Tag: Christians
New Group Wants to Start a Conversation About Marriage Redefinition With Christians. But…
Posted on September 23, 2014 in Marriage by Nathan Cherry
There’s a new group seeking to change evangelicals’ minds about the definition of marriage. It’s not a LGBT activist group or even a “liberal” same-sex “marriage” group. It’s a…evangelical group?
The group calling itself “Evangelicals for Marriage Equality” wants to start a “new evangelical conversation about civil marriage equality,” according to a recent ad by the group.
I’m not sure what is wrong with the old conversation, but, based on what I’ve seen so far from the group, the new conversation isn’t worth having.
The group’s spokesman said that the intent of EME is to show that Christians can be faithful to Scripture while supporting civil marriage equality.
The Only Thing Christians Can Do Is Disobey
Posted on September 19, 2014 in Public Policy, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
Christians have a responsibility to be obedient to civil government. Verses such as Mark 12:17 and Romans chapter 13 make it clear that Christians have a duty to be obedient to civil government because God has ordained government “for your good.”
Knowing that Christians have a responsibility to civil government makes it hard for some to understand why we resist and fight some laws. If, they suppose, Christians are to obey government, why fight the HHS mandate or the redefinition of marriage?
For those leading the charge in these particular areas of culture change it makes no sense for Christians to expend all their energy fighting the government when they should, as the Bible teaches, submit to and obey the government. Rather than risk the loss of livelihood or be fined for resisting and opposing laws mandated by the government, Christians ought to submit and obey.
While that is, technically true, it is not entirely true and stands outside the context of Christian responsibility.
On the Issues of Gender, Sexuality, and Marriage – Christians Cannot Change
Posted on September 18, 2014 in Marriage, Theology by Nathan Cherry
It seems that with each new attack on marriage by those seeking to redefine it Christians resolve all the more to stand for the true, traditional definition and image of marriage that has been foundational throughout civilization for centuries.
This fact draws the ire of activists that can’t understand why Christians are being so stubborn and resistant to change. After all, at times in history Christians have changed their position on issues that were controversial in culture (think slavery). And even issues that are not contentious in society have been debated by Christians (think alcohol). So if Christians have changed their views on various issues at times, why won’t they change their view on marriage?
A recent article ponders this very question:
New Study Shows Connection Between Christians Supporting Homosexuality and Other Immorality
Posted on September 9, 2014 in Marriage, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
When asked about everything from pornography to casual sex, co-habitation and abortion; Regnerus found that support levels for such immorality were higher (sometimes higher than national averages) among Christians that support homosexuality. For example, when asked about pornography only 4.6% of Christians that oppose same-sex “marriage” said they believe viewing porn is acceptable. But among Christians that support same-sex “marriage” that number jumps to 33.4%, while the national average is only 31.4%. In other words, Christians that support same-sex “marriage” are more likely than the average American adult to believe viewing porn is acceptable.
More Christians Being Told to Violate Their Religious Convictions
Posted on July 21, 2014 in Religious Freedom, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
So the Brendan Eich’s, Phil Robertsons, Chick-Fil-A’s and bakers of the world are targets. For that matter all who hold to any view of sexuality that does not affirm any kind of sexuali activity will be a target. So maybe you are okay with homosexuality but you “draw the line” at polygamy, polyamory, or pedophilia; you will soon be just as much a target as those who currently oppose homosexuality.
This is the game, a game of degrees. The way it’s played is to slowly but surely take steps toward the ultimate goal. Those seeking to redefine marriage know full well that to come out and say “we don’t want marriage to exist” or “we support polygamy, pedophilia, and bestiality” would result in nothing less than an overwhelming defeat for their movement. So they move slowly, with what they believe is most palatable to society, two consenting adults that just want to love each other. And, like a great fisherman, society has taken the bait and the hook is sunk.
My Twitter Conversation About Transgender Rights Being More Important than Christian Rights.
Posted on July 3, 2014 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
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.
Two European Cases Hold Critical Implications for American Christians and Churches
Posted on July 2, 2014 in Marriage, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
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.
Let me ask another question: if the government can force people, organizations and businesses to violate their religious convictions why can’t it force churches to do the same?
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?
The LGBT Master Plan Began 30 Years Ago. And You Had No Idea
Posted on May 2, 2014 in Marriage, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
What if I told you a plan was put in place nearly 30 years ago to normalize homosexuality in America? And that the blueprint for the plan was written in plain sight for anyone to see and yet most people have never heard it, read it, or know it exists?
The average person, myself included, would be tempted to believe that what we are seeing from LGBT activists today is a recently developed plan to normalize homosexuality. We would also be tempted to believe that the demonization of anyone that opposes the homosexual lifestyle, most notably Christians, is just an unfortunate casualty of this culture war.
We would be absolutely wrong.
In 1987 an article was written for Guide Magazine in which the authors, Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen, published their PR blueprint for normalizing homosexuality. The article ‘The Overhauling of Straight America,’ was later expanded into a book and published by one of America’s largest publishing houses where it became a bestseller.
The article opens with this statement:
Author Says Efforts to Defend Religious Freedom A Scam – Christians Haven’t Lost Any Rights
Posted on April 23, 2014 in Religious Freedom, Uncategorized by Nathan Cherry
I recently came across an article titled “The Christian Rights ‘Religious Freedom Law’ Scam” by Vanessa Sheridan, writing at the Huffington Post.
This might be one of the worst mischaracterizations of efforts to secure religious freedom through legislative action by anyone I’ve read in recent memory. The article is so full of misstatements and absurd claims that it’s hard to decide if it should be at The Huffington Post or The Onion.
Ms. Sheridan first accuses a small group of people of seeking to pass laws that would legalize open discrimination. She is, presumably, talking about laws like the one recently vetoed by Arizona governor Jan Brewer that would have protected the religious convictions of business owners from forced government violation. But in her words this bill would: