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Folks, it looks like the case of Barronelle Stutzman–the Christian florist who was sued by two “marrying” homosexual men and the Washington State Attorney General because she would not create a floral arrangement for their “wedding”–is headed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
On Feb. 16, the Washington State Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Stutzman of a lower court decision and ruled that “the government can force her—and, by extension, other Washingtonians—to create artistic expression and participate in events with which they disagree,” according to Alliance Defending Freedom, which is handling Stutzman’s defense (see more info below video). [Read the court’s decision HERE.]
Below is a background video on Barronelle’s case created by ADF. You will note from this 2016 court filing that ADF et al are defending Stutzman on “artistic freedom” grounds. We at AFTAH are not attorneys but we do know this: in a free society, anyone–Christian florist, Muslim cake-maker or atheist wedding chair-supplier–should have the liberty not to use their business to celebrate homosexuality-based “marriage,” which we, as Christians, regard as sin on steroids.
We hope that this kind, brave and faithful woman prevails at the Supreme Court. If she doesn’t, you can stop singing that America is the “land of the free.” — Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH [more background after jump and video]
Two-day conference ‘will equip you to explain why God’s design for sexuality is the only good design’
Real Christianity vs. ‘Gay Christianity’: Sign up for the TruthXChange conference in Escondido, CA, Oct. 7-9 HERE. The theme is “Two Loves: A Biblical Response to ‘Gay Christianity.'” Among the speakers are: Dr. Michael Brown, Stephen Black, Rosaria Butterfield, Rev. Ted Hamilton, Rev. Dr. Gabriel N.E. Fluhrer and TruthXChange founder, Dr. Peter Jones.
Take Action:sign up HERE for the “Two Loves: Biblical Response to ‘Gay Christianity'” conference beginning this Friday (Oct. 7-9, 2016), in Escondido, CA. If you cannot attend, send a gift to help TruthXChange, a wonderful Christian organization, or order one of Peter Jones’ books or his worldview curriculum. More info at TruthXChange.com.
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Folks, I just can’t say enough good things about Dr. Peter Jones and his annual TruthXChange conferences–which combine intellectual rigor with a fearless commitment to upholding biblical truth — of the sort that is increasingly lacking in evangelical circles (at least on the homosexual issue). I wish I could attend this conference beginning Friday and hosted by New Life Presbyterian Church in Escondido, California.
Among the speakers are: Dr. Mike Brown, whose presentation alone would make attending worthwhile; my friend Stephen Black, who overcame homosexuality in his own life and who is one of the most godly and committed Christian men I’ve ever met; and ex-lesbian former professor Rosaria Butterfield.
Dr. Jones himself is a national treasure and one of the reasons I do NOT support shutting down immigration (he came here from the U.K.: Britain’s loss, America’s gain!). Peter writes ably and prolifically about the pagan roots of what the Left considers “enlightened” and “progressive” LGBTQueer sex- and gender ideology.
If you’re looking for simplistic and shallow analyses of America’s moral and spiritual crisis and the worldly descent of Christianity in the West, don’t attend this conference or follow Peter’s work. But if you are a truth-lover who fears God, not man, and wants to learn about how our once-Christian culture degenerated to this point, this is an event for you. Having attended one of Peter’s conferences a few years ago, I can assure you that you will be blessed by this gathering of Christian thinkers. –Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH.org; @PeterLaBarbera
There are lots of hidden gems in the pro-family movement because we don’t have the media helping us get the word out. Frank Worthen, the dean of the “ex-gay” movement, is one of them. This interview occurred at the 2015 conference of the Restored Hope Network, the ex-“gay” umbrella group that replaces Exodus International (which imploded through failed, unbiblical leadership). RHN Executive Director Anne Paulk conducts this interview, which is also posted on her YouTube channel.
Frank was “in” the homosexual lifestyle for 25 years and he’s been “out” of homosexuality and married for decades. Think about that. How many times have you heard the lie that people cannot overcome the pull of homosexuality? That being “gay” is “who they are”? That people are “born gay,” etc.? Also, note how a religious man whom Frank respected sought to confirm him as a homosexual. How evil is that? Please share this interview with your network of friends–especially young people swimming in cultural myths and falsehoods about disordered sexuality.
Come to think of it, Anne Paulk, who herself came out of lesbianism and who is doing terrific work running RHN, is another one of those gems. Please support Restored Hope Network with your prayers and gifts–and buy Frank’s books. They would make a wonderful gift to anyone who struggles with same-sex attractions or claims a “gay” identity. Yes, lasting, wholesome change for homosexuals is possible! Frank Worthen is proof of that. But more importantly, his life is a shining testimony to the love, mercy and grace of Jesus:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17-18
In addition to allowing men in female restrooms, Target backs radical LGBT “Equality Act”; boasts 100% perfect score on HRC’s rigged “Corporate Equality Index”
Folks, today I sent the following letter to Target using their online Contact Form. — Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH
TAKE ACTION: Contact Target at 800-440-0680 or using their Online Contact Form; and sign the AFA “Boycott Target” petition if you plan to join the boycott. If you do, make a point of going into your local Target store or calling the manager to explain why you and your family will no longer shop there.
TARGET: 100% Pro-Homosexual-Transgender Agenda: Target boasts online of its “perfect” ranking on HRC’s rigged “Corporate Equality Index.” The biased LGBT “Index” punishes corporations for giving to pro-family causes–and rewards them for funding “gay” and “transgender” groups and events. This graphic is taken directly from the Target website.
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Why My Family Won’t Be Shopping at Target Stores Anymore
May 2, 2016
By Peter LaBarbera
WARNING: offensive descriptions of horrifying transsexual “sex reassignment surgeries”
Dear Target,
My family and I are joining the Target boycott and will no longer shop at your stores. It is preposterous that all Target stores now allow men to use female restrooms—a sex predator’s dream. Girls have the basic right not to have their private spaces invaded by men, for ANY reason.
My family has done a LOT of shopping at Target over the years, but no more. One of my five children even worked at Target–but now I will not allow my two teenage kids to apply for a job there given Target’s leftist, politically correct corporate policies. Target has chosen to be contemptuous of common sense and Americans who are motivated by faith, decency and traditional morality. So we in turn choose to no longer support Target with our consumer dollars.
On Thursday (Oct. 22, 2015), I appeared as a guest on Stacy Harp’s “Bible Radio News” show. Stacy is the hard-working founder of Active Christian Media and a longtime Christian pro-family advocate–a sort of one-woman dynamo for Biblical Truth. As you can hear from listening to the podcast below, Stacy overcame homosexual thoughts and temptations in her own life as a child and teenager (but never embraced them). As a clinical trained marriage and family therapist with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology, she is well-equipped to analyze the factors underlying homosexual confusion. We discuss: how homosexualist propaganda works; the proper Christian attitude toward people struggling with homosexual desires; false (anti-) Christian theology that is embracing the idea of positive “gay” “sexual orientation” (in the name of Gospel outreach); the power and tactics of the homosexual activist movement; the homosexual “10 Percent” population myth; and the largely untold story–in the increasingly pro-LGBTQ media–of “ex-gays,” men and women who have overcome the pull of homosexuality in their lives. See Stacy’s Facebook page HERE. — Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH
P.S. Here is the Amazon link for the book I mention–Gay…Or Not? One Christian Man’s Journey–by former homosexual Jerry Heacock. Please support him by buying and promoting this important book. It will also bless you and help you grow as a Christian believer.
Check Out Christianity Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Bible News Radio on BlogTalkRadio
The Answer Is No: …if “gay” means positively and proudly homosexual. Dr. Michael Brown ably answers the lies of “gay Christianity” in his book, “Can You Be Gay and Christian? Responding with Love & Truth to Questions About Homosexuality.” He similarly responds with “love & truth” to homosexual activist Matthew Vines’ self-serving “40 Questions” below. Buy the book: Readers can purchase Brown’s book–while supporting AFTAH’s ministry–by purchasing ” for $17 postpaid. Two-Book Discount: You can also add Michael Brown’s in-depth book, “Something Queer Happened to America”–and receive both books postpaid for $29. Pay securely online or send your check to: AFTAH, PO Box 5522, Naperville, IL 60567-5522.
“I cannot see our [Heavenly] Father responding positively to the threat of, ‘Unless you let me have a relationship that satisfies me, I will kill myself.’ [Answer # 9]
“What is explicitly affirmed over and again in the Bible is that God requires holiness of all His people and that the only outlet for sexual intimacy is in the confines of marriage, which…can only be the union of a man and woman. This is as explicit as anything in the Word. [#25]
“…the Word never says that an inherently sinful act somehow becomes sanctified by repeating it with the same person. [#27)]
“…your [Matthew Vines’] emphasis is all wrong. In fact, it’s the common theme through your questions, namely, ‘Surely God wouldn’t want me to live without sex and intimacy, therefore I must reinterpret the Bible in that light.'” [#39] — Dr. Michael Brown, author of Can You Be Gay and Christian?
