Thursday, May 06, 2004
Persecution? I think not.
Some say Christians are being persecuted more today than ever, even in the United States. I can't speak to the rest of the world, although I have read of Christian Missionaries being killed in Africa, South America, Asia, the Middle East, etc. But here, in America, I wonder if the old Harry Truman axiom is true, Christians are told the truth and they just think it's hell.
It's very true that the courts are chasing Christianity out of the public places, out of government, out of schools, out of courthouse lawns, out of pledges, out of mottos. Many in America would like to chase Christians further yet, until we are all back where we belong, in our churches. There's no doubt Christianity in America is being pushed... but persecuted? We have relied far too long on the schools and the boy scouts and the pledge and the courts to back us up. When I was in grade school, we all said the Pledge of Allegiance and the Lord's Prayer (the Protestant version) before school began every day. I can't rely on the schools to have my back on this matter with my kids like my parents did and perhaps the greatest generation, the World War II generation, went a little too far to make it easy for Christians in America.
I complain about the courts removing the Ten Commandments from the courthouse, but I've never, ever had them hanging in my house. We complain about "Under God" being removed from the pledge and "In God we Trust" removed as a motto, but how often have we used that motto with our children? We argue that the Nativity shouldn't be removed from the Courthouse lawn, but Christmas seems so very far today from that Nativity, at least in most Christian homes.
Persecution? I think not. We're told the Truth, "These things are your responsibility, not the State's," and we just think it's Hell. If America is no longer helping us teach our kids the faith, tell me... why aren't parents taking up the slack? If America is chasing Christians back to their churches, tell me... why are the pews so often empty? Persecution? Tell me about it when the FCC bans the Christian channels on radio and television. Tell me about it when those fellows with bullhorns calling people to God on the streetcorners are pulled into jail. Persecution? Tell me about it when you have to sneak off to Church and recite the Nicene Creed to prove you're a Christian before you're let in the Church door. No... no, I don't think so. The church doors are open and they're public and the only persecution in America is your alarm clock on Sunday morning.
It's very true that the courts are chasing Christianity out of the public places, out of government, out of schools, out of courthouse lawns, out of pledges, out of mottos. Many in America would like to chase Christians further yet, until we are all back where we belong, in our churches. There's no doubt Christianity in America is being pushed... but persecuted? We have relied far too long on the schools and the boy scouts and the pledge and the courts to back us up. When I was in grade school, we all said the Pledge of Allegiance and the Lord's Prayer (the Protestant version) before school began every day. I can't rely on the schools to have my back on this matter with my kids like my parents did and perhaps the greatest generation, the World War II generation, went a little too far to make it easy for Christians in America.
I complain about the courts removing the Ten Commandments from the courthouse, but I've never, ever had them hanging in my house. We complain about "Under God" being removed from the pledge and "In God we Trust" removed as a motto, but how often have we used that motto with our children? We argue that the Nativity shouldn't be removed from the Courthouse lawn, but Christmas seems so very far today from that Nativity, at least in most Christian homes.
Persecution? I think not. We're told the Truth, "These things are your responsibility, not the State's," and we just think it's Hell. If America is no longer helping us teach our kids the faith, tell me... why aren't parents taking up the slack? If America is chasing Christians back to their churches, tell me... why are the pews so often empty? Persecution? Tell me about it when the FCC bans the Christian channels on radio and television. Tell me about it when those fellows with bullhorns calling people to God on the streetcorners are pulled into jail. Persecution? Tell me about it when you have to sneak off to Church and recite the Nicene Creed to prove you're a Christian before you're let in the Church door. No... no, I don't think so. The church doors are open and they're public and the only persecution in America is your alarm clock on Sunday morning.
