Tennessee Declares ‘Nuclear Family Month,’ Replacing June’s Pride Month
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R) signed a bill earlier this month recognizing June as “Nuclear Family Month.”
The bill, introduced in 2025, was signed on April 9. While it originally aimed to designate June 2025 as “Nuclear Family Month,” an amendment to the bill updates the legislation to recognize June 2026 as such.
According to the legislation, the nuclear family, “consisting of one husband, one wife, and any biological, adopted, or fostered children, is God’s design for familial structure and has been the bedrock of society since the creation of the world” was the “basic building block of Tennessee’s society throughout her formative years” and “built the United States of America and created prosperity within our nation.”
The legislation further declares that Tennessee does not align with the “humanistic, globalist ideologies of the World Health Organization, the United Nations, and like-minded organizations that fight for population control through the means of promoting sterilization and abortion practices,” but instead values “God’s perfect design for humanity.” It continues to state that the nuclear family is “under attack in our beloved State and nation, and it is our responsibility to uplift, protect, and support values that help Tennessee prosper.”
Lee backed a similar effort in 2024, when he issued a proclamation calling for 31 days of prayer and fasting. The resolution recognized that God is the Creator and has the “authority to judge and bless” the state and country. “[W]e, as public servants in the Tennessee General Assembly, seek God’s Mercy upon our land and beseech Him to not withdraw His Hand of blessing from us,” the resolution added.
This article originally appeared on American Faith and is reposted with permission.
Supreme Court and Same-Sex Marriage: Could a Historic Ruling Be Coming?
Are we about to see one of the most pivotal cases in the history of the Supreme Court overruled?
According to a report by ABC News, the Supreme Court is considering hearing a case that could mean the overturning the legality of same-sex marriage in the United States. Kim Davis, who was a former county clerk in Kentucky, has appealed to the Supreme Court to hear her case which would change this massive decision from 2015.
Davis previously refused to give a same-sex couple a marriage license due to her religious beliefs, which landed her six days behind bars. Davis argued that her First Amendment rights to freely express her religious beliefs should keep her from any personal responsibility when it comes to giving or deny marriage licenses. She further noted that LGBTQ marriage rights are part of “legal fiction.”
As the outlet discussed, Davis’ petition is to be part of the agenda during the private meeting between the justices on Friday. The justices will then cast their votes on which cases they decide to hear. If the Supreme Court decides to take up Davis’ case, the decision will likely be released on Monday.
This case comes after a decade of the Obergefell v. Hodges case which legalized same-sex marriage. Now, in 2025, ABC notes that there have been at least nine different states that are attempting to change this precedent. The Guardian also pointed out that Davis’ case comes right after the court ruled in favor for Donald Trump’s administration to keep transgender people from having passports according to their gender identity instead of their biological sex.
If the Supreme Court decides to hear this case and ultimately overturn the 2015 ruling, it could serve as a powerful reminder that God’s standards still hold, and that His Word remains the ultimate truth we are called to follow—regardless of what the world may say. Marriage was designed by God to be between one man and one woman, and that truth does not change, even if society chooses to ignore it.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the upcomingbook,The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment.
Larry Tomczak’s Week in Review: DeGeneres Left for England, but Does Her Lifestyle Remain?
When Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election in a resounding victory over Vice President Kamala Harris (remember her?) media mogul Ellen DeGeneres made good on her threat to exit the U.S. She relocated to a large estate a couple hours outside of London, where she now resides with her longtime lesbian love interest. The Daily Mail reported that shortly after she moved in, her home suffered major flooding and damage (although DeGeneres brushed it aside as untrue).
The talented comedian and former talk show host continues to exert powerful influence in her attempt to model a fulfilling gay “marriage.” Not so long ago, her previous partner, Anne Heche, left DeGeneres and then tragically spiraled into cocaine usage, resulting in a major car accident, after which she was on life support until her tragic premature death.
Larry Tomczak’s Week in Review: DeGeneres Left for England, but What About Her Lingering Lifestyle?
When Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election in a resounding victory over Vice President Kamala Harris (remember her?) media mogul Ellen DeGeneres made good on her threat to leave the United States. She relocated to a large estate a couple hours outside of London, where she now resides with her longtime lesbian love partner. The Daily Mail reported that shortly after she moved in, her home suffered from major flooding and damage (although DeGeneres brushed it aside as untrue).
The talented comedian and former talk show host continues to exert strong influence in her attempt to model a fulfilling gay “marriage.” Not so long ago, her previous partner, Anne Heche, broke away from DeGeneres and then tragically spiraled into cocaine usage, resulting in a major car accident in which she was on life support until her tragic premature death.
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On her former television talk show, DeGeneres decided one day to make a mockery of Larry Tomczak and his stand for the sanctity of biblical marriage. He responded with a charitable but scriptural stand that warrants your attention so you can present the same solid refutation in a culture celebrating the concept of homosexual marriage.
Watch and share with others this informative and entertaining presentation, even if you may have seen it before!