My prolific author friend Dr. Michael Brown–whose book, “Can You Be Gay and Christian?” is available for purchase from AFTAH at right–does a terrific job below answering homosexual “Christian” activist Matthew Vines’ 40 tendentious questions. As Brown notes, Vines’ line of questioning is built on false premises and spurious analogies. For example, Vines repeats the tired homosexual talking point comparing infertile straight couples to same-sex partners (see Brown’s response to Questions 30 and 31).
I would like Michael to try a “do-over” on #12: it is bizarre and, indeed, blasphemous for young Vines (misapplying Galatians 5–which mentions “sexual immorality”) to associate unnatural, sexual-sin-based “relationships” with Holy Spirit-led “goodness” and “self-control,” etc. I understand what Michael is saying, but I would not compare these disordered relationships with normal unions between husband and wife–including marriages that are not Christian.
Vines’ questions themselves are a study in the error of homosexuality-positive “Christianity”: can you see the intense self-focus in them, as Vines does his biblical “exegesis” backwards:–starting with his politically correct premise (committed homosexual relationship are fine) and trying to rationalize it as somehow being compatible with Scripture? He utterly fails. It is no wonder that Vines will not publicly appear in the same debate forum with Dr. Brown or Prof. Rob Gagnon. By the way, Dr. Brown received AFTAH’s “American Truth-Teller Award” in 2014; we commend him for his diligence and faithfulness in defending Truth. — Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH; Twitter: @PeterLaBarbera; Like the AFTAH Facebook Page
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Dr. Michael Brown Has 40 Answers and 2 Questions for ‘Gay’ Christian Matthew Vines
I am answering the 40 questions put forward by “gay Christian” advocate Matthew Vines, after which I will put two simple questions to Matthew (and his allies). What is absolutely stunning, though, is that in these 40 questions, he failed to ask the only one that really matters, namely, “What does the Bible say about homosexual practice?” The reason for that is self-evident, namely, it is impossible to make a case for homosexual relationships using the Word of God alone.
That’s why, for the last decade (and until this moment), I have offered to debate the issue of the Bible and homosexual practice with any qualified representative of the “gay Christian” position, yet I have had no takers. (Matthew and I did engage in a brief debate hosted by Moody radio, but as is well known, Matthew agreed to do the broadcast before realizing he would be debating me, after which he felt it would be worse publicity to drop out rather than do the show. Those interested can watch the debate here. (For a relevant follow-up article, go here.) I also address many of the questions Matthew raises in my book Can You Be Gay and Christian?, but for the benefit of those who don’t have the book, and so as to answer all the questions conveniently in one place, I’ve responded to each of them here.
Before addressing the questions, it’s important to address Matthew’s premise, namely, those of us who uphold Scripture “oppose marriage equality.” Actually, we oppose redefining marriage; as for so-called “marriage equality,” as I have pointed out, advocates of “same-sex marriage” represent just one group clamoring for changes in marriage laws, including polygamists, polyamorists, and adult incestuous couples. That’s why the Marriage Equality Blogspot calls for “Full Marriage Equality,” specifically, “for the right of consenting adults to share and enjoy love, sex, residence and marriage without limits on the gender, number or relation of participants.” So, from that point of view, Matthew also opposes “marriage equality.”
To answer the 40 questions:
1. Do you accept that sexual orientation is not a choice? Sexual orientation is a relatively modern construct, but if you mean is it true that, generally speaking, homosexual men and women did not choose to be attracted to the same sex, the answer would be yes, it is not a conscious choice they made, any more than someone who struggles with angry desires, violent desires, or adulterous desires consciously chose to have those desires.
2. Do you accept that sexual orientation is highly resistant to attempts to change it? Again, using your definition, in the majority of cases, certainly. However, we must not downplay the many successful stories of change through counseling and, more importantly, the possibility of change through the gospel. Cannot Almighty God change a homosexual into a heterosexual if it so pleases Him? Has the church really devoted itself to seeking God to help men and women who struggle with same-sex attractions?
3. How many meaningful relationships with lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) people do you have? My first organ teacher, when I was barely 7-years old, was openly gay, and he and his partner would come to our home and have dinner with our family. Over the years, I’ve had good friends who came out of homosexuality (including someone very close to my family), and I interact as often I can in as much depth as I can with those who identify as LGBT.
