GAY TRUTH

Some issues in the Christian life matter more than others . The apostle Paul made a distinction between matters that were primary to the gospel, and issues that were not. In 1 Corinthians 15:3 he writes, “What I received I passed on to you as of first importance.” This is not to say that other issues are of no importance, just that they are not of first importance. Not taking a side on this issue is to take a side. To decide it is a matter of indifference is to risk having Jesus against you. In Romans 14:1 he instructs his readers not to pass judgment on “disputable matters.” On such issues Christians need to know their own mind and receive in fellowship those who differ. We might consider as examples of present day "disputable matters" issues like infant baptism, or our understanding of the end times. On such matters Christians are free to differ. But on matters of first importance we must remain in agreement if we are to be faithful to the gospel. There are five

Last week, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a case that could do for same-sex marriage what  Roe v. Wade  did for abortion-on-demand. What concerns me, besides the obvious prospect of having marriage permanently redefined in American law , is the impact of such a ruling on religious freedom . As you know from listening to BreakPoint, there is ample reason for concern on that score. Recent events have demonstrated that the clash between gay rights and religious freedom is a zero-sum game . That’s why a recent column by Frank Bruni of the New York Times concerned me so profoundly. From the start, Bruni, who is himself gay, demonstrates that he does not, or perhaps cannot, understand this issue. He begins by telling readers that he “chafes” at being called “a threat to your religious liberty.” He then goes on to dispute the idea that allowing “men who have romantic relationships with other men and maybe want to marry them” will somehow run roughshod over someone’s creed. In f

Official photographic portrait of US President Barack Obama (born 4 August 1961; assumed office 20 January 2009) (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) President Obama's re-election late last year ensured that the White House would continue to press the cause of gay marriage and deny the rights of religious institutions to conscientiously object to the Affordable Care Act. The Supreme Court's decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage act confirmed that Christians would need to shift strategies.  No longer could we press on the offensive for traditional marriage. We would need to enact an defensive strategy to protect the integrity of our schools, hospitals, and businesses. Next year's Hobby Lobby decision will be another key test.  Lest veteran believers see this shift as cultural retreat, new Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission president Russell Moore argues that younger Christians activists might be even more theologically conservative than their elder

Dec. 10, 2013 ( FRC ) - As the owner of Masterpiece Cakes, Jack Phillips is used to making batter. What he's not used to is being battered for his beliefs. Unfortunately for Jack, the two now go hand in hand under a ruling many would argue is its own masterpiece of religious intolerance. The case had been brewing since July 2012, when two homosexuals stormed out of Phillips's shop, irate that Jack wouldn't make a cake for their upcoming "wedding." Despite Jack's polite decline and an offer to sell them pastries for "any other occasion," Charlie Craig and David Mullins left the bakery determined to make an example out of the Christian owners. Hours later, the threatening phone calls started -- followed by  death threats , boycotts, protests outside the shop, and eventually, a lawsuit. For the 40-year-old business, a fixture of the Denver community for over a generation, it was a defining moment. "My decision not to participate in the gay w