Home Schoolers: Threat On The Horizon

     This is the story of Uwe and Hannelore Romeike and their five children.  The Romeike's were the first family to ever be granted asylum in the U.S. for the protection of their homeschooling rights.  Both parents were music teachers in their native Germany, as well as devout Evangelical Christians.  Like many parents in this country, Uwe and Hannelore became concerned that education in Germany's public school system was not consistent with the teachings of their Christian faith.  It's not that they demanded the Bible become part of the curriculum, but they sensed that their children were not receiving the moral instruction and lessons in integrity, virtue and righteous principles that a more faith-based program of study might provide.
     According to a Washington Times article, they withdrew their children from German public schools in 2006, and their objection to the educational system in Germany resulted in close to $10,000 in fines.  It also prompted visits by police and the forced removal of their children from the family home.  It is hard to fathom that this took place just a few short years ago.  It reeks of totalitarian conduct, reminiscent of Stalin or Hitler's Youth program!  So the Romeikes fled their native land and sought refuge; where else but the United States of America?

     In January of 2010, Memphis federal immigration judge Lawrence Burman granted them political asylum, on the basis that they feared persecution for their beliefs if they returned to Germany.  They were assisted in their case by the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), which believed in their cause and their right to raise their children as they saw fit.  But the victory was short-lived.
     The United States government, under the auspices of Attorney General Eric Holder is trying to revoke their asylum and force them to return to Germany.  And this is where the case could have long-reaching effects on American home-schoolers.  According to the brief filed in Romeike v. Holder, the Attorney General puts forth the heinous argument that "parents have no fundamental right to home-educate their children."  What?!?  Exactly how does he come up with this ridiculous and despicable rationalization?
     Well according to HSLDA founder Mike Farris, AG Holder's argument rests on this premise:  a nation violates no one's rights if it bans homeschooling entirely.  Farris further explains this egregious hypothesis: There are two major portions of constitutional rights of citizens – fundamental liberties and equal protection. The U.S. Attorney General has said this about homeschooling. There is no fundamental liberty to homeschool. So long as a government bans homeschooling broadly and equally, there is no violation of your rights.” (Read the HSLDA position on this case here.)
     Got that?  All the government has to do is ban an activity, and as long as they haven't singled out any individual, but banned the activity across the board, your individual rights have not been denied.  The essence of Holder's argument against the Romeike's was that they failed to show that there was any discrimination based on religion; the Romeikes did not prove that all homeschoolers were religious, so therefore not all Christians believed they had to homeschool.  Their claim that their religious freedom was denied did not apply to the group of home-schoolers as a whole, therefore their individual claim was not valid.  Can you believe that?
     The Romeike's case is currently before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and should AG Holder lose, I have no doubt that this case will go all the way to the Supreme Court.  And let's not fool ourselves!  This case has ramifications far beyond this innocent family who just wants to educate their children as they see fit.  It even goes beyond the rights of American home-schoolers.  This case is about the fundamental misunderstanding by our Government that religious freedom is an individual right.  You cannot legislate it away by declaring that a whole group must all follow a standard.  And if this case is not upheld in favor of the Romeikes, you can rest assured that it will be used to assault the cause of liberty, both individual and religious, for all Americans.  Follow this case closely!

1 John 4:4-5       "But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.  Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them."

   
   

Persecution In The Classroom

     You may have seen the news story earlier this week about Joelle Silver, the New York high school teacher who has been threatened with loss of employment unless she removes Christian messages and items from her classroom.  Ms. Silver had been employed as a Science teacher for seven years when she received a letter from her school superintendent.
     The letter, besides being condescending by implying that Ms. Silver was familiar with the First Amendment, at least to some degree, then goes on to give a weighty argument that a 1947 Supreme Court decision (Everson v. Board of Education) actually held that the First Amendment applies to the States, and that the Establishment Clause forbids not only practices that "aid one religion" or "prefer one religion over another", but as well those that "aid all religions".  The letter then goes on to declare that the Establishment Clause requires that the government pursue a course of "complete neutrality towards religion", and not promote religion or entangle itself in religious matters.

     Furthermore, the letter stated that, as a public employee, the First Amendment rights accorded to every citizen, do not apply to her.  The School Superintendent even went so far as to say, "When a citizen enters government service, the citizen, by necessity, must accept certain limitations on his or her freedoms." Excuse me?  I don't think a citizens place of employment is stipulated in the Constitution.
     I find all this high falutin' and patronizing speech quite curious since, according to an article on the  Knowledge is Power website, the U.S. public school system is being strongly urged by the Administration to adopt the Common Core State Standards. (At this time 45 states have adopted it).  This article and many more that I ran across warn that the course curriculum includes the study of Islam as a world religion, and all the wonderful benefits it brings to society. So where's the "complete neutrality towards religion"?  Why would this be agreeable, yet Ms. Silver is not allowed to present any remnant of her religion?
     And just what did this teacher do that was so objectionable?  Again, within the letter, the Board of Education was only too kind to supply "examples of her personal religious expression", including posters, with Biblical verses, placed around her classroom.  Some of them read:

Wash me thoroughly [and repeatedly] from my iniquity and guilt 

and cleanse me and make me wholly pure from my sin! - Psalm 51:2

The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer; my God, my keen and firm Strength in Whom I will trust and take refuge, my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my High Tower. - Psalm 18:2

 The heavens declare the glory of God; 

and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork. - Psalm 19:1 

Let them praise and exalt the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted and supreme! His glory and majesty are above earth and heaven! - Psalm 148:13

     Personally, I think that today's students would be well-served to have the influence of these Bible verses in their lives.  Biblical inspiration was good enough for nearly nine generations of Americans, and with its removal, I think we can see the steady decline of our culture.  But this wasn't her only transgression.  Oh, no!  She even went so far as to superimpose another Bible verse over computer-generated images of the American flag. (Gasp!)  The Bible verse?  

Be alert and on your guard; stand firm in your faith. Act like men and be courageous; grow in strength!  Let everything you do be done in love.  1 Corinthians 16:13-14

     But Ms. Silver further aggravated the School Board with images of the cross in her classroom, a "Prayer Request" box on her desk, and by sponsoring a Bible Study Club.  And to add to her list of offenses, she actually had the nerve to post a quote on her classroom wall by President Ronald Reagan: "Without God there is no virtue because there is no prompting of the conscience ... without God there is a coarsening of the society; without God democracy cannot and will not long endure .... if ever we forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a Nation gone under."  

     As we should expect, it was an atheist group who complained about Ms. Silver's expression of her faith and prompted the "counseling" letter.  The long and short of it is that Ms. Silver must stop her actions or face being fired.  But the School Superintendent and Board of Education didn't foresee just how much fight this teacher had in her.  She sued, claiming her First Amendment rights were violated.  “As a Christian and as an American I feel it’s incredibly important to fight to protect the rights that people have died to give me.”  I can think of no more noble cause.

