Way back when I was just a kid, I was always told; never talk about Religion and Politics with family or a close friend. I find that this old adage is no longer true. As a matter of fact, I have come to the conclusion that people of faith MUST be,…….. or become involved in the politics of America and the world. I have also come to the conclusion the time frame of my youth is the exact time period when we started to be torn apart not only as Christians, but as Americans. The time frame that I am referring to here is the 1960's.
There are many things that have not only torn us apart as a country, but have driven divisional wedges between Christian brothers and sisters. This happened because we did not talk about religion and politics with relatives and friends.
Even though I made a statement about the 1960's above, we must look back even further than that. Back to the 40's perhaps. Take a look at what was going on then! In 1945 the world finally was able to experience what some might call peace, after the end of World War II. People (my parents included) were trying to rebuild their lives. They were working hard or either looking for employment. The were beginning to raise families. Raising their children was their biggest concern along with working or finding a job. Times were tough to be sure. As a matter of fact, they were so tired of war, war news, war deaths, fighting, and the Draft, that all they wanted to do (as it seems to me), was to wrap their families around themselves. AND THAT WAS A GOOD THING! We need more of that today.
However, this (us) attitude continued until the end of the 1990's. That's when we realized things were going haywire.
In 1963 prayer was removed from the schools of our nation because of a woman who was an atheist, Madalyn Murray O'hair, founder of "American Atheist". She mysteriously disappeared from her home in Austin, TX in 1995. The group she founded "American Atheist" is still functioning today.
Where was the outcry from the Christian community? There was very little if any outcry. Why? Because folks were still in the "family wrap" mode (sounds like a giant meal from Taco Bell) that I mentioned two paragraphs above. So the cry of the Atheists was heard by the Supreme Court, but in Christianity, it fell on deaf ears.
In 1973 the Roe vs. Wade decision was made by the Supreme Court, and legalized abortion. Since that decision, more than 47 million innocent babies have been killed in the United States alone. By this time, at least there was an outcry, but not enough. We still didn't want to hear any bad news. Even though by this time, we were looking at another generation of families. So why was there not a large and louder outcry from the Christian community? Why; because, they were still in the "family wrap" mode. They still didn't want to deal with bad news, controversy, or politics. Again, with regards to Roe vs. Wade, the cry was heard by the Supreme Court, but in the Christian realm, it once again fell on deaf ears. What a mistake!
Things continued to get worse from then on. There were/are more and more issues that have finally convinced Christians in the U.S. to become involved. Why? Well, after several generations of hearing problems it seems that there was a miraculous recovery. It seems that Christians in this country finally heard the bell toll. How many times it must toll is another question. But suffice it to say that they woke up and smelled the coffee. They finally (one at a time) had a revelation, and that revelation was:
• This is not what the Bible says!
• All life is valuable!
• Christians are being persecuted in our own country!
• Our religious freedoms are being infringed upon by government!
• And last but not least, government has gone too far!
Finally, after about 50 years (in the 1990’s); the righteous word of God awakened the Christian community in America. But the question really is; where do we go from here and is it too late.
I believe that we have a responsibility to God, our families, and our country in that order. That said, if we respect the word of God, i.e. the Ten Commandments, and the Bible as the Divinely Inspired Word of God, then we shouldn’t have any problems. But the truth is that there are STILL problems! Yes, and they even get into the operation and doctrines of what we like to call “mainstream” churches.
One denomination has recently accepted an active and openly homosexual man as a Bishop. In another denomination, a few Catholic Priests and church officials have made comments recently that homosexuality is OK. That is contrary to God’s word. Understand here, that we, as Christians are not to hate the homosexual, but love them in Christian love and hate their sin just as we are supposed to hate our sin. But all too often, churches nowadays are accepting homosexuals and their sin. Why? I believe it is to make church look more appealing to the sinner. This increases attendance and tithes to be sure, but by doing so, those churches accept the sin of homosexuality.
In my church, we usually have some empty seats in our Chapel every Sunday. How I wish each of these empty seats was filled with homosexuals who really want to hear the truth in God’s word, because that’s what our church stands for.
