Why you need to read "God’s Crime Scene" by J. Warner Wallace.

Faith Actually highly recommends Cold-Case Christianity author J. Warner Wallace's newest apologetics book, on shelves next month. God’s Crime Scene unravels the greatest mystery of all time—the creation of the universe—walking readers through the cold, hard evidence for the very basis of the Christian faith, and equipping readers to defend it with confidence and factual accuracy.

J. Warner, a seasoned cold-case homicide detective and adjunct professor of apologetics at Biola University, was previously an ardent and vocal atheist during his first years in law enforcement. He always considered himself to be an "evidentialist," convinced that truth is tied directly to evidence. But when, at the age of thirty-five, J. Warner took a serious and expansive look at the evidence for the Christian worldview, he determined that Christianity was indeed demonstrably true after all.

Now a steadfast defender of the faith, J. Warner's skilled and comprehensive analysis of the evidence for biblical truth undermines the claims of many that Christianity is a "blind faith" that doesn't stack up against the facts.

God's Crime Scene is indeed a unique apologetics overview in which J. Warner takes an investigative, evidential approach to the universe as a crime scene. The author walks the reader through the "inside the room or outside the room" methodology used by homicide detectives, which he applies in his investigation of the broad evidence for God's design. He challenges the reader to examine eight important pieces of evidence common to our human observations and experience to discern whether pure unguided naturalism or supernatural intervention best accounts for the evidence at the "crime scene." In doing so, J. Warner masterfully uncovers the compelling evidence for the existence of God and His intelligent design of the universe, drawing from a broad range of philosophical, cosmological, scientific, and moral evidence to build a bold, logical case for the biblical worldview.

J. Warner's book expertly boils down mounds of complex evidence into digestible chunks suitable for the non-specialist, as well as the experienced layperson. Harnessing the important work of the Intelligent Design movement, he looks at a number of key issues, including the remarkable fine-tuning found in the cosmos, the irreducible complexity of biological systems, and the awe-inspiring world of DNA and genetic information. He delves into key philosophical questions such as: "Are moral truths an illusion?" and refutes the myth that moral truths are merely the product of individual beliefs or culture by laying out an evidence-based case for absolutes over relativism. He demonstrates that while our brains and central nervous systems are the stuff of empirical measurement and observation, our emotions, sensations, thoughts, and desires are not, proving attempts to provide merely materialistic explanations of such things to fall down in face of the evidence.

Why should Christians read this book?

Faith Actually has long contended that lazy-mindedness is both unbiblical and dangerous. Biblical truth is worshipfully mind-stretching—not mind-emptying. As believers we must not neglect Jesus' command to love God with our minds as well as our hearts and souls (Matt 22:37). Scripture teaches us that using our minds—our conscious understanding and our God-given ability to exercise reason, discernment, and sound judgment—is a crucial part of our Christian faith (Matt 22:37; Luke 10:27; Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 10:3-6; Phil 2:5). In this vein, Christians are called to respond thoughtfully, with grace- and truth-based wisdom, to the world around us.

Today, many young Christians are growing up without a clear biblical worldview and any training in apologetics. Therefore, they lack the ability to defend, sustain, and live out their faith in a world that has rejected biblical truth. Undoubtedly, the post-modern tendency to base beliefs on feelings and experience over reason and understanding is partly to blame. And, it's certainly hard to stay grounded in a fast-paced, over-stimulated culture in which our time is short and our attention-span, shorter. Many Christians, overwhelmed by life's frantic pace, are turning to touchy-feely, quick-fix spirituality—or as I also like to refer to it, cotton candy for the soul. And for many of those in pursuit of the quick-fix, there's no time for discernment; if it sounds right, it probably is right. If a celebrity pastor tweeted it, it's gospel. If a bestselling self-help author posted it, it's gotta be enlightened. If the word, love, is thrown in there enough times, then it must be loving. Inner truth? I'm sure that's in the Bible somewhere...No time to look it up on BibleGateway though. Apologetics, sound theology, and a clear biblical worldview, however, serve to protect us from false teaching and spiritual confusion.

Additionally, lazy-minded Christianity becomes a stumbling block for the questioning unbeliever. If the Christian testimony can't hold up under scrutiny, why would any thinking person believe it? Certainly, training in apologetics and a clear, well-reasoned understanding of the biblical worldview are vital tools of evangelism in a culture that attempts to make a mockery of God. For as the Apostle Peter exhorts us, we must "always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you." (1 Peter 3:15). And there is lots of God-given evidence to make use of.

In times like these, it's authors like J. Warner Wallace whom we need to turn to. His expertise in investigative research and detective work have been used by God to produce an invaluable apologetics resource that will both build the believer's faith and boldly challenge the unbeliever's lack of it. God's Crime Scene is a thought-provoking, informative, and insightful book that should be in the hands of every believer.

Gay Marriage and the New Normal: Should Christians Judge Others?

When asked the general question, "Should Christians judge others?" many Christians quickly answer, "no." Due to the endless fight against hypocrisy and legalism in our churches, and perhaps in an effort to disassociate ourselves from the antiquated "hellfire" approach of relatively recent history, many Christians today want to throw off their reputation for being judgmental and dogmatic. When hot-button, celebrity-studded stories of gender transitioning and violated LGBTQ[1] rights dominate the headlines against a cultural backdrop of political correctness and moral relativism, many of us are reluctant to speak up. The world has already pegged Christians as closed-minded, rigid, and bigoted (and in a few cases, rightly so). Why would we want to perpetuate this unflattering portrayal any further? Besides, isn't it more Christ-like to love, and not condemn, our neighbors?

