2 Ways the Church Makes Being a Christian Hard
Posted on April 12, 2018 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
The enduring legacy of evangelist Charles Finney is “exciting” church services and a misunderstanding of what evangelism is.
It’s hard enough to be a Christian in a world where our beliefs are constantly mocked and ridiculed. Christians seeking to live by the principles of Scripture face constant dangers. Depending on what part of the world a person lives in, those dangers are more severe. Here in the United States, we could face ridicule or stereotyping, lose friends or maybe even our job. In other parts of the world the loss could be as great as losing ones life for the sake of the Gospel.
With the challenges we face in living out our faith, we need all the help we can get to be strong and stand firm. Which is why it’s hard to believe that one of history’s most well-known evangelists left a legacy that is not helping.
If you are unfamiliar with Charles Finney and his work as an evangelist I suggest you start here. This well written article by Dr. Michael Horton will be an excellent primer on the man that brought us the “anxious bench,” the pre-cursor to today’s altar call. The article will explain how Finney focused on methods rather than the Holy Spirit working in his ministry. It will also highlight some of Finney’s dangerous and unbiblical doctrine. While much could be said about the damage to the American church brought by Finney, I want to focus on two things specifically: exciting church services and a misunderstanding of evangelism.
“You don’t want to miss church this Sunday, it is going to be the most exciting week ever!”
I’m sure you’ve seen or heard this before. It seems even churches are now “hyping” their weekend services. They want to let you know just how awesome the service will be, and how sorry you’ll be if you miss it. Countless books have been written on the most “cutting-edge” methods for creating exciting church services. Our current evangelical landscape is replete with “experts” that have entire ministries built around teaching churches the latest methods. Our program centric church is convinced that if we find the right method, we will see people saved. Continue reading…
Toys R Us Partners with Organization That Killed Customers
Posted on April 11, 2018 in Money, Public Policy by Nathan Cherry
Business models come and go. Some do really well, like Amazon. Others do well for a while but ultimately fail, like Blockbuster and Radio Shack. But perhaps the strangest business model I’ve ever come across is the one where you actively seek to kill your client base.
The recent demise of Toys R Us has been lamented by generations of people that remember walking up and down their toy-filled aisles with wide eyes. Goeffrey the Giraffe and their famous “I wanna be a Toys R Us kid” jingle are permanently emblazoned in our minds. This makes the death of Toys R Us more confusing.
Why would a retail giant that depended upon an ever-increasing birth rate and continued generations of children partner with a group aimed at killing children?
In their 2017 annual SEC filing, Toys R Us said they believe part of the reason for the decline in sales is fewer babies:
“The decrease of birthrates in countries where we operate could negatively affect our business. Most of our end-customers are newborns and children and, as a result, our revenue are dependent on the birthrates in countries where we operate. In recent years, many countries’ birthrates have dropped or stagnated as their population ages, and education and income levels increase. A continued and significant decline in the number of newborns and children in these countries could have a material adverse effect on our operating results.”
Numerous articles covering the recent decision by Toys R Us to close its doors have focused on business and economic factors affecting the toy giant. The Daily Herald said, “There are, to be sure, numerous other factors at play. The same economic forces which encourage people to have children may also encourage them to splurge on toys, for example.” Continue reading…
Why Guns Aren’t the Problem: A Response to Gun-Control Activists
Posted on April 5, 2018 in Public Policy by Nathan Cherry
On October 1, 2017 a man opened fire from a Las Vegas hotel, using a gun he shot at the crowd below, killing 59 people and wounding many more. He was killed by police in what appeared to be suicide by police when they stormed his room.
On February 14, 2018, a young man pulled a fire alarm at a school in Ft. Lauderdale, FL school and waited for students to begin walking out. As they left the building he began shooting, killing 17 people and wounding numerous others. He was taken into custody by police and is currently on trial for numerous count of murder.
In the days and weeks since these shootings there has been a robust discussion around guns. In particular the discussion surrounds the private ownership of “assault” style weapons; although some question the legality of a private citizen owning any gun at all.
In response to these tragic events, one writer said not to blame mentally ill people, but rather, blame the guns. Another writer said the fault lies solely with “toxic masculinity.” Still another person claimed the blame should go to video games and rock music.
I find all three of those opinions to be intellectually dishonest and lacking in any credibility.
Let’s add some perspective to this discussion. First, let’s consider the source of other ills in our culture and what we intend to do about them: Continue reading…
How Casino’s Create Government Dependent Gambling Addicts
Posted on April 3, 2018 in Money, Public Policy by Nathan Cherry
Two weeks ago I had the chance to realize a dream. I ate at Gordon Ramsey Steak in Baltimore, MD. As a long-time fan of Gordon Ramsey it has been a dream of mine to eat at one of his restaurants and taste his Beef Wellington. Having watched Chef Ramsey make Beef Wellington many times I can say that it was worth the wait.
My experience was one I won’t soon forget. From the first step inside the restaurant to the minute I left it was different than any place I’ve been. That’s true not just because every detail screamed of excellence as if Chef Ramsey was standing right there. It was an altogether different experience because of the backdrop of this fine-dining experience.
