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Showing posts with the label Christian Citizenship

MAGA's Morality Problem

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert speaking with attendees at the 2021 AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Photo by Gage Skidmore (Source:  MAGA's Morality Problem | Shane Vander Hart )  By Shane Vander Hart When a voting base dismisses the importance of private virtue, we shouldn't be surprised when their leaders lack it. Elected officials having affairs and the like is not new, we've seen Republicans and Democrats caught in scandals. What is new, however, are those being dismissive or defensive of the behavior. Does personal morality and character matter when considering political candidates and elected officials? For me, for me that is an unequivocal yes. The MAGA movement disagreed excusing and elevating a serial adulterer to the White House. We are seeing the fruit of this position today. Continue here.

Why this pastor is running for office

Deevers said that there exists considerable precedent for pastors venturing into the political realm, especially during times of national crisis.  (Image: Dusty Deevers. - Source: The Sentinel )  By Ben Zeisloft - Posted at The Sentinel: Published September 5, 2023 Dusty Deevers said in an interview with The Sentinel that his church asked him to occupy his ministerial role as he pursues a civil role amid state and federal tyranny. Rarely does a campaign advertisement for a state Senate race draw significant viewership on social media. But when Dusty Deevers announced his run for the Oklahoma Senate, his launch video went viral because he revealed that he would serve as a lawmaker even as he continues his work as a pastor. Deevers said in an interview with  The Sentinel  that his church asked him to occupy both roles as state and federal tyranny threatens their flourishing as a community.   Deevers currently serves alongside a plurality of elders as a bivocational minister at Grace Com

Same Sex Marriage in 2023

 By John Hanna - Posted at Reformation 21: Towards the end of 2022, with passage of the federal law named, “The Respect For Marriage Act,” the subject of same-sex marriage reemerged as a prominent public issue. “How does two people getting married affect you?” supporters of same-sex marriage say. There have also been Christians effectively saying, “What’s the big deal? Why should we expect the government to pass laws requiring non-Christians to live as though they’re Christians?” While, in general, there can be truth to be heeded in these and similar statements - “mind your own business” has its rightful place after all! - the Christian’s participation in civil society, which includes the command to love our neighbor, does not limit our evaluation to what’s in our self-interest, i.e., what affects us. Furthermore, in this case, these and similar sentiments are missing the essence of the case that has been advanced in favor of same-sex marriage. Contrary to many arguments advanced in it

Social Welfare and the Biblical Remedy

Image Source:  FORGET NONE OF HIS BENEFITS   By Al Baker - Posted at Forget None Of His Benefits: “For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.” -2 Thessalonians 3:10 During the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920’s and 1930”s in New York City, a time where a rebirth of African American art, literature, and music occurred, many white celebrities frequented the Harlem entertainment centers, often staying there until after midnight. Invariably, without any fear for their safely, these white celebrities would walk the streets of Harlem without incident. The economist Milton Freedman, while a graduate student at Columbia University in New York City, often took his fianceé (later his wife) to dance the night away at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem without fear of being mugged or accosted. A black actress, after performing in midtown Manhattan, said that she would without fear take the subway back to Harlem and never

Pederasty and One Kingdom Theology

 By Al Baker - Posted at Forget None Of His Benefits: “For God is the King of all the earth. . . God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne.” –Psalm 47:7,8 Perhaps there has never been a more perverse, godless, and wicked time in which Jesus’ incarnation could have occurred. Pederasty was common in the Roman Empire. Older men routinely sought young boys for sex. Gymnasiums (the Greek word means naked) abounded in Rome and older men frequented the gymnasium to watch young boys compete naked in various athletic events, mainly wrestling, and choose one or two for their own sexual pleasure. While most men waited until their late twenties to marry, they could have a prostitute or slave woman as often as they wanted from the time they reached puberty. This was not considered adultery. Pederasty was not frowned upon at all. In fact most everyone believed women were inferior to men. Therefore real companionship and love could best occur between an older man and a young boy. Women