What about abortion? Recently I talked via phone with a Pro-Life Activist in my hometown about “Life Chain Sunday”. She related to me that her and her husband (and two children) recently sought out a new church because of doctrinal issues with the one they was attending (faithfully I might add). Her and her husband attended several churches in an attempt to find a new church home that would be more in line with scripture. In their effort, they found a church that they thought might fit their Christian needs. She told me that they interviewed the Pastor in person and he claimed his attitude was Pro-Life.
However, during a church service, he seemed to condone abortion. When confronted about this, he said (paraphrasing here),
‘why would anyone want their daughter to have a baby that was conceived from a rape or incest? Wouldn’t it be better to abort that baby and allow that girl to live a more normal life’.
Folks, this is not a Christian attitude about abortion. This is accepting the ways of the world. While it is true that no pregnancy out of rape or incest is an easy issue for the girl/woman, the fact still remains that ALL LIFE IS VALUABLE. Every child that is born with a handicap, or out of rape or incest is just as valuable as the children that are born out of mature relationships that are in line with God’s standards regardless of the child’s handicap or under what conditions they were conceived.
So now it’s time to look at the mixture of Religion and Politics. Do they mix?
ABSOLUTELY they do.
If you insist that they don’t,…. and should never be discussed with relatives or close friends, then you are just a relic of the past; a member of another era who believes that government is always right no matter what.
I have news for you my friend, government is almost ALWAYS wrong on the issues of religion, family, and children and education. Above all, the Supreme Court is the worst place to look to for guidance and/or opinion about raising a family, or what we should do about abortion or homosexuality.
I am glad to see, hear and understand that the Christian community in America has (for the most part) awakened. We now have many organizations in America that stand for what is right. Some of them are not even Christian, but they too have a place in this battle if they are standing for family values. Remember there are organizations out there that are operating a political bulldozer when it comes to tearing down those Christian/family values that have stood for so many decades. Christians NEED to operate their own version of that political bulldozer to stem the tide of indifference (that still does remain) in our churches today.
The Internet is not only a place for news, video games, gambling and porn, it is a place where you can find so many Christian organizations and news outlets that have and stand for Christian/family values that it sometimes gets difficult as to which ones have the best information. MY SUGGESTION: Put them all in your favorites file and visit them daily.
Now there are several question must be asked.
• Just where do you stand? Are you still in the “family wrap” mode as I mentioned earlier? It’s really a position of denial. If so, this is hypocrisy and the Bible speaks a great deal about hypocritical Christians.
• Where does your church stand? Are you, as a Christian permitting your church to take a less than Christian moral stand on God’s word? If so, this is blaspheme! If your church condones the homosexual lifestyle, abortion, sex out of wedlock and the like, your church has serious problems. Will you stand or will you continue to shield yourself from the Truth?
• Will you get involved? Getting involved as a Christian on issues of freedom of speech, abortion, homosexuality, or any other issues that face us today is not difficult or time consuming. All it takes is desire! Even an elderly person who may even be in a wheel chair who is able to converse and use the telephone can do their part. It’s as simple as calling your Congressman and telling them what you think about some proposed legislation.
For those who are in good health, it will take a little more time and effort to get involved, but if you have a family (especially if you have a family), then you must know that whatever you DO NOT DO TODAY about preserving our values, YOUR CHILDREN WILL PAY FOR TOMORROW!
In closing, I would be failing you if I didn’t tell you that since 1963 when the Supreme Court removed prayer from our schools, Religion and Politics has forever become entwined.
No matter how much Congress, the Supreme Court, local courts, and Federal District Courts want to eliminate what we have stood for, for so many decades, we can still make the difference that God wants us to make. Remember, as I said before, the government and the courts are the last place we should be looking to for answers on all of the Christian/family issues that confront us today.
Search the Bible, and then search your heart.
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Read more from Jake on political and Constitutional subjects at his "Conservative Examiner" pages.
© 2013 by Jake Jones
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