome 8 and chromosome Xq28, according to the study published in the journal Psychological Medicine. Other studies previously evaluating these regions as being associated sexual orientation in men have seen mixed results.”
Researchers hailed the study as a victory for the “born that way” myth saying that “It erodes the notion that sexual orientation is a choice.” Others said: Continue reading…
10 Pro-Abortion Phrases We Hope Will Disappear Forever
Posted on December 15, 2014 in Life by Nathan Cherry
In an article posted at LifeNews.com, Kristi Burton Brown has compiled a list of the top 10 pro-abortion phrases she hopes will disappear. I must say, it’s a great list. Take a look at the following list and see if you agree. Better yet, see if there is any words or phrases missing that you would like to see added to this list. Prayerfully, 2015 will be the year we see more unborn lives saved and come closer to the day when Roe v. Wade is overturned once and for all.
1) “Termination” of Pregnancy: Since pregnancy is also “terminated” (or “ended”) through birth, this is a deceptive way to describe abortion.
2) “Reproductive Justice”: This phrases amounts to an odd myth. Suffice it to say that fancy words do not a moral murder make.
3) “Care. No Matter What.”: It’s always been obvious that Planned Parenthood’s new and improved slogan, “Care. No matter what.” didn’t apply to all human beings. But, it’s becoming ever more obvious that America’s abortion giant doesn’t care about helpless, vulnerable women either. Continue reading…
This Classic Christmas Song Would Be Banned in Many Public Schools
Posted on December 12, 2014 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
Pentatonix singing “Mary, Did You Know?”
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. We love Christmas and look forward to it all year. One of the best parts of Christmas is the music. We have a whole library of songs that we only sing during this time of the year and it brings joy to our hearts to do so. The video below of “Mary, Did You Know” by Pentatonix is no exception.
Unfortunately those who don’t like the inherent religious meaning in the Christmas season are working hard to make sure many of these songs are no longer sung in public places, such as schools. Those who do not like any religious meaning in the Christmas season want to ban anything with that same religious meaning from being part of our Christmas celebration. So school plays and musicals and concerts, town festivals and parades, and even Christmas caroling are all being targeted. Songs such as the one below are being banned as “religious” and therefore not appropriate for such activities. These cherished songs are being replaced with empty, meaningless “holiday” songs.
The reality is that Christmas is not just some arbitrary winter celebration. Christmas is the celebration surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ. At it’s heart, inherent to everything that Christmas is, is the reality that God came down to earth as a a man to redeem mankind. You cannot simply remove this meaning from the Christmas season without creating something new that is not Christmas. So the song below is not just another song, it is a celebration of a historical event that changed the world.
Watch this amazing video featuring one of the most popular vocal groups in music today. I assure you, you will not be disappointed. If the video doesn’t appear automatically, please refresh your browser.
Reparative Therapy: What Russell Moore Said and What I Hope He Meant
Posted on December 11, 2014 in Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
If you’ve never heard of reparative therapy or don’t know much about it, you’re about to learn a little. There’s a lot of controversy surrounding reparative therapy and whether it works, if it should be legal, and if it’s biblical.
Reparative therapy can best be described as the therapy to change a person’s same-sex attractions; either to turn them into heterosexual attractions, or to bring them under control so a person does not feel the need to give in to them. Another aspect of reparative therapy, depending on who you talk to, is stated as changing a person from a homosexual into a heterosexual.
Obviously the very premise of reparative therapy is controversial in our current culture. We live in a world that celebrates homosexuality and very nearly demands that every person – regardless of creed or conviction – join the celebration. So the idea of supporting anything that seeks to change a person from a homosexual into a heterosexual is…damnable at best.
Then again, the fact that there is such a thing as “ex-gay” people is also problematic. Some people are still naive enough to believe that people are born gay and that they have no hope of being anything but gay. Of course science cannot support such a theory, but the emotional narrative of our time has made the “born that way” theory the dominant story-line. Continue reading…
Gay Couple Formally Charges Pastor for Not Marrying Them
Posted on December 10, 2014 in Marriage, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
It finally happened.
I wondered how long it would take before the first “complaint” was lodged.
I think a lot of people expected it to happen long before now. But to this point the inevitability was carefully avoided. Perhaps it was due to waning support. Or maybe it was simply ignored. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t matter now because the first “complaint” against a pastor for refusing to perform a same-sex ceremony has taken place.
We’ve seen hints that this was coming for some time now. The most obvious being the wedding chapel pastor in Idaho that was sued for refusing to perform a same-sex ceremony. He was vindicated and his right to adhere to his religious convictions upheld. That must have irritated a lot of people.
But this case. This is different. This is a pastor in a church being sued for refusing to perform a same-sex ceremony.
Of course, one has to wonder what ground this particular pastor has to stand on considering his denomination and church in particular. A recent article on this story says that the “couple” in question, belong to a United Methodist Church where it appears they are members, involved in leadership, and even help lead praise and worship at times. Furthermore, it has been revealed that the couple were “engaged” during a Sunday service with the entire congregation present. Continue reading…
Sex Conference for Middle School Students Encourages Bathing Together, Lap Dances
Posted on December 9, 2014 in Family, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
All you need to know about a taxpayer funded sex conference in Oregon is what a spokesperson for the event had to say about what the event is all about:
“We really think the message that they are bringing to these children is not value oriented. It’s about helping youth make good choices on their own personal sexuality. It’s about making good decisions about their relationships; it’s about giving them skills to just anything that has to deal with health.”
