Contemporary Issues Archives | Our Daily Bread Ministries Canada

Why Are There Two Interpretations About the Bible’s Teaching on Homosexuality?

Our Daily Bread — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 19:39:17 +0000

Why are there two radically different interpretations regarding what the Bible teaches about homosexuality?

The most likely reason is that many individuals on both sides of the issue have made up their minds long before they open the Bible. When they do turn to the Scriptures, preconceived opinions and intense emotions tend to color their interpretations.

Whatever side of the issue a person is on, it can be difficult to set aside strong views and feelings and come to the Bible with an objective, open mind. Consequently, whether people realize it or not, many are strongly motivated to make the Bible fit into their beliefs and attitudes about homosexuality, rather than letting the Bible mold their viewpoints and feelings.

For instance, those who support homosexuality as a lifestyle abandon fundamental rules of interpreting the biblical texts in order to come up with conclusions that support their personal views. On the other hand, those who oppose homosexuality self-righteously consider it to be the worst sin possible. They tend to overlook the equally strong words the Bible has for heterosexual immorality and many other sins that most people commit.

No one, of course, is completely unbiased when they read the Bible. We all have formed views shaped by family upbringing, culture, and religious background. And most have strong feelings about homosexuality — for or against. But as we try to understand what the Bible says about homosexuality (or anything else for that matter), we must make the discovery of truth our primary goal, even if that truth differs with what we strongly believe. The Bible is to be our teacher, not a tool we manipulate in order to promote our personal agendas.

One thing is certain; both sides can’t be right. And it’s up to each individual to be like the Bereans mentioned in Acts 17:11 who searched the Bible for themselves to verify the truth.

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How Can Our Family Set Standards for TV Viewing?

Our Daily Bread — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 19:39:16 +0000

Here are some standards to apply to your TV viewing:

The Reality Test

Even in comedy, unrealistic plots and stereotyped characters often indicate a warped moral perspective. Programs that don’t depict the painful consequences of wrong actions distort reality. Just as we shouldn’t spend our lives aimlessly associating with evil people and fools (1 Corinthians 15:33), we shouldn’t invest valuable time watching immoral and frivolous programming.

Every family member should learn to be a critical viewer, ready to switch off “junk” productions that are done in poor taste. We all should be willing to explain our viewing choices to other family members.

The Value Test

Relaxation is a legitimate need, but some kinds of relaxation are better than others. It is for good reason that TV has been called the “plug-in drug.” Even recreational time shouldn’t be squandered.

Can we justify the time we spend watching particular television programs (or movies) as compared to other more active forms of recreation—like reading, visiting with friends, playing a game with the kids, taking a walk, or tending a garden? Does the time we spend watching TV make us more productive and balanced people, or is it draining our vitality and undermining our creativity?

The Morality Test

We live in a fallen world. Consequently, all good art acknowledges the reality of evil. Art that ignores evil has no depth. The greatest writers and playwrights of the ages—people like Aeschylus, Shakespeare, Goethe, Eliot, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Melville—have always grappled with evil. But they portrayed evil without glamorizing or sensationalizing it.

Sometimes actors need to play roles portraying immorality. But a good program distinguishes between acting and exhibitionism. As more and more “soft” pornography is promoted by the commercial networks to boost ratings, we should keep in mind the simple insight that fornication “acted out” by professional actors and recorded on film for public entertainment is still fornication. Human sexual intimacy is too precious to be prostituted by the media under the guise of “realism” or “artistic freedom.” Similarly, both the testimony of common sense and academia affirm that media violence, even when simulated, has the effect of desensitizing viewers, lowering their inhibitions, and creating an appetite to see more.¹

Today’s media, like the Roman circus, often exploits evil rather than exposing it, gaining viewers by inflaming their passions.

If we regularly test our TV viewing by these three standards, we’ll probably find that it will be greatly reduced—or even eliminated altogether.²

Your family’s use of the media says a lot to your family and friends about its values, priorities, goals, and dreams.

