I think it was in the Diocletian persecution that "all" that was asked of Christians was that they put a pinch of incense in a brazier before an image of the emperor. They didn't have to "mean" it, they just had to do it. And many refused and were martyred.
I read a review recently of "For Greater Glory," in which the reviewer was astonished and even horrified that Christian viewers approved of the young boy's preferring a painful death to a verbal renunciation of IHS.
And I know even Catholics who think the fuss about the HHS mandate is much ado about nothing. Why not? They're going to get the abortion, the salpingectomy, the vasectomy, the Norplant anyway. Why make a fuss? Go along; get along; continue the good work of hospital and university.
But I see in the apostate Sebelius and in BHO the seeds of a new persecution, a new winnowing, like that of Gideon's army.
The long term effect of that will be, I think, to fill the pews again. When freedom, livelihood, and even life is on the line, preaching will be renewed and the faithful will catch fire.
I think you may be right.
We were the Yellow Life Balloon people at our HHS rally. I can’t tell you the amount of people coming up to us who knew little about the issue. They got a very intelligent explanation from some informed young people. Many were blown away by the kids. And I think hearts were converted.
God will use us as He can and what looks bad, may in the end be a very good thing.
(my 12-year-old danced with the counter-protestors. She held her own and I was very proud)