My Twitter Conversation About Transgender Rights Being More Important than Christian Rights.
Posted on July 3, 2014 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
Image Credit: Time Magazine
I had a friendly conversation with a LGBT rights group on Twitter that said the religious convictions of Christian should be protected. As you can imagine, I was a little shocked. Seldom have I encountered any LGBT activist that believes religious convictions are important, much less that they should be protected.
The person I was communicating with said as long as people have sincerely held religious convictions and not just personal opinions, those convictions should be protected. I had a little trouble understanding the difference, but, okay, we were basically on the same page.
Or so I thought.
Wanting to dig a little deeper I asked a very simple question: “You would then condemn the court’s decision against the photographer in New Mexico who refused to render services to a homosexual couple for the fact that it would violate her religious convictions, right?”
That’s where things went south.
The reply was “No. New Mexico forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation.” Continue reading…
Two European Cases Hold Critical Implications for American Christians and Churches
Posted on July 2, 2014 in Marriage, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
I ran across an article that, unless you looked at the date, would seem as though it aired yesterday; even though it dates back to 2012. The article, posted online at The Telegraph, carries the headline: “Gay Danish Couples Win Right to Marry in Church.” As the title suggests, the story is about a legal battle that ended when the Danish government voted to force churches to perform gay weddings.
The article explains:
“The country’s parliament voted through the new law on same-sex marriage by a large majority, making it mandatory for all churches to conduct gay marriages.”
The vote, called “historic” by at least one person, effectively ended the religious freedom of entire churches and denominations in favor of forcing marriage redefinition and affirmation of that redefinition on all.
Let me ask a question: how many times have homosexual advocates promised to respect religious liberty and religious freedom as they simultaneously demand “equality” and “rights”?
Activists and lawmakers alike have said religious freedom would be respected as homosexuals continue to push for LGBT rights. Pundits sneer at the idea that churches would be forced to perform gay weddings against their religious convictions. And yet such events are taking place. Continue reading…
Yes! Pastors Should Preach “Political” Messages
Posted on July 1, 2014 in Marriage, Sexuality, Theology by Nathan Cherry
I’m a major advocate of pastors talking about “politics” from the pulpit. It has nothing to do with the fact that I’m a pastor, or that I’m a political junky. It has to do with my belief that at the core of every Christian is a theology that orders his or her worldview. That worldview dictates daily actions and interactions. For this reason it is critical that pastors address “political issues” from the pulpit.
Now, I want to make sure we are on the same page. When I say “political issues” I don’t mean that pastors should talk about the IRS, or the FCC, or whether our current foreign policy is working, or the state of our military. Those are not the “political” issues I have in mind.
When I say pastors should discuss political issues from the pulpit I am referring to issues that are, in fact, biblical moral issues that have been hijacked by our highly politicized culture.
Issues such as abortion, marriage, sexuality, and gender roles are not political issues; these issues are biblical moral issues that demand attention, clear communication, and biblical grounding.
At the heart of these issues is a theological position that will inform a person’s worldview. That means a person’s view on sexuality has, at its core, a theological positions that dictates how that person view sexuality each day. So, for example, a person that believes sexuality is a fluid, flexible extension of his personality will be more inclined to support homosexuality, transgenderism, and other forms of sexual expression. Continue reading…
Victory for Freedom and Life Delivered by The Supreme Court
Posted on June 30, 2014 in Life by Nathan Cherry
In what will be known as one of the biggest, most influential decisions the Supreme Court has made in the last decade, the court ruled that the government CANNOT force business owners to pay for drugs or devices that can cause an abortion. The HHS mandate, put in place by the Obama administration, demanded that all business owners provide contraception, birth control, and abortion drugs to their employers. Many business owners, seeking to live by their religious convictions against abortion, opposed the mandate. The Obama administration refused to give exemptions to these owners. Many have sued and won in lower courts, all such cases led to the Supreme Court case.
In the high court case both Hobby Lobby, owner by the Green family, and Conestoga Wood Specialties, owned by the Hahn family, argued that the mandate was unconstitutional and violated their first amendment rights to religious freedom. The case was closely watched as the implications would have devastating consequences on religious freedom in America.
But today, as we prepare to celebrate the 4th of July, a day of freedom, the court has ruled that religious freedom is still alive and the government cannot force people to violate their religious convictions.
Truly this is a victory for freedom and the unborn, and yet another crushing defeat for the Obama administration by the Supreme Court.
A press release from Alliance Defending Freedom carries comments by ADF senior counsel David Cortman and Conestoga president and CEO Anthony Hahn regarding the landmark victory: Continue reading…
Did You Know? Senate Bill Seeks to Wipe Out Every Pro Life Law Against Abortion
Posted on June 30, 2014 in Life by Nathan Cherry
Over the past 40 plus years since the passing of Roe V. Wade many pro- life laws have been passed to protect the unborn. From 2011 to 2013 at least 160 laws were passed. More importantly, the pro-life position and message is winning the hearts of people as science helps people see the humanity of the unborn.
Now imagine that all the progress made by the pro-life movement was wiped out with one piece of legislation.
Every law against partial birth abortion – gone.
Every law requiring parental notification before abortion – gone.
Every law requiring medical standards for abortion clinics – gone.
Every law requiring abortionists to have admitting privileges at local hospitals – gone.
Every law limiting tax funding for abortions – gone.
That is what a new bill in the Senate would do if passed. S. 1696, deceivingly called the “Women’s Health Protection Act” would unilaterally wipe out the pro-life laws of every state. A recent article at LifeNews shares these details: Continue reading…
Education: A Defense of Reading Fiction
Posted on June 27, 2014 in Family, Home School by Derick Dickens
Original article posted here.
