If you have listened to any of the Democratic primary debates, you will have come to the conclusion that many of the candidates running for the office of President have a disdain for churches and people of faith. Beto O’Rourke recently fielded a question during one of the debates where he was asked if religious institutions — “like colleges, churches, charities — should lose their tax-exempt status if they oppose same-sex marriage?” O’Rourke responded, “There can be no reward, no benefit, no tax break for anyone, or any institution, any organization in America that denies the full human rights and the full civil rights of every single one of us. So as president we’re going to make that a priority and we are going to stop those who are infringing on the rights of our fellow Americans.” In fact, Congress recently held hearings where it was reported by the Family Research Council, “Thursday’s hearing in the House Ways and Means Committee wasn’t the first time liberals have tried to use the IRS to do their dirty work — but it might be the most revealing. At a Thursday event that was either unnoticed by the press (or intentionally sidestepped by it), Democrats spent almost three hours bloviating on “How the Tax Code Subsidizes Hate.” Their solution? Strip mainstream Christian organizations — and anyone else guilty of the Left’s version of “hate” — of their tax-exempt status. “Our tax code,” chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) insisted, “is no place for hate. Groups that propagate white supremacy, anti-Semitism, and hatred for the LGBTQ community, among others, do not deserve a government subsidy through tax exemption. Hate is not charitable…” (Note: their goal here is to include [all] churches and [all] people of faith into the same category of “haters” – if you don’t fall in line with their liberal ideology.)
And then you have the “ACLU” and the “Freedom From Religion Foudation” groups. Groups like the ACLU and the Freedom From Religion Foundation are very willing participants in bringing endless lawsuits against those who desire to exercise their religious freedom – even when on public display. One reporter stated that, “It seems there’s some type of knee-jerk reaction, almost an allergic reaction, if someone sees the expression of religion – and the bulk of these complaints are being directed at Christians.” The reporter went on to state, “There’s a hostility, and there are folks who want to change this country and want to engage in some kind of religious cleansing.”
It must be understood that religious freedom (and for that manner any other freedom) does not come from the government – nor from any other group of people. Our freedoms come from our Creator. He alone endowed us with our freedoms. Our founding fathers clearly understood and acknowledged this truth. In fact, our founding fathers penned the following words within the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.” Our founding fathers clearly understood that if you take God out of the church or out of the government, you will have the collapse of one and the demise of the other. Note that this does not promote a theocracy – but it is the foundation of a republic. In fact, the very first amendment of our U.S. Constitution, “addresses the rights of freedom of religion (prohibiting Congress from establishing a religion and protecting the right to free exercise of religion), freedom of speech”.
So what are we to do to change the tide? First, we must know the Truth of God’s Word. We must study to know God’s Word and how to apply His Word to our daily lives. Second, we must stand for the truth – for if we don’t, no one will. Third, we must pray; we must pray for strength, endurance, patience; we must pray for those who oppose us; we must pray for our country and our leaders; we must pray for fellow believers. But above all, we must stand – for if we do nothing we should expect nothing to change; only for things to get worse. Let us never forget the words from the following verses.
2 Chronicles 7:14,
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
James 4:10,
“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”
The question that lies before each one of us who is a child of God is, “Are we going to allow religious cleansing to take place in our churches and in our country, or are we going to make a stand?” You can make a difference if you stand.