“The links between pop culture and behavior are tentative and indirect at best. Still, academics who study such things widely agree that exposure to media violence correlates with aggression,callousness, and appetite for violence—even among adults, to say nothing of kids, who have a harder time distinguishing real from vicarious. (And on some TV shows—say, Cops—there is no difference.) These studies were primarily completed before the spread of cable, Nintendo, and the Internet into many a 14-year-old’s bedroom. As social critic Sissela Bok writes in her book Mayhem: Violence As Public Entertainment: ‘These sources bring into homes depictions of graphic violence . . . never available to children and young people in the past'” (Quotation from “Of Arms and the Boy,” Time magazine, by John Cloud). Back To Article
Michael Medved, the well-known movie critic, and his wife Diane (a child psychologist) have taken this approach with their children. Instead of permitting the corrosive effect of network television in their home, the family votes to select 3 hours of movie video viewing a week. They are co-authors of the book, Saving Childhood, Protecting Our Children From The National Assault On Innocence (Harper Collins/Zondervan). Back To Article

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How Can We Discipline the Children in Our Blended Family with Fairness?

Our Daily Bread — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 19:39:14 +0000

You may feel that your spouse never lets your kids get away with anything, while his kids seem to get away with murder. You want to bring this up to your spouse, but you don’t want to start World War III either. Even you have to admit that you quickly go to the rescue of your children, while you don’t feel the same compassion towards your stepchildren.

This kind of divided loyalty, or perception of it, is typical in the blended family. And it’s bound to affect your relationships with your spouse, stepchildren, and stepsiblings. Parents can, however, lessen the tendency to be one-sided by considering some of the following life principles:

First, it’s important to be honest about your special feelings for your own children. There’s probably no bond as strong as that between a parent and his or her biological children. That’s natural. Therefore, a parent will tend to “protect” one’s natural child by showing favoritism. But there’s not a “natural” bond between stepparents and stepchildren. Their bond is socially, not biologically, created. The biblical ideal is to love equally and act fairly regardless of blood ties, and this is not “natural” either. With God’s help, though, we can overcome the natural tendency towards prejudice that interferes with a harmonious blended household. ( Genesis 37:3-4 , James 2:1,9 ).

Next, spouses can talk about the reasons for not dealing with certain issues with their children. For example, many non-custodial parents say that because they don’t have much time with their children, they don’t want to spend that precious time correcting their behavior. While their feelings are understandable, giving up the responsibility for training is not in the best interest of the children. They need their parent’s individual attention when it comes to good character development ( Proverbs 19:18 ). Each parent, custodial or not, should prayerfully commit themselves to investing in the proper behavior development of each child by guiding them through structured discipline ( Proverbs 13:24 , Ephesians 6:18 , 1 Thessalonians 5:17 ).

As you consistently uphold household standards for each child, also devote time to look into the deeper concerns he or she has. Sometimes, for example, a child may be acting up because he has feelings that he can’t express related to the divorce and remarriage. Talking with the child not only about his behavior, but also his feelings communicates deep love and care.

Children will inevitably challenge the rules of conduct in your home. Remarried couples must meet that challenge with a strong united front. Children need to see that each spouse has equal authority in the home and that each spouse will appropriately support the other. This is important because kids want their way, even to the point of trying to strategically position a parent against a stepparent. But what children need is loving parents who can’t be manipulated. This provides security for the children and gives them a real chance to mature because they know their parents can’t be “controlled” that way.

Parents should do all they can to reduce the perception of favoritism in their stepfamily. All children deserve love, care, and training in life, whether they are your biological offspring, or children added to your life and love through a remarriage. This is hard work, but work that can deepen your trust in God, develop greater intimacy between you and your spouse and help build a safe, fair, and Christ-honoring home for each child.

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Is it wrong to marry someone of a different ethnicity?

Our Daily Bread — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 19:13:23 +0000

Some have tried to use Bible passages like Deuteronomy 23:3[1] and 2 Corinthians 6:14[2] to make a case that people should marry only within certain cultural and racial confines like skin color or nationality. But when these verses are examined in light of their broader biblical context, their case falls short.

While it’s true that passages like Deuteronomy 23:3 prohibited Israelites from marrying individuals outside of the Jewish community, the Bible is full of exceptions to this rule. Joseph married an Egyptian woman.[3] Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute,[4] and Ruth, a Moabite widow,[5] both married into the tribe of Israel and became ancestors of King David and Jesus. And Uriah, the first husband of King Solomon’s mother Bathsheba, was a Hittite.

But the most interesting biblical example of cross-cultural marriage in the Bible is found in Numbers 12. In this account, Moses’ sister Miriam is struck with leprosy for criticizing Moses because he married a dark-skinned foreigner.