Gordon Ramsey Steak is inside the Maryland Horseshoe Casino.
Several weeks ago I wrote about the link between the lottery and poverty. If you missed it, you can read that article here. The relevant facts are that the lottery is most popular in areas with concentrations of low income and minority people. In other words, the lottery is a “tax” on poor people that hope to get rich by playing impossible odds. Oh, and the lottery is most popular and most played in liberal, democratically controlled states.
Speaking of odds, the inside of a casino is a depressing place for a financial professional to observe. My immediate observation was that on a Wednesday night the casino was filled with elderly people that were either retired or near retirement. The reality that many people were hoping to “win big” using money that should be contributed towards retirement, or, using actual retirement income, is perplexing.
Presently, 45 states in the U.S. have at least one casino, according to one website. Only Alaska, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia currently do not have at least one casino. The same website also reports: Continue reading…
An Unconventional Easter Story of Beauty
Posted on March 29, 2018 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
Today I’m struck by the beauty of Christ. Not the blue-eyed, fair skinned myth conjured up by artists. Not the serene looking guy holding one finger up appearing to share a moment of wisdom with eager onlookers. These images don’t resemble the real Jesus and often lead to a false image of God’s Son.
The beauty I’m talking about is most certainly an unconventional beauty. I understand that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but the beauty I’m referring to would be overlooked by most. In fact, I think it’s safe to say that few would even consider it beauty.
The beauty I’m referring to is the battered, beaten, bloody Jesus on the cross.
I’ve never seen a more vivid portrayal of the torture Jesus endured than what is depicted in the film “The Passion of the Christ.” It might not be a perfect film, but one thing it does well is to give a visual portrayal of what the crown of thorns, lashes, walk up the Via Dolorosa, and nailing to the cross might have looked like.
The truth is that we simply can’t know exactly what Jesus endured. We don’t know how big the thorns were that made up the “crown” they put on His head. We don’t know how they placed it on His head, and how hard they pushed it down. We do know that that thorns were pushed onto His head, causing pain and bleeding. Continue reading…
Americans are Financially Illiterate – and Maybe Insane
Posted on March 27, 2018 in Money by Nathan Cherry
America is one of the richest nations on the planet. And yet, poverty persists and people are increasingly pessimistic about their ability to retire. How can a nation with an abundance of natural and technological resources produce pessimism among citizens concerning their own future?
The bell has begun tolling for Baby Boomers
It’s a well-established fact that approximately 10,000 Baby Boomers will turn 65 each day for the next 10+ years. As this group of working class Americans nears retirement, concerns about financial literacy and stability persist. CNBC recently reported that approximately “42 percent of Americans have less than $10,000 saved for when they retire.” Another article says that a full 65% of the population saves less than 10% of their income towards retirement.
Some of the reasons for this lack of financial preparedness, according to respondents of the CNBC poll, include not earning enough, not saving enough, and struggling to pay bills. While I don’t dispute these findings, as a financial professional, I’m also aware of an underlying reason contributing to these concerns: lack of financial literacy.
There’s a reason we don’t use pagers anymore. It’s because we have cell phones. Times have changed and so have the ways we enjoy communicating. Pagers would be utterly useless in our culture. The same is true for financial tools and resources available today. Many of the previous methods for achieving financial success no longer work in today’s world. This reality is leaving many in the financial dark as they struggle to maintain outdated methods using outdated tools and resources. Continue reading…
Planned Parenthood is Really Mad and Donald Trump…Again!
Posted on March 22, 2018 in Life, Public Policy by Nathan Cherry
Some people are still really mad that Cecil the lion was killed. One researcher is taking matter to the next level by writing a book about Cecil and his death. The researcher says that Cecil “suffered incredible cruelty” for hours before dying. A recent article states:
“Cecil the lion, who was killed with a bow and arrow in Zimbabwe in 2015 by an American dentist and trophy hunter, clang to life for 10 to 12 hours before his ultimate demise, a researcher who studied the animal claims in a new book.”
We all remember the public outrage that erupted over the death of Cecil the lion. Media covered it. Social media discussed it at length. Politicians pondered it. For a little while there was a lot of attention given to the death of a single lion.
At the very same time that many people were losing their minds over the death of a lion, hundreds of children were being torn apart limb by limb in abortion procedures.
Every year Planned parenthood performs approximately 315,000 abortions. That is 863 abortions every single day, 35 abortions per minute. Before you are done reading this article, more than 100 unborn children will die.
Let’s put this in perspective. People were outraged that Cecil the lion “suffered incredible cruelty” at the hands of a hunter that shot him with a bow and arrow. It is claimed that Cecil suffered terrible pain for up to 12 hours before dying of his wounds. During this exact time period, roughly 416 unborn children were murdered in their mother’s womb, many experiencing terrible pain and agony as they were slowly dismembered during the abortion procedure.
What’s more disturbing than this reality is that Planned Parenthood says women really need access to this procedure. Somehow people have been duped into believing that dismembering a living child in side the womb is an option. Life is now viewed through a cultural lens that determines value based on quality of life and potential productivity. The belief that every life is inherently valuable has been lost on many. Continue reading…
The Lottery: Government Sanctioned Gambling Preying on the Poor
Posted on March 21, 2018 in Money, Public Policy by Nathan Cherry
“Give me 964 on $1 three times, and 741 on 50/50 twice.”
She called out the numbers as naturally as she would while giving out her phone number. And she kept going.
I watched as she purchased $40 worth of lottery tickets on a blustery Friday night at the gas station where increasingly impatient customers just wanted to get gas. And as I watched, I couldn’t help but realize what I was witnessing before my eyes: the propagation of poverty.
The statistics on lottery spending are hard to fathom. One article reported that in 2014 Americans spent more on lottery tickets than they did on sports tickets, books, video games, music, and movie tickets – combined! That trend was repeated in 2016. And Forbes reported that America, as a country, spends more on lottery tickets than we do equipping our military.
The single state that spends most on lottery tickets is Massachusetts at an average of $735 per person. My home state of Maryland spends approximately $355 per person. And what is hard to ignore about the states in the top 10 for lottery spending is that at least 7 of them are considered liberal states controlled by Democrats.
What is the lottery?
The simplest way to understand the lottery is as a tax. It is a regressive tax on predominantly poor or lower income people. Essentially, the lottery is state/government sanctioned gambling. A state might outlaw back room gambling, or odds betting on sports and horses, but they gladly sanction gambling through the lottery (and casinos) because of the massive revenue stream they receive through the sale of lottery tickets. We quickly learn that states don’t actually have a problem with gambling, they just want their cut of the profits.
The lottery, then, is nothing less than another tax enacted by the government on (sometimes) unsuspecting people. And though the lottery is a voluntary tax, it is often pushed by media hype as the growing jackpot becomes a focal point of the news. And though studies have long-shown the financial damage caused by the lottery to lower-income people, this tax doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon. The government is not likely to end such a large revenue stream. So the preying goes on.
An article at VOX shares at least 4 ways the lottery preys on poor people. In this well-written and in-depth analysis of lottery ticket purchases, the article notes that most tickets are bought in poor neighborhoods, and these neighborhoods have a high minority population. Additionally, the Vox article says that many people believe the lottery is the only way to accumulate a large amount of money. This is more an act of desperation than anything else.
Continue reading…
Why Haven’t We Made Porn Illegal Yet?
Posted on March 14, 2018 in Marriage, Public Policy by Nathan Cherry
A family was enjoying food at their local Burger King in Michigan. The father notices his two boys are staring at the television screen hanging in the restaurant. When he looks up, he realizes that playing on the screen is a scene from a pornographic movie. That was certainly not something they ordered, or appreciated.
Some have argued that pornography is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution. Saying it is “art” or that it constitutes “speech” means that pornography is just another form of communication that must be protected.
But we know this isn’t true. If porn is just another form of speech, art, or communication, why are people embarrassed to be caught publicly viewing it? Why does a spouse hide their habit of viewing porn? Why we do we work hard to keep porn from our kids? It’s because intellectually we know that there is something wrong with porn.
Consider for a moment why we don’t invite people to our house to watch us engage in sexual activity. When is the last time your friend, neighbor, or co-worker said “Hey, how about stopping over tonight to watch me and the wife have sex.”? Such an invitation would be met with shock, disgust, and a genuine concern for the well-being of the other person.
And yet, somehow, porn is seen as different. Viewing two people engaged in sexual activity through a computer screen is somehow considered appropriate in the privacy of your own home. The anonymity of the internet has created people that disassociate themselves from their actions. This of course underlies the intimate, private nature of sex that is lost on supporters of porn. They would take what is supposed to be intimate and private and make it public, for profit. Continue reading…
Two Legal Cases Highlight the Right to Discriminate and Human Productivity
Posted on March 13, 2018 in Life, Public Policy, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
Two cases highlight both free speech and property rights, along with the principle of human productivity.
A case out of California, of all places, highlights not only the right of every individual to live and do business according to their sincerely held religious beliefs, but also free speech. I want to also highlight individual property rights and the principle of human productivity in the case.
A recent article shares the case of Cathy Miller, the owner of a California baker called Tastries Bakery. Miller was asked to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding ceremony but declined based on her religious convictions. A California judge ruled in favor of Miller, saying that “to force such compliance would do violence to the essentials of Free Speech.”
The article states:
“Kern County Judge David Lampe ruled that the state could not force Cathy Miller, owner of Tastries Bakery, to bake a cake that would go against her beliefs, ‘For this court to force such compliance would do violence to the essentials of Free Speech guaranteed under the First Amendment,’ the judge said in the ruling…’Furthermore, here the State minimizes the fact that Miller has provided for an alternative means for potential customers to receive the product they desire through the services of another talent. The fact that Rodriguez-Del Rios (the couple) feel they will suffer indignity from Miller’s choice is not sufficient to deny constitutional protection,’ the judge wrote.”