Power and One Kingdom Theology

 By Al Baker - Posted at Forget None Of His Benefits: “And He said to them, ‘This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer,’”  -Mark 9:29 Over Memorial Day weekend six people in Birmingham were shot and murdered, two of them in Fairfield and one in Bessemer. In one of the murders police say ninety rounds were fired within one minute. In Chicago, over the Memorial Day weekend fifty people were shot, ten of whom died. LGBTQ+ activists have called for a new campaign to warn corporate leaders not to bow to pressure from Christian groups and others who are calling for the boycott of Target, Bud Light beer, and other companies which have been pushing homosexuality and transgenderism. And in the midst of all our troubles the church seems unable to address with power the devastating effects of a nation which has forgotten God and has been drowning for many years in secularism, which is the absence of the Christian faith from the public arena. Secularism leads to the notion that Christianity

One Kingdom Or Two Kingdoms

 By Al Baker - Posted at Forget None Of His Benefits: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.” -Revelation 11:15 The link imbedded here is an interview President Biden recently did where he explains why he has always been for “same sex marriage”, as he calls it; and why he thinks laws hindering children from transgenderism are “next to sinful.” "It doesn't matter whether it's same-sex or a heterosexual couple, you should be able to be married." @POTUS joins @KalPenn to discuss his evolution on same-sex marriage, and how the government can protect the transgender community. pic.twitter.com/HqurEvVctE - The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) March 13, 2023 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Here’s my question—how should western Christians in the public square (at work, in dialoguing at neighborhood parties, or in political discussions) where Christianity has been the predominant world view for 15

A Challenge to the “Spirituality of the Church”

 By Larry Ball - Posted at The Aquila Report: Believers can publicly call out the evil, e.g., in abortion, homosexual marriage, and transgenderism, and in so doing honor God and fulfill their obligation to call the civil magistrate to repent. The term “spirituality of the church” has become one of those phrases that often stops all further conversation about the relationship between church and state. Few Christians ever question the meaning of the phrase. It assumes that the church should remain silent about all political matters. Although the expression does not appear in any of our confessional standards, it has become a doctrine of Presbyterianism as sacrosanct as any one of the five points of Calvinism. No one is allowed to challenge it without being labeled with a pejorative term. It is my contention that rightly understood, it can be a useful phrase, but if contextualized in terms of either dualistic Greek thought, or in terms of present-day secular pluralism, it is not only fa

BREAKING THE CYCLE OF INTERGENERATIONAL PERVERSITY

 Posted at Reformation Scotland: A failing health service, the social care timebomb, disregard for the safety of women and children, economic stagnation, the aftermath of the pandemic, immigration woes, a crisis in law and order, the deficiencies of our energy policy – yet even the boldest politicians seem to offer little more than sticking plasters, if not proposals that will positively make things worse. Even secular commentators are talking in terms of Britain’s “fall from grace” and expressing frustration at how little yield there is for our efforts. We seem to have inherited problems from the previous decades and generations which we cannot solve, while inheriting opportunities which we fail to exploit to our advantage. At the national level it is as if something is preventing us from achieving what we could. Yet this is not a new experience. In the 1600s commentators such as William Guthrie were keen observers of national trends and their analysis moved beyond the political and e

WHAT DOES THE WORSHIP OF IDOLS LOOK LIKE? — PART 1

The Worship of Mammon — 1909 painting by Evelyn De Morgan . By Citizen Tom: "When we choose to worship money, wealth, and material possessions, we put the pursuit of money, wealth, and material possessions ahead of God, and we don’t obey God’s command to love our neighbors. We love money, wealth, and material possessions too much to do that. "Do you know anyone who loves stuff more than they love people? Is it some rich guy who seems obsessed with making money? Try looking in a mirror. How do you vote? Do you know anyone who votes (or donates money to politicians) to put more money into their own pockets instead of for a responsibly balanced Federal budget? Have you ever seriously examined the ethics of Social Security, Medicare, Public Education, the Welfare State, National Defense, and so forth? Read the entire post here.  See also: WHAT DOES THE WORSHIP OF IDOLS LOOK LIKE? — PART 2 – Citizen Tom WHAT DOES THE WORSHIP OF IDOLS LOOK LIKE? — PART 3 – Citizen Tom WHAT DOES TH

