Twisting and Distorting the Scriptures

Normally I would not respond to the kind of diatribe I read on anti-Christian websites like www.rightwingwatch.org. But I thought one recent piece found at that website could act as a good teaching lesson for Christians.

Last week, I spoke at the “Watchman on the Wall” conference (headed by Christian activist and ministry friend Tony Perkins) in Washington, DC. As just one part of my message, I dealt with the fact that Jesus in Matthew 19 defines marriage, by quoting from Genesis, as a male and a female—one man and one woman. Thus, anything else (e.g., “gay” marriage, etc.) that goes against this biblical teaching is wrong and therefore sin.

Well, an excerpt of the section where I discussed marriage (and referenced President Obama’s recent pronouncement about his endorsement of “gay” marriage) was put on the internet. It wasn’t long before secularists were linking to the video and spouting forth their usual hate speech against Christians who stand on God’s Word and define marriage the way God does!

On one such website we read:  Continue at Ken Hamm

So, Why Is Incest Wrong?

There are certain questions now pressed upon us that previous generations would never believe could be asked. One of these is thrust upon us by events in New York City, where a well-known Ivy League professor has been arrested for the crime of incest. What makes the question urgent is not so much the arrest, but the controversy surrounding it.

David Epstein is a professor of political science at Columbia University, where his wife also teaches. He previously taught on the faculties of Harvard and Stanford. Last week, he was arraigned before a judge in Manhattan, charged with a single count of felony incest. According to authorities, Professor Epstein was for several years involved in a sexual relationship with his adult daughter, now age 24. Continue Reading>>>

Dealing with Sexual Abuse in the Church: Advice for Pastors

Recent events have sparked vigorous debate regarding the proper handling of sexual abuse in the church. This essay is not an attempt to directly address a specific incident, but it will certainly intersect well-known incidents at points. While I was pastoring, I dealt with a multitude of sexual abuse cases that occurred both prior to and concurrent with my ministry. The list of tragedies included several rapes of teenagers, gang rape, incest, one entire family of five children molested by the father, and bestiality. While I am certainly not the most experienced person in this regard (not by a long shot), I think I have enough experience to contribute to the conversation.

I feel compelled to write this essay primarily for the younger generation of future pastors. Unless a clear message of what is biblical, right and courageous is sounded, I fear that many of them will enter ministry confused, fearful and uncertain of the proper manner of dealing with sexual abuse. I am afraid that many will swallow the weak excuses for leadership that are often given when pastors fail to properly deal with this terrible phenomenon in the church. Too often believers defend obvious failures of leadership, offer weak excuses, or attempt to bury offenses and hope everybody eventually forgets about them. Read the rest HERE and read PART II HERE