      By this time, it should be very clear that not only our religious freedom, but the Constitution, itself, is under attack.  Here, we have the First Amendment under fire, and this week, we have seen the Second Amendment come under extreme attack.  Do not think that these will be the last.  These rights were inspired by the Bible and if the Devil can convince civil authorities to dismantle them one by one, he will not only impugn the Constitution, but God Himself.  It is inherent upon each of us to do battle for our God and our Republic.  The very nature of our survival, both physically and spiritually, depends on it.   I believe that Ms. Silver and her posters are a good start towards reintroducing God into our culture.

Tune in tomorrow for my initial thoughts on the Executive Orders issued on gun legislation.  I couldn't help reading between the lines and will share my observations, simple though they may be.

Deuteronomy 12:28    "Be watchful and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God."

Persecution Around the World: It's On Our Doorstep

     In response to yesterday's post, one of my faithful (and very intelligent) readers commented on a little publicized situation.  He pointed out that the Christian Copts of Egypt are fleeing persecution in the wake of the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood.  He further suggested that our government is none too willing to open our doors and welcome them to the "land of the free", for fear that it might offend our Islamist "partners".  This isn't the first time our political leaders have considered denying safe haven to those fleeing religious persecution, and it reminded me that we might be flirting with a repetition of a disgraceful episode in our national saga.

Jewish refugees aboard USS St. Louis

     About.com provides a detailed history of a shameful chapter in the American narrative.  Here is the short version:  May 13, 1939, the S.S. St. Louis left Hamburg, Germany for Havana, Cuba carrying 937 passengers, most of whom were Jews fleeing Nazi Germany. Most had applied for a visa to the U.S. and were planning on only staying in Cuba until able to legally enter the U.S. During the two weeks it took the St. Louis to cross the Atlantic, the political climate in Cuba changed drastically. These changes in Cuba caused the landing permits held by those aboard the St. Louis to become invalid.  Denied entry into Cuba, those aboard the St. Louis begged the United States and other countries to let them in. Although newspaper reports sympathized with the refugees, no non-European country would allow them entry. On June 7, 1939, the St. Louis headed back to Europe, delivering many of its Jewish passengers back into the hands of the Nazis and their inevitable death in concentration camps.
     This is a scenario that is likely to be an increasing phenomenon as Christians around the world flee persecution and turn to the U.S. for asylum.  Just as my afore-mentioned reader's Church welcomed Vietnamese refugees, The Telegraph reports "Coptic Christian churches in the United States say they are having to expand to cope with new arrivals, as priests in cities like Cairo and Alexandria talk of a new climate of fear and uncertainty."  In 2010, at the beginning of the Arab Spring, many Muslim faith leaders and churches actively showed their support for inter-faith unity.  But, in the wake of President Morsi's election and the victory of the Muslim Brotherhood in parliamentary elections, the mood in the country has changed.  The implementation of Sharia law is now front and center.  Needless to say, the Coptic Christians in Egypt fear persecution.
     They aren't the only ones.  The Baptist Press published a report of heightened religious persecutions of Christians throughout Sudan.  This persecution includes government bombings at the end of 2012 that killed at least 11 Christians and included the arrest of two Coptic Orthodox priests for baptizing a convert from Islam.  Villages are bombed, Christian church leaders are arrested, and Islamic extremists call for aggressive government action to rid Sudan of Christianity.  The report states that these attacks have left ethnic Nuba Christians questioning the international community's presumed silence over the persecution in Sudan's Nuba Mountains.

     The website, Christianity Today, reveals that Al Shabab, an al-Qaeda affiliated militia, has begun using young men from predominantly Christian ethnic groups to attack churches in Kenya.  "[Jihadists] have changed their recruitment tactics," said Wellington Mutiso, head of Evangelical Alliance of Kenya. "Instead of enlisting from predominantly Muslim communities such as the Somali, Boran, and others, they are targeting those from tribes that are majority Christians, such as the Kikuyus, Luos, and Luhyas."
     According to the website, hundreds of Kenyan youths who converted from Christianity to Islam—and then went to fight alongside jihadists in neighboring Somalia—are returning to their home churches to wreak havoc and bombings.  Due to the high rate of unemployment, the former Christian youth were easily tempted with money to convert to Islam.  How like the Devil to corrupt a Believer and convince him to attack his brethren.
     In just the last few days there has been a growing concern for the safety of a Christian Iranian-American pastor, Saeed Abedini.  Pastor Abedini has long been targeted by Iranian authorities for helping underground churches in Iran and for his charity work.  He has been in jail in Iran since July, 2011, suffering beatings and severe interrogations.  Next Monday, January 21st, is the date set for his trial in Tehran, and he has expressed to his wife that he fears the death penalty.
     An added danger in this case is the fact that Pastor Abedini's case was also recently transferred over to a notorious "hanging judge" in Iran, named in 2011 by the European Union as an individual subject to sanctions for human rights violations for sentencing a number of human right activists to death.  The Christian Post states that the U.S. State Department recently revealed its "serious concerns" for the pastor's imprisonment, but stopped short of calling for his immediate release. The American Center for Law and Justice has urged the State Department to take a stronger stand on the issue and offer better protection for Americans persecuted in other countries for their Christian faith.  But as my faithful reader informed us, our government is more interested in being "politically correct" and not offending Muslims, than it is in protecting American Christians.  How long before we have to worry about such lack of protection in our own country?

     As Christians, we have one bit of news to celebrate in the world.  Apparently Chinese Christians, long persecuted by their atheistic Communist government, have embraced the internet and blogs to express their faith.  Again, The Baptist Press, along with World Watch Monitor, reports that the youth of China are beginning to challenge censorship by speaking out against religious persecution.  They are sharing their Christian faith on Weibo, China's giant state-regulated social network.  But as China's Christians become more courageous in pronouncing their faith online, one has to wonder how far the state-regulated website will allow them to go?  These sources remind us that China still ranks among the top 50 worst persecutors of Christians in the annual World Watch List published by the Open Doors religious freedom watchdog group.
     And as online users here in America fear, what is to keep the State from monitoring who is using the site?  After all, China's government is only too aware of how the internet was used to encourage participants in the Arab Spring.  There are 14 million "Registered Believers", sanctioned by the State in China; and over 60 million Believers participating in unregistered and illegal home churches.  You can see how the combination of Christianity and the internet would be heavily scrutinized by China's cyber police. That being said, all Christians should celebrate the spread of our faith in China by these bold bloggers, who risk suspicion, surveillance and arrest.  Please pray for their continued safety and the spread of the Gospel.
     In summary, I wanted Americans to realize that we have taken the expression of our faith for granted for far too long.  Those being persecuted in far-flung corners of the world still see America as a refuge from religious persecution.  But are we?  Will we welcome these persecuted Christian brethren to our shores?   Will we continue to be a Christian nation?  I ask you to consider this:  Once we saw the Ten Commandments on every courthouse lawn, and the Lord's Prayer in every classroom.  Now we have to fight in court to be allowed to openly demonstrate what our Founding Fathers viewed as our natural right.   Tomorrow I will show you just how far away we've moved from that ideal.  It's time to join the Christians of the world and be bold in proclaiming our faith in Jesus Christ!

John 15:19, 21     "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.... But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me."


   

Is Mali The Next Afghanistan?

