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Defining and Defending Religious Freedom: A Helpful Acronym

5/28/2019

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Religious freedom is the cornerstone of American liberty.  Consequently, believe the Christian community and Americans in general must stand up and be counted in the struggle to maintain freedom of conscience in the country for all Americans.

Unfortunately, the rise of the ungodly through-out our society is placing religious freedom at great risk.  The answer to this challenge lies in the willingness of Christians to use the cherished freedom we still possess to fight for religious freedom.  We must engage the issue in the public marketplace of ideas and we must continually point out the deficient thinking of those who wish to punish those whom they disagree with on spiritual and moral issues.

Here is a tease from an excellent article by John Stonestreet and G. Shane Morris on this issue which contains a helpful acronym to assist with conversations defending religious freedom:


"We’ve not seen in the United States, at least in recent memory, so many efforts to force Christians to act in ways that violate their consciences. Almost always, these demands are made in the name of sexual freedom—whether we’re talking about nuns being forced to provide contraception, bakers and florists having to participate in gay weddings, or adoption agencies being forced to place kids with same-sex couples . . .

Free is an acronym that can walk you through an intelligent conversation about religious liberty.  F is for Forcing. Forcing people to go against their beliefs for no good reason is a bad thing. This is a premise that even most secular people should be able to get behind.

R stands for Reason. Is there a good reason to force a religious person to go against his or her belief in the case you’re discussing? And are there less burdensome alternatives to squashing this freedom, like using a bakery down the street or an adoption agency across town?

The first E is for Examples. Offer examples that the person you’re talking with may not have thought of or heard of. Should a Muslim t-shirt designer be forced to create shirts mocking the prophet Muhammad? Should an Orthodox Jewish club at a university be forced to admit Christians as officers? Should an LGBT baker be forced to bake a cake with anti-gay slogans?


The final E is one I think they’ll love: Equality. Christians who don’t agree with the new sexual orthodoxy should be equally free to live according to their faith, without being compelled to violate their consciences. Don’t hesitate to turn it around as a question: “If you think Muslims and Jews should have religious freedom in the examples we gave, why not Christians?”


Follow this link for the full article which includes recent research on the somewhat indifferent attitude toward religious freedom amongst the Christian community.


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What Happens in Hours Before Death?  Many Don't Know

5/23/2019

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The reason I am posting this article is to call attention to how folks generally avoid the subject of death.  What is true in the UK is going to be the general reality in every other nation.  Perhaps this article is just dealing with the need to be ready to offer end of life care as opposed to knowing nothing about end of life scenarios.

However, I would be much more concerned about what happens after death.  Sadly, most do not know where they are going the moment after physical death.  While gaining some knowledge on how to care for someone in the hours before death is important, it is off the greatest importance to help those in the last season of life to know heaven is their home when the day of death arrives.

When it comes to the subject of death the final authority is the Lord Jesus Christ.  He alone has the words of eternal life and furthermore he will execute the preliminary judgment of each person at the moment of death.  The Scripture teaches it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment.  At the moment of death a believer is immediately home with the Lord and the unbeliever is immediately separated from the presence of the Lord in a place generally referred to as hell.  This is an immediate judgment at the moment of physical death, but there is an additional judgment the Bible speaks of.

The believer must appear before the judgment seat of Christ to receive reward for works performed with a pure motive and love for Christ.  On the other hand, the unbeliever must appear before Christ at what is called the Great White Throne judgment (Rev. 20).  The unbeliever must face accountability for a life of sin and rebellion.  All who face this judgment never came to a place of repentance, thus they face full retribution for sin.  Their final destination is described as the lake of fire.

I urge you to seek the Lord until your heart possesses the full assurance of salvation.  If I can be of help to you please feel welcome to reach out to me.  It is a privilege to help others come to know Christ and come to a settled faith that replaces the fear of death with the certainty of heaven.

Here is the link to this article.  If you follow other links in the article itself I don't necessarily approve of the content you might end up reading.  However, it is helpful to understand what others say about death in the interest of being ready to share the truth with them about this most important question.



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20 Purchases That Buyers Almost Always Regret

5/22/2019

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Here is an interesting piece from MoneyTalksNews.  We all make purchases from time to time we may regret.  Of course some are of greater consequence than others.  There are several things you should do when considering a major purchase.

First, pray over your decision and ask the Lord for peace about the decision.  Next, ask advice from a number of people whom you trust before making the purchase.  Remember, in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

Next, avoid impulse decisions by waiting on the Lord for clear direction.  Failure to wait appropriately basically doesn't give the Lord any opportunity to provide real peace about the decision.

Also, always be sensitive to the clear statements of Scripture concerning your decision.  Never make a decision that violates Scripture.  This is another reason for an appropriate waiting period.  As you couple the Scriptures with your prayer over the matter it gives the Lord an opportunity to impart wisdom and guide you to HIs best regarding the decision.

Every believer should desire to be a faithful steward of the resources the Lord entrusts to their care.  Purchasing decisions that hinder faithful stewardship should be avoided.  

Perhaps the information found in this article will help you in some way to be a more faithful steward.  
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50 Ways the American Family Has Changed in the Last 50 Years

5/10/2019

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Here is an interesting article on how the American family has changed.  Unfortunately, the change has not been good.  In many ways this article documents our nation's drift from God.  You should check it out as it is insightful, albeit not very settling.

An important question comes up as you look at what is going on in our family life.  Is the church any different from the world when it comes to family life?  Of course we are supposed to be as we model the will of God before a watching world (Rom. 12:2).

If you profess to know Christ as Savior, then as much as depends upon you strive to build your family life on the 
Word of God.  Be careful lest you neglect obedience to clear instructions from God's word.  And remember, selective obedience is not how a believer builds a strong family.
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Trump Announces New Protections for Religious Liberty, Conscience on National Day of Prayer

5/5/2019

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President Trump continues his relentless efforts to protect religious freedom in America with his latest announcement during the recent National Day of prayer observance.

The President said, 
“Just today, we finalized new protections of conscience rights for physicians, pharmacists, nurses, teachers, students, and faith-based charities,” Trump said at a White House Rose Garden event with faith leaders from across the country on hand for the National Day of Prayer. “They’ve been wanting to do that a long time.”
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Every American “has the absolute right to live according to the teachings of their faith and the convictions of their heart,” the president said. “This is the bedrock of American life. To protect this heritage, my administration has strongly defended religious liberty.”

Every American should support the President's efforts to protect religious freedom in our country.  Religious freedom is the cornerstone of our country, without it the American experiment is over.  Regardless of political persuasion this should be an issue that unites us all.

The full article is available here.

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