In fact, a growing number of Christian leaders are now discouraging a biblical discussion of such issues so as not to alienate people from the Church or be deemed insensitive. Megachurch pastor, Andy Stanley, for example, has called for churches to be the "safest" place in the world for gay people. Indeed, many practicing gay members attend his "seeker-friendly" church in Georgia (one of the largest megachurches in the country). Stanley's approach in befriending the LGBTQ community, stands in direct contrast to his father's, Pastor Charles Stanley, who has caused much ire within the gay community for openly calling out homosexuality as a sinful lifestyle. A similar outlook has been expressed by Jen Hatmaker—a pastor's wife, reality TV star, and popular mom-blogger—who put it this way when it comes to gay marriage: "We do not need any more inflammatory soldiers in the culture wars; we need more thought leaders who are slower to publicly condemn their faithful [practicing gay] brothers and sisters and quicker to invite reason and dialogue to the table."[2]

Admittedly, the Christian community itself is far from immune to sexual scandal. The Church has been dogged by story after debauched story of sex crimes and abuse...from former National Association of Evangelical president and megachurch pastor, Ted Haggard, sleeping with a male prostitute and taking crystal meth to countless sexual abuse and rape cover-ups such as those coming to light in Christian campuses like Bob Jones University, Pensacola Christian College, and Cedarville University, the list goes on. And on the heels of mortifying headlines involving the Duggars, any judgment from within the Church against the LGBTQ lifestyle raises the bright red flag of hypocrisy in the eyes of many. In the face of all this, who are we to judge?

And so, more and more well-intentioned Christians are setting out to be inclusive, unoffensive, accepting, and tolerant. They strive to love their neighbor without passing judgment. For isn't this what Jesus meant, when He said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”?

Not exactly. While it's tempting to come up with a quick, soundbitey answer to the question, there's a little more to it than that. As always, a comprehensive and contextual reading of the passage is needed to discern what Scripture is actually saying here. Jesus said, "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." (Matt 7:1-5). In the passage, Jesus is denouncing self-righteous, hypocritical judgment of others without having a repentant, humble heart oneself.

A similar lesson is taught by Paul to the Roman believers, "So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother." (Rom 14:12-13). Paul is rebuking unfair judgment of others in the context of quarreling over divisive, legalistic matters, as the Romans had been doing.

We see the same lesson echoed in the epistle of James: "Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, He who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?" (James 4:11-12). The act of wrongfully judging here is discussed in the context of speaking evil against other believers—as opposed to building one another up by speaking the truth in love.

In this vein, Scripture is clear that we are not to judge another person's standing before God or their salvation, for only God can truly know the condition of a person's heart; Paul writes, "Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God." (1 Cor 4:5).

But as we look further into Scripture, we find that many times we are actually called to judge others. Paul, for example, urged the Corinthians in no uncertain terms that they were to judge the immoral behavior of those within their church; "Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. 'Purge the evil person from among you.'" (1 Cor 5:12-13). And in the passage above from Mathew's Gospel, when Jesus calls us to first examine ourselves and to repent of our own sin, He goes on to indicate that this is the prerequisite for correctly judging the sin of a brother (Matt 7:5).

In fact, Jesus consistently encourages us to exercise righteous judgment, repeatedly warning us to watch out for false prophets in our midst, for example. And Paul tells us to "test everything" (1 Thess 5:21); We are to judge every teaching, holding it up against God's Word, like the "noble" Berean Jews were commended for in the Book of Acts. For Scripture warns us that, "the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." (2 Timothy 4:3-4). It is crucial, then, that we cling to sound judgment in a world of deceit in which Satan masquerades as an angle of light (2 Cor 11:13-15).

In response to the Jews who judged Him wrongly for healing a man on the Sabbath, Jesus said, "Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly." (John 7:24). And so, it is not the act of judging others itself that Jesus condemns, but it is the nature of, or heart-motivation for, that judgment with which He is concerned.




Judgmentalism Versus Sound Judgment

Throughout Scripture, there is a clear distinction drawn between two contrasting natures of judgment; judgmentalism (being excessively critical) is decried, while sound judgment (exercising wise discernment) is strongly prescribed. While humility is at the essence of sound judgment, judgmentalism is motivated by pride. Sound judgment is permeated with an acute awareness that it is by God's grace that we are saved, so that we cannot boast in our own strength. We can exercise sound, righteous judgment purely because our righteousness is in Christ. Judgmentalism, however, is self-righteous—and is not, therefore, of God.

Jesus made this clear when he said to those who were muttering about Him in the temple, "If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of Him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood." (John 7:17-18). Jesus demonstrates here that judgmentalism is motivated by the pursuit of self-glory, whereas sound judgment is motivated by a desire for God's glory.

Because, as children of God, we are able to judge righteously, the way we judge each other will be different from the way we judge the fallen, unrighteous world. For Scripture also draws a careful distinction between the different contexts of judgment in addition to the different natures of judgment. It's useful to take a deeper look at how Scripture treats these contexts before we can provide a complete and biblical answer to the question: should Christians judge others

Context: Judging Other Believers

While there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Rom 8:1), there does need to be accountability among believers. Jesus taught that if a believer sees another believer sinning, it is his Christian duty to [lovingly and respectfully] confront him about his sin in private. If the believer doesn't listen, Jesus taught that the church should then be involved. And if he still doesn't listen, he should be treated as someone outside of the church—like a "pagan" or "tax collector" (Matt 18:15-17). In other words, he should be treated like someone who is lost.

This in no way implies we should pretend everything's okay and smooth things over when a sinning believer is unrepentant. We should forgive that person, yes. But not reconcile with that person. As demonstrated by the parable of the prodigal son, it is when sincere repentance occurs that reconciliation can follow. Forgiveness, on the other hand, is not contingent on repentance. We are all sinners. We should extend the same grace and forgiveness to others that God has extended to us. There is an important distinction between forgiveness and reconciliation.

A common mistake Christians make, however, is to confuse the act of incorrectly, unfairly judging another (which Jesus exposes in John 7) with that of holding another accountable (which He lays out in Matthew 18). The end-goal of the former is alienation and revenge; the end-goal of the latter is the hope for repentance and reconciliation.

