Category Archives: Homosexuality

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: LOSING THE BATTLE AND THE WAR

Posted on July 1, 2013 by stanwiedeman

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of same-sex marriage, but it likely will not end the strife or wrangling that this issue has inflamed. Although public opinion has accelerated in favor of same-sex marriage (50% of Americans favor it, up from 39% in 2008, according to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life), staunch opponents remain entrenched.

A bigger question emerges from this conflict: When Christians publicly denounce homosexuality and its practitioners, are we faithfully representing Jesus? Would Jesus be compelled to appear on FOX News or Bill O’Reilly’s show to oppose same-sex marriage? Continue reading →

Posted in Homosexuality, Marriage, Politics and Christianity, The Gospel | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

FREE TO BUILD BRIDGES

Posted on August 14, 2012 by stanwiedeman

Occasionally one of my children suggests that we go to Chick-fil-A for lunch after church. Oops. Not one of the over 1,600 restaurant locations are open on Sunday. The founder, Truett Cathy, incorporated this practice as one of the chain’s values when he opened the first store in 1967 in Atlanta.

As a devout Christian, Cathy implemented other biblical principles to guide his operation of the restaurant. Those principles are applied throughout the chain as part of its corporate culture. Those who work for the company discover an environment of support and encouragement for the employee and respect and service for the customer that eludes many corporations today. Continue reading →

Posted in Civility, Homosexuality, Speech, Tolerance | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

REORIENTING THE CHURCH

Posted on August 16, 2011 by stanwiedeman

The Willow Creek Association’s Global Leadership Summit was less than one week away when Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, called to say that he had decided not to speak at the Summit. Gay Rights activists threatened to boycott Starbucks if Schultz spoke at the event. Continue reading →

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WINSOME PERSUASION

Posted on August 5, 2011 by stanwiedeman

Rosaria explains that the only exposure she had with Christians were from “students who refused to read papers on the grounds that knowing Jesus meant never needing to know anything else, people who sent her hate mail, or people who carried signs at Gay Pride marches, which read, ‘God hates fags.’” She had formulated the opinion that “Christians always seemed like bad thinkers” as well as “bad readers.” She concluded that Christians maintain their worldview only because they are unwilling to engage the complex problems of the world like poverty and violence. When Christians became uncomfortable in discourse it seemed to her that they resorted to their mantra, “the Bible says,” not to deepen the conversation, but in the hope of ending it. Continue reading →

Posted in Christians Engaging Culture, Homosexuality, Transformed Lives | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

STRATEGIES FOR CHANGING CULTURE

Posted on March 7, 2011 by stanwiedeman

In his book, To Change the World, James Davison Hunter asserts that many Christians have adopted a false theory for social change, believing that the majority belief determines the social norm. Therefore, change occurs when a majority adopts a belief that differs from the existing norm. The LaBrosse-Levinson Distinguished Professor of Religion, Culture, and Social Theory at the University of Virginia argues that this faulty theory has led Christians to invest a large amount of energy in resources and strategies to effect cultural change that prove ineffective. Continue reading →

Posted in Christians Engaging Culture, Homosexuality, Sexuality | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment