Page 1274 – Family Council

Christians Are To Promote That Which Is Good, Not Evil

Jun 24, 2015Jerry Cox1 CommentReligionChristianity, Homosexuality, LGBTQ, Religion, Religious Liberty

The following is a guest post by Luke McCoy.

Many LGBT advocates often misunderstand people of faith who oppose homosexuality and same-sex marriage. Many of those advocates invoke verses like Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that ye be not judged,” (KJV) or Matthew 22:39, “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” (KJV). They sometimes accuse people of faith of being hypocritical, judgmental, or lacking compassion.

However, Scripture tells Christians to do many things, one of which is to cling to what is good and abhor evil. Is it possible to “love thy neighbor as thyself,” not be judgmental, and still be against sinful activity? I believe so.

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Two-thirds of Arkansans Support New Religious Freedom Law

Jun 22, 2015Jerry CoxReligious FreedomArkansas Legislature, Religious Freedom, Religious Liberty, RFRA

If you support religious freedom in Arkansas, you are not alone. Nearly two out of three likely voters in Arkansas support the state’s new Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and more than half believe a business-owner (such as a caterer or florist) with religious objections to same-sex marriage “should be allowed to refuse to those services to same-sex couples.”

The findings are the result of a poll commissioned by Talk Business, Hendrix College, and Impact Management Group.

The poll indicates Arkansans strongly support religious liberty; in fact, less than half of Arkansans under 30 expressed that businesses ought to be required to provide “services to same-sex couples.”

What’s striking about the survey are its findings despite its wording. According to the survey’s authors, one key survey question was taken verbatim from a CNN poll conducted last spring. The question reads,

“If a business provides wedding services, such as catering or flowers, should it be allowed to refuse those services to same-sex couples for religious reasons, or be required to provide those services as it would to all other customers?”

The phrases “refuse services to same-sex couples” and “as it would to all other customers” slant the question significantly, missing the point: That this is about the impact of same-sex marriage on religious liberty.

Here is what we mean:

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Fayetteville City Council Forces “Nondiscrimination” Ordinance in Single Meeting

Jun 17, 2015Jerry CoxHomosexualityFayetteville, LGBTQ, Marriage, Same-Sex Marriage, SOGI Ordinances

Taking a page from the Eureka Springs City Council’s book, the Fayetteville City Council voted last night to suspend the rules and run a so-called “nondiscrimination” ordinance through in a single meeting.

City ordinances typically are read and discussed over the course of at least three meetings to give citizens and council members ample time for review and debate; suspending the rules and running an ordinance in a single meeting is a way governing bodies can quickly pass noncontroversial measures or address emergency situations.

However, the Fayetteville ordinance is anything but noncontroversial, and proponents of the ordinance have failed to demonstrate that the ordinance is even necessary, let alone that it somehow addresses an emergency.

Here is a breakdown of the ordinance passed in Fayetteville last night:

Is This Ordinance Different From Those Passed in Other Cities in Arkansas?

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