I couldn’t believe my ears. An educator, a prominent one at that, had announced on a national television program that reading fiction was useless to the education of children. She stated that non-fiction would never get someone a job and was useless in the real world.
This is not only an ignorant statement, it is dangerous. This type of worldview seeks to make humans utilitarian… their worth is only what they can produce in business or to the government entities. They relegate men to just servants of a production workforce, not souls where nourishment is necessary, and beauty is her passion.
However, it is even more problematic than what I just wrote. Fiction has played an instrumental role in the development of our society and culture. Here are just a few reasons I think fiction is essential to a healthy, vibrant, and true education.
Fiction shapes the mind
If you look at some of the far reaching fiction stories in the world, you can look at the books like 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Animal Farm, and To Kill a Mockingbird, all influenced a culture during dynamic times in our country. Continue reading…
Are Christians Abandoning the Biblical Position on Homosexuality?
Posted on June 26, 2014 in Sexuality, Theology by Nathan Cherry
A recent Gallup Poll found that 37% of people believe homosexuality is a product of environment, while 42% say people are “born gay.” Despite the absolute lack of evidence for a “gay gene” or any biological marker for homosexuality, the notion still persists that people are somehow born with homosexual tendencies. This also despite the growing mountain of evidence to showing environmental factors contribute to a person’s self-image and identity, which plays a major factor in sexual orientation.
While the number of people believing people are born gay is down from 2013 when it reached an all-time high, the trend of believing there is a genetic marker that forces people to be gay is still hanging around.
Some are citing this as proof that Christians will eventually “come around” and “get with the program” on the issue of homosexuality and accept it. Some are even saying that opposition to homosexuality on the part of Christians is “collapsing” and will eventually crumble.
Really?
I suppose if one reads nothing but the Washington Post, New York Times, Huffington Post and other liberal news outlets it would be easy to think Christians are no longer opposing homosexual behavior. And no doubt the recent decision by PC-USA to affirm homosexuality will add fuel to that fire. But reality is starkly contrasted against the grim image painted by homosexual advocates seeking to spin the narrative in their favor. Continue reading…
Why Do Christians Need to Oppose Transgenderism?
Posted on June 25, 2014 in Sexuality, Theology by Nathan Cherry
Since the SBC annual meeting the issue of transgenderism has been on my mind a lot. Not because I hadn’t thought about it before, but because of the fact that a major denomination needed to adopt a unified statement clarifying biblical teaching on the issue. Something seems terribly wrong with this fact.
Why is it necessary for the SBC to adopt a formal resolution codifying biblical teaching on the issue of transgenderism? Dr. Russell Moore, head of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission answers the question:
“The cultural mindset is that gender is something that is constructed by the individual. So it’s disconnected from how the person is created. And that’s one of the reasons why I think this resolution … was so wise, because it spoke to what the Bible teaches about what gender means in the first place, about how God’s design is good.”
Dr. Moore is right. The fact that society has turned gender into something that can be bent and altered at will is part of the problem. The established gender binary’s that once created the foundation of our society have been attacked and weakened, prompting a surge of defense for the male-female complimentarian view that was once so…normal. Continue reading…
9 Questions to Ask An Abortionist
Posted on June 24, 2014 in Life by Nathan Cherry
Josh Brahm, writing at LifeNews.com, shared the 9 questions he would like to ask an abortionist over coffee. After reading his thoughts it was easy to agree and recognize that I would like to ask many of these same questions. I think you will find yourself agreeing as well. Take a minute to check out his questions and see if you would like to ask the same questions of an abortionist, or, do you have other questions you would like to ask.
If I could meet with an abortionist, I might ask one or more of these questions:
#1: Are you married?
When I interviewed my friend Abby Johnson for this article, she explained that when she meets an abortionist for the first time, she tries to get to know him and doesn’t ask a ton of questions. “Spend most of your first meeting listening to him,” Abby said. “Get to know him! Is he married? What’s his family like? Does he have kids? What do they love to do? Ask the kinds of questions you would ask someone at your church that you’re getting to know.” Continue reading…
Why I Voted for the SBC Resolution on Transgender Identity
Posted on June 24, 2014 in Sexuality, Theology by Nathan Cherry
The Southern Baptist Convention took a much needed stand in the effort to reshape sexuality into a fluid, preferential aspect of one’s life. At the annual meeting this year in Baltimore, MD, the SBC voted on a resolution entitled “On Transgender Identity.” The full text of the resolution can be read here.
Much discussion has already taken place around this resolution. Even before the convention began there was a rumbling as a result of what some knew would be “controversial” resolutions. One friend, when he heard I would be attending the SBC annual meeting, said he would be praying for me as we would be “voting on some resolutions that will be perceived as controversial.”
When day two of the annual meeting arrived and I looked at the list of resolutions I didn’t see anything that could be remotely considered controversial for a Southern Baptist. Then I got to resolution number nine.
Resolution number nine is speaks to the issue of transgenderism. As efforts to redefine marriage in our culture have progressed and been successful, the logical progression that many of us predicted would occur is now taking place. Once homosexuals found support for their alternative lifestyle and sexual orientation it was just a matter of time before others, such as polygamists and transgender persons began seeking rights as well.
Sadly, even some Christians have been deceived into believing there is nothing wrong with being a transgender person. The reality however is that such abuse of one’s biological sex stands in direct opposition to God’s created design. Hence the need for the SBC to codify in a resolution the Southern Baptist position.
Here’s what the resolution says, in part: Continue reading…