“While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he had married a Cushite woman…The Lord was very angry with them, and he departed. As the cloud moved from above the Tabernacle, there stood Miriam, her skin as white as snow from leprosy.” ^{^[6]}

While the Bible does not condemn what is commonly called interracial marriage, some contexts and cultures make it more difficult than others. Some have even suggested that it should be avoided because of the cultural pressures and potential rejection it invites on couples and their children. Yet the Bible does not address this issue. There are times and places where these concerns might be well considered, but the idea of setting up artificial barriers based on skin color or other ethnic differences is not what ultimately brings the most glory and honor to God.

So, is it wrong to marry someone from another ethnicity? No; neither the Bible nor the spirit of Christ places any such constraints on people who love and care for one another.

[1] No Ammonite or Moabite or any of his descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, even down to the tenth generation (NIV).

[2] Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? (NIV)

[3] (Genesis 41:44–52)

[4] (Joshua 2&6; Matthew 1:5)

[5] (Ruth 1–4; Matthew 1:5)

^{^[6]} Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Nu 12:1 & 9–10). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

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Do natural disasters signal the end of the world as we know it?

Our Daily Bread — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 19:13:23 +0000

Natural disasters are not unique to our time. Terrible losses of life and destruction from many natural disasters and epidemics have occurred for millennia.[1] So no one can say for certain that such events mark the end of this “present age.”[2]

Jesus’ disciples once asked Him what would “signal” His return and the end of the world as we know it.[3] In his reply, Jesus cautioned them not to assume that natural catastrophes such as famines or earthquakes or even man-made cataclysms such as wars meant the end of the age was just around the corner. Instead, He told His followers to view such catastrophic events as “the first of the birth pains, with more to come.”[4]

Jesus’ caution is as applicable for us today as it was for His first disciples. Every generation since the time of Jesus has had to deal with disasters of all types and scales. But there is no way for us to know when a recent disaster might signal the end of the world as we know it. Jesus Himself told His followers that only God knows for certain “the day or hour” when Christ will return.[5]

Natural disasters do show us that the earth is not the way it’s supposed to be. It is groaning and longing for the day when Jesus returns and all of creation will be renewed.[6]

[1] Earthquakes: Antioch, Syria, ad 525, 250,000 killed; Aleppo, Syria, 1138, 230,000 killed; Shaanxi Province, China, 1556, 830,000 killed.

Famines: “Great Famine” of Europe, ad 1315–17, millions died; Indian famine of 1896–1902, millions died; Chinese famine under Chairman Mao, 1958–61, 20-40 million died.

[2] In Jesus day, Jewish teachers, (including Jesus Himself) divided history into two ages; the “present age” and the “age to come”—the good news of God’s Kingdom coming to earth as it is in heaven that Jesus preached. Many who read the New Testament believe that these two ages began to overlap when Jesus rose from the dead, and that the “present age” will come to an end and the “age to come” will come in its fullness when Jesus returns to our present earth. Others believe that the “age to come” will not begin until this “present age” ends at the time of Christ’s return.

[3] Matthew 24:3

[4] Matthew 24:4–8

[5] Matthew 24:26

[6] Romans 8:19–21; Revelation 21:1–5

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Can we prove God exists?

Our Daily Bread — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 19:13:22 +0000

That depends on what we mean when we say prove. If we mean “is it possible to present solid, compelling, and logical reasons to believe in the existence of God,” then the answer is yes. But if we mean “can God’s existence be demonstrated beyond all possible doubt,” then the answer is no.

A “no” answer should not cause those who believe in God to panic. Those who deny God’s existence cannot prove their position, either.

Some things are just beyond our ability to prove, and yet we accept them as true. I cannot prove that my wife loves me, but I’m pretty sure she does. I can’t prove that a breathtaking sunset is beautiful, but I know that it is. I can’t prove that torturing and murdering another human being is evil, but it is.

All of us deeply believe in things that can neither be proven or disproven, including the existence of God. And yet we find ourselves as certain about them as we are about the wind that blows in our faces.

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Should Christians be tolerant?

Our Daily Bread — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 19:13:22 +0000

Let’s be honest about the emotional reaction some of us have towards the concept of tolerance as a principle. If there were ever a buzzword for our culture, tolerance is it, and many of those who uphold this principle are often doing so in ways that are synonymous with an anything-goes belief system. And if compromise and a wishy-washy belief system is what we mean by tolerance, then we can certainly understand why a Christian would not want to be labeled as tolerant. But in a strict sense, tolerance has nothing to do with compromise. It is simply the ability to allow for views different than our own.

So, should Christians be tolerant? Well, that depends. If tolerance means compromising our belief in the message of Jesus Christ, the story of the Bible, or historic Christianity to avoid conflict with others, then no. But if tolerance means that we strive to live unwavering in our convictions and at the same time love others unconditionally, then yes. In this sense tolerance would look a lot like embracing prostitutes, tax collectors, drunks, and other sinners like ourselves. It would look a lot like emptying ourselves of our spiritual pride, looking beyond people’s actions, and seeing them as people who matter to God. It would look a lot like submitting ourselves to the will of God and laying down our lives for those who desperately need His mercy and forgiveness.

In other words, it would look a lot like Jesus.

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Can domestic abuse be non-physical?

Our Daily Bread — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 19:13:20 +0000

Yes, it certainly can. Often, verbal or other types of non-physical abuse are not considered abuse. However, consider this brief definition: Domestic or intimate partner violence/abuse is a pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviors by an adult — male or female — including physical, sexual, and psychological attacks, as well as economic coercion used against current or former intimate partners.

Domestic abuse can take many forms and they all should be taken seriously. Here are some examples of abuse that are not necessarily physical:

Verbal abuse involves belittling, demeaning, or threatening speech that is meant to manipulate or coerce one’s partner or spouse. Verbal abuse often carries the threat of physical violence, but not always.

Sexual abuse includes coerced sex through threats or intimidation or through physical force, forcing unwanted sexual acts, forcing sex in front of others, and forcing sex with others. But it can also be accomplished by withholding sex and intimacy as a means of control.

Psychological abuse can involve isolation from others (including family and friends), excessive jealousy, control of activities, verbal aggression, intimidation through destruction of property, harassment or stalking, threats of violence, constant belittling and humiliation, threats of physical violence or harm, creating a situation of total economic dependency, and financial enslavement.

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Why do Christians sometimes seem fake to the outside world?

Our Daily Bread — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 19:13:19 +0000

Not only do Christians seem fake to the outside world, they can also seem fake to other Christians, too.

The reason for fakery in the lives of those who claim to follow Jesus often comes down to expectations of perfection within church communities and a lack of authentic humility among churchgoing people. Courage and humility can begin to correct the pandemic of fakeness in the church.

Christians often feel a cultural pressure to appear as holy and perfect as possible to one another and to the world. The trouble is that we are neither holy nor perfect. This can lead to a fake witness. We are strongly motivated by two impulses to try to keep up this front: fear and pride. For example, I fear what others may think of me if I behave authentically, or show a little of the everyday-still-in-need-of-a-Savior-self to others. I’m afraid that somehow I might be judged by others if I don’t act like I think a “good” Christian should. Yet, oddly, I’m proud, because acting this way usually results in compliments and admiration for me because of my good behavior.

What am I to do?

Jesus calls his followers to tell others about his work in the world. He is our redeemer and the fullest expression of a life faithfully lived. Personally, I am far from the fully faithful person Christ is calling me to become; however, as his redemption is being worked out in my life, I can point to him and what he is doing rather than trying to fake my own holiness. The tools available to bear this witness are two deeply Christian virtues: courage and humility.

It takes great courage to be truly humble. True humility leads, almost automatically, to authenticity, and the ability to be authentic will bear a great witness to the One who invites us to become more like him.

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How can I help my teenager deal with abusive dating relationships?

Our Daily Bread — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 19:13:19 +0000

While there are no simple fixes, there are several things parents can do to help their kids deal with abusive relationships. These ideas might help.

Take the time to talk with your teenager about abuse — what it is and how to deal with it. Let them know that they are far too valuable to accept abuse. It is never acceptable for anyone to manhandle or verbally abuse them. Then take the time to help them identify abusive behaviors and patterns to be avoided.

Abusers often try to isolate and control their partners. This is one of the first warning signs that your son or daughter may be in an abusive relationship. If you suspect abuse, lovingly encourage your child to surround themselves with friends and family members — this is a time to press into relationships, not recoil from them. Encourage them to get active in church, volunteer with organizations, and expand their interests.

Don’t accept the excuses your son or daughter makes for their partner’s abusive behavior. There is no excuse for abuse of any kind. Yelling, pushing, possessiveness, insults, and intimidation are signs of control. Remind your child that they have the power to end this relationship now. Everyone deserves to be respected because everyone is precious in the eyes of God.[1]

(Adapted from Live Right Now)

[1] Psalm 139:17–18

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