The Supreme Court has now ruled on two monumental marriage cases, and the legal and cultural landscape has changed in this country. The court voted to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act and remand the decision of the Ninth Circuit in the Proposition 8 case, holding that California’s Proposition 8 defenders didn’t have standing. The Defense of Marriage Act decision used rather sweeping language about equal protection and human dignity as they apply to the recognition of same-sex unions. But what has changed for us, for our churches, and our witness to the gospel?
In one sense, nothing. Jesus of Nazareth is still alive. He is calling the cosmos toward his kingdom, and he will ultimately be Lord indeed. Regardless of what happens with marriage, the gospel doesn’t need “family values” to flourish. In fact, it often thrives when it is in sharp contrast to the cultures around it. That’s why the gospel rocketed out of the first-century from places such as Ephesus and Philippi and Corinth and Rome, which were hardly Mayberry. MORE:
Moore to the Point – How Should Same-Sex Marriage Change the Church’s Witness?
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Time to Reverse a Trend#landingzone
recent report shows that marriage rates are at their lowest point in more than 100 years.
The study, conducted by Demographic Intelligence of Charlottesville, Virginia, found that between 2007 and 2013—that’s six years—the marriage rate fell from 7.3 per 1,000 people to 6.8. While that may not sound like a lot, it represents a more than 5 percent decline from a rate that was already low by historical standards. Since 1970, the marriage rate has declined by more than one-third.
Just as troubling as the overall numbers is the breakdown of who is and who is not getting married. The study found that “marriage numbers are stagnant or declining among those with a high school education or less, younger Americans, and the less affluent.” In other words, the kind of folks who can benefit most from the stability that marriage and family life can provide are getting married in fewer numbers.
In contrast, marriage rates are rising among “the college-educated and the affluent.” Again, given the personal, social, and economic benefits of marriage, the growing difference in marriage rates between the “haves” and “have nots” can only contribute to economic and social inequality. MORE:
Time to Reverse a Trend#landingzone
The study, conducted by Demographic Intelligence of Charlottesville, Virginia, found that between 2007 and 2013—that’s six years—the marriage rate fell from 7.3 per 1,000 people to 6.8. While that may not sound like a lot, it represents a more than 5 percent decline from a rate that was already low by historical standards. Since 1970, the marriage rate has declined by more than one-third.
Just as troubling as the overall numbers is the breakdown of who is and who is not getting married. The study found that “marriage numbers are stagnant or declining among those with a high school education or less, younger Americans, and the less affluent.” In other words, the kind of folks who can benefit most from the stability that marriage and family life can provide are getting married in fewer numbers.
In contrast, marriage rates are rising among “the college-educated and the affluent.” Again, given the personal, social, and economic benefits of marriage, the growing difference in marriage rates between the “haves” and “have nots” can only contribute to economic and social inequality. MORE:
Time to Reverse a Trend#landingzone
Why Gay Marriage is Good (and Bad) for the Church – Trevin Wax
The Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act serves as a boost to ongoing efforts to legalize same-sex marriage across the nation.
Christians believe marriage is defined by God and recognized by government. But many today believe marriage is defined by government and must be recognized by all.
For this reason, I’m not optimistic about the trends concerning marriage and family in the United States. Neither am I sure of what all this means for those who, in good conscience, stand against the tide. MORE: Why Gay Marriage is Good (and Bad) for the Church – Trevin Wax
Christians believe marriage is defined by God and recognized by government. But many today believe marriage is defined by government and must be recognized by all.
For this reason, I’m not optimistic about the trends concerning marriage and family in the United States. Neither am I sure of what all this means for those who, in good conscience, stand against the tide. MORE: Why Gay Marriage is Good (and Bad) for the Church – Trevin Wax
Friday, June 21, 2013
Some Thoughts on Modern-Day Euthanasia
by Craig Lofthus, Founder and Director of The Father’s Ranch, "a a place of hope and healing for woman caught in various addictions."