Again, it's the motivation behind our judgment of another believer that really matters. If we aren't primarily motivated by our love of God and others, we can too easily be over-critical of other Christians or harsh with our handling of the truth. If our motive is to prove that we are right about something, to take out our insecurities on someone else, or to undermine another believer who has hurt us, we are being wrongfully judgmental. But if our motivation is to gently point that person back to the truth from which they may have strayed, and admonish them with the hope they have in Christ, our judgment of them is righteous. As Jesus lays out for us, we are to first examine ourselves with humility, before judging another (Matt 7:1-5). And we need to ask ourselves: am I judging for self-gain or God's glory?

Exercising righteous judgment is necessarily merciful, "for judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment." (Jas 2:13). This is the essence of the gospel, isn't it? So, we are to judge sin, but always with the goal of presenting the gospel-centered solution for that sin in the atoning love of Christ (John 14:6; 2 Cor 5:17).

And exercising righteous judgment involves patience. It calls for us to be slow to speak and quick to listen. It's important not to tip the balance from speaking the truth in love into nit-picking at people or hitting them over the head with THE TRUTH. If our love of God and people is our main motive for judging others, this should cause us to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in discerning when we should speak and when we should remain silent. Sometimes, I have found that holding my tongue with regards to a friend's sinful pattern of behavior and praying for them has born more fruit than if I had confronted them right then and there. And we should certainly have patience with some one who is suffering from depression or mental illness—it's important to recognize where no-strings support should begin, and accountability end, in these cases.

As exercisers of sound judgment, we should also live by example. If we are truly humble, we will have a teachable heart ourselves and allow others the same freedom to speak truth to us when needed. Exercising judgment should go both ways! We have to be willing not only to give it, but to receive it as well, remembering always that the end-goal is not a guilt-trip, but repentance and, where possible, reconciliation.

So how do we handle LGBTQ issues within the Church? 1 Corinthians 5 provides a great model for how to confront sexual immorality among Christians; Paul exhorts the Corinthian believers to purge the evil from their church by not associating themselves with the couple who were engaging in a sexually immoral (incestuous) relationship, until they repented.

With regards, then, to practicing homosexuals who are professing Christians, the method of welcoming them in without gently holding them accountable, doesn't seem to gel with 1 Corinthians 5 or Matthew 18. It's important to show them love, yes. But what does love look like in this context? Is it acting as if there's no issue with their lifestyle and making church a "safe" place to remain as they are? Is it tolerating the open practice of sexual sin within the church, whether it be promiscuity, infidelity, incest, pornography, or homosexuality?

The truth is, it is not unloving to hold a believer accountable for his or her sinful lifestyle (whatever form it may take). To leave believers trapped in a sinful lifestyle without consequence is unloving. With all due respect to Pastor Andy Stanley, Scripture does not call for churches to be the "safest" place in the world for those practicing homosexuality. Most loving, yes. Safest, no. Because what may feel "safe" to those trapped in a sinful lifestyle, isn't often what's best for them; heart convictions can be unsettling, and dying to self, uncomfortable. But the Lord disciplines those He loves (Heb 12:6; Prov 3:12). In the same way, we should hold those we love accountable for their sinful lifestyle.

On the flip-side, it's important to let go of any bitterness or hatred against gay Christians that could become a foothold for Satan in our own hearts. God's wrath is enough. Instead, we should fear for their hardened, confused, or unrepentant hearts and pray for them.

But, when it comes to those who've committed very disturbing crimes like child-abuse, we need to act—and fast. For as Christians we are to be upholders of justice (Heb 11:33) and to correct oppression (Isa 17:1), contending for the weak, poor, and vulnerable members of our society. Therefore, we should always judge child-abusers righteously and hold them accountable for their actions—whoever they are. Sex-offenders and child-abusers should immediately be reported to legal authorities to face the consequences for their crimes. And the onus should never be placed on the victim to reconcile with the abuser. (If this does occur, it has to be at the behest of the victim, not the abuser or the church). And abusers should never, ever be protected or concealed by the Church as the Roman Catholic Church was accused of doing a few years ago when archbishops, cardinals, and bishops allegedly harbored known pedophile and ephebophile priests, relocating them to other parishes while keeping their identities secret—and allowing countless other children to be victimized as a result. This was not only shockingly poor judgment on part of the church leadership, but an inexcusable travesty of justice.

The same sadly goes for then 14- and 15-year-old Josh Duggar; his parents should have reported the multiple incidents of sexual abuse of several minors to police immediately, not have dealt with it all secretly behind church walls, and proceeded to wait over a year to alert local authorities. I am not questioning whether or not Josh was rehabilitated or counseled effectively here. He should have had church counseling (although widely accused sex-offender Bill Gothard's Quiverfull ministry hardly seems the appropriate place for this—not to mention the personal friend and ex-cop the Duggars enlisted to talk to Josh at the time who is now in prison for child-pornography). I am questioning the fact that Christians yet again concealed a sex-crime instead of handling it transparently and with sound judgment. Josh needed to face the consequences for his crimes as a member of society, not just as a member of the church. This may sound harsh, but it is sadly what his grave mistakes called for. The mess that this tragic situation became was, in my opinion, the result of an unhealthy, cult-like form of closed-doors Christianity, which the Quiverfull movement, and the Roman Catholic Church, have sadly represented in these cases.

Accountability between believers, therefore, involves sound, prayerful, and principled judgment—sound judgment of both the sin itself and the fitting consequence of that sin, as well as an understanding of when it is a church-matter, and when it is a matter for local authorities.

In addition to practicing peer-to-peer accountability between believers, Jesus warns us to watch out for false teachers in our midst. As mentioned above, we are each called to guard the faith with courage and conviction and to "test everything." I like how Paul words this to Timothy when he writes, "Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge." (1 Tim 6:20).

While we should pray for our pastors and honor their positions of authority, we must also hold them accountable to preach, and not stray from, God's Word. Pastors, theologians, Christian speakers and writers are all fallible. While we should never be witch-hunters, we do need to watchmen, encouraging our leaders to stand firm in the faith, and fight the good fight in the spirit of loving encouragement.

Ultimately, if Christians were not to pass judgment on false teaching, foolishness, and sinfulness, nor to discern good from evil, we would become far more like the world, and a lot less like Christ.

Context: Judging the World

And so, in a fallen world that loves the lie, and hates the truth that is Jesus Christ (John 15:18), how should believers apply righteous judgment?

2 Timothy 4:2 instructs us, "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage, with great patience and careful instruction." If we are to correct and rebuke, we are by extension to proclaim what God's Word says about sin. And we are to do this with gentleness and respect—pointing sinners to the hope they have in Christ.

We should, however, treat the sin of unbelievers differently from the sin of Christians. Unbelievers are not held to the same standards as those who are born again, because they are not indwelt by the Holy Spirit, do not subscribe to biblical principles, and have not yet been made new in Christ. This is why we can't judge them in the same way as we judge other believers. As Paul said, "Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside." (1 Cor 5:12-13). We should reach out to unbelievers, pray for them, speak the truth in love to them, and witness to them—not obsess over their unbiblical behavior. Ultimately, God wants to draw them to Himself, not for us to condemn them mercilessly. For of course, the old adage, hate the sin, not the sinner, comes in to play here.

But the reality is, our culture celebrates sin. Our children are growing up in a new era in which Christianity is more counter-cultural than ever before. Sexual immorality is unashamedly lauded in the mainstream media. Homosexuality is celebrated on Emmy-winning TV shows like Modern Family, for example, which received mass acclaim for airing an "historic" gay marriage proposal...Bruce Jenner is dubbed a "hero" for adorning his body with breast implants and wearing women's clothing...Promiscuity is promoted everywhere we look.

Sexual immorality is becoming so deeply embedded into the fabric of our society that it's hard to distinguish it anymore as we become increasingly desensitized to it. The shock-factor we felt back in the 80s when celebrities like Madonna first flaunted their sexuality so controversially has less impact now that an anything-goes mentality so widely prevails. We might have talked briefly about the antics of Miley Cyrus last year, but she's just one of the many skin-baring, hip-gyrating young stars stooping to new moral lows in the name of "being themselves." These young women are selling their bodies, and people are buying in droves.

As Christians, we are certainly called to go against the cultural tide when it comes to sexual purity. Paul was forthright in his treatment of sexual immortality, including homosexuality; he stated unequivocally, “do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Cor 6:9-10). Clearly, sin is serious in the eyes of God. It should be serious in our own eyes as well.

It's not about performing some machine-gun style of evangelism, however, that bombards people with threats of fire and brimstone or a Westboro Baptist-like approach to attacking homosexuality in our society. Crazy people such as these can make us want to distance ourselves from speaking the truth about sin at all for fear of being associated with such hateful bigotry and extreme kookiness.

Certainly, we should focus on the good news of the gospel—not obsess over the bad news of sin. However, sharing the gospel necessitates an acknowledgment of the gravity of sin. If we don't acknowledge the consequence of sin (separation from God), then we can't proclaim the gospel-solution (reconciliation to God). For without hell, there is no need for salvation. Sharing the gospel involves shedding light on (not detracting from) each person's life-and-death need to receive the free gift of redemption. It involves embracing our freedom in Christ and dying to the desires of the flesh. Unless we understand that sin leads to death, the gospel doesn't make any sense—or it becomes a false gospel. We simply can't brush sin under the rug.

Furthermore, lack of righteous judgment when it comes to sin leads to enablement. And enablement leads to hopelessness. A common misapplication of Jesus' commandment against judging others is to avoid calling sin, sin, altogether. It is this misunderstanding of Scripture that helps fuel the growing trend in the Christian church today to keep things "PC." A growing number of Church leaders are shying away from addressing polarizing issues of right and wrong that could cause division in their congregations or scare people away.

But as uncomfortable as we may find these culturally controversial topics, we must, when the opportunity presents itself, speak the truth as Jesus did with loving concern. To ignore or down-play sin is tantamount to telling people they have no need for a Savior.

Jesus certainly didn't mince His words when it came to matters of sin and its fatal consequences. He mentioned hell 23 times as is recorded in the Gospels. And when He went to dinner at a Pharisee's home, He told the Pharisees, "Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering." (Luke 11:52) Not exactly cordial dinner conversation! Jesus was far more concerned with speaking the truth to them about their sinful hearts than sparing their feelings and sticking to safe topics of discussion. When the disciples came to Jesus and told Him the Pharisees were offended by what He had been saying, Jesus answered that the Pharisees’ failure to see the truth right in front of them would be their downfall and He continued to uphold the truth, even when it offended people (Matt 15:12). It is this that is Christ-like behavior! Not the benign, feel-good version of worldly "love" that is tossed about today as "Christ-like."

For when a rich young man ran up to Jesus and fell on his knees before Him, asking, “Good teacher…what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus spoke forthrightly, telling him to leave everything he had and follow Him. Jesus was exposing an area of sin—a heart-problem—in the man. And the man went away sadly because he had great wealth. But the Bible also tells us that, “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” (Mark 10:17-21). It was because Jesus loved the man so much that He spoke the truth to him about his sin. He didn't try to win him over right then and there. He didn't tell him what he wanted to hear in order to make him feel "safe" and gain a new follower. Instead, Jesus wanted the man to hear what was good for him. If we really love someone unconditionally and self-sacrificially, we will want to be truthful with them even if they reject us because of it.

So, how should we handle tough, hot-button issues like homosexuality? Firstly, it is important to make the distinction between sin in our culture and the sin of individuals. In short, we should stand firmly against the former, and show grace towards the latter, without compromising on the truth in either context.

