Posts Tagged ‘morality’
Expect More Out of Your Kids
by Matthew Allen Earlier this week, I participated in a discussion concerning alcohol and advertising. The debate was over whether alcohol companies target youth in their advertising. There is very strong evidence to suggest that the alcohol companies do in fact target adolescent audiences even though such persons are under the legal age to consume alcohol.…
Read MoreCan a Christian be involved in distributing contraceptives if it will reduce the number of abortions?
Question: I am a hardcore Christian and live my life for God. I try to do the right thing even if that means suffering for it. I ended up getting a job where I am the “Health and Wellness Coordinator” at a college. I felt at peace and that God provided it for. It has…
Read MoreBecause It Is Right
by Jim R. Everett Reward incentive motivation permeates our society. People respond to rewards just like little puppies do. Some parents think only in terms of rewarding their children, and, they even reward them for being bad. When a parent says to a little child, “If you will quit throwing a temper tantrum, we will…
Read MoreI’m teaching a group of 13-17 year girls and would like to address decision making, relationships, and sex. Do you have any suggestions?
Question: Hey! I’ve been put in charge of taking the girls’ night at a youth group and I am doing it on decision making, relationships, sex, etc. I would love it if you could give me some tips on what to say to them about it. Their ages are between 13 and 17. I was…
Read MoreWickedness Before Our Eyes
by Wayne S. Walker “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me” (Psalm 101:3). There is an old warning, “What you see is what you get.” We might also say that in a sense, “What you see is what you…
Read MoreIs watching movies or making jokes about sinful things really that bad?
Question: What about people who like action movies and stuff like that, or producers who make violent movies. I mean, you can like action movies but that does not mean that you support violence. There is a difference between making a joke about something and claiming that you actually would do it. You can live…
Read MoreDoes the concept of right and wrong come from the nature of God?
Question: From past study, I have come to the conclusion that that morality, right and wrong, are bound up in the nature of God himself. Things are not right or wrong “just because God said so,” – that is, God does not arbitrarily declare a thing to be wrong that would otherwise be permissible, nor…
Read MoreWholesome Adultery?
by Sherman Wilson In the Saturday, June 24, 1995 issue of the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer, our local daily newspaper, the entertainment section contained a capsule review of the movies currently showing in our city. I quote from the review of The Bridges of Madison County: “From Clint Eastwood comes a wholesome romance about adultery.” Now I ask,…
Read MoreWhat makes some fantasy stories wrong?
Question: Hi! I asked in the past if imagining ideas for a story was OK, and you said that you couldn’t see anything biblically wrong with it. But I feel like I need some details. For example, I heard of some Christians (not that I judge their opinions or anything) saying that they should ban…
Read MoreWhat Goes Around …
David Thurman via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 56, No. 8, Feb. 23, 2007 While preparing for a cookout on July 3, 2006, a Delaware man decided to use gunpowder rather than charcoal lighter fluid to get the coals glowing in his grill. This “unorthodox” fire preparation method blew up on him, and he suffered burns on…
Read MoreHow should a Christian handle violent or adult content video games?
Question: What does Scripture teach about playing video games, especially video games that have violent, adult, and other content that is sinful? For example, how should a Christian handle playing a video game such as Grand Theft Auto where the games glorify obscenities and murder among many other sinful activities? Or what about a military-type…
Read MoreWhy Sex Without Being Married is a Sin
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/WhySexWithoutBeingMarriedIsASin.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Corinthians 12:19-21 I. I received the following note: “Hi! I’m a 21 year old girl from Iceland, and I found this site by accident as I was looking for answers on the Internet about … contraception. I found the answer here and want to thank you for a good…
Read MoreWhy did God allow slavery or commit genocide?
Question: Why did God allow the Israelites to commit actions which are clearly wrong, by His command, such as allowing daughters to be sold into slavery (Exodus 21:7) or committing genocide upon the peoples of Canaan (Joshua)? If the Bible is infallible, is this the kind of moral code that God wants us to apply…
Read MoreWhere are we headed?
