homosexuality Archives

Oregon Bakers Fined $135,000 for Supporting Marriage

Late last week it was announced that Aaron and Melissa Klein, owners of a bakery in Gresham, Oregon called “Sweet Cakes by Melissa,” had been fined $135,000.

Why?

Because they exercised their right of conscience and declined baking and decorating a wedding cake for a same-sex ceremony.

This Christian couple with five children have been guests on our broadcast as they told their story of how their faith came under fire when they were confronted by a choice they thought would never come: obey God or obey an unjust law.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, homosexuality, religious liberty April 27, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Transgenderism in the News and Other Stories You Need to Know

A news summary on issues that matter.

Christians continue to be martyred around the world
The horrific scene is all too familiar: Christian men walking blindfolded across a beach, held by Islamic State militants. A new video shows two groups of Ethiopian Christians being shot and beheaded at the hands of ISIS. This comes just days after Christians were thrown overboard on a ship, drowned at sea, “for praying to Jesus.”

Please continue to pray for the persecuted Church around the world.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, homosexuality, policy, pop culture, religious liberty April 24, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Indiana’s Sore Winners?

We’ve all heard about sore losers.

But sore winners?

Kirsten Powers, who writes for USA Today and regularly appears as a guest commentator on FOX News, penned a provocative column yesterday lamenting the fallout from Indiana’s contentious religious freedom debate.

Kirsten and I don’t see eye to eye on everything, including the definition of marriage, but I’m grateful for the candor and honesty with which she writes. In fact, she’s often a breath of fresh air.

Topics: Current Events Tags: homosexuality, news, religious liberty April 8, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

What 18,000 Christian Students Are Planning to Do on April 16 Should Encourage You

Today’s culture will often take issue with traditional Christian perspectives.

That’s what makes what will happen on April 16 all the more encouraging.

On that day, an estimated 18,000 students will share a Christian perspective on sexuality at their high schools and colleges thanks to Day of Dialogue, a student-led free speech event.

Think about the courage it takes for teenagers to commit to sharing a hope-filled, Bible-based perspective on sensitive social issues like marriage, sexuality and gender-identity issues.

Topics: Focus Events Tags: faith, homosexuality, kids, religious liberty April 7, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

This Pastor Chose Against Acting on His Same-Sex Attractions

Allan Edwards is a pastor with the Presbyterian Church in America. He’s also married to Leeanne Edwards and the couple is expecting their first child in July.

Allan has also admitted to struggling with same-sex attraction.

In fact, he recently shared his story with National Public Radio. In the midst of the conversation, Allan said the reason he’s never acted on the attraction is because he believes homosexuality is a sin.

Some have suggested that Allan is denying his true identity and that he and his wife couldn’t possibly be happy.

Topics: Current Events Tags: church, faith, homosexuality, marriage, news February 3, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Was Atlanta’s Fire Chief Fired Over His Faith?

By now you’ve likely heard that Atlanta Fire Chief, Kelvin Cochran, was recently fired from his position for publishing a book in which he affirmed a biblically orthodox understanding of human sexuality.

The 162-page book in question, “Who Told You That You Were Naked?” is a Bible study designed for Christian men.

According to press reports, Mr. Cochran gave a copy of the book to three individuals within his department, all of whom he knew to be Christian.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, homosexuality, news, religious liberty January 14, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Loving My (LGBT) Neighbor

Glenn Stanton’s new book, “Loving My (LGBT) Neighbor: Being Friends in Grace and Truth,” is an important read. I was honored to write the foreword to the book, which I want to share with you today. -JD

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Not long ago, Glenn Stanton invited Jonathan Rauch, a noted author, journalist and gay rights advocate, to address members of our team at Focus on the Family. Glenn and Jonathan have been friends for some time despite representing opposite ends of the spectrum in the national debate over homosexuality.

Topics: Focus Events Tags: faith, homosexuality, relationships November 13, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Guest Post: Have You Heard About the “Fire Challenge”?

As I was driving home from work the other day, I heard a disturbing news story on the radio that instantly grabbed my attention.

A new and life-threatening social-media trend has gone viral among teens.

It’s called the “fire challenge.”

In short, teens are daring one another to use flammable liquids to set themselves on fire, quickly douse the flames and then post a video of the entire incident on YouTube or Facebook.

As this story reports, the trend has become so popular that it has resulted in tens of thousands of horrifying “fire challenge” videos appearing online—in addition to emergency room visits across the country.

Topics: Current Events Tags: homosexuality, kids, news, pop culture, technology August 20, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Guest Post: Does New Research Prove Kids Do Better with Two Moms?

Today’s post comes courtesy of Glenn Stanton, Focus on the Family’s director of Family Formation Studies.

A new study from the University of Melbourne in Australia on how kids from same-sex homes fare is getting a good deal of press. Perhaps you’ve seen the news stories and wondered if this changes the nature of the debate over the importance of the family?

It does not.

This new study gives the same kind of findings we’ve seen before, coming from the same kinds of studies with the same kinds of serious short-comings and method problems.

Topics: Current Events Tags: family, homosexuality, kids, news, parenting July 9, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Guest Post: How Does the Hobby Lobby Decision Affect Wedding Vendors?

The Supreme Court’s June 30 decision, which protects Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties from having to pay for possible abortion-causing drugs in company health plans, was a necessary win for religious freedom. The Court’s opinion, written by Justice Alito, relies on the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA) to reach its conclusion that religious freedom trumps the government interest in this instance.

Many Christians are already asking: “Well, if religious freedom can trump a government law, then could wedding vendors refuse to participate in same-sex weddings on religious grounds?”

In several cases over the past few years involving Christian photographers, bakers, and florists, state courts and civil rights commissions have said “no.”

Does Hobby Lobby change things?

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, homosexuality, news, pro-life, religious liberty July 3, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura