Tag Archives: Marriage

“Illinois is Failing Children of Color?”

Posted on January 27, 2024 by Alyssa Sonnenburg

A recent news story by Chicago’s WGN9 is titled “Illinois is Failing Children of Color.” It examines “Race for Results” –a report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation which found that children of color face several “inequities” in Illinois.

Posted in Faith, Federal, Illinois Politics, Marriage/Family/Culture | Tagged children, family, government, Illinois, Jack Brewer, Marriage, NFL, Tony Dungy | Comments Off

Have We Arrived at Gomorrah?

Posted on December 27, 2023 by Alyssa Sonnenburg

In his book, Slouching Toward Gomorrah, Robert Bork warned that the left’s efforts to create a radical vision of egalitarianism are eroding our traditional values, values that are required to sustain our Republic. The book was written more than 25 years ago, before any Christian denomination would recognize so-called "gay" marriages.

Posted in Faith, Marriage/Family/Culture, Sexuality | Tagged AASECT, Council on Religion and the Homosexual, Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, ELCA, George Leonard, Glide Foundation, Have We Arrived at Gomorrah?, Hugh Hefner, Laird Sutton, LGBT, Marriage, MCC, Methodist Church, National Sex Forum, Playboy, Playboy Foundation, Pope, Robert Bork, Roman Catholic Church, Same-sex marriage, Slouching Toward Gomorrah, Sodom and Gomorrah, Ted McIlvenna, The End of Sex, Troy Perry, United Church of Christ, Vatican | Comments Off

Marriage is for the Children

Posted on December 9, 2023 by Alyssa Sonnenburg

Imagine a farmer who only liked planting, and never bothered to harvest anything. Spring after spring he would scatter seed throughout his fields, and crops would grow all summer, but when fall came, he would either mow all his crops down to stubble or simply abandon them to die during the winter.

Posted in Faith, Marriage/Family/Culture, next gen, Sexuality | Tagged children, family, Institute for Family Studies, Marriage, Marriage is for the children, sexuality | Comments Off

Wolves in Churches

Posted on December 2, 2023 by Alyssa Sonnenburg

In Acts 20, Luke records a powerful and poignant gathering of the Apostle Paul and elders of the church in Ephesus that took place in the town of Miletus. This would be the final time that Paul met with the leaders of this important congregation. Part of the purpose of this meeting was to give a crucial warning.

Posted in Faith, Marriage/Family/Culture, Religious Liberty, Sexuality, Uncategorized | Tagged Albert Mohler, evangelical church, Josh Daws, LGBTQ, Marriage, Pastor J.D. Greer, SBC, Senator Cruz, sexuality | Comments Off

The Pastor

Posted on October 24, 2023 by Alyssa Sonnenburg

You may or may not know that October is “Pastor Appreciation Month.” Because I have pastored for thirty years, I am hesitant to write on this topic, but I also believe that it is an important issue. A number of surveys have revealed that there is a significant attrition occurring within the ranks of pastors which threatens the future of churches across the United States. These studies show that in recent years over fifty percent of the men who enter the pastorate drop out before achieving ten years of service.

Posted in Faith, Marriage/Family/Culture | Tagged children, church, family, Marriage, Pastor Appreciation Month, Pastors | Comments Off

Fighting the Dumpster Fire: Are We Alone?

Posted on October 23, 2023 by Alyssa Sonnenburg

Does it feel like you've woken up to yet another day fighting the cultural dumpster fire? You're not alone. Many faithful brothers and sisters are fighting alongside you. But it's not enough to keep monotonously throwing water on the fire—it's sometimes important to step back and study just how the fire’s progressing. Only then can you know where best to attack.

Posted in Faith, Federal, Illinois Politics, Marriage/Family/Culture, next gen, Sexuality | Tagged Americans, Culture, family, Fighting the Dumpster Fire: Are We Alone?, Marriage, Pew Research Center | Comments Off

The Problems Solvers Family Workshop: Rebuilding the Foundations of Faith & Family

Posted on September 21, 2023 by Alyssa Sonnenburg

The Problem Solvers Family Workshop is a two-day conference that is dedicated to rebuilding the foundations of faith and family in Illinois homes. Strong families with strong values are vital to creating a strong state and a strong nation.

Tagged children, Culture, family, homeschooling, Marriage, Saving Families by Restoring the Marriage Culture, The Problem Solvers Family Workshop, Worldly Challenges and Spiritual Solutions | Comments Off

What Is Wokeism?

Posted on June 7, 2023 by Alyssa Sonnenburg

Did you know a lot of people on the left now deny wokeism exists? They are saying that it can’t be defined and just means whatever you want it to mean. Therefore, they say, wokeism is merely another conservative mantra for whatever policy one disagrees with. Politicians in Illinois have been saying that a lot these days in order to pass (you guessed it) woke legislation.

Posted in CRT/Racism/BLM, Drugs/Alcohol/Addictions, Education, Faith, Federal, Illinois Politics, Marriage/Family/Culture, Religious Liberty, Sexuality | Tagged Christianity, Gender, Marriage, policies, Steve Martin, What Is Wokeism?, woke, Wokeism | Comments Off

Harvard Researchers: Marriage is Good (Really!)

