Tag: religious
What Are the 30 Best Quotes from 2013?
Posted on December 26, 2013 in Public Policy by Nathan Cherry
2013 has been an interesting year, to say the least. It’s been called the worst year for President Obama, the worst year for Christians worldwide, and many other things. As I’ve watched stories on everything from guns to foreign relations, and religious freedom to racism, 2013 seems filled with controversy.
Now that 2013 is drawing to a close, a look back at some of the more memorable statements made this year seems appropriate. If you’ve not been paying attention to much of what has been taking place in our world, allow this list to serve a crash course. For others it will be a reminder of what has been. And still for others it will be the hope for a better 2014.
The 30 Best Quotes of 2013
by John Hawkins
30) “Oh, the guy who bombed Boston is on the loose in my neighborhood? Super glad I don’t have an AR-15 with 30 round mags” Said nobody, ever. — Katie Pavlich
29) I wanted to know why we were promised a state of the art website and we got an abacus and a sundial. I want to know what we got for our money. I want to know if this thing could be fixed in two months why didn’t you have it up and running in the three years prior to October the 1st? — Congressman Trey Gowdy on healthcare.gov
Victory for SBC and Christians Against ObamaCare
Posted on December 24, 2013 in Public Policy, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
AP: “A federal judge granted an injunction Friday that prohibits the government from enforcing the federal health care law’s requirement that insurance coverage include access to the morning-after pill and similar contraceptives on almost 200 religious organizations that have filed a class-action lawsuit to block the mandate. The preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Timothy DeGiusti will prevent the government from enforcing the mandate as the religious groups’ lawsuit makes its way through the legal system. The lawsuit was filed in October on behalf of 187 ministries that provide their employees with health benefits through GuideStone Financial Resources, the health benefits arm of the Southern Baptist Convention.”
This is fantastic news for Southern Baptist ministries and every one that believes it is wrong for the government to force people to violate their faith. This decision – like the Hobby Lobby case and nearly every case against the HHS mandate – has decimated ObamaCare in the courts. Even the Obama administration is now seeking to alleviate penalties, change laws, and accommodate citizens after the pummeling in the courts.
For Southern Baptists and people of faith, this is another victory in the fight to defend religious freedom from government intrusion. I hope verdicts like this continue to roll out of the courts until Obama and his administration finally admit what every other American knows: it’s a bad law that needs repealed. Click here for original article.
Join Me in Thanking A&E for Firing Phil Robertson
Posted on December 21, 2013 in Marriage, Religious Freedom, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
Would you join me in thanking A&E for firing Phil Robertson for sharing his personal views on sexuality?
I know many are upset over this decision to fire one of the most popular television personalities in history for simply sharing his religious beliefs when asked. But I want to take a moment and thank A&E for doing so.
While others are sharing viral images, meme’s and signing petitions demanding A&E reverse their decision to punish Phil Robertson, I am going to thank A&E.
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.
James Dobson Sues Obama Administration
Posted on December 12, 2013 in Public Policy, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
ADFMedia reports: Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against the Obama administration on behalf of Dr. James Dobson and his “Family Talk” radio show and ministry, a Christian non-profit organization that is currently subject to Obamacare’s abortion pill mandate.
The lawsuit challenges the legality and constitutionality of the mandate, which requires religious employers to provide insurance coverage for abortifacients, sterilization, and contraception to employees regardless of religious or moral objections. Dobson and Family Talk object specifically to providing coverage for abortion drugs and devices.
“Our ministry believes in living out the religious convictions we hold to and talk about on the air,” added Dobson, Family Talk’s founder and president. “As Americans, we should all be free to live according to our faith and to honor God in our work. The Constitution protects that freedom so that the government cannot force anyone to act against his or her sincerely held religious beliefs. But the mandate ignores that and leaves us with a choice no American should have to make: comply and abandon your religious freedom, or resist and be fined for your faith.”
Share this post and stand with Dr. Dobson as he fights for religious freedom. Click here for original article.
Homosexual Tyranny Will Destroy Religious Liberty
Posted on December 12, 2013 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
Writing at LifeSiteNews.com, Steve Jalsevac has penned what I would call a wake-up call to people regarding the “growing…very real tyranny” of activist homosexuals in America. In particular he centers on how homosexuals are already influencing the Catholic Church while seemingly ignorant or indifferent leaders do nothing.
Jalsevac wonders out loud where Catholic leaders were when Christian business owners were being persecuted through prosecution for simply adhering to a biblical definition of sexuality and marriage. He laments, “All I can recall, from the Catholics and Anglicans at least, was the usual, deadly, shameful soul and spirit killing silence that seems to happen all over the developed world on this issue.”
While Jalsevac directs his concern toward the Catholic Church, and rightly so, I would direct concern to every church in the United States that continues to confess the biblical definition of sexuality and marriage. As recent headlines have proven, the environment is right and activists are poised to seek not just recognition but full acceptance for their lifestyle from society; including the church.
Government Demands Christians Violate Religious Convictions
Posted on December 11, 2013 in Public Policy, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
In what can only be described as an appalling verdict, a federal judge has ordered a Colorado baker to violate his Christian convictions and serve cakes to homosexual couples.
Jack Phillips is the owner of Masterpiece Cake shop in Colorado. Last year a gay couple asked him to prepare a cake for them so they could celebrate their recent “marriage” in Massachusetts. Jack told the couple he could not serve them because doing so would violate his religious convictions. The couple, with the help of the ACLU, filed a discrimination lawsuit against Jack.
Now, a judge has told Jack that he must serve homosexuals or his business will face penalties.
Is It Important to Keep Christ in Christmas in Public?
Posted on December 9, 2013 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
The two words “in public?” at the end of the headline are critical. Certainly every Christian should endeavor to keep Christ in Christmas in their home privately, and in their church. But what about in public? Is it still important to keep Christ in Christmas in the public sector or is saying “Happy holidays” and calling it a “Holiday Tree’ acceptable?
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) has worked tirelessly to ensure the rights of people wanting to celebrate Christmas are protected. Each year people put up trees, nativity scenes, and exchange gifts. And each year special interest groups sue to remove all mentions of God from public sight. Such efforts include threatening schools with lawsuits if they allow any traditional Christmas carols, seeking to remove nativity scenes from public property, and keeping any religious themed floats out of parades.
Much confusion abounds concerning what is legal and what is not for people in public, in the workplace, and in schools regarding celebrating Christmas. ADF made this comment in a recent article:
The Practical End to ENDA
Posted on November 20, 2013 in Public Policy, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
For the time being ENDA appears dead. Even though it passed in the Senate it had no chance of making it through the House where Speaker Boehner opposed it as well as most Republicans; and a few vulnerable Democrats hoping to keep their job in 2014.
In case you don’t know what ENDA is, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act seeks to make it illegal for an employer to hire or fire a person based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
On the surface this might sound like a good idea. After all, no one should be denied a job simple because he is gay. But the problem with ENDA is that it has a back door that would lead to forcing religious organizations and Christian business owners to violate their religious convictions. Here’s how: