ethics

What would you do Wednesday! This post is inspired by the recent Christian Post article, “Parents Upset After Middle School Girls Forced Into ‘Lesbian Kiss’ at NY School Read.” It’s a regular Friday evening. Nothing out of the ordinary until you sit down at the dinner table and your two kids begin an unbelievable story. Your son and daughter broke down – nervous and ashamed – that they each had to kiss someone of the same-sex in school! Apparently, the middle school they both attend, had all grades, 6th – 8th, go through homosexual sensitivity training. The goal was to …keep reading »

What would you do Wednesday! I don’t know any Christians who have faced today’s scenario of being invited to their gay son’s same-sex wedding. However, I’m sure there will be Christians who have and who will face such a dilemma. So let’s think about it…. You are a Christian who believes that marriage is something only between people of the opposite sex. You raised your three kids with this belief about marriage. This is the position on marriage from both the Bible and from a natural law perspective. Not only have you taught you kids that same-sex marriage is actually …keep reading »

What would you do Wednesday! Today’s scenario is difficult. The dilemma puts a Christian pastor in a situation where he must decide in favor of his family or his biblical convictions. Is today’s post based on a true story? That’s for me to know and you to guess. A pastor gets a formal invite from his father in the mail. The invite is for the pastor to bring his family to his mother’s ordination; her pastoral ordination. He closes his eyes and prays for wisdom. Chills sweep across his body. The problem is this pastor is a strong complementarian. He …keep reading »

What would you do Wednesday! The following scenario is based on a true event. The names have been changed to protect the guilty – and the innocent! A friend of yours is the pastor of a church plant. In addition to his pastoral duties he also hosts a podcast a couple times per week. The church faithfully supports and endorses the podcast where your friend addresses theological and cultural issues. Sometimes on the podcast another man from the church will teach the Bible. Other times, another pastor or author will be a guest where they can discuss a current book, …keep reading »

What would you do Wednesday! Today’s scenario is between two Christians who are friends and fellow church members. You catch up on each others’ lives during a regular luncheon with a church friend. You try to have lunch a couple times per month for prayer, encouragement, and fellowship. While having a spiritual conversation you ask about their spouse. Since so many marriages have spiritual struggles in this age of busyness and information overload discussions about each others prayer and devotional life within the marriage is always a topic. Today, your friend tells you that their prayer and devotional life is …keep reading »

What would you do Wednesday! This week’s ethics post is inspired by Dave Miller’s recent post The New Testament Standard of Giving at SBC Voices. A couple from church have been missing for a few Sundays. You wonder where your friends have been so you give them a call one Sunday afternoon. Your friends tell you that they have been struggling financially and have not been able to give 10% of their gross income; their tithe. They have fallen on financial hard times. The economy is down, the husband took a pay cut, the wife was injured in an accident …keep reading »

What would you do Wednesday! Today’s scenario involves you witnessing to one of your nominal Muslim neighbors. You’ve been witnessing to him for a while. He is nominal in the sense that he doesn’t go to Mosque that much, but he still considers himself a Muslim. He was raised in a Muslim household and is sensitive to issues related to Islam. Well, your church is having a guest preacher. The guest was a former Muslim who converted to Christianity. This seemed like a good opportunity to invite your Muslim friend to church so he could hear the testimony of a …keep reading »

What would you do Wednesday! Money is a touchy subject for most people; especially, their own money. Even many Christians are adamant that they know exactly where every dime they give to the church is being spent. There are times when churches need to raise additional funds so they have a special plea for members to give. Some members give more, some give the same, and some don’t give at all. Though it might be argued that Christians in general don’t give sacrificially anyway. Today’s scenario is one in which your church needs to raise a bit of extra money …keep reading »

What would you do Wednesday! Christmas has just passed and the new year is almost here. You make plans all week for a New Years Eve fellowship at your home with some friends from church. As you invite friends you make sure they understand that you will have champagne for the happy new year toast. The annual champagne toast is a reminder of the freedom in Christ there is to have a drink of alcohol. It is also a celebration of coming out of the cult of Mormonism where alcohol is forbidden based on Joseph Smith’s ‘Word of Wisdom’. Friends …keep reading »

What would you do Wednesday! It’s Sunday morning just before worship service begins. As you talk to some friends, you remember the joke you read on a blog last night about a pastor, a rabbi and a priest fishing together. You begin telling the joke, but the music starts so you have to finish afterward. Worship service begins and a wonderful time of worship feeds your soul. Toward the end of sermon the preacher begins an illustration to help make a particular point. The illustration turns out to be a joke – the same joke you read last night on …keep reading »

What would you do Wednesday! It’s Friday evening. You just got home from work, pulled into the driveway, and turned off your car. Running a little late for the dinner date with your spouse, you hurry toward the house so you can turn around and get to the restaurant on time. While heading for the front door your new neighbor, whom you’ve not officially met, says hello. He notices that your are carrying a Bible (it had been left in the car). Being new to the neighborhood, he mentions the Bible and says that he wants to talk to you …keep reading »

What would you do Wednesday! This situation is inspired by the tragic situation of Grace Sung Eun Lee, a 28 year old paralyzed Christian, who is ready to die.1 Her parents believe removing the breathing and feeding tubes would be suicide sending her straight to hell. Today’s situation will be slightly different than Lee’s, very sad, real life situation. Six months ago a 30 year old friend was paralyzed. Your friend has been in the hospital for the last six months and is kept alive by breathing and feeding tubes. You visited your friend frequently for encouragement and prayer. Your friend’s …keep reading »

What would you do Wednesday! LifeWay’s recent survey on the Lord’s Supper practices among Southern Baptists has incited some discussion in Baptist blog world. So today’s situation is in the context of the Lord’s Supper being served in Baptist church that practices closed communion. An old friend is in town staying with you over the weekend. While catching up over dinner Friday night your friend begins a spiritual conversation. He admits something that has been spiritually weighing him down – he had some unresolved anger toward you and decided not to take communion until after this visit where he could …keep reading »

What would you do Wednesday! Popular Southern Baptist author Beth Moore recently preached at Passion City Church on Sunday morning. The video of Beth Moore preaching at Passion City Church is still online. In light of her recent sermon – let’s consider how you might react if Beth Moore were to unexpectedly preach at your church on Sunday morning. The scenario. Your church has advertised for the past two months that Beth Moore is visiting soon to lead a Sunday School class. She is visiting to teach, promote a book, answer questions, etc. Several of your friends hear that Moore …keep reading »

What would you do Wednesday! Your church financially supports and hosts an after school Bible club. The club is interdenominational, but has doctrinal parameters to which volunteer teachers must agree. One of those doctrines is complementarianism which states that a woman cannot hold the office of pastor. It just so happens that two local female Methodist pastors volunteered to help with the Bible club. The pastor found out about the female pastors and explained to the Bible club director that having female pastors goes against the club’s doctrinal agreement. The pastor further explained that if the church cannot continue supporting …keep reading »

What would you do Wednesday! It is no secret that Pastor Ralph Green is dissatisfied with the new LifeWay Sunday School curriculum, The Gospel Project.1 It is also no secret that many disagree with Green’s criticisms. Green’s criticisms have inspired today’s applied ethics post. I’d like to bring a similar situation to your local church. I know that pastors and laity read this blog so there could be some interesting perspectives offered. The situation. New Sunday School classes started three weeks ago. An SS teacher brought in some new curriculum which he told the pastor about. The pastor wanted to …keep reading »

What would you do Wednesday! Unfortunately, the following situation is based on actual events. Your wife and kids got to spend the day with your pastor’s wife and kids. Although four kids, ages 9 to 12, can be a handful, your wife came home surprisingly frustrated. Your wife explains that the pastor’s children were very rude and disrespectful to her outside their mother’s presence and even to their mother directly. The children were even disrespectful to their father, your pastor. Your children confirm your wife’s frustrations. After asking your children if they had fun with Jack and Diane, your pastor’s …keep reading »

What would you do Wednesday! Inside a Southern Baptist Church the following is taking place at a congregational meeting. (Not Southern Baptist? Play along anyway!) The time has come for church members to speak about any praises or concerns on their hearts. One member says that he has a concern and moves to the microphone. Member: I have a concern about our pastor! He has been our pastor for three years and within the last year he started preaching out of the ESV Bible. In the last eight weeks alone he has quoted John Piper, RC Sproul and Augustine. My concern …keep reading »

What would you do Wednesday! The annual Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) meeting is two months away1 so a situation that could take place during this meeting may provide an interesting discussion. In order to help those who are not Southern Baptists better participate in this topic, a few citations expressing Southern Baptist positions are provided below. Southern Baptists have prepared a statement of generally held convictions called The Baptist Faith and Message. It serves as a guide to understanding who they are.2 There is nothing in the Baptist Faith and Message that excludes Calvinists nor is the aim to do …keep reading »

What would you do Wednesday! The tragic shooting death of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman that happened in Sanford, FL has taken over the internet recently.1 Passionate replies have been poured out from both Martin and Zimmerman supporters. Many in the court of public opinion have already tried Zimmerman and found him guilty of murder. Others believe that Martin may have brought the confrontation and shooting upon himself by causing Zimmerman to act in self-defense. Yet, what seems to be a minority of responders have decided to wait until all of the evidence is presented before a judge and jury …keep reading »