When we asked people what they would do differently if they were God, one answer was: I would make it okay to be gay. Another was: I would have less arbitrary rules. Many people today think that God is unnecessarily strict about sex: when one should or shouldn’t have sex, and with who you should… Continue reading If I were God…I would not be so strict about sex
Tag: Marriage
Do some churches inadvertently promote gender-based violence?
This week was the start of the international campaign of “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” (focussing on violence against women and children). “Police statistics indicate that the murder rate of women in South Africa has increased by 16% in the past five years and the number of reported child rapes in the same… Continue reading Do some churches inadvertently promote gender-based violence?
For Better, for Worse
This past weekend I had the privilege of officiating at a wedding in a township church in South Africa. The marriage ceremony took place as an addition to the Sunday morning service. The vibrancy of the singing was contagious and the warmth of hospitality humbling. In African culture there is no such thing as RSVP! … Continue reading For Better, for Worse
Sex has a price-tag
As I read the CNN article, “STD rates reach record high in United States”, I remembered watching (twenty years ago) the DVD, “Sex has a price-tag” by Pam Stenzel. Pam, while speaking to high school learners, made the point that condoms may prevent pregnancy, but they certainly don’t protect one from a whole host of… Continue reading Sex has a price-tag
When does the Bible permit divorce?
No-one ever marries intending to get divorced, but divorce is a reality – also in the church. Divorce can be for biblically permitted reasons or non-biblical reasons. In my experience we are tempted to make two common mistakes in the church when dealing with divorce: