Tag: Christian
Why Christians Seeing 50 Shades of Grey Should Be Embarrassed (and Repent) – Part 2
Posted on February 19, 2015 in Marriage, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
Yesterday I posted part 1 of this commentary – it’s a good place to start.
Fight The New Drug is a group whose mission “is to use science, facts, and personal accounts to educate on the harmful effects of pornography and sexual exploitation.” This is a secular group, not a religious group that believes (correctly) that pornography in any form – including literature – is harmful. Here’s what they had to say about the movie:
“We know that books can most definitely be pornographic. Especially books like Fifty Shades of Grey that contain a high amount of highly explicit and graphic sexual content. 42% of male students and 20% of women said they regularly read romance novels, sexually explicit magazines, or regularly visited sexually explicit forums or chat rooms. Literature like Fifty Shades of Grey is referred to as erotica and can be just as addictive and as harmful in warping ideas about sex and intimacy as porn videos/images.”
Yet another non-religious voice decrying 50 Shades of grey while Christians eagerly line up to watch it. Anyone else see the problem with that?
Fight The New Drug has also compiled a list – along with an infographic you can see below – of the harmful views espoused in 50 Shades:
Why Christians Seeing 50 Shades of Grey Should Be Embarrassed (and Repent) – Part 1
Posted on February 18, 2015 in Marriage, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
It seems West Virginia has yet another dubious honor: pre-release ticket sales for the pending movie “Fifty Shades of Grey” are higher than expected.
Yep, apparently the controversial movie is seeing higher than expected ticket sales in states known to be “conservative and Christian.” These states include Mississippi, Arkansas, West Virginia, Kentucky, Alabama, and Louisiana. According to ticket tracking groups, it was surprising to see pre-release ticket sales so high in these so-called “conservative and Christian” states.
What has also been commented on as the movie is set to release is the number of Christian women planning to see it. Not only are they eager to see the movie, they are getting all their gal-pals together for a night at the theater. (I suppose Magic Mike 2 will be next on their list.)
Somehow our Christian culture has entirely lost its moral compass. The very idea that groups of Christian women would be planning to see this movie is indicative of the fact that we’ve lost our way. The fact that they would so casually trump the movie as some epic story worthy of attention indicates a complete lack of biblical understanding regarding sexuality, intimacy, and marriage. And the fact that what would have been considered porn just 25 years ago is now accepted and celebrated by our culture…our Christian culture.
Let’s be clear, what a married man and woman do in the privacy of their own bedroom is their business. As long as that activity does not violate any explicit or implicit biblical principle then it’s entirely up to them. This means viewing pornography together and threesomes are wrong even if the man and woman consent. This simple fact also means that gathering my buddies to go watch a sexually explicit movie together is wrong – as in the case of “50 Shades of Grey.”
Let’s review the basic premise of the movie.
“Gay Christian”: Is Such a Term Compatible With Biblical Teaching?
Posted on February 11, 2015 in Marriage, Sexuality, Theology by Nathan Cherry
I wrote recently about the curious practice of parents changing their theology to accommodate their child’s sexual orientation. Many evangelical parents are suddenly realizing that it is perfectly acceptable to be both a “faithful Christian” and a “practicing homosexual.” More often than not this revelation comes in the after math of their child announcing that he or she is gay. Are we standing on the precipice of the normalization of “gay Christians”?
A recent article at Answers In Genesis (AIG) addresses this very topic.
Dr. Terry Mortensen, writing at AIG, comments on an article written by Brandan Robertson, the national spokesperson for the newly formed Evangelicals for Marriage Equality (EME). This organization seeks to change the dialogue Christians are having about homosexuality and to encourage them to reconsider what the Bible teaches. EME believes it is absolutely possible to be a faithful Christian and proud homosexual; and they’d like more Christians to agree with them.
Robertson went to a conference for LGBTQ Christians organized by the Gay Christian Network. Afterwards he wrote about his experience in extremely glowing terms. Dr. Mortensen addresses those comments with a little more biblical clarity.
First you have to understand where EME is coming from, what they are attempting to effect in the conversation regarding the biblical definition of marriage. They plainly state that their goal is:
The Message A Man Requested Had the Baker Saying No – Now She’s in Trouble
Posted on January 29, 2015 in Marriage, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
I don’t even want to talk about a person calling himself a “Christian” wanting a cake with the words “God hates gays” on it; and what the cake was for. I’m angry at the fact that such a person exists and the damage to the Gospel said person is doing. The fact, however, that the cake shop refused to print the message is another story entirely. That is something we need to talk about.
Azucar Bakery in Denver, CO. was asked to print the cake for a man named Bill Jack. Jack also requested the cake to be in the shape of a Bible with an image of two men holding hands with a big X through them. The bakery refused to comply with the request saying the message was “discriminatory, and hateful.”
Who! Wait a minute. I thought business owners had no rights to refuse such requests based on their personal views. I thought “discriminating” against customers because of a business owners core convictions and beliefs was no frowned upon and illegal. Isn’t the idea that business owners are not allowed to refuse such requests at the heart of the Masterpiece Cake Shop story and Jack Phillips, the owner?
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.
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:
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:
Gay Bakeries Refuse to Bake Pro-Traditional Marriage Cake? Isn’t That Discrimination?
Posted on December 30, 2014 in Marriage by Nathan Cherry
Gay people want Christians to bake cakes celebrating their same-sex weddings. Christians want the right to respectfully decline in order to adhere to their religious convictions. Gay people want to sue Christians for refusing saying that it is “discriminatory,” and that business owners should not be allowed to refuse any customers.
Now, what happens when a gay bakery is asked to bake a cake celebrating traditional marriage?
Such a scenario, until now, has been nothing but speculation. Many of us have wondered out loud about this scenario saying that we suspect a gay baker would refuse and the story would be ignored. To this point the tolerance often demanded by many homosexuals is rarely extended to others. The double standards many activists employ is hard to fathom.
Theodore Shoebat decided to turn the tables and see what would happen if he asked gay bakers to bake him a cake with the message “Gay Marriage is Wrong” on it. The videos that follow chronicle his encounters with 13 gay bakers. To say the least, the tolerance many homosexuals demand is not afforded to Shoebat in his request. He writes of his experience:
If A “Gay Gene” Is Found Should Christians Accept Homosexuality?
Posted on December 16, 2014 in Sexuality, Theology by Nathan Cherry
Some might view such a discovery as dangerous to the biblical understanding of sexuality. I don’t necessarily agree because as it stands, without the support of research, the biblical understanding of sexuality is being relentlessly attacked. Though no such “gay gene” has been located and every attempt has failed, those certain that they were “born that way” champion their cause against any attempt to use the Bible to say otherwise. They are, in essence, distorting the biblical understanding of sexuality as we speak and twisting Scripture to fit their agenda.
Furthermore, the discovery of a “gay gene” would in no way remove or alter the biblical understanding of sexuality that is clearly taught from beginning to end. Homosexuality would no more be legitimate or un-sinful if there was a “gay gene” than it is right now. Just as alcoholism, adultery, theft, lying, or bestiality would be legitimate and biblically lawful with the discovery of their respective gene. Christians would still not be able to approve of what the Bible clearly calls sin just because a gene was found that supposedly predisposes people toward homosexuality. Sin is sin.
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 if 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.