June 2013
“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male
and female He created them.” Genesis 1:28
My wife Sharon and I have been caring for her blind brother Paul for 4 months
now. He’s 58 years old and is struggling with brain seizures and dementia. He
has recently been in and out of the hospital quite a few times, but his most
recent stay was quite an eye-opener for us. The hospital medical staff and
social workers went to great lengths to “educate” Sharon and me on the only
humane and decent action for Paul or for anyone in Paul’s circumstances. Their
counsel was…“let him die peacefully and painlessly by restricting his food and
using terminal sedation agents.” Even where assisted suicide is illegal, many
hospitals now endorse this “terminal sedation” which is the ethically murky
practice of anesthetizing patients and then cutting off their nutrition and
liquids. As a matter of fact, their counsel had been more like aggressive
harassment than advice. Once they perceived we did not agree with their plans,
their euthanasia campaigning was shifted into high gear, and we were bombarded
with their “right to die” hostile rhetoric! They said that the care Paul is
requiring is so substantial, laborious, and expensive that we can’t justify not
letting him die. After all, Paul didn’t represent a viable, valuable return for
the future. I’m thinking…“so now human life has a price tag?” In addition,
they said that Paul could no longer have any kind of “quality of life”. This
one made me wonder…“who is it that defines this ‘quality of life’ ideology and
verbiage so often used by euthanasia advocates, and what metrics are being used
to determine “quality of life”?
In the course of Paul’s hospitalization and treatment, we had time to really
consider what the “living will” and the concept of euthanasia (Greek word for
good death) means today. When I contemplate the concept of “dying well,” I
can’t avoid the uneasy feeling that it actually means dying when the
intellectual elite think it is appropriate for you to die! The liberal,
euthanasia ideology that is being taught throughout our academic and medical
institutions is making its way into every corner of America’s hospitals and
nursing homes. As Paul’s medical POA, Sharon and I have refused to sign a “good
death” roadmap that would give medical staff permission to euthanize our brother
Paul.
Given advances in medical treatments and technologies, end of life issues can be
truly vexing and excruciatingly difficult — even for those who attempt to think
ahead. I realize that living wills are a central fact of life and death in
medical centers, nursing homes, hospices, and hospitals. Groups such as the
American Bar Association and the American Medical Association push living wills
and advanced directives as a way of limiting care at the (perceived) end of
life. The whole point of a living will is to allow medical personnel not to
resuscitate or to deny “artificial” food, water, and breathing assistance. This
way the patient dies through acts of omission, not commission. Somehow this
makes the participation in their death more palatable and ethical? I
wholeheartedly disagree.
The classic Hippocratic Oath and its prohibition against physicians giving
people a “deadly drug” has collapsed with the growing acceptance of such notions
as physician-assisted suicide, the “right to die,” and even giving some very
sick, disabled, or demented people a little push over the edge. People facing
end-of-life decisions may well feel strong pressure from the medical and
bioethical establishments to make the choice that will save the most money as
well as spare their relatives, medical staff, and society at large the burden of
their continued existence.
This movement toward a “good death” has spread to places once
thought safe from the temptation of euthanasia. The American Academy of Hospice
and Palliative Medicine reversed its long-standing opposition to
physician-assisted suicide (which is legal in Oregon but is obviously being
quietly practiced by many doctors elsewhere) and adopted a new set of rules that
effectively endorsed the practice. The academy even decided on a new euphemism
for the procedure: “physician-assisted death.” Changing “physician-assisted
suicide” to “physician-assisted death” is a clever manipulation of the language,
but it cannot disguise the fact that the key word to the concept is death —
assisted by a physician. Have you noticed how groups advocating death so often
use manipulative and misleading language? Let’s put the players on the field
folks. Today’s euthanasia culture is a rank violation of the 6th commandment,
commanding us that we…“shall not murder.” Euthanasia is a slippery slope.
The idea of a self-defined “good death” has its place in the pagan cultures of
history but not in the Biblical culture of Christianity. Christians should
understand and embrace the reality of death, but we must also affirm the gift
and value of life. The Bible makes it clear that we are not the masters of our
own destinies, nor are we the sovereigns of our own souls. As Christians, our
lives belong to the Lord and are in God’s hands at all times (1st Cor 6:19, 20).
This society’s pilgrimage down a wide road to euthanasia should concern all
citizens but Christians in particular. When life is believed to come from the
cosmic, evolutionary muck and mire that eventually developed into mankind as we
know him today, then the lack of care and concern for life that we are seeing is
totally consistent.