     I have been so engulfed with issues going on in America, that I have to remind myself to keep an eye on the rest of the world.  As much as I would like to deny it, there are many important topics and debates that could affect our well-being, both physical and spiritual, and we must remain vigilant.  I want to take a closer look at some of them over the next couple of days.
     As I surfed the net, I kept coming across headlines referencing the small North African nation of Mali; so many in fact that I could no longer ignore them.  But the one that really caught my eye was "Terrorist State At the Doorstep of France and Europe."  This was a statement made by France's Defense Minister, no less, and the reason given for that nation joining forces with the African countries of Senegal and Nigeria in a combined air and ground assault.  It seems that this former French colony has become so desperate in its fight against radical jihadists, that it could no longer battle them alone.  While most Malians adhere to a moderate form of Islam, known Al-Qaida affiliates in Africa, (including those backed by the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi), have been a shadowy presence for years in the forests and deserts of Mali.

     So why should this interest us?  After all, the small nation of Mali is an ocean and a continent away. As reported on The Blaze and CNN, Al-Shabab, a Somalian-based cell of Al-Quaida, and its allies, have taken advantage of political instability, taking territory in order to stock weapons and train forces. Turbaned fighters control major towns in the north, carrying out amputations in public squares, just as the Taliban did.  And as in Afghanistan, they are flogging women for not covering up.  Since taking control of Timbuktu, they have destroyed seven of the 16 mausoleums listed as world heritage sites.
     Furthermore, even the United Nations has acknowledged that amputations, floggings and public executions -- like the stoning of a couple in July, who'd reportedly had an affair -- are becoming common in areas controlled by these radical Islamists. They are applying a strict interpretation of Sharia law by banning music, smoking, drinking and watching sports on television.
     And now that our country's leaders seem to be speeding up our withdrawal from Afghanistan, what can we expect to be the result?  Have we forgotten that it was groups such as this that plotted an attack against our homeland from those far off caves and deserts?  After years of fighting and thousands of American lives lost, do we really think that the Taliban and Al-Quaida will let Afghanistan (and now Mali) continue with their aspirations of freedom and democracy?  And who will be next?
     I'm just an average citizen, but even I can see that the West's pursuit of tolerance and appeasement, encouraged by the UN's benign policy for all nations of the world to respect the rule of law, has only resulted in further aggression and atrocities by radical ideologues who respect none of the above!  But they are no dummies, either.
     They deal with their enemies in determined and clever ways.  They calculate the best way to infiltrate each culture; whether it be direct and hostile, or careful and calculating.  In the case of Mali, a fairly new democratic, multi-party Islamist nation, the people can best be subjugated by threats of strict Islamic (Sharia) law.  This is what the Taliban has successfully done in Afghanistan, as well.  But in the West, we are being deceived by our own political correctness and the enemy's fraudulent misuse of our founding tenet, freedom of religion.
     Because, make no mistake about it, the ideology being fomented in these distant lands is not as remote or temperate as you might wish.  And the true enemy behind it begins with a capital "E" and seeks to destroy man's freedom; our freedom to worship the one true God, to live in relationship with Him, and to seek His justice and righteousness.  So look behind the veil of world events and you will see the truth.  It's the same battle that has been fought since the Garden of Eden.

1 Peter 5:8-9        "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world."

2012 In Review: Chick Fil A Controversy & Gay Marriage

     I think you will agree that the Chick Fil A event was a lightning rod for our culture.  It was hard to be noncommittal on this issue; you either agreed with the sentiments and policies of the fast-food chain, or you supported gay marriage.  When the CEO of Chick Fil A exercised his freedom as an American citizen to support groups that agreed with his religious belief in the Biblical definition of marriage, then he quickly became an enemy of the Progressive Left.  How dare he deny gay and lesbian partners their civil right to marry!  Of course, the gay community thought nothing of denying him his civil rights to freedom of speech and to practice his faith as he saw fit, and called for boycotts and public protests.  To put it mildly, the plan failed.

     What resulted was one of the largest outpourings of support among the American public for an individual to operate his business as his conscious dictated.  The fact that government officials in Chicago and Boston sought to bully the restaurant into changing their position, or risk losing franchise options in their cities, smacked of prohibiting the chain's First Amendment rights.  

     After the uproar receded, there was some further controversy about whether Chick Fil A had capitulated to pressure to conform their company's charitable giving policies to a more politically correct agenda of not donating to groups that opposed gay marriage.  If you listen to the Left, they yielded.  If you believe Dan Cathy, the CEO and original target of the Lesbian/Gay groups, their position remains the same .... to treat all people with respect and dignity.

     The furor over the Chick Fil A controversy may have subsided, but the agenda to grant lesbian/gay couples the right to "be married" is just getting started.  I'm still confused as to why it is important for them to be able to label themselves as "married".  It seems to me it is the civil rights they want .... to be recognized as a union of two adults so that they might receive legal status for buying a home, benefits, and power of attorney.  Marriage is a biblical tenet, specifically designed by God in order to propagate his created world.  It takes a man and a woman to accomplish that.  Period.  

     So, unless I am mistaken, this seems like the perfect end-around play to push God further out of our culture.  Deny His definition of marriage and you deny Him; replacing Him with a secular "god of equality for all".  It is one more scheme that the Enemy has employed to deceive mankind and separate them from God's will.  I have no doubt that this agenda will move forward at a breakneck speed.  Our society, our culture, and our children will pay a heavy price.

Jeremiah 29:6     "Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease."

The Growing Attacks On Christmas

     This is one of the saddest posts I've written.  I feel that American Christianity is under attack and we are losing the culture war; at least in the public forum.   The election outcome seems to have signaled a full-on affront against Christian expression in this country, and what better target than Christmas?
     Atheistic organizations are emboldened with the passage of un-Christian Propositions on ballots in every state, and they are making it quite evident that they are waging war against Christmas.  Make no mistake ---- there's a bulls-eye on this Christian holiday.
     In case you have doubts, let me give you just three cases in point:

•   In 2011, there were 13 individuals that entered the race for the 21 spaces at the Santa Monica, California Palisades Park Christmas exhibition. The unusually high demand for spots, especially by atheists, sparked Santa Monica’s City Hall to implement a random lottery system to determine who would have access to the spots. The lottery system that was used gave atheists a majority of the available spaces. That process left the Santa Monica Nativity Committee with only two spaces on which they could put up only three of the usual 14 scenes.  This year, in 2012, Santa Monica officials gave up on Christmas. City officials didn’t want to go through a battle again about the nativity scene and caved to the Godless groups. For the first time in 60 years Sanata Monica will not have a nativity scene diorama for Christmas.

•  The village of Alsip, Illinois, is discontinuing its annual holiday tradition after facing threats of a lawsuit from the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), an atheist activist non-profit. Every year, the community erects a 19-foot cross on its local water tower to commemorate the holiday season — a tradition that has been in place since the 1970s.  Once again, a costly legal battle was cited by the Mayor of Alsip as the reason his town would not fight intimidation.

•  A group of parents in Little Rock, Arkansas is complaining that their local school is taking their children on a field trip to see A Charlie Brown Christmas.  “While everyone loves Charlie Brown, the religious content of the program is a problem, as is the trip to a church to see it,” one parent said.  Apparently, these unbelieving parents don't like the idea that field trips are taking place to evangelical churches.  Another parent voiced his opposition:  “I think church and school should be kept completely separate at all times.”

