Earlier this year, I wrote about Aaron and Melissa Klein, owners of a bakery called “Sweet Cakes by Melissa” in Greshem, Oregon. They’ve been in the news since January after they refused to provide a cake for a gay wedding of two lesbians. Since then, the story has gone viral, and the Klein’s business has been under siege from protesters and gay activists. Aaron Klein says that gay rights activists have been using “militant, mafia-style tactics” to shut the business down.
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Okay to change a child’s sex but not his gender?
James Kushiner asks an insightful question that exposes the moral confusion of our day. In essence he asks why it should be legal to change a child’s sex but not his gender. The question is provoked by the recent bill signed into law by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. The law prohibits any attempt to change a child’s “gender expression.” That means that if a parent has a young boy who likes to put on dresses and wear make-up, New Jersey law prohibits licensed counselors from helping that boy. Counselors must approve and support whatever gender that child chooses regardless of the child’s sex. This law reveals the rising social…
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Gagging on “the yuck factor”: Some thoughts on a recent controversy
Thabiti Anyabwile ruffled feathers last week with an essay arguing that homosexual behavior ought to induce “moral outrage” (a “gag reflex”). Among other things, he argues that our culture has lost its “moral outrage” concerning homosexuality because people have lost sight of what this conversation is all about—perverted sexual behavior. He argues, therefore, that we need to drop expressions like “gay” and “homosexual” and to use explicit terms that are not cloaked in euphemism. He then gives an object lesson on how we ought to speak, giving a brief but explicit description of what gay sexual behavior actually is. As you can imagine, Thabiti’s post has caused no little controversy…
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Brian Payne: A model of Christ-centered biblical exposition
Brian Payne is a professor of preaching and Christian theology at Boyce College. He’s also a local pastor here in Louisville, and he’s one of the finest Bible expositors on our campus. Every time he steps into the pulpit, he delivers. Last week, he preached in Boyce Chapel on the Joseph narrative from Genesis. It’s a model of verse-by-verse exposition. It’s also a picture of a faithful Christ-centered hermeneutic. I commend it to you. He’s one of the best. You can download it here or listen below. [audio:http://www.sbts.edu/media/audio/BoycePodcast/20130821-boyce-podcast-payne.mp3]
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God as the third rail of rock-n-roll
Back in the days when the earth’s crust was still hardening, I was a big fan of The Smashing Pumpkins. They were in the thick of the grunge scene–which was a whole new departure in rock music and which was all the rage for most of the 1990’s. After the grunge fad faded, the band broke up in 2000. Following a seven year hiatus, they got back together and have been trying to make a comeback. Lead singer Billy Corgan recently sat down for an interview with CNN, and he makes the astonishing claim that God is the “third rail” of rock-n-roll. He also gives a brief and trenchant critique…
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Can you be a Christian homosexual?
Justin Lee (author of Torn) and James White had a “debate” last Spring about the question, “Can you be a Christian homosexual?” James White says no, and Justin Lee says yes. In a candid moment, Lee says that his position on the morality of the question has changed and that he is now more open to consider entering a relationship with a person of the same sex (at about 1:37). AlphaOmega Ministries has made the audio available for free, and you can download it here or listen to it below. [audio:http://aomin.org/podcasts/GayChristianityDebated.mp3]
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Gov. Chris Christie’s broadside against religious liberty
Governor Chris Christie has just made New Jersey the second state to prohibit licensed therapists from trying to change the sexual orientation of gay minors. Like recent legislation in California, the New Jersey law is a disaster at a number of levels. This bill not only prohibits “reparative therapy.” It prohibits any and all attempts by licensed counselors to change a child’s sexual orientation. And there’s more. The bill not only prohibits any and all efforts to change sexual orientation. It also prohibits any and all attempts to change sexual behavior in gay minors!
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Why do people like Duck Dynasty?
In the video above, Laura Ingraham explains why she thinks “Duck Dynasty” is such a hit. I think she may not be too far off. My family enjoys the program for all the reasons she cites. We also love it because Louisiana is our home state, and the show is set in my wife’s hometown. Where else on television can you tune in and see live shots of the town you grew up in? (My wife spotted her high school in the season premier.) Also, there’s nothing like hearing some “y’alls” and “fixin’s” to make some expat Louisianans feel a little closer to home. So there’s a lot of nostalgia…
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Why the Trinity must inform our views on gender roles
I am in hearty agreement with Fred Sanders’ critique of Larry Crabb’s new book on gender. The connections that Crabb makes between Trinitarian doctrine and gender roles seem to be entirely speculative and not founded in what the scriptures actually say. In short, Crabb’s paradigm is unmoored from the Bible, and Sanders has shown the flawed basis of Crabb’s thesis. Having said that, there’s one detail in Sanders’ critique that I would take exception with. I’m reluctant to mention it because I’m a big fan of Sanders. He’s one of the bright lights of evangelical theology and has produced some remarkable work on the Trinity. If you haven’t read his…
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When being “radical” is a burden
I like this from Barnabas Piper. Ever feel like this? The push to be radical, on mission, a world-changer can seem like a crushing weight. Sometimes life is just too hard and stuff is too broken. It’s all I can manage just to keep my world from flying to bits, let alone change anyone else’s. That’s so far outside of reality it sounds more like the twilight zone. No — reality is simply clinging to what I do know of God, His Son, and His faithfulness and just not letting go. Read the rest here.