What the intellectual elite fail to take into account is that humans have been
made by God and in the image of God. This gives human life eternal value and
significance and should change the paradigm on euthanasia completely. For the
Christian, death should be longingly anticipated as the royal gate by which we
joyfully enter into the Celestial City, yet we must remember that it is the
right of the King to summon His subjects when, where, and how He deems it
appropriate and right. We understand that many of the reasons Biblical thinking
Christians are coming into conflict with secular, humanistic thinkers in the
realm of euthanasia is because of what we believe about the origins of life. Is
the topic of euthanasia connected to creationism and evolution? Yes,
undoubtedly so. In the end, my hope is not to have a “good death” according to
the euthanasia advocates but rather to die in faith and in peace according to
the Scriptures.
(used with permission from The Father's Ranch June newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter, visit The Father's Ranch website.)
June 2013
“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male
and female He created them.” Genesis 1:28
My wife Sharon and I have been caring for her blind brother Paul for 4 months
now. He’s 58 years old and is struggling with brain seizures and dementia. He
has recently been in and out of the hospital quite a few times, but his most
recent stay was quite an eye-opener for us. The hospital medical staff and
social workers went to great lengths to “educate” Sharon and me on the only
humane and decent action for Paul or for anyone in Paul’s circumstances. Their
counsel was…“let him die peacefully and painlessly by restricting his food and
using terminal sedation agents.” Even where assisted suicide is illegal, many
hospitals now endorse this “terminal sedation” which is the ethically murky
practice of anesthetizing patients and then cutting off their nutrition and
liquids. As a matter of fact, their counsel had been more like aggressive
harassment than advice. Once they perceived we did not agree with their plans,
their euthanasia campaigning was shifted into high gear, and we were bombarded
with their “right to die” hostile rhetoric! They said that the care Paul is
requiring is so substantial, laborious, and expensive that we can’t justify not
letting him die. After all, Paul didn’t represent a viable, valuable return for
the future. I’m thinking…“so now human life has a price tag?” In addition,
they said that Paul could no longer have any kind of “quality of life”. This
one made me wonder…“who is it that defines this ‘quality of life’ ideology and
verbiage so often used by euthanasia advocates, and what metrics are being used
to determine “quality of life”?
In the course of Paul’s hospitalization and treatment, we had time to really
consider what the “living will” and the concept of euthanasia (Greek word for
good death) means today. When I contemplate the concept of “dying well,” I
can’t avoid the uneasy feeling that it actually means dying when the
intellectual elite think it is appropriate for you to die! The liberal,
euthanasia ideology that is being taught throughout our academic and medical
institutions is making its way into every corner of America’s hospitals and
nursing homes. As Paul’s medical POA, Sharon and I have refused to sign a “good
death” roadmap that would give medical staff permission to euthanize our brother
Paul.
Given advances in medical treatments and technologies, end of life issues can be
truly vexing and excruciatingly difficult — even for those who attempt to think
ahead. I realize that living wills are a central fact of life and death in
medical centers, nursing homes, hospices, and hospitals. Groups such as the
American Bar Association and the American Medical Association push living wills
and advanced directives as a way of limiting care at the (perceived) end of
life. The whole point of a living will is to allow medical personnel not to
resuscitate or to deny “artificial” food, water, and breathing assistance. This
way the patient dies through acts of omission, not commission. Somehow this
makes the participation in their death more palatable and ethical? I
wholeheartedly disagree.
The classic Hippocratic Oath and its prohibition against physicians giving
people a “deadly drug” has collapsed with the growing acceptance of such notions
as physician-assisted suicide, the “right to die,” and even giving some very
sick, disabled, or demented people a little push over the edge. People facing
end-of-life decisions may well feel strong pressure from the medical and
bioethical establishments to make the choice that will save the most money as
well as spare their relatives, medical staff, and society at large the burden of
their continued existence.
This movement toward a “good death” has spread to places once
thought safe from the temptation of euthanasia. The American Academy of Hospice
and Palliative Medicine reversed its long-standing opposition to
physician-assisted suicide (which is legal in Oregon but is obviously being
quietly practiced by many doctors elsewhere) and adopted a new set of rules that
effectively endorsed the practice. The academy even decided on a new euphemism
for the procedure: “physician-assisted death.” Changing “physician-assisted
suicide” to “physician-assisted death” is a clever manipulation of the language,
but it cannot disguise the fact that the key word to the concept is death —
assisted by a physician. Have you noticed how groups advocating death so often
use manipulative and misleading language? Let’s put the players on the field
folks. Today’s euthanasia culture is a rank violation of the 6th commandment,
commanding us that we…“shall not murder.” Euthanasia is a slippery slope.