The Reformed View of Nations

 By Reformation Miami Ministries - Posted at YouTube : Description: Posted Dec 1, 2022 Pastor Aldo Leon discusses a reformed view of nations with Pastor Benjamin Glaser of Bethany Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, Clover, South Carolina. ( https://bethanyarp.org/) . Our Podcast Archive is located at https://reformationmiami.org/got .

Iran’s Crisis and the Iranian Church

 By Hamid Hatami - Posted at TableTalk Magazine: Since September, the nation of Iran has been in a state of turmoil and pain. Iranian men and women, young and old, are in the streets crying for justice, freedom, and liberty from the dictatorship of the Islamic regime with one resounding slogan: “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi,” which means “Woman, Life, Freedom.” They have been motivated by sadness, anger, and grief. It is not the first time that Iranians have taken to the streets since revolution began in 1979. The current protests, however, are unlike any previous because they are not limited to a specific group or social class. Anti-regime protests have erupted in more than one hundred cities of all thirty-one provinces of Iran. These protests began in response to the death of twenty-two-year-old Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish girl who died in the custody of morality police after being detained for an alleged violation of improperly covering her hair. Over the course of the protests, revolutionary guard

Protecting Religious Liberty: Why Theonomy is Not the Answer

 By Dewey Dovel - Posted at Covenant Confessions: Growing up in the buckle of the Bible belt, I was always led to believe that the United States of America was “founded as a Christian nation.” While this misconception was rectified during my study of American history in high school, [1] the past ten years since graduation have revealed to me that many people in the South embrace this faulty conviction (especially in rural parts of Texas). Nevertheless, despite the competing opinions that exist regarding Christianity’s relationship to the founding of the United States, it seems inconceivable to identify twenty-first century America as anything remotely close to Christian. The legislating of gay marriage, [2] the promotion of drag queens at children’s birthday parties, [3] the prevalence of increasing racial hostilities, [4] and the disintegration of the nuclear family [5] are but a few alarming testimonies of rampant debauchery in America. If ever there was a time that the United S

“Christian Nationalism”: Dump the Term While We Still Can

By Larry Ball - Posted at The Aquila Report: I am opposed to adopting or using the term “Christian Nationalism” as a response to the present anti-Christian crusade. The term Christian Nationalist sends the wrong message to both those outside the church and those inside the church. Therefore, I simply do not use the term. I prefer the term Christendom. When I speak of Christendom, surprisingly most people in the church today have never heard of it. I find this ironic because America (with all her warts) at various times in history could be judged as an example of Christendom. We have been living off that borrowed capital for years, but it is hastily running out. America is at war—not literally as in the shedding of blood. At least, not yet. However, we have not been this divided since the advent of the Civil War. History does tend to repeat itself. It appears to me that total anarchy is on the horizon, and the 2024 presidential election could easily trigger this event. On the one

President Biden’s speech from Independence Hall and the “soul” of America

By Dr, Jim Denison - Posted at The Denison Forum President Joe Biden delivered a speech last night from Independence Hall in Philadelphia. I have been where he stood and was deeply moved by the experience. It was here, at the “ birthplace of America ,” that the Second Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Eleven years later, in the same room, delegates to the Constitutional Convention created the United States Constitution. In many ways, their work defined what the president called the “soul” of the nation, which he defined as “the breadth, the life and the essence of who we are.” In his view, that “essence” is under threat from what he called “MAGA Republicans” who “are determined to take this country backwards, backwards to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love.” He added that they “promote authoritarian leaders, and they fanned the flames of political violence that

Planned Parenthood to Spend Record $50 Million on 2022 Midterm Elections

By Milton Quintanilla - Posted at Christian Headlines: Published August 18, 2022 Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider, plans to donate $50 million towards the 2022 midterm elections in an effort to elect pro-choice candidates this November. The abortion giant first announced its massive spending plan and the launch of its new electoral spending program, "Take Control," in a press release on Wednesday. The group explained that the funds "will be strategically used to elect abortion rights champions across the country who are critical to protecting abortion access in a post-Roe world." According to Fox News , Planned Parenthood's initiative will first focus on buying ad space in Georgia, Nevada, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Arizona, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Michigan and Wisconsin. Continue here...

Reject political idolatry

 By Shane Vander Hart My church is currently doing a Bible study in the Book of Joshua. One of my favorite passages is in Joshua 5, as the new leader of the Israelites surveys the city of Jericho. Jericho is a walled city that the fledging, nomadic nation must overcome to start to take possession of the land that God promised He would give them over 40 years ago. "When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, 'Are you for us, or for our adversaries?" (Joshua 5:13, ESV). The "man" gives a loaded response. "And he said, 'No, but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come," (Joshua 5:14, ESV). He was not for the Israelites or the people of Jericho. He is the commander of the army of the LORD, and he's here now. Read more... See also: Civil Duties (Gentle Reformation)

Bruce Jenner, Transvestism, and Republicans: There is Nothing to Party About!

By Grant Van Leuven - Posted at Place for Truth : According to John Gill, ancient heathen soldiers who deserted their armies were forced to walk around in the marketplace dressed like women to be a humiliating punishment. [1] Nowadays, every June, men proudly prance down their American Main Street catwalks flouncing female garb. A year ago this month, tolerated among a California Republican Party gathering was gubernatorial candidate Mr. Bruce Jenner masquerading as a woman in name and clothing only. A conservative talk show radio host featured a website selfie posing with him to represent the station’s podcast event coverage (thankfully, later replaced upon request). More recently, Jenner was hired as a contributing analyst across all platforms for the supposed conservative voice, Fox News Media, [2] debuting with the popular self-avowed Christian host Sean Hannity. Yet God forbids transvestism as a horrid evil against Him to be shamefully shunned. [3] Deuteronomy 22:5 reads,

Why We Rejoice Over the Supreme Court’s Dobbs Decision

 By Tom Ascol - Posted at Founders Ministries: In the providence of God, the Supreme Court’s decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was handed down five days after I began an exposition of Romans 13:1-7 . My first sermon on that passage (which came during an ongoing study of the whole letter) involved an overview of it, outlining the argument that Paul makes and the way that he makes it. I also explained the nature of authority and the jurisdictional realms in which God has delegated His authority in His world, namely the home, the church, and the state. My sermon after that decision focused on verse 1, which states the thesis for the whole paragraph: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” Because God has instituted civil governments, everyone is obligated to be submissive to them. The idea of government and governmental authorities comes from God. This

Thank God Roe Is Gone, Now Let's Not Grow Weary

 By Daniel Darling - Posted at Christian Headlines: As expected, after the recent leak of Justice Alito’s opinion, the Supreme Court has reversed the Roe versus Wade decision. It’s hard to overestimate the significance of this decision, coming after almost fifty long, hard, excruciating years. Contrary to popular opinion, the end of Roe doesn’t mean every unborn life in America is protected, it doesn’t mean the end of abortion. But what this ruling does mean is that this issue can be debated and legislated by a democratic process rather than by judicial fiat. So, what now? How should faithful Christians respond now that Roe versus Wade has been reversed? First, we should take time to give thanks. I’m convinced Roe versus Wade will go down as one of the worst decisions in Supreme Court history, alongside decisions like Plessy, Dred Scott, and others. Roe’s reversal is a triumph of constitutionalism. We should rejoice that because of the courage of the five justices who voted to strike