Tag: issues
Do You Know Where the Presidential Candidates Stand on Important Issues? Check Out This 2016 Voter Guide
Posted on March 3, 2016 in Public Policy by Nathan Cherry
As the 2016 primary season begins to hit its stride, being armed with the right information is critical. This election could be pivotal for our country as we are dangerously close to a path that, I believe, could be ruinous for our once great nation. With that in mind, I found a recent post by Citizenlink, a Focus on the Family affiliate, very helpful.
It’s hard to know where to turn to get reliable information on where candidates stand on important issues. But the folks at Citizenlink have been helping to create voter guides for many years. Citizenlink has partnered with the Florida Family Policy Council to produce an informative voter guide intended to shed light on specific positions held by both Republican and Democratic candidates.
The voter guide addresses the issues of abortion, immigration, common core, and religious freedom. The explanations for answers given by candidates makes this a reputable voter guide that bears a few moments of your time. I found it interesting that only one candidate answered all the questions in the same way I did. That puts the current race into perspective for me.
You can see full-size versions or even download the PDF versions of these voter guides here.
If You’re a Christian and Supporting Donald Trump: Read This
Posted on March 2, 2016 in Public Policy, Theology by Nathan Cherry
I liked watching the Celebrity Apprentice. I thought it was fun to watch these celebrities get told off by Donald Trump because I was pretty sure most of them hated him and would be the first to break a bottle over his head in a bar fight. So of course it made for entertaining television; come on, you were just as intrigued by Dennis Rodman as I was.
However, watching Trump rise politically has been the most confusing and bewildering experience. How can a man say the things Trump says and still be in the race? I’ve seen local politicians be mercilessly attacked and forced from office for less. (I have a theory that the media secretly wants Trump elected, but I’ll save that for another time.)
I’ve been voting for many years and am generally enthused in some way to go to the polls and cast my vote. However, my biggest fear is that when I step into that ballot box in 2016 that I will be faced with the choice between Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders for President. If that is the choice we may see more write-in ballots this year than any election in history. (Don’t be afraid to write my name in there, I’ll go to Washington for you.)
The reason I say this article is for Christians supporting Trump is two-fold:
Church Silence on Critical Moral Issues is Aiding Sin and Perverting the Gospel
Posted on November 4, 2015 in Public Policy, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
I have long been an interested party in how the Gospel propels us into social involvement. The idea that as Christians we can stick our head in the sand and pretend everything is okay in our society seems both unbiblical and counter-intuitive to what Scripture teaches. That we should be active in helping “the least of these” and doing everything in our power to champion them seems obvious given the Bible’s teaching (see the book of James).
What I have come to realize is that many churches, pastors, and Christians are the least active, least involved (seemingly the least concerned) about matters that have come to be known as “social justice” issues. Whether this is due to such issues becoming highly politicized, or whether it is a result of poor theology is unclear. What is clear is that far too many Christians have little concern for anything that faintly smells political.
Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not suggesting we all quit our jobs and run for political office. That calling must be clear as the person called to run for office will need every ounce of grace and strength God will grant. But as Christians we cannot sit on the sidelines and bemoan the state of our culture and society (politically or morally) while we do absolutely nothing. No one like a backseat driver or am armchair quarterback.
So while a few churches have taken any interest in the world outside their Bible-insulated walls, most have stayed content to meet each week to condemn society, gossip about sinful neighbors, and remain idle. This is lamentable at best. And I wish more churches would connect the Gospel to local and global action that reaches beyond week long mission trips. In fact, I firmly believe that if most churches became involved in “campaigning” for change in their communities we would see our society changed into something more in line with our theology.
But, to be honest, I am not optimistic or hopeful that this will happen.
Atheist Groups Rejoice Over IRS Decision to Monitor Churches. But Should They?
Posted on July 31, 2014 in Public Policy, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
Good news! The IRS has agreed to start monitoring churches more closely concerning political speech. Doesn’t that make you feel safe?
Apparently a lawsuit brought against the IRS by the Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) has resulted in an agreement between the atheist group and the IRS to spend more time monitoring churches. After all, we can’t have churches giving direction to their congregations about critical issues, and where candidates stand on those issues. (Alliance Defending Freedom has sent a FOIA request to the IRS asking for these new policies.)
The lawsuit was first prompted in 2009 as a result of the nationwide ‘Pulpit Freedom Sunday” campaign started by Alliance Defending Freedom. This campaign was started as an effort to challenge the unconstitutional “Johnson Amendment” that was inserted into the IRS code back in 1954. The Amendment makes it illegal for tax-exempt organizations to engage in electioneering, broadly defined as endorsing one political candidate or another.
This Info-Graphic Says It All Regarding Moral Issues
Posted on May 21, 2014 in Life, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
The info-graphic posted here is from a recent study by the Pew Research Center called: Pew Research Center’s 2013 Global Attitudes. It shows the response of citizens in 40 countries when asked about moral issues facing our culture. The results speak for themselves. For a further breakdown of the results you can read the Pew study results at the link posted above or click here.
Spotting Integrity Issues in Parents
Posted on December 26, 2013 in Family by Nathan Cherry
Do you have integrity? Wait, don’t answer that. Maybe we should let those who know us best answer the question. What would they say? Would they affirm us as a man or woman full of integrity or someone lacking basic ingredients of integrity?
For that matter, how would your kids answer the question? We would all be naïve to think our kids don’t know us the best. We think we hide our shortcomings and weaknesses from them, but honestly, we know they are smart enough to notice the issues that we struggle with the most.
I can’t think of a single parent that doesn’t want to raise kids full of integrity. Sure, we want them to be healthy, happy, talented, successful and well-liked. But to see our kids grow into men and women full of character and integrity is surely at the top of the list for any parent.