Sexting: the latest teen cell phone craze

Posted on December 18, 2008 by Tim Farley
Girl using cell phone

Girl using cell phone

Hey parents.  Are you sure you want your teenager to have their own cell phone?  If so, are you sure you want to give them that unlimited texting package too?

A recent survey suggests that a large number of teens and young adults are finding a high-tech way of flirting and sharing suggestive photos and videos of themselves.  Almost all cell phones are now equipped with a camera.  Most of those cameras can also take short video footage.  Combine the ability to take photos and video with the ability to send the photos and videos to someone else via a text message and what do you get?  You get a disappointing trend among teens and young adults where sexually explicit media is being shared.  Surprisingly (at least to me), females are more likely to send suggestive photos/videos of themselves to a male friend than a male is to a female.

If you thought monitoring your child’s sexual trends used to be difficult, how are parents supposed to handle this new trend?  What do you think?

Posted in Culture | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

While we’re at it, why not give them something to eat?

Posted on December 15, 2008 by Tim Farley
A homeless person in the U.S.

A homeless person in the U.S.

Missionaries in foreign countries often create the opportunity to share the gospel with people by first meeting the physical needs of the people they are trying to reach. They go in and offer food, medical care, and shelter to those who are lacking. They share God’s love for them in tangible ways and then tell the people of God’s love and the sacrifice that was made for them through Jesus Christ.

Why does this practice seem to be limited to foreign missions? There are many homeless and struggling people right here in the U.S. who could use the same tangible expressions of love from the Church. Would someone not be more open to hearing about God’s love for them from someone who just showed them love? As Christians, we must realize that loving people by caring for their needs is not separate from sharing God’s word with them. In fact, the two should be inseparable. We cannot do either fully without the other.

For those thinking that the homeless situation in the U.S. is not real, or that it only pertains to alcoholic men, read this article from the Santa Maria Times in Santa Maria, CA. It suggests that many of the homeless are single women with children. How can we ignore them?

Posted in Gospel, World Hunger | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

We criticize Burger King, but are we doing enough?

Posted on December 10, 2008 by Tim Farley

Burger King is being criticized for its latest add campaign.  Follow the link below to see a video that discusses the controversy.

http://www.yahoo.com/s/1000014

While it may be true that Burger King could have been more sensitive to world hunger, we have to ask ourselves, “Have I done enough?”  It is easy to point our finger at others, especially when the “other” is an impersonal corporate entity, but we should all probably be pointing the finger at ourselves.

How can we claim to care about world hunger when we pass by the hungry in our own neighborhoods every day?  It is easy to say “they only want money for drugs” or “they probably make more money than me” or “they are just too lazy to work.”  How do we know?  Is it possible that some of the people we pass by each day are in genuine need of help?

Scripture is clear in its commands to care for the needy of our world.  I leave you with just one quote:

“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?  Can that faith save him?  If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?  So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:14-17, ESV)

Posted in World Hunger | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Christianity Today Examines Newsweek’s Article on Gay Marriage

Posted on December 10, 2008 by Tim Farley

Hey everyone.  In my last post, I asked you what you thought of Newsweek’s article on gay marriage.  Well, here are two articles from Christianity Today that examine that article from a conservative Christian perspective.  The links are below.

 http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/decemberweb-only/150-21.0.html

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/september/11.36.html

Tell me what you think after reading.  Which side makes a better case?

Posted in Gay Marriage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Christianity Today Examines Newsweek’s Article on Gay Marriage

Newsweek enters the theological debate

Posted on December 8, 2008 by Tim Farley

It looks like Newsweek has decided to enter the theological debate concerning gay marriage.  Check out this story regarding the current issue’s cover story:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20081208/pl_politico/16305

Share your thoughts.  What do you think about Newsweek printing this article?  Would you be likely to change your biblical views based upon an article found in Newsweek magazine?

The Newsweek article can be found at the link below:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/172653

Do you think the article is fair in its discussion of the issue(s)?  Do you find the article convincing?  What does / does not convince you?

Posted in Gay Marriage | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

We’re all sexual deviants

Posted on December 8, 2008 by Tim Farley

This post is to serve as a balance to my last three posts on homsexuality and gay marriage.  It is a reminder to all of us that we are all broken and in need of grace and forgiveness.

Genesis chapters 1 and 2 recount for us the creation of all things and God’s intended design for our relationships with him, fellow human beings, and the rest of creation.  Genesis 2:18-25 specifically informs us of God’s intended design for sex and marriage.  This passage tells us that God custom-fashioned woman as the perfect compliment for man after there was no other compliment found in all of creation fit for him.  It also tells us that man and woman are meant to “hold fast” to one another and become “one flesh.”  These phrases describe the marriage union for us in that it is supposed to be permanent (“holding fast”; or “cleaving” in some translations).  It is also supposed to be between a man and woman, which we realize because God just finished designing the woman especially for man and only a man and a woman can properly form the “one flesh” union that is pictured in this passage.