The idea of a self-defined “good death” has its place in the pagan cultures of
history but not in the Biblical culture of Christianity. Christians should
understand and embrace the reality of death, but we must also affirm the gift
and value of life. The Bible makes it clear that we are not the masters of our
own destinies, nor are we the sovereigns of our own souls. As Christians, our
lives belong to the Lord and are in God’s hands at all times (1st Cor 6:19, 20).
This society’s pilgrimage down a wide road to euthanasia should concern all
citizens but Christians in particular. When life is believed to come from the
cosmic, evolutionary muck and mire that eventually developed into mankind as we
know him today, then the lack of care and concern for life that we are seeing is
totally consistent.
What the intellectual elite fail to take into account is that humans have been
made by God and in the image of God. This gives human life eternal value and
significance and should change the paradigm on euthanasia completely. For the
Christian, death should be longingly anticipated as the royal gate by which we
joyfully enter into the Celestial City, yet we must remember that it is the
right of the King to summon His subjects when, where, and how He deems it
appropriate and right. We understand that many of the reasons Biblical thinking
Christians are coming into conflict with secular, humanistic thinkers in the
realm of euthanasia is because of what we believe about the origins of life. Is
the topic of euthanasia connected to creationism and evolution? Yes,
undoubtedly so. In the end, my hope is not to have a “good death” according to
the euthanasia advocates but rather to die in faith and in peace according to
the Scriptures.
(used with permission from The Father's Ranch June newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter, visit The Father's Ranch website.)
Saturday, June 15, 2013
On the Incarnation: Avoiding Heresy and Pursuing Humility | the Cripplegate
…Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied Himself,
taking the form of a bond-servant,
and being made in the likeness of men.
- Philippians 2:6–7 -
did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied Himself,
taking the form of a bond-servant,
and being made in the likeness of men.
- Philippians 2:6–7 -
Avoiding Kenotic Theology
MORE:
On the Incarnation: Avoiding Heresy and Pursuing Humility | the Cripplegate
Moore to the Point – Is Your Church Ready for the Marriage Revolution?
The Supreme Court of the United States is set to hand down a set of decisions this summer that could advance a cultural and political shift in the way marriage is defined in this country. Is your church ready for this?
By that, I don’t mean whether your church has a position on the definition of marriage, or whether your people are ready to express their opinions or vent their outrage on social media or talk radio. All that’s easy. The question is whether our churches are ready to create marriage cultures that matter, regardless of the cultural moment. MORE:
Moore to the Point – Is Your Church Ready for the Marriage Revolution?
By that, I don’t mean whether your church has a position on the definition of marriage, or whether your people are ready to express their opinions or vent their outrage on social media or talk radio. All that’s easy. The question is whether our churches are ready to create marriage cultures that matter, regardless of the cultural moment. MORE:
Moore to the Point – Is Your Church Ready for the Marriage Revolution?
Baptist Press - WORLDVIEW: Declassify the Gospel - News with a Christian Perspective
EDITOR'S NOTE: Visit WorldView Conversation, the blog related to this column.
RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- The scandals currently engulfing the IRS, the National Security Agency (NSA), the Justice Department and other government agencies have something in common: information.
Who has certain information and for what purpose? How should they be able to obtain it? What should they know and when should they know it? And so on.
MORE:
Baptist Press - WORLDVIEW: Declassify the Gospel - News with a Christian Perspective
RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- The scandals currently engulfing the IRS, the National Security Agency (NSA), the Justice Department and other government agencies have something in common: information.
Who has certain information and for what purpose? How should they be able to obtain it? What should they know and when should they know it? And so on.
MORE:
Baptist Press - WORLDVIEW: Declassify the Gospel - News with a Christian Perspective
Friday, June 7, 2013
Do you know the 7 marks of discipleship? — Transition Ministries Group
Can you give a clear, concise and biblically accurate description of a disciple of Jesus?
If so, you are a select member of an elite club.
Do you know the 7 marks of discipleship? — Transition Ministries Group
If so, you are a select member of an elite club.
Do you know the 7 marks of discipleship? — Transition Ministries Group
The five people you can count on most | Pastor Joe McKeever
If you would take a leadership role in the Kingdom of God, you will be needing fellow workers. You will not be able to nor will you be asked to do this alone.
The question will come up as to whom you can trust. You will have to decide the quality of the men and women with whom you are surrounded, particularly in determining your inner circle of leadership and responsibility.
