Can Christian Adoption Agencies be Defended? - Part I

Recently I read about some efforts by the ACLU in Michigan to challenge the status of Christian adoption agencies.  Many similar programs have been shut down across the country because of their practice of only adopting children to homes with a mother and father.** That is to say, not because they have bad track records or unacceptable waiting periods, but because their opponents claim they are employing arbitrary bigotry and bronze-age superstitions.

That’s what I want to look at today.  Is there a defense to be made for these Christian adoption programs?  Is there a way to challenge the assertion that they employ bigotry?

**(Wait a minute… abortion-rights-supporters always say Christians don’t care about children after they’re born.  Why do all these Christian adoption agencies exist?  That’s odd... )

Did California Really Ban the Sale of the Bible?

Recently there has been some online chatter about a bill in California which would supposedly ban the sale of Christian books and possibly the Bible itself.  Various websites, including Factcheck.org and Snopes.com have said it’s a bunch of nonsense and hysteria.

Today I wanted to take a look myself.

Religious Liberty at Vatican II and Before

These are groups who believe the Second Vatican Council was a massive repudiation of previous Church teaching on various topics.  Most of these claims boil down to complaints about abuses which occurred after the council, or bad interpretations of the documents – but not anything to do with the council itself.

The best argument for a contradiction is found in the Vatican II document on religious liberty, Dignitatis Humanae.  That's what I want to take a closer look at today.

My Recent Presentations on Martyrdom

I was recently asked to give a couple presentations to our high school youth ministry group.  The topic was martyrdom.

The first presentation focused on the early martyrs and how their deaths gives evidence for the truth of the faith - as well as explaining how it spread.  The second presentation focused on modern martyrs and how their example applies to the challenges we face today.

Presentation 1: Ancient Martyrs

Presentation 2: Modern Martyrs

Can We Legislate Morality?

Have you ever heard a person say:

"You can’t legislate morality…”

It’s a sort of truism, a motto that is repeated whenever a discussion enters the touchy realm of the “culture wars”.  But is it true?

Well, its true in the sense that you cannot pass a law coercing people's private thoughts on morality.   But that is not what we're typically talking about.

When someone says "legislating morality", what is meant is coercing people to act in accordance to a certain moral code.

Is that off limits?

The Culture and Marriage - Where were we? Where are we? What now?

Ever since the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, it was only a matter of time before Anthony Kennedy decided every state in the union had to change its definition of marriage.  It was clear by his reasoning that the question regarding the nature of marriage itself was settled in his mind, and the only reason a person could disagree with him was some manner of irrational hatred or bigotry.

When the inevitable occurred, it was a moment of reflection. How did things happen so fast... or did they?  Who was to blame?  How much effort was spent supporting the natural-conjugal definition of marriage... and was it for nothing?

Now that chapter is over with the wave of a judge’s pen.  But those thoughts gave way to the next question… now what?

Conscience, Cooperation, and Moral Philosophy

The past few weeks have seen a spike in the attention given to Christians in the wedding-service industry who wish to refrain from providing their services to same-sex weddings.

The first response people often have is to conflate this specific refusal of service with the complete refusal of all services seen in the Jim Crow Era against African Americans.  I covered this in a previous blog post – showing why that comparison is inaccurate.

Today I wanted to look at two other questions people ask about the issue:

• Is this refusal of service unloving?
• What level of involvement is acceptable for conscientious Christians?

This will involve dipping our toes into moral philosophy.  This realm of philosophy is geared toward making explicit what we all feel in our consciences when confronting moral dilemmas.  It helps draw useful distinctions between what a person can and cannot ethically do.

So let’s dive in.

Discrimination, Conscience, and Religious Liberty

A long while ago I was watching an episode of Miami Ink.  One of the tattoo artists, Ami James, was the only guy on staff when a woman came in asking for a tattoo of some Christian devotional artwork.  Ami, who is Jewish, said he did not feel comfortable drawing Christian devotional artwork.  He refused the job.

Now, one felt for the lady’s frustration, but what ought to have been done?  Do I want this Jewish man to be sued for refusing to draw Christian devotional artwork?  Do I want him hauled before court and facing legal penalties?  Do I want his business demolished?

For many people this is not a mental exercise – this is reality.  All it would take to ruin their livelihood is a single person coming in the door making a request they cannot fulfill in good conscience… with a finger ready to hit the “call” button to a well-lawyered advocacy group.

Today I want to point out a distinction people overlook in these cases.  When someone refuses a job in this fashion, what exactly is being discriminated against?

And also… to what extent are we willing to punish people for obeying their conscience?

Discussing the HHS Mandate

The past few years have renewed discussion on the privileges and boundaries of religious liberty in the USA.  One of the major causes of this attention is the HHS contraceptive mandate.  This mandate requires that all medical insurance plans offer contraception (including some which act as abortifacients) free of any charge to the recipient.