Gay Marriage: Aftermath

This is a screenshot from Yahoo, taken today. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't wish lice on anybody....

In the eighteen months since my last post on marriage, the Supreme Court ruled, by a 5-4 margin, that "gay marriage" is protected by the US Constitution. That decision, which up-ends 6000 years of traditional marriage, is putting many Christians in the awkward position of exercising their First Amendment rights to disobey the new "law" (court decisions are not really laws, but that's a topic for another day).

Case in point: Unless you've been living under a rock for the past week, you already know that Kim Davis, a county clerk in Kentucky, has been jailed for refusing a court order to hand out marriage licenses to gay couples. Asserting her strong Christian belief that marriage was instituted by God to be only between a man and a woman, she has refused any and all offers for a compromise. Guessing that a mere fine would not be enough incentive to comply, the judge chided her for not performing her sworn duties as an elected official and sent her to jail, indefinitely.

The White House, lawyers, politicians, and "gay rights" activists have also said that her civic duty trumps her religious beliefs. They claim that no matter what, she must follow and uphold the law of the land and obey her superiors. But if the "I was just following orders" defense doesn't stand up, when it comes to committing atrocities, there must come a point where even this fallen world expects people to stand up against unjust laws and oppressive authorities. In fact, just last year, our country celebrated the 60th anniversary of the start of the Montgomery bus boycott, which started with a solitary, unassuming black woman, named Rosa Parks, who refused to follow the law and cede her seat to a white person.

The trouble is that as long as God is kept out of the limelight, our society has only popular opinion to base its moral code on. And unfortunately, "gay rights" have really picked up steam, over the past 12 years or so, simply because a very vocal minority had the gall to stand up to the status quo. Christians must now learn from those successful tactics and do the same.

When the decision was announced, "gay marriage" supporters, which had been protesting at the courthouse, shouted, "Love won! Love won!" Really? Did love really win? Does love send someone to jail for standing up for their Constitutionally protected rights? Does love rejoice at the suffering of others? Does love file lawsuits when things don't go their way? Does love go against God and His moral compass? People today have forgotten what love really is. They confuse it with lust. They confuse it with tolerance. They confuse it with greed.

Yahoo, Huffington Post, and most media outlets rejoice as well, unmercifully skewering Mrs. Davis for her "bigoted" stance. My son and I recently started reading the Book of Isaiah, for our nightly devotional. A couple nights ago, we read some very a propo verses:

"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! ...Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!" - Isaiah 5:20, 21, 23

Isaiah was bewailing Israel's fall from God's good graces. Let us pray that we, as children of God and followers of Christ, can help turn this nation around, or at least point the right way to as many of His lost sheep as we can.

Equal Footing: Not A Leg To Stand On

This is the sixth post in a series on marriage.

Let’s leave God, the Bible, and all religion out of the marriage debate for a minute. Let’s assume marriage is only a legal contract, subject solely to civil laws. Does anyone who still opposes “gay marriage” (or any other sort of non-traditional marriage) have any leg to stand on? Ultimately, the answer is no, because without God, there is no source of absolute morality. But then again, the proponents of “gay marriage” have nothing solid on which to base their argument, either. Any logic they try to apply will always be reduced to a subjective opinion, which has no more validity than the opposing opinion.

Let’s look at some things a “gay rights” advocate may say to a supporter of traditional marriage and how they break apart under scrutiny.

“We just want marriage equality.”
“Gay rights” activists are making great progress under the banner of “equality.” But as I’ve already discussed in a previous post, equality is relative, and many would argue that since traditional marriage laws apply to everyone, equality is a moot point. On the flip-side, there is no limit to how far you can take the concept of equality, to the point where marriage itself, in any form, actually produces inequality. If you really think about it, marriage grants married couples additional protections that singles do not have.

“Two people who love each other should be able to marry.”
I keep hearing how “gay marriage” is about allowing all loving couples the same benefits. But the fact is that, legally speaking, marriage has absolutely nothing to do with love, or any real motive for wanting to get married. Is there a law that says that falling in love has to result in marriage? There are many in this world who get married by arrangement or for financial or political reasons. And conversely, there is an ever-growing number of couples that decide to live together, without getting married at all.

“You Christians need to be more tolerant of gays.”
On the surface, “tolerance” implies that we should all try to get along and respect each other’s differing opinions. However, when it comes to people’s rights, tolerance hits a brick wall. Our nation must tread a fine line, to ensure that everyone’s rights are protected, even if their values are diametrically opposed. As I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, many states have now made it illegal to discriminate against homosexuals, but that trounces upon the rights of devout Christians whose consciences prevent them from conducting certain kinds of business with gays. It is now very evident that “gay rights” groups are quite intolerant of those who dare to oppose them. So who gets to decide which group has to be tolerant of the other?

“Don’t fight progress.”
For the first time in our nation’s history, polls indicate that more than half of Americans now support “gay marriage”. So the argument now becomes that we hard-headed Christians should get with the program and fall in line. But this is a stupid argument, because just a few years ago, the pro-gay activists were in the minority. And long before that, sodomy was illegal in many states. Why didn’t the gays get with the program and fall in line, way back then, even though they were the ones in the minority?

So what’s my point? The liberal media, advertisers, corporations, and Hollywood are doing their best to convince us Christians that we are on the wrong side of the debate. But even if there was no God, they would, at best, be on equal footing with us. But there is a God! And there is an absolute standard for right and wrong, well-established in the Bible, God’s inspired Word. So do not be afraid to speak out against the acceptance of the “gay lifestyle”, and to teach your children God’s opinion on the matter.

Civil Rights vs. Moral Character

This is the fifth post in a series on marriage.

“Gay rights” proponents often liken their plight to the Civil Rights Movement of the mid-20th century. It is now almost universally accepted that that was a righteous cause, so naturally, if they can draw enough parallels to it, they will further validate their own cause. But are the two movements based on enough similarities, or is there a fundamental difference that cannot be reconciled?

In his famous 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” As a Christian minister, Dr. King was very well versed in the Bible and the moral principles set forth by God. By this quote, he demonstrates a good understanding of the New Testament teaching that skin color is irrelevant to God, but rather that He places very high importance on a person’s deeds, which are a reflection of their character.

In short, while skin color and other external attributes have no moral aspect, homosexual practices (along with most other things that people can choose to do or not do) have inherent moral implications. Pro-gay groups would like us to believe that sodomy is perfectly morally acceptable, homosexual relationships are totally normal, and anyone who thinks otherwise is a “homophobe” who needs to be rebuked and re-educated.

While many anti-gay sentiments are probably based simply on the “grossness factor” of same-sex intimacy, there are many of us who see it more importantly as an immoral practice that has deep implications upon a person’s character, especially if that person not only doesn’t think there is anything wrong with what they’re doing, but are actively encouraging others to “give it a try.”

“For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet... Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” (Romans 1:26, 27, 32).

This is why we Christians need to continue to stand up against laws that not only sanction immorality, but aim to silence those of us who believe that God is the ultimate Authority on right and wrong.

Redefining Equality

This is the fourth post in a series on marriage.

Here are some of the latest developments in the fight over marriage:

• A judge put a halt on same-sex “marriages” in Utah, but the U.S. Attorney General has said that the federal government will recognize marriages that have already occurred during the brief time that they were allowed in the state.
• Indiana legislators are pushing a state constitutional amendment to formally define marriage as between one man and one woman.
• A Federal court has ruled Oklahoma’s state amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman as unconstitutional. But at least the judge had the sense to put a hold on gay “marriages” until the state has a chance to appeal.