In other words, one of the organizers of the event says that the event is not about teaching values, but about teaching youth to “make good choices on their own personal sexuality.”
The problem with this statement is that every choice comes from a place of values, which begins with morality. So, for a person to make a “good choice” regarding sexuality that person must first have a moral understanding of his or her sexuality that will enable a good choice. The result of not teaching any values associated with sexuality is exactly the problem, it’s how we arrived at this particular point in our culture.
So what does a sex conference without values and morality teach middle and high-school students? A recent article had this to share regarding the content of the conference:
“Part of the lesson plan at a workshop at the Oregon Adolescent Sexuality Conference is an adult website called Virtual Fem. In addition to the content from that website, numerous handouts, such as one that encourages cyber and phone sex, have been passed out to high school and middle school students in attendance. The pamphlets go on to suggest other ways students can engage in intimate activities without going all the way, including bathing together, shaving each other, wearing each other’s underwear, role playing, buying an extra-large pair of pajama bottoms to sleep in together, lap dances and strip teases. Another workshop at the conference focuses on how to pleasure someone else over the Internet.” Continue reading…
This Video Was Produced by an 18-Year-Old And It’s Amazing!
Posted on December 8, 2014 in Uncategorized by Nathan Cherry
Hannah Victoria, 18, is the producer of “Mitosis.”
The video below has an incredible message of just how important every life is. The fact that the video was produced by an 18-year-old makes it all the more remarkable. Hannah Victoria’s newest film, Mitosis, shares the story of the impact that abortion has on everyone, not just a pregnant woman.
Working from the end backwards, Victoria tells the story of a young boy that made a promise to his friend to find a cure for cancer. The boy grows up and finds that cure, and even opens a research facility to continue his work. But, the problem is that the doctor never lived, and never found the cure for cancer. All because his mother aborted him.
Take a few moments to watch this powerful story defending the sanctity of human life and be reminded that every life counts, every life is important, every life matters.
If the video doesn’t appear automatically, please refresh your browser. (h/t to LifeNews for posting this story)
How Christians Can Impact Society Regarding Marriage by Being Different
Posted on December 4, 2014 in Marriage, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
A majority of the world, including a majority of Christians support marriage redefinition!
That is what the media would have us all believe. One post after another constantly trumps the “fact” that people the world over have almost unanimously embraced marriage redefinition. Not to mention the world’s Christians have decided to be “on the right side of history” and support marriage redefinition.
If I didn’t know better I would be tempted to believe that my biblical view of marriage as the union of one man and one woman the way God designed and ordained it – is a minority view no longer within the mainstream of respectable thought.
Thankfully, I know better.
But while the media and those seeking to recreate what God ordained are busy trying to convince everyone that the world, especially Christians, now support marriage redefinition and homosexuality, history reminds us that such is not the case. In fact, history reminds us that Christians have been, and continue to be distinctive based on their sexual ethic.
In an article at The Gospel Coalition, Michael J. Kruger takes us back to the 2nd century A.D. where Christianity has gained some popularity, much to the chagrin of the Roman Empire. Christians stood out for a number of reasons, such as refusing to pay homage to temple gods. But it was their sexual ethic that really distanced the Christians from the pagan Roman culture. While the cultural norms of the day included wife swapping, prostitutes, homosexual encounters, and multiple sexual partners; Christians became known for a monogamous, covenantal view of marriage that was sacred before God – and peculiar before society. Continue reading…
Former Lesbian Says It’s Cruel for Churches to Condone Homosexuality – Calls for Repentance
Posted on December 3, 2014 in Marriage, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
My frustration with churches on the issue of homosexuality is simply that they seem to avoid the topic altogether. The issue of gender, sexuality, and marriage may be the most critical of our day and yet pastors don’t seem to want to talk about it. The consequence is a congregation that is ignorant of biblical teaching and unable to engage or help people struggling with this sin.
More specifically, the consequence of the silent church is people that are either so filled with “truth” that they are hateful legalists, or people so “loving” that they are willing to compromise scripture and justify sin.
And still pastors and churches are silent, conveniently skipping over passages like Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 6, and Revelation 22; which clearly speak of homosexuality as sin.
Having a biblical theology creates a biblical worldview which, should, create a biblical sexual ethic that includes a proper view of gender roles, sexuality, and marriage. This proper, biblical sexual ethic is critical in addressing the needs of people in our current cultural climate. Being able to address the struggles people are facing concerning sexuality is perhaps the greatest way the church can serve people in their community.
Thankfully, a growing number of people are calling on pastors and churches to address the issues of gender, sexuality, and marriage. One such person is Robin Teresa Beck, a 59 year old former lesbian that lived in the homosexual lifestyle for 35 years before a dramatic conversion to Catholicism. Beck had 12 lesbian relationships before her conversion and is now asking, among other things, that churches step up and boldly address this issue in love, with truth and grace.
In a recent article, Beck shared thoughts on why homosexuality can never work and how the church can reach out in true love to those struggling with homosexuality. Continue reading…