Tag: doctrine
Churches Are Now Being Sued for Discrimination
Posted on February 12, 2014 in Marriage by Nathan Cherry
My friend Joseph Backholm of the Family Policy Institute of Washington has written an article that is simply too good and poignant not to share.
Many have sat on the sidelines of the marriage battle hoping to outlast the attacks. But, as Backholm writes, they are now suing churches in Washington for “discrimination” while the United Nations demands the Catholic church change sacred teaching on sexuality. If that does’t wake you up and cause alarm at how dire the situation is then I question your sanity and coherence.
Read Joseph’s article below and reconsider your “hands off” position. If you continue to take this position you might find yourself in jail anyways, sitting next to the guy who fought on the front lines.
Washington: Now They’re Suing Churches
by Joseph Backholm
Recently, Eastside Catholic High School caused an uproar when they dismissed their vice-principal who entered a same-sex “marriage” in violation of church teaching.
In a story that could have implications for this case, as well as for churches everywhere, last week the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) filed a complaint against a Catholic girl’s prep school which refused to hire a man who is “married” to another man.
Dangerous: PA Bill Would Force Christian Schools to Employ Homosexuals
Posted on December 19, 2013 in Public Policy, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
A proposed bill in Pennsylvania would make it illegal to fire a person for violating the doctrinal beliefs of Christian or Catholic schools and other religious employers. A report discusses the case of a Catholic school where:
“Headmaster and school President Father James McCloskey noted that Griffin’s contract ‘requires all faculty and staff to follow the teachings of the Church as a condition of their employment.’ The Catholic Church teaches that homosexual acts, as all sexual acts outside marriage, are immoral, and homosexual activity is ‘intrinsically disordered.’ Marriage is the lifelong and unbreakable union of one man and one woman. Fr. McCloskey says that when he confronted the teacher, Griffin ‘acknowledged that he was aware of this provision’ of his contract, ‘yet he said that he intended to go ahead with the ceremony.’ The school said it let Griffin go ‘with regret.'”
In other words, a Catholic school fired a teacher because he violated his contract which stated that he would abide by all Catholic doctrine. The teacher violated this contract by entering into a homosexual marriage and was therefore fired in accordance with his contract.
The proposed bill would make it illegal to fire someone based on these circumstances. This means Christian and Catholic schools, along with other religious employers, would not be able to fire someone for refusing to adhere to church doctrine. Not only is this dangerous for these schools, but it is not hard to imagine that churches will be next. This truly is an assault on religious freedom. Click here for original article.
Millennials Complain About Politics and Sex in the Church. Should We Care?
Posted on December 16, 2013 in Marriage, Theology by Nathan Cherry
Much has been said and written in the last decade concerning the troubling trend of Millennials leaving the church. Those that were born between 1980 and 2000 have been the subject of much speculation as they walk out of the church doors and appear to abandon their faith. The alarm has been sounded so loudly that it has reshaped the landscape of the American church as young pastors and seasoned veterans of ministry seek to retain the Millennials they have and reach the ones down the street.
A recent article titled “5 Possible Reasons Young Americans are Leaving Church and Christianity Behind” explores this topic with analysis gained from the vast resources of groups like Focus on the Family and the Barna Resource Group. It’s an interesting read.
While several of these reasons are suspect, to me, at least two of the stated reasons were easy to guess; and I would have been surprised if they were not on the list. The two are: Politics in the Pulpit and Sex.