4. How many openly LGBT people would say you are one of their closest friends? None that I know of, but that is not because of my rejection of them. I have never turned away from a person because of their sexual brokenness or sexual desires. If, however, they openly scorned God’s Word and God’s ways, I’m afraid it would be hard for us to be close friends. That being said, I have close friends who are very religious Jews, yet they still believe my faith in Jesus is wrong and I still believe they are lost without Him. In other words, friendship with people (or lack thereof) has absolutely nothing to do with determining the truth of God’s Word.
Dodging Debates: Self-described “gay Christian” Matthew Vines refuses to debate Bible scholars and apologists with expert knowledge on Scripture and homosexuality, like Dr. Michael Brown and Prof. Robert Gagnon.
5. How much time have you spent in one-on-one conversation with LGBT Christians about their faith and sexuality? Many hours, and many more hours reading their stories prayerfully, sometimes having to put down the book I’m reading and get on my knees in prayer, even with tears and a heavy burden. I hurt deeply over the pain they have experienced and I long to see them find wholeness in the Lord.
6. Do you accept that heterosexual marriage is not a realistic option for most gay people? Probably so—again, with God, all things are possible—but this too has nothing to do with what God has to say about homosexual practice. It calls for great compassion from the church, but not for rewriting the Bible. Also, unless we get caught up with the spirit of the age, it’s important to realize that “heterosexual marriage” is the only marriage God acknowledges.
7. Do you accept that lifelong celibacy is the only valid option for most gay people if all same-sex relationships are sinful? I accept that our Father knows best, that His ways are ways of life, and that if He does not enable someone to enter into a heterosexual relationship then He will give grace to that person to be celibate, just as He gives grace to a believer suffering decades of imprisonment and torture, just as He gives grace to a drug addict to get free from addictions, and just as He gives grace to many heterosexuals to live in lifelong, non-chosen celibacy.
8. How many gay brothers and sisters in Christ have you walked with on the path of mandatory celibacy, and for how long? Less than 10, and not more than 10 years so far, but the term “mandatory celibacy” is misleading, since I’ve walked with heterosexual believers for decades who did not choose celibacy but never met their mate, and they found Jesus to be more than enough to carry them through. Plus, Jesus requires all of us to deny ourselves and take up the cross and follow Him, and He does not promise any of us a spouse. I also have close friends whose spouses divorced them and who believe they cannot remarry as long as their spouse is alive, and they too have survived and even thrived by God’s grace despite years of singleness imposed on them by their convictions.
9. What is your answer for gay Christians who struggled for years to live out a celibacy mandate but were driven to suicidal despair in the process? This is a heartrending issue that I do not take lightly, but my answer is that anyone who says, “I will kill myself unless I can have sex and be intimate with another human being” is not taking hold of what God has for them. Generally speaking, it’s also true that people who commit suicide are struggling with other emotional issues; otherwise, no matter how acute their problems, they would not take their own lives. Ultimately, though, I cannot see our Father responding positively to the threat of, “Unless you let me have a relationship that satisfies me, I will kill myself.”
10. Has mandatory celibacy produced good fruit in the lives of most gay Christians you know? Again, I object to the term “mandatory celibacy,” and I believe the term “gay Christian” is misleading and unhelpful, but yes, the single Christians I know who are still same-sex attracted are enjoying the Lord, enjoying healthy friendships, and are really quite vibrant. Others have seen a shift (or complete change) in their attractions, and they are happily married to their heterosexual partner. I’ve been quite close with some of them over the years.
Folks, it was an honor to speak at my friend Cliff Kincaid’s America’s Survival conference on “Cultural Marxism”–along with Kincaid, former U.N. Amb. Alan Keyes, Jim Simpson, and Matt Barber, AFTAH Board Member and founder of Barbwire.com. This information-rich event was held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on April 21, 2015. My talk is below. AFTAH will post each of the presentations, but for now you can see them at AS’s YouTube channel. Thanks to Cliff for organizing this event. Truth remains the best answer to the proliferation of lies from the pro-LGBT Left.— Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH
The following is the press conference organized by my friend, Janet Porter, of Faith2Action Ministries. It was held directly in front of the U.S. Supreme Court April 27, 2015, the day before oral arguments at the Court on legalization of homosexual “marriage.” Congratulations to Janet and Dr. Steve Hotze of Conservative Republicans of Texas for putting on this fine event. It was a privilege to stand with these awesome leaders in defense of genuine marriage. — Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH
