Hours after the Supreme Court of the United States released a 7-2 opinion in the case of Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, it's difficult to assess how every aspect of the ruling will shake out. But there is, I believe, a religious liberty dimension in the ruling that folks on both sides of the case should applaud–eve
On the morning of December 13, 2017, Elder Ted Wilson, the current General Conference president, released a statement on homosexuality and the church, entitled, "Bible truth and kindness in faith and practice." The full statement has been reproduced below: During the past several decades, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has clearly stated through
Those who believe in the biblical view of sexuality are treading the well-worn path of scriptural literalists who, in ages past, supported slavery using precisely the same mode of textual interpretation—or so goes the argument. Dr. Robert Cargill of the University of Iowa put the view forward rather vigorously in his blog: “Let me say this to those
In Parts 1 and 2 of the series, we looked at how Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage decision, affects churches, individuals, and faith-based nonprofits. Although in the short term these groups are still protected, the decision opens the door for serious challenges to religious liberty, some of which we are already seeing at
In Part 1 of the series, we looked at how Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage decision, affects churches and individuals. The good news is that in the short term the religious liberty of these groups will be protected. However, we also noted that the decision, while not a direct threat to people of faith, opens the door for
On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court decided that all states have to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and to recognize same-sex marriages validly performed in other jurisdictions. The legalization of same-sex marriage in the U.S. was determined in a five-to-four decision and supported by four reasons: First, the right to personal choice i
Last year the Supreme Court handed down one of its landmark cases in Obergefell v. Hodges. Based on the opinion of five justices, same-sex marriage is now the law of the land. While legalization is not a direct threat to people of faith, it opens the door for serious problems. Regardless of whether one agrees or disagrees with the decision, it has
In Part 1 of this series I looked at Paul's reference to Creation in Romans 1 and the implications that arose from this. We noted that Paul presents three interlocked revelations—the righteousness of God in the gospel message, the wrath of God against human sin, and the power and deity of God in Creation. We saw that a rejection of God’s revelation
In a landmark decision last Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of same-sex marriage. The Court has made gay marriage a fundamental constitutional right for everyone in the United States. Writing for the majority, Justice Kennedy said, No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devot
With the U.S. Supreme Court scheduled to release its ruling on same-sex marriage next Monday, it's an ideal time to look at the status of gay couples elsewhere in the world. Following the historic result of the same-sex marriage referendum in Ireland, this infographic shows where the rest of Europe stands on the issue. It's interesting to note that