Question: I have been reading your web site for some time. I have lots of questions but I will try to limit them to one subject: human reproduction. Every four years abortion is a huge subject, then after the election, it is soon forgotten. There is disagreement about using discarded “test tube” babies for stem…
Read MoreThe Enormity of It All
by Joel Solliday As a writer, I make mistakes. Once upon a blog, I claimed that a point my opponent was making was a “mute point.” I soon learned that an inconsequential point is actually a “moot point.” Oops! I have also misused the word enormity, as if it meant something BIG! Enormity actually refers to an atrocity, or an outrageous,…
Read MoreIs it Acceptable to Live Together Before Marriage?
by Richard Mansel via Forthright Magazine When we become Christians, our perspective changes from the will of the flesh to the will of the Father in heaven. The old ways of pleasure cease to be the guiding light of our days. We have a higher calling based on new criteria. Men make their decisions based on…
Read MoreLegalizing Drugs
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/LegalizingDrugs.mp3 by Jeffrey W, Hamilton Text: James 5:13-18 I. I heard yet another radio program where the host was arguing for the legalization of drugs. A. His main argument was one of many that I have heard: “We losing the war on drugs” B. The idea is that we can’t win, so let’s stop the fight of…
Read MoreAtheism’s Faith and Fruits
by James D. Bales, reprinted in The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 8, June 1952. Unbelievers constantly bring against Christians the charge that the Bible is unworthy of a place in a scientific age since it calls for faith but men must walk by sight. By the term faith, they seek to convey the idea that…
Read MoreDepending on the Situation
Depending on the Situation – Part 1Depending on the Situation – Part 2 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 5:18-6:2 I. Dinner time conversation was lively the other night. A few caught Dennis Prager’s Ultimate Issues Hour. A. Now I like Mr. Prager’s show for the most part. You don’t usually find commentators willing to address…
Read MoreThou Shalt Not …
Text: Romans 13:8-10 I. In continuing our series on understanding the Ten Commandments, I would like for us to focus our attention on the commands which begin “You shall not …” – Exodus 20:13-17 A. The repeating of a phrase, in this case “you shall not”, causes one to pay attention to the words. It sets…
Read MoreThe Lesser of Two Evils
by Al Diestelkamp via Gospel Power, Vol. 13, No. 31, July 30, 2006. When it comes to behavior, one should never allow himself to be put into positions where he chooses between two evils. There may be situations wherein we think we must make such choices, but in reality, there are always other options that…
Read MoreWhat do you think about the idea “anything you do in moderation is not a sin?”
Question: My sister and her husband patronize the gambling casino’s at least 2 or 3 times a week. I mentioned to them that I feel that gambling is a sin. My brother-in-law’s answer was, “anything you do in moderation is not a sin.” I do not believe this to be true. I still believe that…
Read MoreDoes religious ethics do more harm than good?
Question: I think that more often than not religious ethics in government do more harm than good, for example: not funding stem cell research, trying to ban abortion, and outlawing gay marriage. Stem cell research could further science and medicine so much, but because of religious ethics, it’s on hiatus right now in America. Abortion…
Read MoreChristian Morality Versus Atheist Morality
by Donald R. Fox One of the most interesting formal discussions between an atheist and a Christian was the Oliphant-Smith Debate, conducted in Shawnee, Oklahoma, August 15-16, 1929. W. L. Oliphant was a preacher from the Oak Cliff Church of Christ, Dallas, Texas. Charles Smith was the President of the American Association of the Advancement…
Read MoreThe Bible and The Old Wicker Coal Basket
Revised by Kenneth E. Thomas The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible. His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried…
Read MoreCan a woman, wearing a covering, work in a store selling alcohol?
Question: What about women who wear covering among the regular population? Is it a sin to let the woman who wears a covering to work in a store where they sell beer or things of the sort? I need to know if I am sinning if I do not wear a covering. It is hard…
Read MorePromises, Promises
Text: Matthew 23:16-22 I. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus refers to a old and seemingly popular statement – Matthew 5:33 A. This and the other five quotes are introduced by the phrase “You have heard it was said to those of old” 1. This is not the usual way that Jesus quotes from the Old…
Read MoreWhy can’t we be free like the wind?
Question: Last month I watched a movie, I just forgot if it’s Chinese or Japanese movie, basically, it tells a story about an orphan girl was adopted by an ex-swordman, who raised other nine little kids along with her to prepare for a mission when they grow up — wipe out three warlords to bring…
Read MoreIf a psychic helps the police, does this make it good?
Question: I have a new friend who asks me if a person is able to help the police with an investigation by some kind of knowledge that will help save a person’s life, can that be evil? She argues that it saves people’s lives. She says it is dreams or some kind of ESP she…
Read MoreShould We Talk About Ethical Issues?
by Richard Mansel Forthright, May 3, 2005 Many believe it is a waste of time to study ethical issues such as abortion, euthanasia, homosexuality, cloning, etc. Is this a valid complaint? As Christians, we are in a time of extraordinary challenges, both ethically and morally. These ethical issues all involve sin. Euthanasia, Abortion, and Cloning…
Read MoreSeeking to Establish Their Own Righteousness
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton A series of articles came across my desk that caused me to realize that our society is not just abandoning the teachings of Christ. People realize that society needs moral standards in order to function, but without the standards of God to guide them, society is turning to guidelines of its…
Read MoreCoed Slumber Parties?
by George Hutto That’s the title of a recent article in the teen section of the local paper, (Times Daily, Florence, AL, June 1, 2005, p. 6e). “Innocent fun or danger zone?” is the subtitle. The simple asking of the question is disturbing. In this article the author, Helena Ollviero from Cox News Service quotes…
Read MoreMorals in the Pulpit and in the Pew
by Leslie Diestelkamp via Think, Vol. 2, No. 5, July 1971 Once, when I preached a sermon on morals, a mature man in the congregation asked to speak. For perhaps two or three minutes he exhorted the people, giving complete endorsement to what I had preached. I believe his endorsement may have impressed the people more…
Read MoreMaintain Good Conduct
by Kent Heaton It would be hard to imagine how difficult it was for the early Christians to live under the rule of Nero, emperor of Rome. Peter’s first epistle is considered to be written during the reign of one of the world’s most corrupt and vicious rulers. It would seem from his writing; Peter…
Read MoreCome Ye Out from Among Them
by Clem Thurman via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 58, No. 27, July 3, 2009. The October 2002 issue of “The Legal Alert” from the Christian Law Association lists nine cases in this country of Christians being opposed or restricted in one way or another in the practice of their faith. I’m sure that the number has risen…
Read MoreWhat are your opinions about the Disney company?
Question: The Disney company presents itself as a producer of family-oriented products, but it appears to be simultaneously promoting immoral ideas. What are your opinions about the Disney company? Answer: Whenever you find a group of people working together, you are bound to find people of immoral character within the group. It is particularly disappointing…
Read MoreIs Anything Done in Moderation Not a Sin?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 6:8-15 I. I was asked recently what I thought about the argument that gambling once in a while (two or three times a week) wasn’t sinful because “anything done in moderation is not a sin.” A. We could address the issue of gambling from a number of viewpoints to show…
Read MoreThe Nature of Law (Article)
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton In our fantasies, it is sometimes appealing to wonder what it would be like to live in a place without any laws, where a person is free to do whatever he pleases. Laws can be irritating at times; do this, don’t do that, and, of course, we never get them right.…
Read MoreStrictness Not According to Knowledge
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 15:1-14 I. In our zeal to live as God requires, we will at times take on more restrictions than God has placed upon us. A. Ecclesiastes 7:15-16 1. A confusing verse. Is Solomon saying don’t follow God’s laws strictly? Have a little sin in your life? 2. The answer is a few…
Read MoreMen of Debase Minds
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 5:18-24 I. Starting in Romans 1:18, Paul lays out the moral decay of the Gentile society A. All men at one time knew God, but there came a point in the Gentile society when the true God was rejected.- Romans 1:18-21 1. He was replaced with gods of man’s imagination, copied…
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