“What I did, standing up to the pompous Police Inspector in charge of this ridiculous ‘Minorities Support Unit’ seemed a small thing to do at the time, but it has struck a huge chord with Christians. They, like me, are fed up with seeing the police engaging in crude social engineering, going around trying to intimidate Christians into silence. Our Faith requires us to preach the Gospel. Today’s gay-supporting police forces will have no more success at stopping the good news that Jesus Christ died for sinners than did the religious authorities who told the Apostles to stop preaching (Acts 5). My message to Christian preachers who are told to do this, or stop that, and threatened with arrest, is: Call the bullies’ bluff. Let them arrest you. Don’t accept a caution or an ‘ASBO’. Let them charge you. Say nothing in reply. Then call me the minute you get out, or even from the custody suite itself, and I shall get you representation and publicise your case, God willing.”
Maryland homeschooler reviewed by public school
“The public school system has an office that follows the homeschoolers. By law they are only allowed two portfolio reveiws a year as long as you are doing your job as teacher. I have heard some horror stories from other parents, but I had a good experience. I guess we are doing okay after one whole week…”
Is it the governments responsibility to oversee homeschoolers? This “portfolio” requirement is probably a good accountability system—especially for parents who don’t put forth much effort. But I wonder if it might lead to certain unbiblical requirements in the future. Does Ohio have such requirements?
“Political correctness dies hard in the West as evidenced by the recent embarrassment of Britain’s Sussex police, who sent officers for ‘diversity training’ to an Islamic school they subsequently raided as part of a crackdown on those who recruit and train jihadist warriors. Don’t the cops have it backward? Shouldn’t the people in that school be subjected to diversity training and taught the concepts of pluralism, tolerance and religious freedom? Who is attempting to blow up more airplanes? Who has sworn to murder all ‘infidels’? It isn’t British police officers.”
Jorge Sanches visits Kerguelen
“I was so lucky to see a sea leopard near my refuge! Later I was told that they usually search for penguins close to the Antarctic continent and rarely in these islands. Before eating the penguins they play throwing them up in the air several times. Sea elephants are the more giant animals of Kerguelen Island; they measure up to six metres long. I saw hundreds of them in the island lying lazily, sleeping, because they know that on earth they have no enemies.”
5-News
“If God be with us who can be against us?” In America our constitution gives the freedom of speech and the freedom of religon. Therefore, as American citizens one has the right to proclaim his or her beliefs and ideas whithout fear of arrest. As a Christian,one has the duty of proclaiming the gospel news as proclaimed in the great commission.(Matthew 28). Therefore, if one is aproached to stop proclaiming the message he has been commanded to proclaim,he must be bold and remind the apraochers of his rights and duty. But, most of all remeber the examples that gone before us: Jesus Christ, Apostle Paul, and Stephen. They did not stop giving their messages though they were warned to stop on penalty of death. Remeber the testimony of Christ: He was meek and humble, but hegave his message to the very end and paid the ultimate price. Though one may be persucuted or sent to jail, they must stand at all costs to bring forth the Gospel news.Do not fear…”If God is with us , who can be against us?”
Any Christian should have the right to proclaim the Word of God and not suffer from the government for it. This is a free country and we (Christians) should be able to speak what we think just as the gay people can speak what they think.
-Zach
in a free country we should have the right to worship freely and how we want without persecution.
-mike
We should act like the Christians in Bible times also. The Christians, like Paul, were tormented. Even Christ when he was tried stayed silent and let them accuse them. We all are going to face persecution. We need to understand that God has our backs. When we stand up for God he will bless us. Even if that blessing is death, as in Stephens case. The best thing to happen to a Christian is to die defending Christ. If God sees fit to keep you on earth than so be it. If God sees fit to send you to Heaven, than praise the Lord I’ll see you someday.
I agree with what has been said so far. But you have to realize that this man doesn’t live in the USA. (Click on the title to read the entire article.)
I think we all agree that we should speak out against sin and preach the gospel regardless of the outcome, but what about the attitude with which this man addressed the government in that press release? Is it right to ridicule “pompous” judges/officials who uphold the laws of the land?
Good question, Isle. We are commanded to give honor to the secular authorities as unto God (Romans 13). One can hardly claim that Rome was accepting of christianity at the time of St Paul, and even Christ himself was respectful toward Pilate as he stood before Pilate to be condemned.
We forget it was the very taxes the Disciples paid (even from the mouth of the fish) that paid for the cross and the nails which pierced the hands of the Savior. Preach the Gospel unto death if that is what is the will of God for us, but never lash out in defiance of the authority as a witness to the humility of Christ (by doing so we heap coals of fire on their heads).
To find your own state’s homeschooling laws, go to http://www.hslda.org
No matter who tells us we can’t speak out against sinful activities, we are always to submit to God. If Jesus were on Earth now, he would definately be speaking out against the homosexuals. I think God would be proud of us if we went against the government to follow Him.
About the judges and the attitude toward them: the land shouldn’t have a law like that in the first place.
In John 15:18-27, Jesus tells believers that the world will hate us because it hated Him first. I am not surprised of hearing that a Christian was arrested for speaking against homosexuals. Jesus essentially told us to expect it. The world hates Christ because He revealed unto them their sin. When Christians speak out against homosexuality, they are proclaiming the truth and should expect to be persecuted. This is what Jesus told us as believers to expect
i find it funny that when gay people are persecuted it’s a hate crime, but when Christians are….
I am disturbed by the fact that you can be arrested for speaking out for what your beliefs in God, especially when you’re dealing with rightfully denouncing a gross sin like homosexuality.
I think that it is crazy that one can be arrested for talking out about gays but i think a christian still has the right (freedom or speech) to do it and should.
-Grace
I believe that homosexuality is wrong and it’s desturbing to see that people are getting arrested for speaking out against it. I think that they should read a Bible if they have one or someone should show them in the Word that they’re wrong. I’ve had homosexual and bisexual friends and when I showed them that they were wrong through the Word, they seemed to understand why Christians believe that way. Most of them didn’t know that the Bible actually spoke out against it.
-Katrina
Good comments.
I’ve never met the man who is mentioned in the article. But I think his idea (passing out litereature) was good. From what other articles have said, the literature explained what the Bible says about homosexuality and then presented the gospel. If that’s all that happened, it is rather sad that he was taken into custody.
The problem is that there are some people who are downright nasty to homosexuals when “speaking out” against that particular sin. While it is a sin, we need to prayerfully consider how we handle each situation placed in our lives:
Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. Colossians 4:5-6
We also must be careful that our attitude toward bad laws does not overshadow our need to submit ourselves to God ordained government (Rom. 13:1-7). I realize it may be a tightrope walk at times, but we need to think through these things and not over react.
Christians should keep telling the truth of God’s word no matter what the circumstance is. But they need to speak the truth in love.Failure to do this is just as much of a sin as homosexuality.
I completely agree with this guy. Homosexuality is an “unnatural lifestyle” and forbidden in the Bible (Romans 1:24-28) As Christians, we should always be living our lives according to the Word of God. That is the first and ultimate place we look to when we need guidance in a particular area of life. Yes, God ordained government and the men in government, but God did not instill their wicked hearts. So when government starts doing things/allowing thing to go on within the country that aren’t Biblical–then a Christian should stand against us. Yes, we’ll get persecution–but that didn’t stop the churches during Paul’s time to stop spreading the gospel. In fact, through times of persecution the church actually grew more! Let us be encouraged by this and stand up against those things in the government that are against the Bible and that offend our Holy God.
Great response, Alyssa. The question to then ask is to what extent do we as christians willing to go to stand against unrighteous government. Continue to lose in the courts, or use violent methods as in revolution? Remember, the American War for Independence was based on economic tyranny (overtaxation, unfair trade and tariffs, etc), primarily, not religious persecution. Yet we praise the founders of the Nation for their defense of liberty.
Burning down a porn shop because the church was denied numerous requests for injunctions with the court due to its proximity to a christian school: righteous act, or evil? Some extremists advocate bombing abortion clinics. How far do we “stand up” to unrighteous government? Do we organize christian military brigades and fight the government, or submit to the persection without revolution?
In a free country you should not be persecuted
Shannon, I agree with you, but unfortunately this is not the case. The Isle News from which the blurb being discussed also includes a blurb on homeschooling.
In the early 1970s the state of Ohio removed children from their homes because the parents wanted to church-school them. Secular humanism had crept into Ohio public schools, and the parents took a stand against it. Their kids were removed and the parents sent to jail. It resulted in a large demonstration at the state capitol which included persons from all denominations and faiths (1974?). While the parents were eventually exhonorated, the school was not recognized by the Dept of Ed in Ohio, and the grad kids were not allowed to enroll at state public colleges and universities. That lasted for years in Ohio: schools not chartered by the State of Ohio were not recognized as legitimate. I believe that has changed (?). But what would have happened if the parents were not vindicated, and the kids were raised in foster care because the state took them from parents exercising their rights to educate their own kids? Armed revolution to get the kids back?
anonymous-
we do not think that radical groups who bomb abortion clinics are right in there approach. speaking out against something we believe is wrong is different from reacting violently. when reacting violently 1) it gives us a bad testimony 2) we are also hurting/murdering other inicent people.
grace and sam
I totally agree. “Vengance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” and “do not repay evil for evil” are principles I, too, attempt to live. Submission even unto death does not include initiated violence on the part of the believer. Use of legit methods to their exhaustion are the ways to respond, and in the end, even if we sacrifice our lives, the Lord of Hosts, it is he to whom we belong.
I brought these issues up as a means for discussion, not because I believe in violence. We do serious damage to the witness for Christ when we ourselves are violent. Assertiveness of one’s position is not aggressiveness. There is a difference. But I’ll leave that up to another discussion. Got to run!
The Bible clearly shows us that we’re to listen to those in authority and follow their guidance. However, God’s Word also speaks out against the things mentioned in the article. As followers of Christ, we need to listen to Him above all. If that means speaking out against homosexuality, religious persecution, and so on then we still need to follow God’s lead. He never promised standing up for the truth would be easy, just that it would be right. God can take care of us no matter the circumstance.
In the United States we are allowed freedom of speech and we should exersise that right. If we are speaking out against homosexuality in order to obey the Lord, something bad might happen to us and if it does we should praise God for it. It is his will!!!
I think regardless of the persecution we may face we should continue to worship the way we are instructed and not fear the opposition.
I agree with the whole God be with us and that we should be able to speak what we want to because of the freedom of speech. In the case with this guy I believe that since we do have the freedom of speech that he did have the right to say what he did say. I mean others might think he went too far but what’s the point in having the freedom to speak what you want to then? God is in control of all things. We just need to trust in Him to guide us through these certain situations.
I think they sould be able to talk against the gays. I think that it is wrong to be gay. The bible says so