When my friend, Julie, was attending beauty school in New Jersey a few years ago, she was confronted with what many Christians would consider to be a particularly challenging question. Knowing she was a Christian, one of her fellow students asked her: "So, do you think I am going to hell because I am gay?" But, Julie answered his question simply and without hesitation: "No. I think you are going to hell because you are a sinner, just like I am. I would be going to hell too if my sins weren't covered by the blood of Christ."[3] Julie's Spirit-led response demonstrated the humility, truthfulness, and love that the gospel demands. She didn't try to finesse it, or pretty it up. She set forth the truth gently and plainly, and left the rest to God. In other words, Julie's response reflected sound judgment.

But, the question is: what is to become of sound judgment such as this in a culture that has replaced "traditional values" with the "new normal"?

Sound Judgment and the New Normal

Due to the continued integration of progressive views into the ideological, political, and social fabric of our society, it will undoubtedly become more and more challenging for Christians to live out our faith biblically. (In some cases, Christians have already been penalized legally for doing so). At the start of 2010, the Obama administration included gender identity among the classes protected against discrimination under the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). On July 1, 2011, the EEOC ruled that job discrimination against lesbians, gays, and bisexuals constituted a form of sex-stereotyping and thus violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. On April 20, 2012, the EEOC went further and ruled that gender identity was also a protected class under the ban on sex discrimination found in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. On July 21, 2014, President Obama signed Executive Order 13672, adding "gender identity" and "sexual orientation" to the categories protected against employment discrimination in the federal civilian workforce including government contractors and sub-contractors. It is not out of the realm of possibility that in ten years or so, churches that refuse to officiate gay weddings, will be in danger of losing their 501c3 status.

In the face of these developments, certain influential megachurches could be headed in the direction of capitulating on the issue of traditional marriage. A few seem already to be laying the groundwork for this by seeking to be safe-houses for practicing homosexuals, who are being treated as a special group—a different class of people from pedophiles, adulterers, and pornography-addicts, etc.

The fact is, sound judgment is under attack both inside and outside of the Church. Feelings and experiences are trumping reason and discernment. Emotions rule. Nebulous concepts such as, "Christians shouldn't judge others," are thrown about lazily. Shallow statements like, "don't judge!" are becoming coined phrases. It's sloppy theology at it worst. And it's causing many believers to lose their biblical bearings.

There is an alternative to either bigotry (which is rooted in judgmentalism) or capitulation (which lacks any judgment at all) in our response to culturally controversial issues like gay marriage. That alternative is to exercise sound judgment based on biblical truth. Sound judgment, being motivated by our love of God and of others, is patient and merciful while uncompromisingly just and truthful. Sound judgment is merciful because it doesn't gloss over sin, but instead offers hope and redemption in the washing away of that sin in the blood of Christ.

It is important that believers who uphold biblical inerrancy continue to stand firm on the solid rock of God's Word even if a growing number of Christian leaders are not. Be prepared. Take courage. It's going to be an uphill battle. But don't lose heart. Jesus has already overcome the world.

Jesus exhibited sound judgment. Certainly, then, so should we. If we don't, who will?

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1. or LGBT, or GLBT, or LGBTI...or whichever your preferred alphabet-soup initialism
2. http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2014/03/25/world-vision-gay-marriage-and-a-different-way-through
3. Paraphrased

Five Year Anniversary of The Poached Egg

Faith Actually has been a content contributor to The Poached Egg since 2013, a Christian worldview and apologetics network in partnership with Ratio Christi Student Apologetics Alliance. This month (June 10th) marks the 5th-year anniversary of The Poached Egg (TPE). During the last 5 years, TPE has become one of the most visited and recommended apologetics websites on the Internet, yielding over 4.1 million page views, over 30,000 social media followers, visits from just about every country in the world including many countries hostile to Christianity, and many people are discovering apologetics, and indeed their Christian faith, for the first time via TPE.. A huge reason for this is the large amount of varied, high-quality, and biblical content featured on TPE and the post-sharing of believers on social media. Please "like" The Poached Egg if you haven't already done so. http://www.thepoachedegg.net/the-poached-egg/

The Heart of the Matter

All these blog posts....What are they all for? Why do we publish them?

The motivation behind Faith Actually's mission to uphold absolute truth in an era of relativism isn't fueled by the desire to "be right" or to win an argument. It isn't in order to vent, to criticize, to be judgmental, or to polarize. It's not even to just waffle on, though it might appear so! Nor is it primarily an effort to help preserve the Christian foundations of American culture. Or to achieve precise theological accuracy. Or even to promote a biblical worldview or contribute to apologetics. While some of these things are good things, maybe even crucial things, if they become ultimate things, then we are missing the mark.

In truth, Faith Actually is motivated by a desire to glorify God—to know Him and to make Him known. For to truly know God is to love Him and to seek His glory above all else. Promoting a biblical worldview, guarding the gospel, holding to sound theology, building up the Church, loving our neighbors, making disciples, etc., will be positive externalities of this. Indeed, they serve to glorify God. But they are not in-and-of-themselves the end goal.

Ultimately, it's a matter of the heart. "The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." (1 Tim 1:5). We endeavor—by His grace—to live not as "people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart." (Eph 6:6).

A servant of Christ, then, might take pause from time-to-time to ask himself: what is the heart-motivation for what I am doing? This has certainly been an ongoing question in my mind as I write for Faith Actually and serve in other areas of Christian ministry.

Simply put, seeking self-glory is always a bad motive—as a Brief History of Bad Ideas attempts to illustrate. But authentically, submissively seeking God's glory is always a good motive. It's a black-and-white matter of the heart.

While it's impossible for any of us to consistently maintain pure motives, it is important that we pray for God to purify our hearts nonetheless. For seeking God's glory is what separates sound judgment from judgmentalism and discernment from negativity. It is what sets apart obedience from legalism. It is what distinguishes God-honoring love for our neighbors from people-pleasing. It is what centers us on Christ and not on ourselves. It is what causes us to live out our faith with reverence. In actuality, seeking God's glory is a necessary outworking of our faith.

For when writing starts to become writing for the sake of writing, there is a problem. When ministry starts to become ministry for the sake of ministry, things get slippery. When Christian living starts to become living well for the sake of living well, we're in treacherous waters. When we start to place our identity in ourselves, rather than in Christ, we're in crisis.

Because if it's no longer in Him, through Him, and for Him, then it's no longer of Him. And if it's not of Him—whether it's something "Christian" or not—it's of the enemy.

Period.

It's easy to say, but it's oh so easy to forget; I certainly catch myself forgetting it at times and too often find myself drowning in self-absorption. But it's a seriously slippery slope. I'm sure we've all known of Christian leaders who've fallen into deep, deep sin because their motivation for their ministry ultimately became self-glory and their identity ended up taking root in self—no longer in Christ alone...Their sense of validation, rather than being anchored in the righteousness they have in Christ, was sought instead in how many people were filling the pews on Sunday, how many likes they had on Facebook, how many Christian books they authored, how many followers they had on Twitter, how hip and relevant they were. But Paul warned against egotists in the Church: "We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise." (2 Cor 10:12).

I painfully watched a personal acquaintance and a well-renowned leader of an internationally respected Christian organization fall into a deadly pattern of power-grabbing sin. Even worse, he was recently found guilty of scandalous acts of sexual abuse in a court of law. It was a devastating tragedy for the organization and indeed the Church at large. In his case, as in the cases of many, his spiritual decline happened inch-by-inch, little-by-little. It happened because his heart-motivation gradually became self-glory. He remains unrepentant to this day.

It is an old, old story—a story that began in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve made that first, fatal grasp for self-empowerment at Satan's beckoning. And it's a story that was pre-echoed by Satan himself in the prideful power-grab that led to his downfall, and the fall of his legions, from Paradise even before the world's creation. As Scripture tells us, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." (Prov 16:18). And it is when we are puffed up with conceit that we can fall into the condemnation of the devil (1 Tim 3:6). What easier way for Satan to wreak havoc in the world than to tempt man with the promise of his own glory?

The default setting of the fallen human heart is self-worship. The heart is deceitful above all things because it is plagued by pride, an inherent tendency to love and serve oneself in God's place, which stems from the chronic heart-condition of Original Sin. Satan prays on this desire, tempting us into sin, which eventually leads to our separation from God. In James, we read that "each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." (Jas 1:14-15).

The Apostle Paul, perhaps the most significant and certainly the most famous missionary of all time, understood the serious danger of self-aggrandizement. He repeatedly deflected attention from himself and towards the Christ of whom he considered himself a slave. He was all too aware of the trappings of pride as he candidly demonstrated in his letter to the Corinthians, stating: "To keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited." (2 Cor 12:7). 

Rather than being prideful, Paul exemplified authentic humility: "I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of His power." He understood that Christian service is a gift from God, not a gift to God. Because as soon as we start to make it all about us, things start to unravel and the ever-popular lie is fueled: God needs me. God has called me and He needs me to do His work. Who will do it, if I don't? In essence then, It's all about me...

No. God needs no one. He is omnipotent. God may use us to do specific things in the work of the Kingdom. But this is a privilege, not a purpose. Our purpose is singular: it is to glorify God. I say this despite hearing the contrary from best-selling Christian authors, leading mega-pastors, and inspirational speakers. I understand that it's not a popular thing to say these days. But I say it because when we die to self, our purpose becomes Him. And that is enough.

Our prayer is that we remain motivated by a desire to glorify God. There is nothing better, nothing more purposeful, nothing more worthwhile.

For it is from Him that all good things come. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change (Jas 1:17).

To God be the glory. 

Loving Our Neighbor, Neglecting Our God—Tolerance Over Truth

Part II: When loving neighbor promotes tolerance over truth...
(See also Introduction and Part I)

Scripture says, "let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." We know from this passage in 1 John that love is intrinsically gospel-centered because the next verses state: "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." And in light of this, the subsequent verses exhort us into action: "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us." To love others, then, is a necessary outworking of our faith—it is an extension of God's unconditional and gospel-centered love for us. (1 John 4:7-12).

In more and more churches today, however, the biblical concept of loving one's neighbor is becoming twisted into something entirely different from the self-sacrificial love that Jesus demonstrated for us on the cross. "Loving" others has instead been reduced to a flimsy paper-chain of feel-good human relationships that flutter and tear in the winds of emotion and circumstance—these relationships aren't rooted in Godly love, but are tied together by a frail substitute.

In keeping with the politically correct mantra de jour, Emergent[1] or liberalizing Christians tout tolerance as an authentic expression of Jesus' love. Inclusivity is prized over the "who's in, who's out" mentality seen to prevail within traditional evangelicalism; "loving neighbor" is, in application, to embrace—not alienate—those outside of the Christian faith. Yet while this might lead us appropriately away from the machine-gun evangelism and the fire-and-brimstone preaching of yesteryear, Emergents have swung the pendulum too far in the opposite direction (as reactionary movements tend to do). In other words, Emergents go far beyond our calling to be outreach-minded. Rather, they have become all-inclusive—even to the point of promoting an inclusivist soteriology (in which salvation is universal) in an increasing number of cases.

The Emergent emphasis on tolerance and acceptance distinctly echoes the religiously pluralistic mandates of our secular culture, and accordingly demonstrates an unflinching disregard for God's Word. Loving our neighbor by "accepting"—not "condemning" others—as well-intended as it may be, is tantamount to enabling sinners to continue walking in darkness. Exercising tolerance of evil is not an expression of God-honoring love that rejoices with the truth (1 Cor 13:6). As Paul urged the Roman believers: "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good." (Rom 12:9). Encouraging others to be comfortable "being themselves," and remaining unchanged, fails to point them to a new life in Christ. And so "love" when expressed in the form of tolerance actually undermines the gospel rather than being an outworking of it.

Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." (John 12:24-25). And He said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 5:23). For "those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." (Gal 5:24).

If we truly loved others as ourselves, would we gloss over the seriousness of sin in order to make everyone feel more comfortable or more "accepted"? Or would we be motivated to share with them their need for a Savior and the life-changing truth of the gospel? Would we want our neighbors to experience a new life in Christ? Would we be motivated to sacrifice ourselves—perhaps our comfort level, our popularity, our social standing, or even our personal safety—to stand for Jesus in a world that has either rejected Him or recreated Him in its own image?

It seems that the unspoken, yet implicit, answer among a growing number of Christian leaders today is...perhaps not.

For the trend of promoting tolerance over truth in the name of love, unity, and diversity is not isolated to Emergent or liberal believers alone. Mainstream and prominent evangelical pastors are displaying varying degrees of the trend's influence. The tendency to remain silent on polarizing issues of right and wrong in our culture or to refrain from confronting false teaching in the Church for the sake of peace and unity, for example, is increasingly common. Often, this behavior is promoted under the "love" banner—and, consequently, those who uphold truth can appear hateful and rigid in contrast.

It's true that Christians should strive for unity in the Church, but not at the expense of the truth of God's Word on fundamental doctrinal matters. While we are urged to live in peace with everyone as far as it depends on us (Rom 12:18), we are also called be guardians of the faith (1 Cor 16:13; 2 Cor 10:5). For what unifies us as believers is not brushing core truths under the carpet to keep the peace, but upholding the gospel of Christ in our churches and uniting together in the name of Jesus—who is the truth (John 4:6). It is He who unites the Body of Christ with a love that endures forever. Tolerance may promote some semblance of unity for a time, but unity achieved in human strength cannot last.

And so, we are called to speak the truth in love with gentleness and respect when the truth of gospel is being undermined or when false teaching has entered into the Church. Doing so may sadly cause conflict and disunity. But to value unity at the expense of the gospel is to put human relationships before God—friendship before faith—which is an unbiblical approach to loving our neighbor. It's important, then, to unite with other believers in a way that honors God first and foremost.

Loving God above all else, then, will lead us to rebuke liberal or straying churches that fail to make Christ their Lord and His Word central. It will lead us to stand firmly against false teaching with no compromise. And if the motivation for doing so is our love of God as well as our neighbor, then prayerfully seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit before we speak or act is a must. Otherwise, we are in danger of falling into the trap of prideful legalism and unmerciful judgmentalism. In other words, we might be tempted to act out of anger, not love.

Yet, sadly, there are many leading evangelicals in the West who are losing sight of the need to love our neighbor in a way that honors our God. They are giving into false teaching and worldly influences inch by inch, often under the banners of diversity, love, and tolerance, for fear of being judgmental or rigid.

Think of how many respectable evangelical leaders have appeared on Glenn Beck's show, for example, with no public mention of the false teaching he promotes. Beck has repeatedly made the false claim that Mormonism is a Christian denomination. Yet many evangelical leaders are unwittingly fueling this lie, giving Beck and his cultic faith credibility by joining with him on his prominent stage to teach others and promote their books. In doing so, they appear as if they are of the same mind, even though they are not—a false impression that Beck certainly likes to perpetuate.

I'm not suggesting here that Christians should have nothing to do with Mormons and should shun them as opposed to reaching out to them in Christlike love. But it's the motivation for doing so that needs to be considered, as well as the nature of the outreach.

Beck's celebrity status and impressive viewership should ultimately be a non-factor in any decision to appear on his show, as should his bold conservatism and love of liberty—both of which he articulates masterfully, it is true. His charismatic leadership of the Right and well-reasoned conservative voice may be music to the evangelical ear, but this should not distract us from the gravity of his insidious claims about the Mormon faith.

And so it was revealing—and alarmingly refreshing—recently when an unnamed "big evangelical" actually refused to go on Beck's show unless he was able to address the differences between Mormonism and Christianity. Beck was outraged by this, as demonstrated by his reaction when he spoke of the incident on his show. Beck said,

I had a conversation off-air with a big evangelical recently. And he said “you know, if I’m going to come on your show, it’s important for me to point out the differences between our religions." And quite honesty I almost hung up the phone. I was like…. but I didn’t. And the reason why I almost hung up the phone was because I thought: Are you really this small? Are you really this small? Do you see what’s happening to us right now? Nobody cares what my religion is. Nobody really cares what your religion is. What they want [is] are you putting your principles in action right now? [Do] what demonstrates [to] me—don’t talk to me. Don’t preach to me, demonstrate to me. Who are you? What do you believe? What are you doing about it right now? Do you know why 20-something’s don’t go to church anymore? Because church doesn’t do anything. You gonna sit here and talk about it, are you gonna talk about the things that change lives, or you gonna do the things that changes lives. Don’t talk to me about theology. Talk to me about God in practice. How can I be a better man. How can I survive today?

Beck's outrage and confusion are understandable; there's a reason why he thinks "nobody cares what my religion is." For he's been encouraged by so many prominent Christians—inadvertently albeit—to think that what he actually believes doesn't really matter to them! One can only infer from Beck's reaction that the countless Christian guests who've appeared congenially on his show have made no mention to him of the fact that he's in a cult. If they had, why would he be taken so evidently off guard when one Christian leader refuses to go along with it all? Beck was shocked, confused, and incensed at this. And rightly so. If so many Christians have complied thus far, why wouldn't he expect them all to do so?

My heart aches for Beck, whom I believe to be a well-intentioned, sincere, and certainly a likeable man. His false religious views have been tolerated by so many influential Christians, which is almost like tying a weight around his neck and dropping him into the ocean. It gives him a false sense of security in a false faith, not to mention the fact that it sends a confusing message to his viewership, many of whom think he's a Christian or think Mormonism is a Christian denomination.

The groundwork for Beck's false impression that his faith holds some level of legitimacy among evangelicals was perhaps cemented when leading evangelical school, Liberty University, gave him an honorary doctorate and—several times now—their own stage from which to preach his false gospel.

In April 2014, for example, he preached tearfully on campus about the importance of reading God's Word. Flanked by top university administrators and evangelical heavy-hitters, he gushed on stage about the atoning power of Jesus Christ, which was followed by rousing applause from the audience. He bemoaned how little the Bible is actually read and urged his audience to study it. But, what is easily forgotten when listening to his resonating words, is that Scripture for Beck is an entirely different thing from what it is for Christians; He believes the Bible has been corrupted and the revised Joseph Smith Translation to have restored lost truths, which is on a par with the Book of Mormon and other holy Scriptures of the Latter-Day Saints. What is conveniently ignored is that the actual meaning underlying Beck's Christianese isn't really Christian at all. What is glossed over is that the atonement he speaks of is ultimately a path to self-deification as per Mormon theology. And what is brushed under the rug is that the Jesus he follows is a false Christ, the spirit brother of Satan, who bares little resemblance to the true Son of God.

During his delivery of what one Liberty student described as "a more biblical-sounding speech than most Christians I've heard," Beck launched into an unwavering LDS apologetic before a captive audience of young evangelicals, making syncretistic statements like, "I am a Mormon, but I share your faith in the atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ." He gave a stirring exposé of founding Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith’s death, describing Smith as a martyr of the faith. (According to Beck, a Sheriff falsely accused Smith of owing a debt for stealing a stove).

This was not the first time a Mormon has spoken at Liberty. Mitt Romney, delivered the school's commencement address in 2012. So, why are Mormons given a platform at a long-established evangelical school? Spokesperson Johnnie Moore explained to the Christian Post that such addresses are part of the school's attempts to expose their students to a broad array of political, theological, and cultural ideas and affiliations: "Diversity is important to us...a convocation invitation doesn't necessarily mean that Liberty agrees with everything speaker says...The best convocations aren't those that tell students what to believe, but those that leave the campus all abuzz in conversation."

Okay—to the extent that we're dealing with a school here, not a church, this may be arguable in the sense that it's vitally important to expose Christian students to other religious perspectives and secular ideologies. If they are stuck in an ideological bubble they will be ill-equipped and unprepared to defend their faith in a hostile world when the time comes. And it is true that inviting Beck to speak doesn't mean LU agrees with everything he says. But Beck wasn't invited to participate in a panel discussion or debate. He wasn't giving an honest overview of Mormon beliefs. He was essentially given a prominent platform from which to preach a syncretistic and insidiously false gospel, unchallenged and uncorrected. This runs directly counter to the words of the Apostle John:

Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work. (2 John 1:9-10).

As a Mormon, Beck does not have both the Father and the Son, because he doesn't believe in the Trinity. So, why are LU administrators welcoming him to preach? You have to stop and question the true motives behind the university's invitations to the likes of Beck and Romney. They are certainly big names who will generate "buzz" as the university's spokeswoman unabashedly pointed out. But is that where we are now as Christians? Is generating buzz more important than guarding the gospel?

Generating buzz will certainly get the world's attention, that's for sure. We mustn't lose sight, however, of the end goal. Any student can go online and view one of Beck's rants on Mormonism. In fact, they should be encouraged to do so. Christian students simply must be well-informed of popular and influential views that counter the biblical perspective. But this doesn't mean Beck needs to be given the opportunity to preach a false gospel in form of a compelling—almost memorizing—speech at an evangelical school, without immediate rebuttal. Otherwise, quite frankly, the school is guilty of sharing in his wicked work—if we're going to go by what the Bible says, that is. Certainly, for the immature or undiscerning believer, LU's showcasing of Beck's speech was like serving them a deadly cocktail of partial truths mixed with insidious lies. Unfortunately, Beck is a wolf in sheep's clothing who should be exposed, not promoted.

So what? The fact is, there has been of late a great effort from within the LDS Church to be reclassified as a Christian denomination—which is likely why their more blatantly heretical theology was removed from the LDS website prior to the 2012 presidential election in which practicing Mormon Mitt Romney sought the evangelical vote[2]. Yet despite deal-breaking, fundamental differences between biblical and Mormon Christology, there is a push from within the LDS Church to emphasize the “Christ”-centeredness of Mormonism. Their relatively new emphasis on grace and atonement, has led some Christians, like former Fuller Seminary President Richard Mouw, to argue that Mormonism is not a cult after all and to perceive the religion as close to Christianity, if not qualifying to be a denominational part of it. Christians need to be aware of, and guard against, this as a very real, demonic threat.

As Beck's own words above demonstrate, the false notion that "loving neighbor" is all about forgetting your dogma, your theology. Just be my friend and don't question my beliefs (ie tolerating sin and false teaching) is alive and well. Sadly, however, as appealing as this sentiment may be, it places tolerance of falsehood over truth for the sake of friendship and unity. Simply put, it is loving our neighbor while neglecting a God who cannot be separated from truth.

Let's not forget that the truth of the gospel is the purest expression of love—ever. As believers who are called to love Mormons as ourselves, we should point them to the true Christ, even if this means sacrificing a powerful political alliance with them.

Does this sound like stating the obvious? Sadly, it is not obvious to some of our leading evangelical pastors. This is because there has been a push over recent years in some of our biggest evangelical churches to put our friendships before our faith. In the hearts and minds of more and more believers, love is becoming separated from truth in order to keep friendships intact. Concerning examples of this are on the rise. The following article addresses some big ones.

< part III: friendship before faith >
Coming soon!

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1. The Emerging Church movement is a broad, yet controversial, movement that seeks to use culturally sensitive approaches to reach the postmodern, un-churched population with the Christian message. Emerging churches often promote a feelings- and experience-based relationship with God, while downplaying the need for doctrinal understanding. In this context, the gospel can be diluted in a sea of emotion and a church culture is created that caters to human needs first, which sadly results in promoting self-indulgence while de-emphasizing the Lordship of Christ.

2. After perusing the LDS website thoroughly a couple of years ago, I was horrified to find later that much of the more descriptive information on Mormon theology I had previously seen was removed altogether prior to the presidential election of 2012 in which practicing Mormon, Mitt Romney, endeavored to win the evangelical vote.