Posted on 09/22/2003 1:26:54 PM PDT by Theodore R.
When Preaching The Bible Is Outlawed, I'll Be An Outlaw
By Chuck Baldwin
Food For Thought From The Chuck Wagon September 23, 2003 A much under-reported yet critically important news story occurred recently in Canada. On September 17, Canada's House of Commons passed a bill that adds sexual orientation as a protected category in Canada's genocide and hate-crimes legislation. According to many religious believers and free-speech advocates, the bill will criminalize public expression, including Sunday sermons, against homosexual behavior. Those convicted of violating the new law face up to five years in prison.
Now, if America were the independent country it was designed to be, laws passed in Canada, or any other foreign country, would not be cause for alarm in the United States. Unfortunately, however, the U.S. is more and more being led into a "global village" with even the Supreme Court using the laws of foreign nations as precedents for U.S. law. As a result, the laws of other nations are beginning to have a major impact upon the laws of the United States.
An example of this treacherous trend is the Supreme Court's decision to strike down the state of Texas' sodomy laws. For the first time, the high court's majority used the laws of foreign nations as justification for its ruling. Therefore, the law criminalizing anti-homosexual speech that recently passed in Canada is cause for deep concern.
Canada's new law illustrates how homosexuality has become mainstream throughout North America. In fact, the entire western world has come to embrace, even endorse and promote, homosexuality.
Homosexuality has completely captured our culture. It is actively promoted in the entertainment industry and is enthusiastically supported by both major political parties. Even many religious denominations find it increasingly difficult to oppose homosexual conduct.
The major question that now must be answered is how will America's pulpits react to the ever-increasing popularity and political correctness of homosexuality? A further question is what will America's preachers do when the United States passes a law similar to that of Canada's?
In a way, those questions have already been answered. One can attend churches of virtually every size and type without hearing so much as a peep against homosexuality from the pulpit. Furthermore, I am told that many televangelists have already suspended any negative comments regarding homosexuality from those programs that are aired in Canada. If a preacher will alter his sermons for money, why should we believe he would not alter them to accommodate laws against preaching Bible morality?
The fact is, homosexuality would not have achieved the level of acceptance that it has if preachers had been doing their jobs to proclaim the truth of God's Word! A desire to be socially and politically popular has silenced most pulpits!
As for one pulpit I can only say, when preaching the Bible is outlawed, I'll be an outlaw!
© Chuck Baldwin
With all due respect--
WE HAVE THOSE LAWS IN THE USA
--but simply not enforced, until they can round-up the shotguns and rifles...
Perhaps. But this is dependent on the preaching of the Word to actually being relevant to people's lives and true to the gospel message of "Christ in you, your hope of glory." Out of curiousity, has "Pastor Chuck" ever mentioned the centrality and indespensibility of Jesus Christ in regard to living life here on this side of eternity? Maybe the reason the Bible has become increasingly irrelevant in people's lives is that the central Person of the Bible (Jesus Christ) has become increasingly nonexistent in the preaching of many "Bible believing" pastors. The concept that Jesus Christ actually has something to do with our lives today is everywhere in the New Testament, whereas references to homosexuality are few. Yet what ax does "Pastor Chuck" spend most of his time grinding?
And I've grown tired of 'Christians' who never seem to face facts that most of what they condone, Christ would condemn. Yes Jesus Christ preached love. But He also preached that if we love the Father, we would follow His Commandments. Last time I checked such actions were quite clearly laid out in the Old Testament as being out of bounds. Or do you suggest that Christ would be accepting of continued practicing of homosexuality, abortion, sodomy?
Have you read the New Testament?
...Then there are also "Christian" preachers who claim Jesus as a useful tool of conservative causes. I believe that being a Christian is compatible with a conservative worldview, but Jesus is not anyone's political tool.
Consider this: it is possible to be against homosexuality, abortion, and sodomy, and still end up in hell. The key question isn't "Would Christ accept this-or-that behavior?", but is "Who is Jesus to you, and what position does he have in your life?"
Christianity is principally a relationship with Jesus Christ, the self-revelation of God, through His indwelling Spirit, that manifests itself in a system of ethics and a pattern of behavior (the Sermon on the Mount, Paul's First Corinthian chapter on love, Paul's Galatian chapter on the Fruit of the Spirit, etc.) which can be applied to social and political issues.
It is as M. Robert Mulholland said in his book, An Invitation to a Journey, that God calls us into community not for ourselves, but for the benefit of others.
Salvation Army founder William Booth and C.S. Lewis both have used analogies about the relationship between faith and works--Booth made it an analogy of walking: first the left, then the right, then the left, etc.; and Lewis made it an analogy of scissors: faith and works are separate blades that are equally needed in order to work.
Note that I am not espousing that one can be saved by works. I am a believer in the Reformation's cry of sola fide, faith only; however, too often we emphasize justification at the expense of sanctification.
Out of bounds in the New Testament as well. Time is approaching where a Christian is going to have to choose one way or the other--no prize for compromise!
But the topic of this particular column is Canada's new bill. Forbidding teaching from the bible because it proclaims same gender sex is sin would mean that Christ could not be taught either.
Just thought I should point that out.
How did Canada become this liberal? Methinks when they made the conservative party move to the center/left some 20 yrs ago. When they tried the compassionate conservativism act. Watch out you Bushies. There is plenty of evidence to see where this road will take this nation. And for Gods sake, do not vote a RINO in as gov of Caleeforeah.
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