Posted on 06/22/2019 6:10:19 AM PDT by Kaslin
In the latest and most egregious example of attempted government overreach, California legislators have proposed a bill that would dictate what pastors preach from the pulpit. Specifically, “Assembly Concurrent Resolution 99 calls on ‘counselors, pastors, religious workers, educators’ and institutions with ‘great moral influence’ to stop perpetuating the idea that something is wrong with LGBT identities or sexual behavior. ACR 99 also condemns attempts to change unwanted same-sex attraction or gender confusion as ‘unethical,’ ‘harmful,’ and leading to high rates of suicide.”
Put another way, these legislators are telling pastors and spiritual leaders to throw out the Bible, disregard the Lord’s will, ignore the testimony of thousands of ex-gays, and conform to extreme political correctness – or else.
This is one of the most frontal attacks on our religious freedoms in memory (or, perhaps, in our nation’s history) and nothing less than that ancient spirit of Jezebel trying to silence God’s messengers through fear and intimidation.
There is one way to respond to such spiritual and legal attacks: First, stand up against the bill in order to expose its bias and bigotry; and second, if the bill should actually pass (which might be a longshot even in California), defy it.
In the latest and most egregious example of attempted government overreach, California legislators have proposed a bill that would dictate what pastors preach from the pulpit. Specifically, “Assembly Concurrent Resolution 99 calls on ‘counselors, pastors, religious workers, educators’ and institutions with ‘great moral influence’ to stop perpetuating the idea that something is wrong with LGBT identities or sexual behavior. ACR 99 also condemns attempts to change unwanted same-sex attraction or gender confusion as ‘unethical,’ ‘harmful,’ and leading to high rates of suicide.”
Put another way, these legislators are telling pastors and spiritual leaders to throw out the Bible, disregard the Lord’s will, ignore the testimony of thousands of ex-gays, and conform to extreme political correctness – or else.
This is one of the most frontal attacks on our religious freedoms in memory (or, perhaps, in our nation’s history) and nothing less than that ancient spirit of Jezebel trying to silence God’s messengers through fear and intimidation.
There is one way to respond to such spiritual and legal attacks: First, stand up against the bill in order to expose its bias and bigotry; and second, if the bill should actually pass (which might be a longshot even in California), defy it.
“So it is with us. If we are fearful when we sit and study Torah, of which it is written, ‘For that is thy life and the length of thy days’ (Deut. 30:20), how much more fearful ought we to be should we cease the study of words of Torah!” (b. Berakhot 61b)
The same principle applies to spiritual leaders today, all the more in light of the Messiah’s death and resurrection on the cross. We do what is right regardless of cost and consequence. We honor the Lord and love our neighbor by speaking the truth, however unpopular it may be. The more the world seeks to muzzle us, the more loudly and clearly we speak out.
Should we avoid demonizing those in the LGBT community? Absolutely.
Should we be careful to separate issues from people? Certainly. (In other words, we make a distinction between an aggressive agenda and hurting an individual.)
Should we proclaim God’s love through the cross for every human being? Without a doubt.
But we must not refrain from declaring what God’s Word plainly says: Homosexual practice is contrary to His will and He does not bless or recognize same-sex “marriages.” And when it comes to transgender identities, biology is not bigotry and the best solution for people struggling with gender confusion is to help them find wholeness from the inside out.
Should this draconian bill actually become law, the strategy is simple: The Sunday after the bill is passed, every true pastor in California should preach a love-drenched message on what the Bible says about LGBT people and issues.
Better still, how about every pastor doing it this Sunday. Why wait?
Here we go...
Islam excepted, of course.
CW-II.
Not if, but when.
How very Communist of them. Also clearly unconstitutional as if that mattered to the vote fraud masters.
The pastors we had in CA were on high alert starting at least two decades ago. Then it was homosexual intimidation and mentioning anything political. They were prepared to be imprisoned. Now this... Christians will forevermore be persecuted.
When Trump says MAGA, my mind goes to the ‘50s and earlier when there was religious freedom in America.
I have a difficult time understanding how 3-4% of the population can control 96-97% of the population....
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil,
who put darkness for light and light for darkness...
Their partners in the education system can get away with with this garbage when they force this stuff on college kids but trying the same trash most likely won’t play well with adults.
Bump
“I have a difficult time understanding how 3-4% of the population can control 96-97% of the population....”
That 3-4% control 99% of the media in America. The media that makes these perverts look like heroes and the rest of us as evil and dumb racist rednecks.
That 3-4% probably controls over 50% of our churches from the top down to their local churches.
I don’t see it changing anytime soon either....
Gays have gone in 11 years (Obama) from “we just want to get along,” to “OBEY ME!”
“The pastors we had in CA were on high alert starting at least two decades ago. Then it was homosexual intimidation and mentioning anything political!”
Many if not most of our California Churches by the turn of this century were under control by the left wingers or operated in fear of them.
It has gotten worse since then.
It's call the Democrat Party, a large coalition of small interest groups, each of which want something in particular from government and each of which is willing to support the interests of the others, even if they do not agree with them, in order to have their own wants satisfied.
“Many if not most of our California Churches by the turn of this century were under control by the left wingers or operated in fear of them.”
Interestingly, the two Baptist churches we attended in CA were much more fundamental and traditional than any we’ve found in the Bible Belt of Tennessee. We continue to look ... and be disappointed.
It gets worse every week/day.
My wake up call came during the Bill Clinton sexual “interuptious” days, post Monica.
A group of us from different churches tried to get our priests/pastors to condemn Clinton’s actions.
Every priest/pastor/preacher we contacted told us that they would lose their tax free status if they turned their sermons into truth squads about Bill Clinton. Yet, they had zero problems defending Bill Clinton.
There are no coincidences when people react the same way across the board. The Clintoons controlled their IRS and were making life miserable for their enemies at all levels.
“I have a difficult time understanding how 3-4% of the population can control 96-97% of the population....”
The same way it’s always been done. With laws, guns, and prison cells. It didn’t happen overnight, though. Changing it won’t happen overnight either.
L
I would encourage every Pastor in California to Officially Adopt the Koran and the Hadith for all of their teachings on Human Sexuality.
Let them CHOKE on that
It amazes me to see how we continually elect people who recognize the extremely small number of people who are “offended” by some insignificant detail, yet ignore when the vast majority are “offended” by a significant detail...
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