Todd Starnes wrote a column yesterday in which he asked if Christians have lost the culture war. He says that over the past few years he has documented hundred of incidents of religious persecution in the United States and that the targets have always been Christians. I have written several posts about these incidents myself, including the Pentagon’s war on Christianity and numerous instances of homosexuals targeting Christian business owners who decline to provide services that would violate their religious beliefs. Who would have ever thought that the Internal Revenue Service would inquire about the content of a pro-life group’s prayers when investigating their tax exempt status? Who would have ever thought that military chaplains would be ordered to stop praying in the name of Jesus?
Starnes mentions a study done by Lifeway Research which shows a majority of Protestant pastors believe religious liberty is on the decline. Scott McConnell, vice president of Lifeway Research said, “Half of Americans say that religious liberty is on the decline.” McConnell didn’t expand on that but I’m of the opinion that the half that doesn’t believe religious liberty is on the decline is irreligious. They’re either apathetic about religious liberty or they favor curtailing it. Certainly people such as homosexuals favor eliminating religious liberty. The religious people in the country are about the only ones left who oppose mainstreaming their abominable lifestyles. And Democrats support the attack on religious liberty, either by directly taking part in it or indirectly just by supporting other Democrats who do attack. True Christians and Democrats are antithetical. Yes, I said true Christians. I’m of the opinion that true Christians will not support mainstreaming the homosexual lifestyle. True Christians will not support abortion in any way, at any time, for any reason. I have always held the belief that anyone who calls themselves a Christian, but supports or votes for a Democrat cannot be a true Christian. To support a Democrat is to support and give aid to the party favoring the murder of babies and the party that is friendly to and accepting of homosexuality. Which party was it that booed God at their convention in 2012? Hint: It wasn’t the Republicans.
I am not claiming the Republican Party is a perfect party that always exemplifies Godly principles and policies. The Republicans certainly have their share of problems and members who also favor mainstreaming homosexuality and keeping abortion legal. But it is not the party platform or what most Republicans stand for. And I have never seen a video of Republicans voting on their platform and booing the inclusion of God.
The culture war Starnes wrote about is one that was lost before it even started. Once the left began chipping away at religious liberty the outcome was already decided. It has gone on for decades and will continue for decades more, but eventually some of the things Starnes mentioned in his column will come to fruition. Churches will lose their tax exempt status one day. All it will take is the irreligious becoming the majority and voting for representatives who share their views. With the left already seeming to have a stranglehold on the judiciary, even today, their grip will be tightened as more and more leftists are appointed to the bench.
So who is responsible for the culture war going so badly for Christians? The answer is Christians. In his column Starnes quoted Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist church of Dallas, who conceded that Christians are losing the culture war. Jeffress said, “The primary reason Christians are losing the culture war is that pastors are AWOL when it comes to informing and energizing their congregations. Christians need to stand up and engage the political process.” To my mind, Christians surrender far too much in the culture war for fear of being labeled hatemongers, homophobes or just because they don’t want people to dislike them. And there are far too many Christians who dip their toes into the pool of licentiousness by watching hedonistic entertainment or living immoral lives. Apathy towards religious liberty also doesn’t come just from the irreligious. The old saying about the person who remains silent when other people are come for certainly applies here. It doesn’t affect my church, so I won’t say anything. Oh that’s in another state; doesn’t bother me. Oh surely that couldn’t happen in my community. Well eventually it will, and by then there will be no one to speak for us.
The importance of religious liberty was recognized by the Founders when they put freedom of religion in the First Amendment. Not the Second. Not the Third. The First. When freedom of religion is taken away, which is absolutely the goal of the left, our remaining freedoms will be next. Those freedoms which we still have. If Christians keep laying down and sticking their heads in the sand it will happen sooner rather than later. And to the irreligious of you who are happy that religious liberty is under assault, you are foolish to think that whatever rights you hold dear won’t be next. Throughout history, governments that have transformed residents from citizens into subjects have always assaulted and destroyed religious freedom. And make no mistake, religious freedom in this country is under assault.
I could not agree more with what you have written. So many Christians are sitting idly by and watching this war pass them by. I’m not sure if it is fear that motivates them to sit on their hands, or if it is just the fact that they are lukewarm in their Christian walk. It may be a little of both.
As for Christians and Democrats, you have echoed what I have thought before. My twin brother has openly stated before that he saw no way for a real and true Christian to be a Democrat. That party stands against everything we believe. They work against everything we believe. Can we compromise and become a member of a party that seeks to curtail every freedom we hold dear as a Christian? I would think not.
Great post, Charles. Well done, indeed.
Fear, being lukewarm and also apathy all put together, I believe, are the reasons so many Christians disengage from the culture war. When religious liberties are all but destroyed, how will such Christians respond? They won’t. They will conform to the new anti-religious society.
Years ago there was a man at my church who ran for mayor. He was a Democrat. I told him I could not vote for him because of that and he just couldn’t understand why. He kept saying that it’s different on the local level. People like him can’t grasp the concept that while the issues may be different on the local level, your membership in the party still aids the Democrats. I have never voted for a Democrat and I never will.
Yes, Christians are responsible on many levels. Pastors fear losing their tax exempt status, although it’s my understanding that not a single church has ever lost that status due to what comes from the pulpit. At least half, probably more than half of Christian congregants are Liberal, as is the National Council of Churches. They have no sense when it comes to assessing the enemies of their own free speech.
I attended a meeting of a TEA-type-group at a Tulsa church a couple of years ago. One of the speakers from the Black Robe Regiment. We were riveted by what he had to say. After that night, those types of meetings were banned from this church.
Another person I know tried to start a “small group” based on God, patriotism and the constitution. She was turned down.
Very few of our Christian churches are behind conservatism.
I think you’re exactly right about churches and conservatism and it will end up, one day, bringing about the end of religious liberty. I also have not heard of any church that lost tax exempt status, but that day is probably coming.
I just recently heard of the Black Robe Regiment. It sounds like an interesting group and I made a note to myself to find a time and place to go see their presentation but I haven’t yet.
I’ve been of the opinion for a long time that the left has brainwashed a lot of Christians with this not-found-in-the-Constitution ‘wall of separation’ into avoiding any semblance of engaging in the political process. Whatever the left has to do to keep the evangelicals out of the political process, they will do.