Gay Marriage

Question: What would you do if a homosexual friend/acquaintance/old school mate asked you to come to their wedding knowing that you are Christian? Would you go? If so do you compromise your values and beliefs by going to a gay "wedding"? Would you refuse and possibly lose the chance to witness to them and others?

My Response: You first!

To Mosque or Not To Mosque?

Question: I was recently asked about the proposed mosque near the 9/11 site. Do you think Muslims have the right to build a mosque so close to Ground Zero?

My Response: Thanks for all the insightful comments! Be sure to check out the comment page!

Rights are funny things! What rights do any of us really have? Without getting into a long constitutional/philosophical discussion, we really have few true rights and building a building certainly isn't one of them. None of us have the right to build anything. We have to get permission, permits, zoning approval, etc. If it were a right, there would be no need to get any permits. Permits are an expression of permission granted for a request. Berean Assembly does not have the right to use the lighted outdoor sign the way we want to. We have to have permission. Try to add an addition to your own house without permission and see what happens! We have a right to make requests and the various governing boards have the right to grant or deny permission. It happens all of the time -- in business, religious and personal endeavors.

So then, do the Muslims have a right to build the mosque? Absolutely not! They have the right to make a request. The governing entity has the responsibility to fairly determine if the request should be granted.

Should the Muslims be granted the right to build near ground zero. My opinion is that they should not. None of us have the right to yell, "FIRE!" in a building where there is no fire. It causes undue alarm and is illegal. I was once charged with harassment for an over zealous approach to evangelism! Harassment is when you do something that causes someone to feel threatened. On these considerations alone, they should be denied for causing undue alarm and causing people to feel threatened.

Muslims do not have the right to build anywhere. They have the right to ask permission and I believe that in this specific case, that permission should be denied.