Dwight McKissic played the part of the prophet on the Laura Ingraham show yesterday. He was on the program to discuss same sex marriage with an African American minister who supports gay marriage. McKissic did not mince words but called out the other minister as having allied himself with the kingdom of darkness. I think McKissic was right to do so. We need more prophetic boldness like this from pastors, not less. McKissic’s remarks begin at 2:45. [audio:http://www.trn1.com/uploads/mp3/showclips/051612LISUZANNESOMERS.mp3] Titus 1:7-9 “For the overseer must be… able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.”
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John Calvin on Divorce
“They who, for slight causes, rashly allow of divorces, violate, in one single particular, all the laws of nature, and reduce them to nothing. If we should make it a point of conscience not to separate a father from his son, it is still greater wickedness to dissolve the bond which God has preferred to all others.” –John Calvin’s commentary on Genesis 2:24
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Matt Anderson on Getting beyond the Culture Wars
Matthew Anderson writes about the culture wars and the future of evangelical witness. The whole thing is a good read, but there are some nuggets in here worth highlighting. On marriage amendments, he writes, The overwhelming passage of traditional marriage amendments are not signs of our society’s health, but its disease–and we are all implicated in it. Anderson goes on to show that calls to get beyond the culture wars really miss the point. I think Anderson nails it in this paragraph.
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How Pres. Obama Invokes Jesus’ Support for Liberal Policies
Michael Gerson takes on President Obama’s proclivity for invoking Jesus in support of liberal public policies. Pay special attention to the last line. Gerson writes: Agree or disagree with the policies Obama recommends, his arguments can’t be called sophisticated. They are the liberal political application of a “What Would Jesus Do?” wristband. In a mirror reflection of the religious right, Obama has a tendency to engage in partisan proof texting — which is divisive in service to any ideology. Saying “I would just refer them to the Sermon on the Mount” is a claim of divine authority that short-circuits democratic debate. Even when Obama changes his political views, Jesus somehow…
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R. T. France on Divorce and Creation Ethics
Much debate surrounds Jesus’ remarks about divorce in Matthew 19:3-12. R. T. France observes why so much of the discussion is off-base from the start. In doing so, he provides some sage advice about Christian ethics in general. He writes:
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Horton and Wilson Spar over “Muscular Christianity”
Michael Horton and Doug Wilson have begun a conversation about gender roles that is not to be missed. Horton began the discussion last week in a short article in Modern Reformation titled “Muscular Christianity.” Doug Wilson responded on his blog just today in a post titled, “Michael Horton, Gender Stereotypes, and Me.”
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Tony Dungy on Pres. Obama’s Gay Marriage Stance
Tony Dungy tweeted a short word about his take on President Obama’s gay marriage announcement (HT). Dungy writes: I was disappointed he veered from biblical view. In 2007, Dungy spoke out publicly in favor of an amendment to the Indiana state constitution that would define marriage as between one man and one woman. He took some criticism for this, but he explained that his feelings on the matter grew directly out of his Christian convictions. In his own words: We’re not trying to downgrade anyone else. But we’re trying to promote the family — family values the Lord’s way. Elsewhere, Dungy says this: Family is important, and that’s what we’re…
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Frank Beckwith on Pres. Obama and The Golden Rule
Frank Beckwith has a short piece on President Obama’s facile application of the Golden Rule to same-sex marriage. Here’s the bottom line: The Golden Rule is not about merely protecting your neighbor’s preferences, but rather, advancing your neighbor’s good…
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The Blasphemy of Barack Obama
It’s one thing to support gay marriage. It’s quite another for a professed Christian to bear false witness about Christ to make the point. That is why Joe Carter doesn’t mince words in an open letter to President Obama. Carter writes: Implying that Jesus supports same-sex marriage—and there really is no other way to interpret your statement—is nothing short of blasphemous.
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President Obama’s Scriptural Defense of Gay Marriage
Earlier today, President Obama became the first sitting president to endorse gay marriage. In his remarks to ABC News, the president cited his Christian faith as the basis for his decision. In particular, he cited Jesus’ words in the “Golden Rule” as a key factor in his thinking. He says, [Michelle and I] we are both practicing Christians and obviously this position may be considered to put us at odds with the views of others but, you know, when we think about our faith, the thing at root that we think about is, not only Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf, but it’s also the Golden Rule, you know, treat…