"I think it's wrong, but I don't think it should be illegal."

 clipped from str.typepad.com

Making Abortion Illegal Will Reduce the Number of Abortions

Imagine a politician making the following statement:

"Personally, I believe slavery is wrong. However, I disagree with the suggestion that criminalizing slave owners and slave traders is an effective means of achieving the goal of reducing the number of slaves in our nation."

This would be a ludicrous statement. But Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius made a similar comment.

She said, "Personally I believe abortion is wrong, however, I disagree with the suggestion that criminalizing women and their doctors is an effective means of achieving the goal of reducing the number of abortions in our nation."

This modified pro-choice position is foolish, especially for the governor. She says her Catholic faith "Teaches me that all life is sacred." If abortion kills sacred human life, then shouldn't she want to make killing sacred human life illegal? After all, society usually outlaws methods of killing innocent human beings – abortion should be no exception.

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"Is it true?"

At stake is the central question, "Is it true?" There is only one reason to accept a religious position or a worldview . . . if it is true.

Also in question is one's understanding of "Faith." I was listening recently to a presentation by Greg Koukl from the organization Stand To Reason. In this presentation, he states that when we use the word "faith" in our modern context that it no longer communicates the concept of the original source word in Greek. The modern concept of faith is often understood as "blind faith" or taking a "leap of faith." It has taken on a mystical quality, as if to have faith means to believe "in spite of" the evidence to the contrary.

By contrast, the writers of the New Testament scriptures, faith, as they understood it, is trust because of what they knew for certain. The book of John says, "We testify that these things we are writing are true because we have seen them with our own eyes and heard them with our own ears." They don't say, "Just have faith." They offer evidence. In fact, if you will notice, Jesus does many of his miracles "so that you might believe." The evidence comes before the belief.

A key example would be when Jesus heals the crippled man in Mark 2. First he tells the man, "Your sins are forgiven." And then, "But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins..." he heals the man. Notice the word "know." He evidences his "invisible" qualities by giving "visible" evidence to corroborate his claims that he is God.

God is infinite. There are plenty of things about Him that we cannot know. But He has given us, or revealed, enough of Himself that is understandable to keep us amazed for many generations. Why would we fear knowledge when He is the creator of knowledge? Of course this is a position couched in trust. And this trust grows stronger with ever increasing knowledge of reality.

If the claims of Christianity are indeed what they claim to be, The Truth, then they need fear no challenge and in fact invite challenge by their very nature. Long enough have opponents of Christianity called it a religion of the weak minded. Bring it on! It's OK to say, "I don't know."  It is the best answer if it is true.  "But let me look into it and get back with you" should follow close behind.  Then go find the answer.  This is a great way to learn, and it is intellectually honest. And may we, as ambassadors for Christ, be prepared to offer an answer to the hard questions.

The effect of including "sexual orientation" in non-discrimination laws

 clipped from www.onenewsnow.com

Bakery displays morals, now faces eviction

Charlie Butts and Jody Brown - OneNewsNow - 9/30/2010 11:05:00 AM

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An Indianapolis cookie shop could be evicted from its longtime location for refusing a special order from a college homosexual group.

 

The bakery "Just Cookies" has operated in a city-owned market for over 20 years. The president of the board that oversees the market told the Indianapolis Star that he would "hate to lose them" as a tenant -- but that could very well happen because owner David Stockton took a moral stand and did not want to endorse homosexual activity.

 
Controversy arose this week after the owners of the bakery cited moral objections to a special-order request for rainbow-decorated cookies for next week's "National Coming Out Day" observance at a nearby university campus. Stockton told the caller he did not feel comfortable in supporting homosexual values, especially because it would not set a good example for his two daughters.

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Micah Clark of the American Family Association of Indiana says there are reports the city might evict Stockton, citing a local "anti-discrimination" statute.

 

"Indianapolis passed a sexual-orientation city ordinance five years ago," Clark explains. "...We warned [at that time] that this type of thing would happen if they passed an ordinance elevating a sexual behavior to the same moral equivalent of race or skin color."

 

Had the shop filled the special order, the owner felt he would be providing a microphone for homosexuals to celebrate their lifestyle. But there is another consideration, says Clark.

 

"If this were a Muslim-owned bakery, what would happen?" he wonders. "I don't think the city would pursue it the way they're pursuing it now. I think this is part of the liberal agenda where people must conform to the views that our culture wants in support of homosexuality."

 

In an interview with the Star, the AFA of Indiana spokesman argued for the rights of business owners. "It's one thing if someone walks into a store and buys a cookie off the shelf, but [the Stocktons] were being asked to become part of the [pro-homosexual] celebration. To make rainbow cookies for a special event with which the company has a disagreement -- I think that goes beyond the pale of what we should expect companies to do."

 

Meanwhile, homosexual groups are circulating memos encouraging people to stop purchasing at Just Cookies. Clark's response to that is to ask residents to do business there in support of the owners and their wholesome beliefs.

 
The Star reports the organizers of the homosexual celebration found another bakery to fill their order -- "The Flying Cupcake."

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