Larry Tomczakis a best-selling author of 10 books, cultural commentator of 50 years, Intercessors for America board member and a public policy adviser with Liberty Counsel. Go to larrytomczak.com to watch 30 amazing, free, brief, on-demand videos by America’s top leaders so you can confidently address today’s tough issues.
Should Christians Cancel Alistair Begg Over His LGBTQ Wedding Response?
Should Pastor Alistair Begg be canceled over his controversial comments about LGBTQ weddings and his subsequent refusal to repent? That’s essentially the question at the center of ongoing debate over Begg’s views on same-sex nuptials.
Begg came under fire for comments made on his podcast last September, during which he responded to a grandmother whose grandchild was preparing to be wedded to a “transgender person.”
He said the grandma could attend and bring a gift so long as it was made clear she isn’t in agreement biblically with the marriage. After debate broke out over Begg’s position, the pastor—who still clearly affirmed his biblical view of marriage—delivered a sermon noting he was “concerned about the well-being” of the grandma’s relationship with her grandchild.
“If I was on the receiving end of another question about another situation from another person at another time, I may answer absolutely differently but, in that case, I answered in that way, and I would not answer in any other way, no matter what anybody says on the internet,” Begg said.
Shane Idleman, pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in California and a well-known commentator who routinely tackles hot-button political issues, recently tackled the complex debate over Begg’s comments, offering his take on how believers should respond.
Idleman is in a unique position as a faith leader and also the head of a California radio network that features Begg Monday through Friday.
After another organization, American Family Radio, announced it would stop carrying Begg’s “Truth for Life” program, Idleman also started receiving emails about what he would do, which he addressed here:
Idleman said it’s clear Begg was concerned with helping people love their enemies well, and explained why he thinks the reaction has been so swift.
“I think everybody’s on edge because of this …. gay marriage, LGBTQ agenda, and … Alistair is very solid,” he said. “He is solid on gay marriage. He’s made that very clear before that it’s not according to God’s Word. So I think a lot of people were just kind of shocked.”
Idleman said he listened to Begg’s comments twice to be sure he understood them, and offered his own pastoral advice on the matter. While Idleman stressed the importance of reaching unbelievers, he also emphasized his belief that celebrating a same-sex wedding wouldn’t be something he’d recommend.
“My personal opinion, for me, is—it would be hard to go and celebrate this union of marriage,” he said. “To me, that wouldn’t be necessarily loving my enemy.”
Still, Idleman said he was concerned by the legalistic and rigid ways in which some have addressed—and dismissed—Begg in the wake of the controversy.
“It’s OK to say, ‘Wow, this kind of caught us off guard. Let me try to understand your heart. … I don’t agree with it,'” Idleman said. “But to completely write him off—and one radio network removed his broadcast … talk about throwing the baby out with the bathwater.”
Idleman said he very carefully offers advice when it comes to situations like the one to which Begg was responding.
“I don’t tell people, ‘Here’s what you should do,'” he said. “I say, ‘You need to take it to the Lord. What is God telling you to do?'”
But Idleman was definitively clear he wouldn’t personally go and celebrate the same-sex wedding. If it were one of his own kids or family members, he would be sure they knew he loved and cared for them despite his opposition.
“[I would say ‘I’ll] pray for you. I love you. I’m always here for you. You know where I stand, but I can’t go and celebrate what God calls an abomination,'” Idleman said, expressing his desire in such a circumstance to speak “truth and love.”
The preacher said he has listened to Begg for 25 years and would be cautious not to simply cancel him after one statement, especially considering his other doctrines that have always been biblically sound.
Idleman also responded to some of those definitively defending Begg on the matter—people arguing Jesus “ate with sinners, the tax collectors, the harlots.”
While this is true, the pastor offered an important caveat sometimes lost in the mix of discussion.
“I don’t think he went into the harlot’s den,” he said. “I don’t think he went to the harlot’s home and sat around and saw that debauchery.”
Just the same, he said Christ certainly didn’t go to the bars and get drunk with sinners.
“There’s some boundaries … that have to be established,” he said.
Billy Hallowell has contributed to The Washington Post, The Daily Caller and The Huffington Post, among other news sites. Hallowell has worked as a journalist and commentator for over a decade.
Pastor Andy Stanley Affirms Biblical Marriage After ‘Controversial’ Conference
Following a whirlwind of controversy, speculation, support and accusations, Pastor Andy Stanley disclosed his stance on gay marriage to his congregation on Sunday, Oct. 1.
Stanley, pastor at the Atlanta-area megachurch, North Point Community Church, addressed the swirling rumors and assumptions that were being made in an untelevised sermon meant just for his church.
This is following a highly contentious and sensitive two-day seminar Stanley hosted for parents of LGBTQ children called the “Unconditional Conference.”
There was an announcement sent out prior to the service on Sunday detailing what the sermon would be about:
“HEY EVERYBODY, You may have heard about or been asked about a conference for parents North Point Community Church is hosting on September 28-29, the Unconditional Conference. A great deal of misinformation has circulated regarding the purpose of the conference, and I do not want you to be misinformed. So on Sunday, October 1, we’re taking a break from our regular programming to talk about the conference and why we elected to host it. In light of the subject matter, we will not be streaming services online on October 1. If you plan to attend, and I hope you will, plan to arrive early. While the subject matter will not be kid-friendly, this is actually the perfect weekend to bring your kids because we are kicking off new content in all our children’s environments. If you have no idea what all the fuss is about, good! Come anyway and I’ll explain.”