     Heard enough?  And I'm sure you can hear the usual argument in the background ... "separation of church and state."  But I have a question.  If these groups are so against religion being expressed in public, why are there no calls against such Islamic expressions as the Call to Daily Prayer; or outcries against displays of Buddha, Mohammed, Gaia or Isis on T-shirts?  Why is it only the Christian expressions of their God that come under fire?  Atheists claim there is no "War on Christmas", but the evidence seems overwhelming.

     But take heart!  Remember when the Freedom From Religion Foundation (again, it is only Freedom from the Christian Religion they are fighting) sought to have the nativity scene in Henderson County, Texas removed --- or they wanted their own banner put up in addition to the nativity display.  Last December, a banner paid for by the Foundation was placed on the courthouse lawn. It read “there are no Gods” and that “religion is but myth.”

     Just minutes later, Henderson County deputies took the banner down, while 5,000 people crowded the town square to support the placement of the Nativity Scene.  Soon after, the Freedom From Religion Foundation started fighting to put it back up. A formal request to display the banner was submitted to the county earlier this year. This week, that request was officially denied by Henderson County Judge Richard Sanders.
     In a matter of a few weeks, the Nativity scene display will once again sit on the courthouse lawn where pumpkins and hay bales are now. The other three corners of the courthouse lawn will adorn secular decor, but the FFRF says Henderson County is still violating the Constitution.
     “We live under a secular and Godless constitution that requires that government should not take sides in matters of religion and personal conscience,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor.  "[The Nativity Scene] is a devotional Christian scene.  It promotes that a Christian savior is born and that you have to worship him. That’s the message of the Nativity and that’s not a message that the government should be giving.”
     I would submit to Ms. Gaylor that the presence of a Nativity Scene is not a mandate to worship Christ (everyone is invited --- it is up to each individual to respond or not).  I would also like to suggest that it is precisely because the message of the Savior has been removed from our public square that our nation is in the mess it's in.  But maybe that's just me .... and the good people of Henderson County, Texas.  The FFRF will keep fighting, and I pray that good officials like Judge Sanders will continue to let the Constitution and the Freedom of Religion be the law of the land.

1 Corinthians 7:35       "I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord."

BEWARE: Is Your Child's School Celebrating "Mix It Up" Day?

     I stumbled across this bit of news on wnd.com.  Apparently, the Southern Poverty Law Center is sponsoring "Mix It Up Day", a nationwide campaign directed at grades K-12, which encourages students to "hang out with someone they normally might not speak to."  Schools all over the country are encouraged to participate, and the target date is just a couple of weeks away; October 30th, to be exact.

     In case you are unaware of the SPLC, they are a well-known progressive group, who according to their own website, "is a nonprofit civil rights organization dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry, and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of society."  Fighting hate and bigotry?  I'm all for that!   And learning to accept each other for our differences?  I'm OK with that, too ..... as long as acceptance of differences goes both ways; acceptance does not mean a departure from my principles and belief system; and acceptance is not demanded --- all positions I am willing to extend to an opposing viewpoint.  And that's where the objectives of this little campaign set off warning bells. 

     While promoters of the program say it is designed to "break down barriers and curb bullying", many family and religious-oriented groups are concerned that "Mix It Up Day" is a cover for pushing the gay agenda in our schools.  Before I'm accused of jumping on the hysteria bandwagon, let me tell you why I am not discounting this possibility.

     To begin with, I have a niece who attends a large public high school in a major city in the Southwest.  I was shocked to learn that their school has set aside classrooms where gay and lesbian couples can go to "show affection" to each other; where they could feel comfortable in exhibiting their homosexuality, since they supposedly feel ostracized by the balance of the student body.  When I asked if there was such a room set aside for heterosexual couples, the answer was "of course not."  So please don't tell me that it is too far-fetched to imagine that "breaking down barriers" won't include sexual orientation.  And, according to the American Family Association, the "anti-bullying" aspect of the program has often been used "as a mechanism for punishing Christian students who believe that homosexual behavior is not something that should be normalized."  Would it surprise you to learn that the SPLC has proclaimed the AFA "a hate group", right up there with neo-Nazis and those who deny the Holocaust?  

     While I admire the American Family Association's opinion, I wanted to make my own decision, so I dug a little deeper into some of the "activities" suggested for "Mix It Up Day."  The SPLC offers free "tool kits" for teachers and schools who want to participate.  While, on the surface, many of the proposed subjects seem to discuss the diversity among races, genders, and different cultures, it is wise to look past the facade.  The following are just a couple of their lesson plans for "teaching tolerance." Decide their agenda for yourself.

     Stay "In The Mix" For Valentine's Day: For levels Pre-K through 8th grade.  They begin by telling the supposed origin of "Valentine's Day"; something about a 3rd century Roman emperor banning married soldiers in his army, so a man named Valentine began performing secret marriages.  Lesson to be learned:  Students must resist this legacy of restricted love.  Topic for Discussion:  "Injustices routinely occur during Valentine's Day -- moments of exclusion and ostracism, assumptions of a heterosexual norm."  Facilitators then share two stories of students addressing such injustices.

     Another "tool kit" was called Controversial Topics:  The motive for this interaction is supposedly because "Students always have passionate opinions about controversial social topics."  The stated objectives of the exercise are as follows:  1) Students will debate a controversial topic with grace and dignity  2)  Students will practice disagreeing by using the “Disagree with Grace” statements, such as That's a really good point and I feel/think differently ....  Can you tell me more about what you meant when you said ....  3) Students will make friends across ideological boundaries.

     As I'm reading this "tool kit", I'm thinking, "OK, this sounds likes it could be fair and balanced; a way for kids to respectfully discuss their differences." Then I read the "Controversial Topics" handout!  There was only one topic, and guess what it was?  The topic was .... are you ready? ..... the statement "You're so gay."  Can the SPLC be any more transparent?  Is this the only and best controversial topic they could come up with?

     They further insult our intelligence by how the moderator is to handle the discussion.  On one side are those who think this statement is fine, and their reasons are presented as shallow and simplistic:  1)  We don’t mean anything by it.  It just means “stupid” or “dumb.”  2) Being gay is wrong.  3)  Gay men are effeminate.  4)  Being gay is a sin.   

     On the other side of the balance sheet are those who think this statement is wrong, and their reasoning is presented as emotional, sophisticated and intelligent:  1)  It is bullying.  2)  There is nothing wrong with being gay in the same way that there’s nothing wrong with being heterosexual.  3)  It’s hurtful to people.  4)  Sometimes if people aren’t really masculine or feminine they get called gay and they aren’t.  5)  A ‘faggot’ literally means a stick for kindling and it’s used to denigrate gays and lesbian because in medieval times they used to use gay men as kindling to burn women accused of witchcraft.  (Can you believe they want teachers to teach this crap?!?!)  6)  “Gay men are effeminate” is a stereotype. Plenty of gay men are not and plenty of heterosexual men are. There is no such thing as a typical gay or lesbian person.  7)  Gay people believe they are born gay, that it isn’t a choice. Therefore, it’s not a sin.  

     So, let's see, who sounds like the enlightened, twenty-first century, inclusive lover of humanity ---- and who sounds like the ignorant, exclusive hater?  Does it really surprise you?  Then as I read further and saw how this lesson was to be implemented, I almost laughed out loud!  Although students were encouraged to discuss the topic kindly and respectfully and not put down another's opinion, they were also to read the topic sentence (You're so gay) silently for 5 minutes, and then tell how they felt after reading the different arguments.  Now, who among these children, is going to want to adopt any position but the one SPLC is promoting?  

     As if that's not enough to silence any opposing opinion, the teacher is to end the discussion with a  follow-up; they are to share with students articles on school-age children who have recently been killed or taken their own lives because of anti-gay bias in schools.  This is emotional blackmail!

Recognize the "rainbow" theme?

     I'm sorry, but this is nothing less than propaganda and outright bullying itself!  It is not only promoting a homosexual agenda, but an anti-Christian message.  I have gone on record on this blog as saying it is not my place to judge others' sexual orientation.  There are people that I love that have chosen this lifestyle.  We mutually respect each other's position and choose to be tolerant and accepting of our differences.  But I will not sit by as this agenda is forced on our children through the tax-payer funded public school system, and without the consent of parents.

     Once made aware of what is planned for October 30th, many parents have objected and the "Mix It Up" agenda has been pulled from their school's calendar.  So I invite you to investigate for yourself.  Read the article on World Net Daily, and check out the different activity topics that are available to teachers.  Do you approve?  Do you think it will be fair to your child or champion your beliefs?  We must be vigilant.  It's all about labels, and it is easy to be labeled hateful and bigoted.  If we do not stand up for our Biblical tenets and principles, our children will soon label these truths irrelevant.  The wolf is at the door!

Matthew 7: 14-16      "But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.  Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.  By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?"

     

     

Consider These Things

     I wanted to share with you an email that I received from a Godly couple that are friends of PLW and mine.  I think it shows the seriousness and the single-mindedness of Americans who believe it is time to take a bold stand.  Like our friends, people are no longer afraid to voice their fears for our country and our future.  They are no longer shy about proclaiming their faith in relation to what we see in the world.

     For us Christians, the time is NOW to change the course of this nation.  Religious Freedom is at stake along with the Freedom of Speech, and these may be the last days that either will be tolerated by the enemies of Liberty.  I applaud our friends for having the courage to send this email.
     If you have someone that needs to hear this message, please forward this post on to them.  Don't worry if you will be mocked, ridiculed, or called "crazy".  It's too late to worry about what people think of you.  Time is running out to save our beloved country for future generations.  And lest you fool yourself, I'm talking about the very "next" generation; our children and grandchildren will most likely live a very different life than we've experienced.  Their future will change dramatically.
     So if you've felt you didn't have the right words, or didn't know how to approach a loved one or family member, let the words of this heartfelt memo spread across the land, and let's pray that it's message will be well-received.


 Dear Friends,

     Our country is in crisis.  Its' future is up to us.  We can choose to sit on our hands and say we don’t like our options; we can say we don’t like all the controversy; or we can do all we can.  We can vote for a man who seems to actively dislike the USA; or we can vote for a man who, (although he seems to have questionable judgement where his religious views are concerned), seems to care about our country.  I think we can safely say he won’t mess with our religious freedoms.  I want to ask you to vote and definitely to pray.  Pray for our country and pray for our leaders.

     Consider this.  In 1977 President Carter signed into law the “International Emergency Powers Act”  Look it up!  The current President has already used it several times in regards to other countries.  It can be used against us as well.  It gives the President TOTAL control over everything.  It gives him control over our banking, our travel, and all commodities including food.  It also gives him the authority to suspend the Constitution and disband Congress at a moment's  notice.  

    How then should we prepare?  We are exposing ourselves by sending this email out, but we think we have a responsibility to you all to do so.  The things that we expect to see are in line with what the Bible talks about in the End Times.  GET READY!!!  We must be spiritually prepared, financially prepared, and physically prepared.  Physically prepared means to store up the food and things you will need should the time come you have no bank account, have no electricity, have no grocery store around the corner, and don’t have the ability to travel.  

     This is not a Forwarded Email!  This is written to you in love and with MUCH prayer.  Our trust in Jesus is complete.   He says,  "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”  (2 Timothy 4:1-5)

American Christians Suffer Under False Sense of Security

     I am a Bible-believing Christian, which means I accept every word of the Bible as God's revelation to those who trust in Him.  I am not a "feel good" Christian who is inclined to pick and choose among the verses of Scripture, and view the world only through the lens of God's love.  I accept ALL of His Word, which warns us of coming persecution.  In Matthew, Jesus plainly tells us that we "will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me."  For those of you who doubt, whether you are a believer or non-believer, or question the veracity of this Scripture, all you have to do is read the headlines of the day:

                                                                                 Thai Christians Jailed For Bible Study

     A British-based advocacy group, called Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), stated that while there were no official charges brought against four men involved in a Bible study, their six-week arrest and detention appears to be "part of a pattern of religious repression that continues to occur in many parts of the country."

Syrian Christians Targeted By Islamist Rebels Amid Massive Exodus

     Religious minority groups, and particularly Christians, have become the primary target of rebel terror groups that execute in "the name of Allah".  International Christian Concern, a major advocacy group for the persecuted Christians caught in the middle of the Syrian civil war, has expressed grave warnings about the position of Christians in this war-torn country:  "Islamic extremism is on the rise in a civil war that is taking on increasingly stronger sectarian overtones," ICC said.  Thousands of Christians are fleeing the country, seeking safe haven in neighboring Turkey. (Although I question whether Christians will be any more welcome there).

Pakistan Christian Homes Torched, Churches Attacked After Jailing Girl

     From Islamabad, Pakistan, comes this news story:  "Muslims torched Christian homes and "destroyed" a church in a slum area of Islamabad while suspected militants shot at another church outside Pakistan's capital, after the jailing of a mentally handicapped Christian girl for "blasphemy", witnesses said Tuesday, August 21."  The 11-year-old girl, who cannot read, is accused of blasphemy for burning a copy of the Koran.  The girl is now being held in a Pakistani jail, and Muslim clerics are demanding that she face charges under the countries strict blasphemy laws.  Meanwhile, thousands of Christian have fled the area, as the burning of their homes and churches continues.

Muslim Group Demands Country's Christian President Convert, or Resign

     Meanwhile, in Nigeria, the militant Muslim group Boko Haram demanded that Nigeria's Christian president either convert to Islam, or resign.  President Goodluck Jonathan is called upon to "repent and forsake Christianity," otherwise Boko Haram would continue their violent campaign, in which more than 800 people have been killed and dozens of churches were torched.  Boko Haram, whose name translates as "Western education is forbidden," has come under the influence of an inner group that is dangerous and "increasingly sophisticated and increasingly lethal", according to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.  According to the Assistant Secretary, Boko Haram wants to extend Islamic law over all of Nigeria, even though nearly half of the African nation is Christian.  And despite Haram's increasingly bloody campaign, our administration has resisted all efforts by U.S. lawmakers to designate the group as a foreign terrorist organization under American law.