The primary weapon the pro-gay alliance has been using to push their distorted version of “marriage” is the 14th Amendment’s “equal protection clause,” which states:

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

At first blush, it may look like “inequality” to allow only heterosexuals to marry. However, the word “equality” is pretty overloaded, and its meaning outside of mathematics is highly subjective.

Consider, for instance, the Declaration of Independence, which begins with the famous phrase, “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….” When Thomas Jefferson penned these words, the application of the word “equal” was quite different from ours. Slavery, for instance, was heavily practiced in the New World. If white people really thought that God created them "equal" with black Africans, then how could they live with a practice that left them with no rights and barely a shred of humanity?

Fast-forward a century. Slavery was finally illegal in the entire U.S., and the 14th Amendment was added to the Constitution. The main purpose of the “equal protection clause” (found in Section 1) was to guarantee that all former slaves had “the same rights” as all free men. But in practice, it tolerated racial segregation in the South, and the use of the generic term "persons" did nothing for women’s right to vote.

So what about so-called “marriage equality”? Some will say that we already have that: everyone is free to marry whomever they like, as long as they are the opposite gender. But that's not the only typical exclusion. Most states impose restrictions based on age, familial relationship, current marital status, and even genetic incompatibility. The “gay rights movement” wants to expand the definition of marriage by removing only the gender requirement, but that will not result in true “marriage equality?”

Since gays cannot have their own children, for example, “incest” doesn’t really apply to them. Will states want to allow a gay man to “marry” his son, but not his daughter? Is that “more equality” or “less equality?” And what about the other restrictions? Is it not hypocritical for the gays to demand "equality," while leaving all the others in place? Unless all of those restrictions are lifted, rendering marriage virtually meaningless, certain people still will not be able to marry whomever they want.

The simple fact is that traditional marriage laws are already “equal,” because the same restrictions apply to everyone equally. The fact that a very small percentage of the population doesn’t like them the way they are is a totally separate issue. The use of the "equal protection clause" is merely legal wrangling to achieve an unrelated (and immoral) goal. I just hope there will be enough Supreme Court justices with enough sense to see it.

Bully Tactics: Name-Calling

This is the third post in a series on marriage.

Mostly everyone agrees that bullying is an unacceptable practice. In fact, much of the early pro-gay laws were written to combat this monster. Calling people names or threatening them in any way is wrong in the eyes of our society. I like to think this is due to our Christian heritage, whose lingering effects have not yet worn off from our culture.

Let me be crystal-clear here: as Christians, we are to speak out against the sin of sodomy and stand up to the wave of propaganda that is pushing for its acceptance in our society, but there is never any justification for name-calling or threats or physical harm to anyone who supports or practices it.

However, pro-gay groups such as GLAAD, as well as the liberal media, have resorted to the same tactics, in an effort to "normalize" homosexuality and demonize those who speak out against it. Whenever someone makes anti-gay remarks (which, as of this writing, are still protected by the First Amendment), they are almost always referred to as a "homophobe." As a recent example, several sources called Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson's comments on the evil of homosexuality as "homophobic."

What exactly did he say that was so bad? "Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men. We never, ever judge someone on who’s going to heaven, hell. That’s the Almighty’s job. We just love ‘em, give ‘em the good news about Jesus, whether they’re homosexuals, drunks, terrorists. We let God sort ‘em out later, you see what I’m saying?"

Mr. Robertson was ostracized (and temporarily suspended from the highly successful show) simply for expressing an opinion that is in-line with the Bible. It was not only his First Amendment right to do so, but also his duty as a Christian.

Calling people names is the age-old tactic of side-stepping logical arguments, in favor of ad hominem attacks. When done in public (or in the media), this effectively villifies the opposition and undermines the validity of their viewpoints. In this case, since phobias are commonly perceived as illogical and devoid of reason, the term "homophobe" presumes that Christians have no credible arguments against homosexuality.

Don't let the pro-gay community get away with this. Expose the name-calling for the logical fallacy that it is.