It is also worth pointing out that sexual union (becoming “one flesh”) is only proper after the marriage union (“holding fast”) in this passage.  Polygamy is ruled out here as well, as a “one flesh” union is not possible with more than one man and/or woman.

When sin enters the world in Genesis 3 everything is impacted.  All three basic relationships are distorted.  Our relationship with God is broken and we turn to idols of different kinds.  Our relationship with one another is broken and we turn to self-interest.  And our relationship with the earth is broken and instead of caring for the creation, we seek to exploit it for personal benefit.

If we seek to understand how the curse of sin impacted God’s original design for sex and marriage, we do not have to look far.  In the Old Testament law, there are laws concerning bestiality, rape, sex with close family members, adultery, and homosexual acts.  The effects of sin to the created order are apparent.  When we read the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:27-28, we get an even greater understanding of sin’s impact on our sexuality:

“You have heard it said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’  But I say to you that everyone that looks at a woman with lustful intent has already commited adultery with her in his heart.”

These words should be sobering when we realize the implications.  Anything that is against God’s created order is considered “deviant” by definition.  Jesus says here that not only is adultery wrong, but so is lust.  Have you ever lusted?  Remember God’s intended design for sex?  It is supposed to be between a man and a woman AFTER marriage.  Have you ever had pre-marital sex?  The Bible tells us that being addicted to anything is wrong.  Are you addicted to sex (some are)?

It is easy to point the finger at those who practice bestiality, pedophiles, and homosexuals and say “you dirty sinner.”  However, we must realize that those who are addicted to sex, have pre-marital sex, and/or lust over another are “dirty sinners” as well.  I am pretty sure that we all fit into these categories somewhere or another.  That means, according to the Bible, we are all sexual deviants.

I hope we can all realize our own struggle with sin and need for forgiveness.  As we do, I hope we can remember to show more grace, respect, and genuine love for one another as we all struggle with our own brokenness and need for God’s restoration.  As Christians, we can never accept sinful activity as OK, but we can seek to genuinely love our neighbors and help them understand the restoration that is made possible through Jesus Christ.

Posted in Gay Marriage, Worldview | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Is gay marriage a “right”?

Posted on December 7, 2008 by Tim Farley

It is often argued that gay marriage is simply a matter of justice.  It is stated, “Just as it is wrong to discriminate against a person based upon color, gender, class, or ethnicity, it is also wrong to discriminate based upon sexual preference.”

Homosexuals have a valid point in that all people are created in the image of God.  There is no exception to this fact.  Therefore, all people deserve to be treated with decency and respect as human beings.  To put an end to slavery, racial prejudice and the oppression of women is to affirm that all people are fellow image-bearers (Genesis 1:27).  Discrimination of this type goes outside of the created design, which informs us that all people are created equal.  We should do all we can to abolish discrimination that holds that some classes of people are sub-human.

However, to call it injustice when society refuses to recognize same-sex relationships as equal to heterosexual marriage is invalid.  Humans may not claim as a “right” what God has not given them.  God specifically created marriage as the union between a man and a woman and to go beyond this is to go beyond the bounds established by God at the creation of the world (Genesis 2:18-25). 

In every case, we must determine the Creator’s intention and follow it.  In marriage, the created design is the union of a man and a woman.

I know many will read this and say, “What do I care what the Bible says or what you think about the created design?”  Well, all I will say is this:  If there is no God and there is no created order, then you have no inherent rights, only what society decides to give you.  There is no right or wrong, only public opinion.  I would much rather go with God’s way.

Posted in Gay Marriage | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Christianity, Proposition 8 and Separation of Church and State

Posted on December 5, 2008 by Tim Farley

The Associated Press reports that a recent poll shows that religion is the primary reason for the gay marriage ban in California.  Lisa Leff of the Associated Press wrote in her article:

The ban drew its strongest support from both evangelical Christians and voters who didn’t attend college, according to results released Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California.

Age and race, meanwhile, were not as strong factors as assumed. According to the poll, 56 percent of voters over age 55 and 57 percent of nonwhite voters cast a yes ballot for the gay marriage ban.

People who identified themselves as practicing Christians were highly likely to support the constitutional amendment, with 85 percent of evangelical Christians, 66 percent of Protestants and 60 percent of Roman Catholics favoring it.

On the Christianity Today political blog, one commentor wrote:

This poll offers the most solid evidence to date that Proposition 8 is an unconstitutional injection of a religious doctrine condemning homosexuality into the California Constitution, in clear violation of the federal constitutional ban on entanglement of government with religion.

What do you think?  Is this a violation of separation of Church and State?  Share your thoughts.  What place, if any, does religion have in the political arena?

Posted in Gay Marriage | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Am I intolerant if I believe gay marriage is wrong?