Lawyer Wants Christian Copts Removed from Egyptian Constitutional Committee

     And we must not turn a blind eye to what's happening to Christians in Egypt.  It appears that the Koran has its own definition of what a "true Christian" is (although the word "Christian" never appears in Islam's holy book).  And you guessed it ---- the orthodox Christian Copts don't fit that definition.  Apparently a lawyer from Alexandria submitted a report to the public prosecutor requesting that Egypt's Copts be excluded from the committee forming the nation's new constitution.   Here's his argument:   "The prophets of Allah — Moses,  Jesus, and Muhammad — are all mere humans sent by God to pass his message on to creation.  But should any sect claim that their prophet is the divine "Son of God," its adherents are infidels. Since Christians believe Jesus to be the divine Son of God, they are polytheistic infidels and not the Nasara (so-called "true Christians") of the Koran; therefore, Copts who also profess the divinity of Christ as expressed in the Trinity must be barred from having any say in Egypt's new constitution."  This report follows continued violence against the Egyptian Christians, which has included imams calling for jihad against all Christians; the looting and torching of Christian homes and churches; and decreased rights of Egyptian Christians through "forced reconciliation."

     Have you read enough?  Believe me, there are many more news stories like these; reports that don't make the internet news agencies.  The fact is, those that call Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior are being singled out across the globe.  It isn't just in the Middle East where militant Muslims seek the deaths of their centuries-old enemies.  Persecution can take on far more subtle shapes.  Consider these headlines, right here in the good 'ol USA:

Atheists Attack Church in Georgia for Feeding High School Football Players

     The Freedom From Religion atheist group called for an investigation after reports surfaced that a Georgia high school football coach had several local churches provide pre-game meals for his football team.  Apparently several members of one of the church's youth group are on the football team, and the meals have been a longstanding tradition.  

Christian Photographer Who Refused Same-Sex Wedding Assignment Gets Day in Court

     As of last week, the New Mexico Supreme court agreed to review the case of an Albuquerque photographer forced to pay a $7,000 fine for refusing to use her "artistic expression" to help two women celebrate their commitment ceremony. A N.M. Court of Appeals upheld the decision, claiming the photographer was guilty of "sexual orientation" discrimination under state anti-discrimination laws.  At this time, attorneys with Alliance Defending Freedom have appealed to the State Supreme Court, citing that "Americans in the marketplace should not be subjected to legal attacks for simply abiding by their beliefs."  This will be a landmark decision and will affect all Americans in business.

     And just in case you are still not convinced, just read over some of these items from the 140-page report of the Family Research Council and Liberty Institute:

---  A federal judge threatened "incarceration" to a high school valedictorian unless she removed references to Jesus Christ from her graduation speech.

---  City officials restricted senior citizens from praying over their meals, listening to religious messages, or singing gospel songs, at a senior activities center.

---  Following U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs policies, a federal government official sought to sensor a pastor's prayer, eliminating references to Jesus, during a Memorial Day ceremony honoring veterans at a national cemetery.

     Now do you see why I am ringing this warning bell?   Our First Amendment is being turned upside down by aggressive atheist groups, federal bureaucracy, and radicalized minorities that have the ear of our elected officials.  Please don't make the mistake of thinking that Jesus's warning of persecution means only overt violence and hostility.  The Enemy is far smarter than that.  His battle plan is stealthy, cunning and artful.  Political correctness and Tolerance are his by-words; it is only one easy step towards instituting laws that forbid the expression of our faith because someone is "insulted."  The time to take a stand is NOW!  Fight to protect our First Amendment and the very reason the Pilgrims landed on our shores.  And never, ever abandon your faith in our Lord!

2 Corinthians 12:10      "That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Saturday Morning Commentary: Chick Fil-A Followup

     Can you feel it?  Is there really a "Values Movement" beginning to sweep across America?  If the Chick Fil-A controversy has done nothing else, it has energized the citizenry to define what they believe in, and then take a stand to protect and defend those beliefs.
     I couldn't be prouder of the people who felt strongly about, what I perceived, to be an unfair attack by the media who hoped to stir up the ire of the gay/lesbian populace and thereby bring about an indictment against Christianity and its followers.  This shouldn't have been the major story it has become.  There was no discrimination, no denial of service, and no judgment.  Dan Cathey, the CEO of the company, simply stated that he believes in the Biblical view of marriage.  That was it!  No condemnation if you happened to disagree with him; no vilification of the opposite viewpoint --- he just stated his opinion and the philosophy of his company.  No harm was committed.
     But those who wish to see Christianity discredited just couldn't let this golden opportunity fade away.  No, they grabbed hold and twisted and magnified implications that weren't there.  They thought they could show just how hateful and marginalizing we Christians are.  They also thought we would be afraid to show our support for this man or his company; not wishing to be viewed as "homophobic" or an unloving Christian.

     Instead, we showed them all that we Christians are tired of being categorized in an unfavorable light; we are no longer going to sit back and turn the other cheek, neglecting to show our support for the Biblical principles of our faith.   We've been politically correct for too long.  So we showed up this last Wednesday in incredible numbers --- to let Chick Fil-A know that we stand with them, and to show our solidarity with the values of the Bible.  We didn't carry hate-filled signs, we didn't taunt the media or judge our brothers.  We simply bought chicken sandwiches.  And by doing so, we sent a message loud and clear to anyone who wants to disparage our faith:  THERE ARE MORE OF US THAN YOU THINK, AND WE WILL NO LONGER SIT BACK AND WATCH OUR FAITH MOCKED AND SCORNED!
     But what the media didn't count on were the thousands of people who also came to Chick Fil-A that day, not because of their religious beliefs, but because of their stance on the First Amendment.  Freedom of Speech was nearly as huge a component of support as Freedom of Religion!  People just didn't like the idea that a business owner could be denied the right to conduct business in Chicago or Boston on the basis that he voiced his religious belief.  That was government overstepping its bounds, and the public was not buying it.

      But they did buy chicken nuggets and waffle fries.  Chick Fil-A broke a sales record that day; but they didn't boast by releasing the numbers.  It wasn't the dollars that counted.  In fact, an awful lot of the increased sales went to charity.  What mattered was the hundreds of thousands of people who stood in line in scorching 100 degree-plus weather; it was the cars that waited for over an hour to go through the drive through; it was the courteous wait staff and polite customers who showed what commitment and devotion to their Belief looks like --- all this came together in a peaceful, loving show of solidarity.
     Friday was the opportunity for those who felt slighted by the media distortion and misrepresentation of Mr. Cathey's remarks.  Gay rights activists called for a "National Same-Sex Kissing Day", and encouraged gay and lesbian couples to ascend upon Chick Fil-A restaurants for a PDA-fest.  Now, I happen to agree with Gov. Mike Huckabee, who was responsible for the call of support for the maligned restaurant.  Those who wish to participate in the "Kiss-In" had as much right to show up at Chick Fil-A as the supporters did on Wednesday --- as long as they displayed the same politeness and non-confrontational attitude.  Unfortunately, there were at least two incidents that showed the Chick Fil-A protestors were unable to show the tolerance that they demand from others.