Sodomy: The Abominable Sin

This is the second post in a series on marriage.

I am going to have to be very blunt and very politically incorrect here. At the center of "same-sex marriage" (or any similar union) is sexual intercourse between two individuals of the same gender. This is traditionally referred to as "sodomy," a word derived from the well-known Genesis account of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, two exceedingly wicked cities, infamous for this practice.

While I do not expect this fact to carry any weight with atheists or those who subscribe to religions that do not view the Bible as God's inspired word, I am dumbfounded that there are any persons who claim to be Christian, and yet believe sodomy to be compatible with Christianity. I now wish to address that section of the population, in hopes that I may give them cause to rethink their theology.

Here are some scriptural proof-texts that indicate that, beyond the shadow of a doubt, God abhors sodomy, counting it on the same level as (if not worse than) murder.

"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination" (Lev. 18:22).

"If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." (Lev. 20:13).

"There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel" (Deut. 23:17).

"For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them" (Rom. 1:26-32).

The Bible unequivocably states that God does not change, so He still views all manner of sexual deviancy as sin. God requires us to repent of all sin; we cannot pick and choose. So how can any Christian practice or condone sodomy and still claim to be a child of God???

As a Christian, I must speak out against civil laws that legitimize sinful practices, particularly those that are actively promoted as "normal" and "acceptable".

The painting at the top of this post depicts Lot's family fleeing the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and his wife expressing horror as she looks back, moments before being turned into a pillar of salt. It was painted by Benjamin West, in 1810.

We Have Won!

Traditional marriage has suffered a flurry of defeats in the past few years. Several more states, including Washington, New Jersey, and Colorado now allow "gay marriage." This has opened up some high-profile lawsuits: a florist in Seattle has been sued for refusing to sell flowers for a gay wedding, and a photographer in Colorado is being sued for refusing to take photos at a gay wedding.

The Defense of Marriage Act (one of the few laudable accomplishments from President Clinton's regrettable administration) has been all but completely done away with. Phil Robertson (of the uber-popular Duck Dynasty reality show) has been ostracized for anti-gay comments he recently made. A man is legally marrying a woman in a state that does not recognize his out-of-state marriage to another man. (Whaaat?!? I'm sure the liberals are hoping he's not claiming that he's been "cured" of his gay tendencies.) The media and school curriculums continue trying to convince us that same-sex families are just as "normal" as traditional ones. And just recently, an activist judge has ruled Utah's ban on "gay marriage" unconstitutional, ushering in a flood of marriage applications.

As Christians, we are clearly losing the battle for true marriage. So how can I claim that we've won?

The answer is simple: Jesus won the battle against sin and death when He gave Himself as a perfect sacrifice on the cross. The Bible promises us that when He returns, He will do so as a conquering King, who will carry out judgment against all the sinners of this world. So, we do not need to hang our heads in defeat. This world was lost when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, but Christ declared to Pontius Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence" (John 18:36).

God's kingdom on this earth is the collection of born-again followers of Jesus Christ. Our duty is to continue to strive to lead individuals to repentance, and while that does include standing up against our culture's embrace of sins like sodomy, promiscuity, and greed, the end-goal is saving souls.

To this end, I will devote my next few posts to presenting logical arguments defending the Biblical view of traditional marriage. The results I leave up to God.

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

Pray for Maine

On November 3, Maine voters have the opportunity to strike down a 6-month-old law that allows same-sex marriage. Organizations on both sides have invested much time and money to sway the votes their way, but we all know that God is still in charge. He helped Truth prevail in California last year, and I believe He can do it again in Maine.

And as if that's not crazy enough, Maine is also voting to legalize "medical" pot.

Please pray that God grants Maine's voters wisdom, for we know what the Bible says about "they which do such things."

In the Beginning... (Conclusion)

Interesting how inverting the colors on the Iwo Jima picture makes the soldiers look like white knights of righteousness, amid a darkening sky of sin.