Before the event, Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, voiced his criticism of Stanley on his podcast “The Briefing,” asserting that the concept of “the quieter middle space” is deceptive.
“I don’t believe that the quieter middle space exists,” Mohler said. “I can see why many might hope that it would exist. You might hope there would be a place which is not so confrontational, not so controversial, not so loud.”
Mohler continued, highlighting that two of the speakers scheduled to address the conference were in fact homosexual men who were married to other men.
“Let’s just be clear: This isn’t middle space,” Mohler said. “This is declaring sides, and this is not the side consistent with biblical Christianity. This is the side that I believe is not only incompatible with biblical Christianity but cannot coexist in one space with biblical Christianity.”
This decision has led to both support and condemnation by the Christian church. Some are supportive of Stanley’s outreach efforts to the LGBTQ community and believe what he is doing is what Christians are called to do.
Others however believe this is an acceptance of LGBTQ lifestyle without the transformative process that comes from accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Some even claim now that Stanley has gone full apostate.
Well…what exactly did Stanley say to address this quagmire of theology, opinion, support, condemnation, accusation and more?
Protestia was among the first outlets to post the unedited audio of Stanley’s message on their website and social media accounts. The audio shows Stanley highlighted three statements on “New Testament Sexual Ethics”:
Honor God with your body. The Holy Spirit lives in you and your body is how people know what you believe and where you stand; your behavior through your body is to exemplify the goodness of God and the grace of God and the love of God. So, you always honor God with your body and you always honor others as well.
Don’t be mastered by anything. Not by porn, not by sexual addiction. Don’t be mastered by another person. Don’t be mastered by infatuation. Don’t be mastered by lust. Don’t be mastered by anything. You have a master and He’s the king. And He loves you and He created you and He knows what’s best for you.
Don’t sexualize a relationship outside of marriage. “‘That is so old fashioned! No sex before we’re married? If you’re not married, I mean who even teaches that anymore?’ Always have, always will…. we’re not going to blink on this,” Stanley says.
Stanley continued and directly addressed his, and by extension his church’s, view on sexual activity from a marriage and biblical stance:
“Sex is for married people. Regarding marriage, and this feels weird [to] even say this, just [to] make sure everybody knows where we are. We talk about marriage, or we talk about and teach about marriage the same way Jesus and the apostles did. Every instruction in the Bible regarding marriage references or assumes a husband and a wife, a man or a woman.
“So biblical marriage, biblical marriage is between a man and a woman. We’ve never shied away from that. We don’t change the words in order not to offend people,” Stanley says.
In the sermon, Stanley continues addressing the area that many have taken issue with: responding to homosexual marriages by loving them and restoring relationships with them since they have decided they are incapable of living chaste lives.
“But for many, that is not sustainable. So they choose a same-sex marriage. Not because they’re convinced it’s biblical—they read the same Bible we do—they chose to marry for the same reason many of us do. Love, companionship and family. And in the end, as was the case for all of us, this is the important thing I want you to hear me say; it’s their decision,” says Stanley.
This has been viewed by many as an acceptance of the lifestyle and practices of homosexuality without addressing the transformative nature that accompanies the act of making Jesus Lord and Savior over one’s life.
Andrew T. Walker, an Ethics and Public Theology Professor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, summed up Stanley’s stance as a “distinction between doctrine and pastoral practice.
“What does that mean? It means the doctrine has not ‘officially’ changed which is why he can technically affirm a ‘biblical view,’ but for all practical purposes, there is a pastoral accommodation that allows for LGBTQ-identified persons to disobey Scripture and remain in good standing as a Christian.”
I was able to listen to Andy Stanley’s messages from today on the topic of same-sex attraction and marriage.
What’s clear from Stanley’s teaching is that he’s drawing a distinction between doctrine and pastoral practice. What does that mean? It means the doctrine has not…
In taking the stance of respectful disagreement, Walker leaned on his own personal experiences with Stanley and attempted to offer correction in a loving, Christian manner:
“Andy Stanley is an acquaintance I’ve spoken with about these issues over the past several years. He’s never been anything less than kind and respectful, so I have no personal animosity in saying this; in fact, I say it with much grief and lament: Andy Stanley is in error, and based on reports I’ve heard of what’s encouraged and promoted at North Point itself through its counseling ministries, the church is leading people down a grave pathway that is unbiblical and therefore harmful to those it claims to serve.”
Maybe with more loving, respectful and, most importantly, Scripturally based discussions, Christian leaders can address the growing need for families dealing with LGBTQ members and their path forward in the living Word of God.
Perhaps Pastor Jimmy Evans said it best this past Sunday, “When a person is sexually confused they deserve compassion, and they deserve to be treated for the problems and the spiritual problems they are going through.”