     One gentleman, whom I will only identify as Adam, decided to make a video protesting the restaurant, but only succeeded in showing how confrontational and ugly he could be to a young employee.  Instead of calling attention to his point of view in a positive manner, he has only shown a negative light on his "cause."  And then the "hate" grafitti on the side of one store does not win any converts either.   Both sides claim they promote love, but the results of this protest prove that those who claim to be persecuted are the ones who seem to be the angriest and the least understanding.
     So maybe this will discourage the media from stepping over the line again.  Surely they have seen the power of a peaceful display of unity; and surely they won't want to risk another exhibition of the multitude who embrace faith-based values.  Alas, I'm afraid this will only embolden them to come against us in an even more overt attempt to limit the scope of Christianity in this country.  But next time, we will be stronger, too, and I pray that our churches and our pastors will stand with us.  There is a spiritual battle waging in our country, and everyone who calls themselves a Christian better know what is at cost, and stand their ground!

Colossians 2:8     "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ."

What Can We Learn From Aleksandr?

     OK, I just can't help it.  Today, I think I am channeling some old-time Baptist preacher!  But this is on my heart and I have to say it.   And I know I echo the concerns of many of you.  I hear your worries and your consternation, and I read your sense of fear and anxiety in your emails.  This nation, which was once considered the "New Israel" by the Pilgrims, has seen a momentous decline in faith and belief in God.   For over 300 years after the Pilgrims landed, the Church and the Gospel were a guiding force in this land of freedom and opportunity; they were a benchmark by which the affairs of this land were conducted.  From the pulpit, the Church taught the Gospel and how it should affect the nation's decisions regarding its form of government, education, commerce, morality and yes, even politics.  The Church and the influence of the Gospel shaped America, and therefore the world.
     But for the last 60 years it seems that the world has shaped the Church.   In America, we have let the world tell the Church that God doesn't belong in our schools;  we have let the world tell the Church that life does not begin at conception; and we have let the world tell the Church faith has no place in the halls of our governing institutions.
     The other day I watched a broadcast of a group of American pastors who were boldly calling out America's churches for their failings.  They challenged the Church for the decline in faith in our country and for the appalling statistic that 49.5% of our children, ages 8 to 17 have never been inside a church!  How did that happen in a country that is known for being founded on Judeo/Christian principles?

     One of the pastors quoted Aleksandry Solzhenitsyn, famed Russian author (Nobel prize for Literature) and a survivor of the Communist regime.  During a 1983 address, Solzhenitsyn gave a dissertation on the Russian revolution and the Communist takeover.   He explained that the Marxist ideology successfully infused Russian society with an atheistic mentality through systematic secularization of the culture.   It became very easy to alienate the people from God and their traditional Christian morality and beliefs.   Solzhenitsyn simply and succinctly pronounced judgment on his countrymen .....  “Men have forgotten God; that’s why all this has happened.”
     Solzhenitsyn went on to reveal the methods by which the Communists were able to separate the people from their God.   They were patient and calculating.  They started with the elite and the educated circles; by the time the Revolution occurred, faith had virtually disappeared among the academics and universities.  Sound familiar?  Hatred of God and the Church were the driving force behind Communism and at the heart of the ideology.   If a movement is going to take control of a society, they must destroy religion.  If the people have access to the Creator, and a power higher than the Government, then they can never be enslaved.  And as repressive as the Communist regime was, it was not able to eradicate Christianity; in fact, Solzhenitsyn proclaimed that his countrymen's awareness of God and his saving grace became even more acute under the severe persecution.
      But he also lamented that Christianity and faith in the West (and I read that to primarily be the U.S.) had been watered down.  The meaning of life has come to be defined by the secular idea of "pursuit of happiness."  The differences between good and evil are being diminished, while political and class disparity have come to the forefront.  So where are our Churches?  Why do they no longer call attention to these false doctrines, and how have they been so successfully neutralized?  How have they lost their authority over our societal conscience?
      Solzhenitsyn warned that atheist teachers in the West were bringing up a younger generation in a spirit of hatred of their own society and religious institutions.  And he made that statement in 1983!!  We've had an entire generation educated under that policy!
     And you know what, to me, is the saddest part of this whole revelation?  Unlike Russia, we have not arrived at this ungodly state through an internal Revolution ..... no!  We have voluntarily embraced our own turning away from God!  We Christians, (and the Church!) failed in our commission.  We did not safeguard the teachings that Christ gave us, and we did not faithfully teach them to each successive generation.   We let the spirit of Pharaoh (enslavement), the spirit of Jezebel (sexual perversion and immorality), and the spirit of Herod (killing innocent, unborn children) invade our land.   We have ignored the only spirit that can save us ... the Holy Spirit.  Now it is up to each of us and every pastor in every pulpit throughout the land to get back to our real purpose.  We are here at this time, in this place, to reclaim this land for God.   And through His power and authority, it will be done!

1 Kings 18:37      "Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."
 

Saturday Morning Commentary: Unfairly Criticized

     Today's topic is going to be a sensitive one, and I hope that I can truly express the way I feel without being taken out of context or misunderstood.  All the vitriol over the Chick Fil-A controversy this past week has been truly upsetting.  It seems to me, that in today's culture, any group(s) (except Christians) are allowed to publicly donate and promote their ideology without cruel and bitter criticism.  In fact, they are encouraged to actively raise awareness for their cause, and if your opinion differs from the group's agenda, and then, God forbid, you voice your opinion (notice, I didn't say disagree), then you are labeled a bigot.

     In the case of Chick Fil-A, the company is being criticized for being pro "traditional marriage", and anti-gay.  Their crime?  They donated refreshments for a conference titled “The Art of Marriage: Getting to the Heart of God’s Design” at the Pennsylvania Family Institute.  As far as I know, it is not unlawful to donate your services to an organization.  But because the company does not back down from its Christian values, it has become the target of what I think is unfair characterization and demonization.
     So, Dan Cathey, President of Chick Fil-A believes in the Biblical definition of marriage; does that mean he should not be allowed to conduct business in this country?  After all, he has not made it company policy to refuse service to anyone that is gay.   In fact, he made it pretty plain:  "Let me be clear, Chick-Fil-A serves all people and values all people."  There is no case of discrimination here, so what is the problem?
     This is what I perceive is going on .... we have developed a culture of "reverse principles" in this country.  Let me see if I can explain what I mean.  Anything that, in the past, America embraced as good and upright and ethical, has been turned upside down by a "collective" of intellectual elites who regard morality with disgust and hatred.  I know this sounds hysterical, but I saw the perpetuation of this attitude when I attended college in the 70's and the academics began filling our mushy student minds with the idea that America, and all it stood for, was not as respectable and good as we'd been led to believe.
     And the quickest way to rid our society of its' pollyanna view and usher in a "no holds barred" tolerance?   Remove God and his holy principles from as many areas of our foundation as possible.  That means redefining marriage and the family; eliminating the ability to be independent and self-sufficient; promoting a "collective salvation" through an "any god will do" theology; and limiting the idea that an individual has any "rights" beyond what the State allows.  And how do you accomplish that?  By alienating the citizenry from the One who gives value to those moral attributes.
     You see, it's not enough for Chick Fil-A to treat all their customers --- black, white, gay, straight, Christian, atheist, men, women --- with respect and dignity.  In fact, if they had donated food to a pro-Muslim group you would hot have heard a peep out of the gay community.  It is the fact that believing Christians are willing to stand for their faith and support what they feel God has decreed that is at the heart of this storm.
     The ironic aspect is that the Muslim faith calls for harsh reprisals against the gay lifestyle, while Christianity can accept and love anyone as a fellow child of God, while not condoning something that they scripturally disagree with.  For me, it is not a matter of pronouncing judgment on anyone; that is something between an individual and God.  But it is a matter of not compromising my faith just so that I can be politically correct.  My gay friends know that I honor and respect them; just as I expect them to appreciate my biblical views.   I will not sacrifice the tenets of my faith, nor abandon them.  We simply agree to show consideration for our differences.  I just wish the willingness to accept our differences could be adopted by the movement at large.
     And that's what is at the center of the Chick Fil-A controversy.  Those pushing a radical gay agenda, are against anyone who disagrees with them.  There's no room for a difference of opinion; you MUST agree with them or you are labeled with any number of unfavorable labels.  In this case, Chick Fil-A stands for something, and that something is a belief system that is different from the gay community's.  The last time I checked, diversity was encouraged in this country, and we still have the First Amendment.  But it seems that diversity is supported as long as you are on "the right side."
     So whether you agree or disagree with Dan Cathey's opinion, you should respect his right to believe as he does.  You don't agree with him?  Then don't eat at his restaurant!  That's your right.  But you don't have the right to insist that he change his opinion or that his business should suffer.  And shame on the mayors of Chicago and Boston for proposing a ban on business permits for the company!  That smacks of over-reaching abuse by Big Brother.
     This controversy should never have reached this level.  Mr. Cathey has done nothing more than express a belief that is at the heart of his faith.  And he has been brave enough to defend his ideals in the face of social bias, and I applaud him for his courage.

Romans 14:10    "You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister ? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat."  


 

What Christian Faith Looks Like In The Rest Of The World

     In keeping with Monday's post on the "Normalcy Bias", today I want you to broaden your understanding of how our Christian faith is being experienced in other areas of the world.   And if you are not a Christian, I still think you will find this post educational.  You see, the Body of Believers in America have been facing mounting opposition to the public expression of our faith and religious practices.  It's a resistance and hostility that we don't really know how to defend against.  While it has been growing over the last few decades, we have largely sat back and adopted a "turn the other cheek" approach.  And while there are those who contend that we are not a Christian nation, they ignore and malign the very basis of our founding.  But we Christians, in America, have not served our faith well.  We have not safeguarded and shielded it from abuse.  We have taken our religious liberties for granted and can't quite comprehend a day when it might be dangerous to be a Christian.  Maybe we American Christians need to pay a little more attention to what is going on in the rest of the world.

     Take for instance, our fellow Believers in Egypt and Syria.  The Coptic Christians of Egypt were once the dominant religious group in the country, but are now an oppressed minority; denied religious freedom and equal status in Egyptian society.  They have a long history in this ancient land, and it is not  only interesting, but prophetic.  Here is a short synopsis:  The Copts are the indigenous inhabitants of Egypt, before the Arab/Muslim invasion around 641 A.D.  Tradition teaches that the Apostle Mark converted the pagan Egyptians of the 1st century; by approximately the 3rd century, Christianity was the dominant religion; and by the 7th century when Islam burst into Egypt, Christianity was THE religion.
     Muslim persecution of the Copts began with the Islamic invasion.  At first, and because the Copts were the majority people of Egypt, they were merely deemed a subject race, to be heavily taxed and kept in line by their Muslim overlords. (See Jizya.) Over the years, however, their subject status came to be organized under what is seen as Islam’s divine and immutable law, or Sharia.
     So how are modern-day Coptic Christians treated in Egypt?  There are approximately 10 million Copts in Egypt, which is roughly 12% of the population.  This is not an insignificant number.  In fact, in the entire Middle East, Copts make for the largest Christian minority.  In recent history, the "persecution" of Coptic Christians meant that the best jobs went to Muslim citizens.  But today, persecution is more likely to look like it did in past centuries, with the burning of Christian churches; and with Islamic extremists, now holding positions in Parliament, expanding the country's strict Islamic laws.  During the recent uprising in Egypt, many Coptic Christians paid with their lives.  And the Egyptian Christians are very aware of the long-suppressed Muslim Brotherhood, who have now been freed from former President Mubarak’s tight leash on those advocating for Sharia and a Muslim Caliphate, and have recently risen to the forefront of Egypt’s political and religious life.

     Now let's take a look at Syria, which as far as the Christian faith is concerned, is a conundrum, for lack of a better word.  Even under the tyrannical rule of President Bashar al-Assad, (in which over 17,000 people have died since the uprising began in March, 2011),  many Christians believe his regime is the only true guarantor of secularism in Syria and, with it, the acceptance of the Christians as equals to their Muslim neighbors. Further, many Christians firmly believe that what will replace the regime, (if it is toppled), is a fundamentalist Muslim theocracy that will strip Christians and other minorities of their political and civil rights, including their right to practice their religion in peace.  Starting to see a pattern here?  You have Christians caught between political correctness and Sharia law.
     From my humble perspective, there seems to be a false sense of security placed on the Assad government ---- kind of like getting into bed with an Egyptian cobra.  Take, for instance, this account by Hind Aboud Kabawat, a Syrian attorney, who reported the case of a young woman from Damascus, named Caroline, who said she was arrested earlier this year and imprisoned for 25 days in a two-square meter cell. Her crime? Giving children Easter eggs wrapped in paper containing verses from both the Koran and the Bible.  I'm not sure I'd want to put my trust in this 40-year-old regime that has been more than willing to use brutal violence to silence its critics.  Hint:  17,000 deaths and climbing.

     And then there is the plight of Nigeria.  Boko Haram, a radicalized Islamic sect, has left over 700 Christians dead, this year alone.  They warn Christians to either convert to Islam or die.  Sharia Law is their stated objective.  The Christian majority in the south has tried to negotiate with Boko Haram, calling for peace and religious tolerance. But in the north, Boko Haram is encouraging and carrying out more attacks on Christians.   Suicide bombers, tribal (and religious) warfare, and civil war have become the norm.
     And the list of nations goes on and on:  Sudan, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Ethiopia.  In the Middle East and Asia, Christian communities face increasing violence and opposition from strict Islamic governments.  Tolerance seems to be a one-way street, and governments that once offered protection to minority religions, and professed freedom from racial, ethnic and religious prejudice, have been hijacked by radical and extremist leaders.   We Christians in the West have thought we were sheltered from such perils.  Which brings me back to that reference to "normalcy bias."  Think it can't happen in America?  Think that we are immune to such oppression and discrimination?  Just look around you.  Could you have imagined not being allowed to hold a bible study in your home?  Or at a local McDonald's?  It happened!  And it's coming to a governing body near you; and it's coming soon.

Romans 8:35      "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?"