This book is an honest effort to get Christians talking openly and respectfully about these issues. We understand their passion to champion God’s grace and acceptance, but grace without truth is unloving and-again-anything but Christlike. In the name of tolerance, relevance, political correctness, and compassion, they have embraced popular culture’s views on human sexuality, abortion, and homosexuality as Christian views while violating the clear teaching of Scripture. On the other end of the continuum, we are equally dismayed by those in the Church who have abandoned or compromised the moral absolutes in Scripture. We understand their passion for truth and moral fidelity but perceive their method and lack of love to be anything but Christlike. We cringe with remorse and embarrassment when we hear hate-filled speech and name calling and see violent actions by Christians in their effort to address issues like abortion, homosexuality, and the environment. We are equally concerned and disheartened by two, common vocal responses to the moral and cultural issues of our day. We are deeply concerned about injustice, famine, and slavery around the world and the ever-increasing violence, moral erosion, and family disintegration here at home. We want to be authentic, grace-filled followers of Jesus, who live out our faith 24/7 and long to be instruments of life and love to those around us. We unashamedly believe that the Bible is God’s Word, and we have experienced a supernatural, spiritual birth that has radically changed our lives and our eternal destiny. This book is written for those of us who take seriously our relationship with Christ, His Word, and His ultimate directive to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves. The result is a generation of sincere Christ-followers who have embraced the values and morals of our culture rather than those of God’s Word, to our own detriment. Many, if not most, followers of Christ report that they have never heard a message from the pulpit on politics or the environment, let alone human sexuality, homosexuality, or abortion. As a result, Christians-except for a vocal minority on the opposite sides of these issues-have been strangely silent. These are the kind of issues that bring division and confusion in families, small groups, and churches. These issues polarize! Within the larger Christian community, there are a great variety of views and opinions concerning human sexuality, homosexuality, abortion, the environment, and politics.
We often argue about these issues or scream about these issues or say nothing about these issues, but we rarely sit down and have meaningful, deep, respectful conversations around these issues. It is about issues we don’t normally discuss.
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