You reap what you sow. It’s one of the principles by which God has ordered his creation. It’s true for a student, it’s true in our marriages, it’s true at the office. You reap what you sow. Most importantly, it’s true in the life of our faith. If we are sowing into a great relationship with God, we will reap a harvest. If we aren’t sowing, we will reap a harvest of a different kind.
Tag: Ethics
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Sermon: The sun and the match – John 13:18-30
Jesus is at the last supper with his disciples. In this passage, we learn that it’s Judas who will betray Jesus but – with the exception of John – the rest of the disciples are oblivious.
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Bachelorette talks about faith and premarital sex
ABC reality show the Bachelorette is in the news regarding a confrontation from bachelorette Hannah Brown and contestant Luke Parker. Brown is a professing Christian and Parker is a born again Christian. The subject of sex outside of marriage came up in a conversation. Parker said “let’s say you have had sex with one – or multiple – of these guys, I would be wanting to go home.”Brown says “I’ve had sex and Jesus still loves me.” Certainly Jesus is infinitely gracious. But we also should not take a casual attitude towards sin. Brown has received criticism from many Christians this week. I think her attitude is one that has become too common among professing Christians. We take anyone pointing us to Christians teachings as them judging us. And we treat “thou shalt not judge” as the first and only commandment that matters in the 21st century. (more…)
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Media treats being pro-life and pro capital punishment as moral paradox
Alabama governor Kay Ivey On Wednesday, Alabama passed the most restrictive abortion law in America. On the same day, Alabama also executed a man who was a participant in a grizzly quadruple murder in 1997.
It was interesting seeing how those two stories are being taken together in the media. The New York Times ran an article titled “a day after banning abortions, Alabama executes a murderer.” The LA times ran a headline that said, “Alabama’s antiabortion governor urges respect for life, will oversee 7th execution.”
I’ve hard this argument before levied against those who are pro life but also support the death penalty, as if it’s some sort of moral inconsistency. For the life of me, I don’t understand why this position should have to be defended.
It’s really quite simple. I believe a baby should be allowed to live. I believe a quadruple murderer should not.
I think that a person who supports abortion and opposes capital punishment is the one who needs to answer for that stance. Because it treats a murderer as being more deserving of life than a baby.
Some people oppose both abortion and capital punishment. I respect that view. There are a number of thoughtful arguments that can be made on that subject, and at least it has consistency to a moral principle.
I hold my view because I believe that life is precious. Every human is created in the image of God and is worthy of dignity. The most fundamental right that humanity has is the right to life (because all other rights presuppose a right to the life through with other rights are exercised.) And so I believe that a baby has the right to be born and to live.
If a person deprives someone else of their right to life, that is so wicked, so grotesque, so heinous of a thing to do that in the process of depriving someone of that right, the assailant has forfeited their right to life.
I don’t expect everyone to agree with my view, but that’s how I look at the issue.
As a Christian, the Old Testament certainly allows for capital punishment. Genesis 9:6 is a good example of this: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.”
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Josh Benner has a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He has served churches in Minnesota and Illinois. He enjoys writing about faith and culture. He lives with his wife Kari in St. Louis.
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Abortion rights activists increasingly radical
This week, the New York legislature voted 38-24 to expand the state’s abortion laws. Those in attendance gave this measure a standing ovation. Also this week, new Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker vowed to make the Land of Lincoln the most progressive state on abortion laws in America. States are competing for how radical they can be on abortion laws. Worldwide there were 41 million abortions last year.In 1996, President Bill Clinton said that abortion should be “safe, legal, and rare.”
And now, it is celebrated. (more…)