Without further ado, here is the conclusion of the tract that inspired this blog:

The First Amendment also guarantees freedom of speech and of the press, that the government cannot restrict or censure what people can say or report. This was written to prevent the tyranny that so permeated the Old World, at the time of its writing. But with any freedom comes the responsibility not to abuse it. This freedom extends to the entertainment industry, which has been getting progressively worse since its inception, more and more boldly pushing the envelope of “good taste.” It is sad (and scary) to admit, but since almost everyone watches television, goes to the movies, and listens to music (add to that a growing number of those who surf the net and play video games), the media has the awesome power to dictate what is morally acceptable. And as it continues to push the limits, moral decay continues to worsen.

There is no greater example of this than modern society’s views on sex, sexuality, and marriage. Sex before marriage is promoted in every form of entertainment that there is! Homosexuality, once considered an unmentionable sin, is now being promoted on television, in movies, and in magazines. Even some churches, considered by many to be the last bastions of morality, now accept and support openly gay priests and ministers, in absolute defiance of God’s opinion on the matter. The epidemic is sweeping the country, and the debate on the legality of gay marriages is raging. Its proponents argue that it’s an issue of human rights, similar to the civil rights movement of the middle twentieth century. But we must distinguish between “rights” and “what is right.”

Let’s not deceive ourselves: the reason why the U.S. and state Constitutions do not explicitly define marriage as a union exclusively between a man and a woman is that, until recently, the idea of men marrying men and women marrying women was considered ludicrous! Genesis 19 recounts the utter destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by the Lord, for the sin of homosexuality. In Romans 1:18-32, the Apostle Paul condemns the act as “vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.” And again, in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” These are not the words of a stubborn bigot; they are the inspired Word of God!

God loves His creation. He loves all people, no matter what they do. That’s why He chose to come as a man and die on the cross. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romand 5:8). Jesus freely gave His life, as payment for our sins. Though He loves all people, he hates all sin. “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).

Likewise, we should love everyone, but hate what they do. If you have children, do you not love them unconditionally? Would you not give your life for them, if need be, just like Jesus did for you? But do you like it when they disobey or do something they know is wrong? Do you hug and kiss them and say, “That’s all right. Go do that again, and encourage your friends to do it, too?” No. If you want to do right by your children, you will discipline and instruct them. You will teach them to do good and eschew evil. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). Likewise, we cannot turn a blind eye to the corruption that is all around us. We need to take a stand for what’s right, even at the risk of being scorned and harassed.

Society today confuses love with acceptance. God loves us all, but will all make it to Heaven? Certainly not. “Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:14). “And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein” (Isaiah 35:8). “And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” (1 Peter 4:18). “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 1:8). “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?” (Hebrews 12:6-7). “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

Our courts have gotten into the habit of interpreting laws with their own eyes, instead of the eyes of those who wrote them. They say with pride that the Constitution is a living document, which changes to adapt to the changing times. The Bible is a living document, too. Though it never changes, it continues to address the fundamental issues that have plagued humanity since its creation. Technology changes. Country borders change. Diseases change. But the everyday problems that every person has to face from day to day never change. The conflict between man’s desire to reach God and his fleshly propensity to sin is as old as the eating of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. The answers are in God’s Word: the Bible. Our founding fathers knew that. They read it. They memorized it. They taught their children by it. They even built a country on it.

If you agree that this country is morally going into the gutter, do not sit idly watching. Do not rely on others to do the right thing. Do not convince yourself that this is all about politics, and that should be left to the politicians. Don’t let a vocal minority set the course for the quiet majority. We are a democracy, a government formed of the people, by the people, and for the people. So, get involved! Let your voice be heard, for righteousness’ sake! Read the news with a scrutinous eye, to get familiar with the issues and the people running or already elected for public office. Register to vote, then go out and do it! If you agree with this tract, give it to someone else to read. Find others who feel this way and want this country to return to the high moral standard on which it was founded: God’s Word. The more people wake up to the truth, the more positive a change we can make!