Posted on December 4, 2008 by Tim Farley

As I sat and listened to two college-age students discuss the outcome of the elections a few days ago, I was not surprised when I heard the conversation turn to Proposition 8.  (For those not in California, Proposition 8 was the gay marriage amendment that was on the ballot for the 2008 election.  Those who supported Prop. 8 were those who supported the traditional definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.  Those who were against the proposition were supporters of recognizing unions between same-sex partners as a legal marriage with all of the legal benefits.)  During the discussion of the two college girls, it became apparent to me that they were surprised and disappointed that Proposition 8 had passed (meaning that marriage in California would be defined as between a man and a woman).  They began to criticize those who voted for the measure as being “intolerant” and “bigots.”  They specifically mentioned that Evangelical Christians were to blame.

As an Evangelical Christian, I ask, “Am I intolerant because I believe gay marriage is wrong?”  I have always thought of myself as tolerant, but I did vote for Proposition 8.

Before you answer, consider the definition of “tolerance”.  Webster’s defines tolerance as the “sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one’s own.”  (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tolerance)

When I voted, I voted according to my belief that same-sex marriage is wrong.  I have a strong conviction that marriage is intended only for a man and a woman as defined biblically.  You may disagree.  You have the right to disagree.  Tolerance does not mean that we have to agree on everything.  It means that we must accept one another even if we do not agree.

Tolerance is a two-way street.  I may not like your beliefs, but I need to respect the fact that you are entitled to them.  You may not like what I believe, but you have to respect that I am entitled to my beliefs as well and can exercise those beliefs at the polls when given the opportunity.  When someone says a person does not have the right to vote according to what he or she believes to be true, that is intolerance.

So, is it fair for gay marriage supporters to cry “intolerance?”  Maybe they should exercise a little of the tolerance they preach.  You may think I am wrong about gay marriage.  That does not make me intolerant.  It only means I have a different view than you.

Posted in Gay Marriage, Worldview | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The gospel: it’s bigger than us.

Posted on December 2, 2008 by Tim Farley

A wrong understanding of the gospel leads to an undervaluing of the earth.  A wrong understanding of the gospel leads us to thinking that the sole purpose for our existence is to “win souls” and that nothing else outside of humanity matters to God.  This is not the gospel of the Bible!  While it is important to proclaim the word of God to all people, there is also more.

Prior to my time in seminary, I had never heard anyone speak about how all-encompassing the gospel truly is.  It is the story of redemption.  It is the story of God restoring everything that was broken, distorted, or impacted in any way by the Fall.  In Genesis chapter one we read that God created everything and that it was “good”.  In fact, after declaring that what God had made was good six times, chapter one ends by saying that “it was very good”.  In this good creation, God made mankind in the image of himself and gave him stewardship over all the earth (Gen. 1:26-28).  These verses alone point to the three fundamental relationships that human beings have.  First, he has a special relationship with his Creator whose image he bears.  He also has a special relationship with other humans as fellow image-bearers.  And last, mankind has a special relationship with the earth, which he was created from in Gen. 2:7 and told to have dominion over in Gen. 1:28.

Unfortunately, God’s good creation did not stay so good.  In chapter 3, we read about mankind’s rebellion against God and the ramifications of this fall.  The result of our sin is that the three foundational relationships were broken / distorted.  Our relationship with God is broken (we have turned to idolatry), our relationship with other people is broken (we have become self-centered), and our relationship with the earth is broken (rather than care for it, we exploit it for personal gain).

The rest of Scripture tells the story of how God is restoring his good creation to its original goodness.  The central figure in the story is Jesus Christ, who came to this earth as a sacrificial offering to atone for the sins of humanity.  The curse of the Fall could not end without a sacrifice to pay the penalty.  Christ died in order that we may be given new life and once again have the relationship with God we were designed to have in Genesis 1.  This restoration also makes it possible for us to have relationships with other people as we were intended to have.  This is where Christ’s command to love God and your neighbor as yourself fits into the entire story of Scripture.

Christ did not die solely for humanity, but for all of creation.  Romans 8:19-23 reads:

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.  And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for the adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.  (ESV)

These verses tell us that the entire creation longs for the day it will be set free from the curse of sin.  All of creation groans, along with mankind, for restoration.  The ending to the story of the Bible is that God wins!  He eliminates the curse of sin and he restores his creation to its original goodness.  Revelation 21:1-5 reads:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.  He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”  (ESV)

The story of the Bible is Creation – Fall – Redemption – Restoration.  In the end, God removes the curse of our sin from his creation and makes “all things new.”  It is a beautiful story.  God became man to die for our sin, but he did so not only restore us, but his entire creation.  If he loves his entire creation this much and has in his plans its ultimate restoration, should we not as Christians have a deep love for all of creation as well?  The gospel is bigger than us and it has implications for all of life.

Posted in Environment, Gospel, Worldview | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments