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The Weekly is a highlight of the work the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission is doing to strengthen you and our churches for God’s glory.
5 Facts about polyamory and consensual non-monogamy
Over the past few years there has been a concerted effort to normalize polygamous relationships. For example, as Brandon Showalter recently noted, last year the American Psychological Association quietly launched the “Non-Monogamy Task Force.”
This new group is tasked with promoting “awareness and inclusivity about consensual non-monogamy and diverse expressions of intimate relationships. These include but are not limited to: people who practice polyamory, open relationships, swinging, relationship anarchy and other types of ethical, non-monogamous relationships.”
The stated goal of the task force is to “generate research, create resources and advocate for the inclusion of consensual non-monogamous relationships in the following four areas: Basic and applied research; Education and training; Psychological practice; Public interest.”
Here are five facts you should know about polyamory and consensual non-monogamy.
What You Need to Know
Following Jesus costs a lot more for those across the globe than those of us in America. One of the most dangerous places to be a Christian is North Korea. Travis Wussow sheds light of the challenges these brothers and sisters face. Read his article here.
North Korea is the most dangerous place on earth to be a Christian. Open Doors, which studies and reports on Christian persecution worldwide, has listed North Korea at the top of its World Watch List—an index of persecution against Christians—for 18 years in a row. But despite this, the church in North Korea is not small. Experts estimate that there are between 200,000 and 400,000 Christians in North Korea. While a relatively small minority of the overall population of 25 million, 300,000 believers represents a significant movement of God and strong remnant in North Korea.
The assault on the dignity of human beings, who are made in the image of God, takes various forms in our society. One of those is through the death with dignity movement. Dan Trippie writes about what’s troubling with this way of thinking about the end of life. Read his article here.
End-of-life decisions are not vague abstractions for my family. Within a 36-month period, we were confronted with the death of two parents—both suffering from illness. We all had to decide how they would handle suffering. Therefore, as I consider the arguments for the death with dignity legislation, specifically in New York where I live, I do not approach this as a spectator in the cheap seats. I have been up close to end-of-life decisions.
Child protection policies are essential for any church that wants to be safe from abuse. Samantha Kilpatrick, an attorney with experience in the area of sexual assault crimes, shares part 2 of this important series. Check it out here.
According to Christianity Today’s Church Law & Tax, one of the top five reasons a religious organization finds itself in court is sexual abuse of a minor. Churches and other youth-serving organizations must wake up and realize that abuse of minors happens far too often in our ministries. However, fear of liability exposure should not be what drives the Church to protect her people. The Church should strive to protect its congregants as Psalm 82:3-4 calls us, to “give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
News From Capitol Hill
Next week, the ERLC policy team looks forward to participating in the second annual Department of State’s Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom. The 2018 inaugural event was a tremendous success as advocates and government officials gathered to highlight the importance of this fundamental human right. Promoting religious freedom abroad is a top priority of the ERLC as it is a deeply held conviction of the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention.
In addition to the main sessions, dozens of side events are planned throughout the capital city. The ERLC is hosting our own side event, as we did last year, next Thursday, July 18 at 10am on Capitol Hill with the focus on religious freedom and other human rights abuses in North Korea.
At Humanity Denied: Religious Freedom in North Korea, we will premiere our new short documentary film that features defectors from North Korean as well as South Korean church leaders and activists. The film screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring an activist and several policy experts including Rev. Kenneth Bae, a Christian missionary who was the longest-held U.S. prisoner of North Korea, and Dr. Jin Shin, the president of the Institute for Peace Affairs in Korea.
Featured Podcasts
Parenting adult children can feel tricky. How do you adjust from parenting children and teens to adults? On The Way Home podcast, Dan Darling talks to Jim Burns about his experiences and practical advice he’s learned along the way. Burns is the author of Doing Life with Your Adult Children: Keep Your Mouth Shut and the Welcome Mat Out and is the president & executive director of the HomeWord Center for Youth and Family at Azusa Pacific University. Listen in here.
- On Signposts, Russell Moore is joined by his long-time friend Ligon Duncan, chancellor and CEO of Reformed Theological Seminary. He has served the church as a pastor and theologian for over 35 years and in various ministry positions in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). In this conversation they talk about denominational differences, personal evangelism, and so much more. Join the conversation here.
From The Public Square
VA Hospitals Can Distribute, Display Bibles Under Revised Policy
Religion News Service
After a legal fight over a POW/MIA table, Veterans Affairs clarifies religious liberty protections.
New Report Confirms China Continues to Kill Innocent People for Their Organs
Josh M. Shepherd, Providence
A respected prosecutor chaired a panel of experts to examine whether China ended its practice of organ harvesting in 2006, as Beijing claims. These human rights advocates, physicians, and diverse leaders uncovered haunting violations.
California Implements Extreme New Sex Ed Curriculum
Mary Margaret Olohan, The Daily Signal
The California Board of Education implemented progressive sex and gender education curriculum in public schools across the state, regardless, in some cases, of parental knowledge or consent.
UK plan to control online porn is watched as test case
Kelvin Chan, Associated Press
The global push to more tightly regulate the internet and big tech firms is spreading to one of the web's biggest and least visible corners: porn.