Posted on April 19, 2023 by David E Smith

A recent episode of Dr. Albert Mohler’s “The Briefing” highlighted a study, published in the scientific journal “Global Epidemiology” on the effect of marriage on the physical and emotional health of a group of female nurses. The study, authored by two researchers from Harvard University’s Human Flourishing Program, revealed results that...

Posted in Marriage/Family/Culture | Tagged Albert Mohler, Global Epidemiology, Harvard University, Human Flourishing Program, Joseph Henrich, Marriage | Comments Off

SCOTUS to Decide if Christians Must Endorse Anti-Weddings

Posted on December 6, 2022 by David E Smith

On Monday, December 5, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court began hearing 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, another case that pits the purported rights of same-sex couples to force Christian business-owners to create products (or provide services) that express messages related to same-sex “weddings” in violation of the Christian business-owners’ First Amendment rights.

The Court case is a challenge filed by Coloradan Lorie Smith, a wedding website designer who, in expanding her business, understandably wants to include a statement clarifying that she does not create websites for same-sex weddings. But Colorado’s boneheaded pro-religious discrimination, pro-censorship law “that bars businesses …

Posted in Federal, Religious Liberty, Sexuality | Tagged 303 Creative v. Elenis, American Psychological Association, Barronelle Stutzman, Colorado, Jack Phillips, Lorie Smith, Marriage, Rosa Parks, SCOTUS, weddings | Comments Off

The Gay Celibate Christian?

Posted on October 27, 2022 by David E Smith

Looking over a list of Christian conferences coming up in 2023 I ran across one that states it is for: “LGBTQ+ Christians who have committed to celibacy as a personal call in their spiritual journeys.”

Posted in Faith, Sexuality | Tagged Abortion, adultery, Calvin University, Divorce, fornication, Gender Fluidity, gender identity, Marriage, Matthew Vines, non-binary, non-conforming, pornography, Presbyterian Church in America, Presbyterian Church USA, remarriage, same-sex attraction, sexual orientation, The United Methodist Church, transgender | Comments Off

Cohabitation—Preparation for Divorce?

Posted on February 21, 2022 by David E Smith

Marriage is a gift from God. But marriage is in a sad state in America today, and we all suffer because of it.

I read recently about the movie star Joan Crawford who was legendary in her promiscuity. As her rival Bette Davis once reportedly sneered about her, “She slept with every male star at MGM except Lassie.”

Apparently, in the miserable and difficult childhood of Lucille LeSouer (who later adopted the name Joan Crawford), there was a wound from the absence of her father, according to Shaun Considine’s book, Bette and Joan, which became the basis for …

Posted in Marriage/Family/Culture | Tagged Bette Davis, Bill Federer, Brad Wilcox, Claudius II, cohabitation, Divorce, Family Research Center, Family Research Council, Jesus, Joan Crawford, living in sin, Lucille LeSouer, Lyman Stone, Marriage, MGM, National Survey of Family Growth, Shaun Considine, St. Valentine, UCLA, Wall Street Journal | Comments Off

Shrinking Number of Americans Say Couples Who Have Children Together Should Marry

Posted on February 9, 2022 by David E Smith

A recent Gallup survey found that just 29 percent of Americans believe it is very important for a couple who has children together to be married, down from 49 percent in 2006. The survey also found that only 38 percent of Americans said that it is very important for a couple that plans to stay together for the rest of their lives to be married — a disparity that indicates a shift in how Americans think about marriage and family, with fewer Americans seeing the two as going hand in hand.

Posted in Marriage/Family/Culture | Tagged Church Attendance, cohabitation, Marriage, single motherhood | Comments Off

A Conversation With Dr. Robert A.J. Gagnon

Posted on December 26, 2020 by David E Smith

Do you remember the popular advertising slogan, “When E. F. Hutton talks, people listen”? While good financial advice can boost your net worth, solid theology, biblical scholarship, and consistent application of the Word of God are infinitely more profitable. With that in mind, you will definitely want to listen closely as you view this timely and informative conversation featuring Dr. Robert Gagnon and Pastor Derek Buikema.

Beginning “in the beginning,” Dr. Gagnon presents an overview of what the Bible says about marriage by explaining the importance of the specific words that are used in the account of God’s creation …

Posted in Marriage/Family/Culture, Sexuality | Tagged Bible, Derek Buikema, Dr Robert Gagnon, Houston Baptist University, Marriage | Comments Off

Problems, Blessings, and the Goodness of Marriage

Posted on June 8, 2020 by David E Smith

Nine years ago, my wife and I were married.

Nine years. It’s a long time. Except that it’s also not so very long.

Long or short, nine years is definitely enough time to experience some of life’s ups and downs together as a couple.

If you’ve ever seen the 1965 Disney move That Darn Cat (starring one of my all-time favorite actors, Dean Jones, as an FBI agent tasked with tailing a roguish cat in an attempt to locate the ruthless bank robbers and their hostage), you may remember the scene in which Patti Randall (Hayley Mills) …

Posted in Marriage/Family/Culture | Tagged Dean Jones, family, Hayley Mills, Marriage, That Darn Ca | Comments Off