Here are five people you can depend on no matter what is happening….
The five people you can count on most | Pastor Joe McKeever
The question will come up as to whom you can trust. You will have to decide the quality of the men and women with whom you are surrounded, particularly in determining your inner circle of leadership and responsibility.
Here are five people you can depend on no matter what is happening….
The five people you can count on most | Pastor Joe McKeever
How to Survive a Cultural Crisis – The Gospel Coalition Blog
Public opinion appears to be changing about same-sex marriage, as are the nation's laws. Of course this change is just one in a larger constellation. America's views on family, love, sexuality generally, tolerance, God, and so much more seems to be pushing in directions that put Bible-believing Christians on the defensive.
It's easy to feel like we've become the new "moral outlaws," to use Al Mohler's phrase. Standing up for historic Christian principles will increasingly get you in trouble socially and maybe economically, perhaps one day also criminally. It's ironic that Christians are told not to impose their views on others, even as the threat of job loss or other penalties loom over Christians for not toeing the new party line. MORE:
How to Survive a Cultural Crisis – The Gospel Coalition Blog
It's easy to feel like we've become the new "moral outlaws," to use Al Mohler's phrase. Standing up for historic Christian principles will increasingly get you in trouble socially and maybe economically, perhaps one day also criminally. It's ironic that Christians are told not to impose their views on others, even as the threat of job loss or other penalties loom over Christians for not toeing the new party line. MORE:
How to Survive a Cultural Crisis – The Gospel Coalition Blog
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Why You Can’t See Your Biggest Flaws – The Gospel Coalition Blog
In my last article, I wrote about the 18th-century pastor John Newton, who showed us that most Christians live with obvious character flaws that ruin both their joy and also their Christian witness. But why do so many Christians live this way?
Our natural virtues, which come from inborn temperament and family nurture—such as our talents, aptitudes, and strengths—are good things. But each has a "dark side." People with prophetic gifts—great directness, often good at public speaking or writing—can have problems listening to others and taking advice. People with priestly gifts—sensitivity, often good at listening, giving counsel, showing mercy—often can be too concerned to make people happy. They may be cowardly or overly sensitive themselves to criticism. A generous person may also be undisciplined and irresponsible in financial matters. Thus his generosity is really a facet of his too-impulsive character. MORE:
Why You Can’t See Your Biggest Flaws – The Gospel Coalition Blog
Baptist Press - Survey: Mature Christians unashamed of faith - News with a Christian Perspective
NASHVILLE (BP) -- While not all churchgoers are particularly transparent or open about their faith, mature Christians are consistent in character and identity around non-believers, LifeWay research reveals.
The survey of Protestant churchgoers identifies "unashamed" as one of eight attributes of discipleship that consistently show up in the lives of maturing Christians. Being unashamed connotes a boldness to stand for one's beliefs in conversation and lifestyle, LifeWay Research director Scott McConnell said.
MORE - Baptist Press - Survey: Mature Christians unashamed of faith - News with a Christian Perspective
The survey of Protestant churchgoers identifies "unashamed" as one of eight attributes of discipleship that consistently show up in the lives of maturing Christians. Being unashamed connotes a boldness to stand for one's beliefs in conversation and lifestyle, LifeWay Research director Scott McConnell said.
MORE - Baptist Press - Survey: Mature Christians unashamed of faith - News with a Christian Perspective
We still cry out to God when tragedy strikes: Column
When tragedies strike, deep and abiding religious convictions, shared by so many in our country, rise to the surface and reveal what was thought to be discarded.
Much has been written about the secularization of America, and in some ways that is the case. Pew Research found that one in five adults in our nation have no religious affiliation, a group identified as the "Nones."
Often times, research like this and other anecdotes about the waning influence of Christianity on the public square are presented as proof that America is no longer a religious nation. This supposedly demonstrates that we have left our religious traditions in history's dustbin. Then, a tragedy strikes. More -
We still cry out to God when tragedy strikes: Column
Much has been written about the secularization of America, and in some ways that is the case. Pew Research found that one in five adults in our nation have no religious affiliation, a group identified as the "Nones."
Often times, research like this and other anecdotes about the waning influence of Christianity on the public square are presented as proof that America is no longer a religious nation. This supposedly demonstrates that we have left our religious traditions in history's dustbin. Then, a tragedy strikes. More -
We still cry out to God when tragedy strikes: Column
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