To this end, I urge you, dear reader, to welcome the Bible into your life. Read it diligently every day, from cover to cover. Welcome Jesus Christ into your heart! Ask Him to forgive you of your sins (He’s the only One who can!) and to keep you free from sin. Surrender your life and your will to Him. Trust Him to light your path and direct your feet, to lead you in everything you do. Raise your children by Him. Tell your neighbors about Him! Pray without ceasing! Pray for our country and our leaders. Pray and ask what you can do for Him. We cannot (and should not) force Christianity on people, by making it the official religion of the U.S. To do so would be contrary to everything that God is. But we can steer the country, one heart at a time, back toward the moral standard on which it was founded. Don’t give up! It’s not too late to take a stand for what’s right! Lift up God’s standard… in your heart, your home, and your country!

May 3, 2004

In the Beginning... (Part 3)

Ahhh... admit it: you knew that sooner or later I'd pick this famous pose. This is a picture of a monument, based on the famous WWII photo of American soldiers, planting the Stars and Stripes, after winning the Battle for Iwo Jima. Turns out that the original photo, which was instantly iconic of the war effort, was a little staged by the photographer. After watching a group of soldiers plant the flag, he asked if they could take it out and do it again, so he could take a picture.

But to get back to my story, here is the first half of the tract I wrote:

Lift Up the Standard in America!
Isaiah 59:19

Throughout the course of history, nations used banners, flags, and objects of worship, collectively called “standards,” as symbols of what they stood for and a focal point to rally their armies in battle. While the Israelites of Old Testament times took the Ark of the Covenant with them into battle, most modern armies use flags. As long as the soldiers can see the flag flying high, they know the battle is not lost. But if the flag falls, so do the spirits of the fighting men, and the enemy overcomes them. But, oh, the glory and the blessings that are bestowed upon a country founded on God, which lifts up high the standard of His Holy Word! “So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him” (Isaiah 59:19).

At one time, being an American was almost synonymous with being a Christian. Our nation was founded by people who were devout believers and active in their congregations. The constitutions of the Fifty States not only acknowledge God as the Supreme Being and Creator of everything, but also borrow basic principles from His Word. The Bible was a standard textbook in schools and read in most homes. People’s lives were not easy, but they strove to live by the high moral standard set forth in the Holy Scriptures. Unfortunately, this country has forsaken the underlying principles that forged its Declaration of Independence and Constitution, and even taken action to remove God from our schools, our courthouses, and our Pledge of Allegiance. God is being replaced by a misguided spirit of political correctness, and blind acceptance is becoming the new moral standard. This path can only lead to the decline, fall, and ultimately, self-destruction of our great country. I urge every American, regardless of age, race, creed, occupation, or status in life, to return to the standard by which this nation was forged.

The First Amendment implies a separation between Church and State, when it states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This reinforces Article VI of the Constitution, which declares that “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” Many take this a step further, wanting to remove all mention of God from government practices, literature, and materials. If they succeed, they will have managed to entirely remove the United States from the foundation on which it was built. The simple fact is that one of the primary reasons Europeans emigrated to the New World was to worship God, free from the influence of oppressive and corrupt churches. Many of our nation’s founding fathers were devout believers and active in their congregations. This is self-evident in the words of our country’s earliest legal documents.

Declaration of Independence, 1776

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….

We, therefore, …appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do… solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States….

Virginia Bill of Rights, 1776 (after which the U.S. Constitution was modeled)

That no free government, or the blessings of liberty, can be preserved to any people but by a firm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, frugality, and virtue and by frequent recurrence to fundamental principles.

That religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and therefore all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that it is the mutual duty of all to practise Christian forbearance, love, and charity toward each other.

Massachusetts Constitution, c. 1790

We, therefore, the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging, with grateful hearts, the goodness of the great Legislator of the universe, in affording us, in the course of His providence, an opportunity… of forming a new constitution of civil government, for ourselves and posterity; and devoutly imploring His direction in so interesting a design, do agree upon, ordain and establish the following Declaration of Rights, and Frame of Government, as the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

It is the right as well as the duty of all men in society, publicly, and at stated seasons to worship the Supreme Being, the great Creator and Preserver of the universe.

As the happiness of a people, and the good order and preservation of civil government, essentially depend upon piety, religion and morality; and as these cannot be generally diffused through a community, but by the institution of the public worship of God, and of public instructions in piety, religion and morality: Therefore, … the legislature shall, from time to time, authorize and require, the several towns, parishes, precincts, and other bodies politic, or religious societies, to make suitable provision, at their own expense, for the institution of the public worship of God, and for the support and maintenance of public Protestant teachers of piety, religion and morality, in all cases where such provision shall not be made voluntarily.

"I, A. B., do declare, that I believe the Christian religion, and have a firm persuasion of its truth; and that I am seised (sic) and possessed, in my own right, of the property required by the constitution as one qualification for the office or place to which I am elected."

Today, the government as a whole and people in general are afraid of religion. They are afraid of the very mention of God or the Bible. They strive to delete all references to God from our Pledge of Allegiance and our schoolbooks. They remove the Ten Commandments from prominent locations in courthouses. They push to loosen the restrictions on the entertainment industry, for the sake of freedom of expression. And we wonder why there seems to be a general degradation of morals. We, as a nation, are setting ourselves up for a fall.

Some would argue that morality and ethical principles are subject to change over time, and that those who refuse to accept the changes are old-fashioned, stubborn, or prejudiced. Those who believe this are living on a slippery slope. If they’ll accept, for example, two men getting married, why not two brothers? If two brothers, why not a man and a boy. If a man and a boy, why not a man and his pet? Where do you draw the line, and on what basis? “Feelings change, people change,” so a song goes, but the Word of God never changes. It is timeless. It is never amended, and none of its edicts are ever repealed.

To be continued...

In the Beginning... (Part 2)

For our first anniversary, my wife gave me a porcelain eagle statue, covered with the American flag. This picture reminds me of that. It also suggests vigilance. There are many areas that we can be vigilant (homeland security, crime, entertainment choices, etc...), but the most important is being on-guard against the wiles of the devil, personally and as a society. Sure, not everyone believes in God, the Bible, or a place called Hell, but that doesn't mean they're not real. For ages, people did not believe in microscopic life or sub-atomic particles, and yet they exist in unfathomable abundance.

So, to continue the story I started last time, I finished the tract and decided to distribute it to everyone I could think of. I wrote the following cover letter:

Dear Friend,

I am writing to you on a matter of urgent importance for our great country. Our nation, under God, has been straying farther and farther from Him, descending into the murky depths of immorality. This is plain to see, if you just turn on a TV, pick up a newspaper, or surf the Internet, and judge what you see by the Bible. This wasn’t a result of the efforts of any single person, group, or organization; we all contributed, either by direct action or passive inaction. I’ve never gotten involved in political issues, but recently, prompted by the latest debates on same-sex marriage, the Lord showed me that I could no longer remain on the sidelines. As an American and a Christian, it is my duty to do whatever I can to help steer the country back in the right direction.

After much prayer, the Lord Jesus inspired me to write the enclosed tract, “Lift Up the Standard in America.” It is my deep and sincere wish that every American above the age of 12 would read it. So, I am sending it out, by post and e-mail, to everyone that I can think of: friends, family, churches, elected officials, TV and radio stations, magazines, newspapers, etc…. None of us can do anything of significance alone, but if enough people wake up to the truth and get involved, wonderful changes will start to take place. I kindly request that you read this tract with your family, discuss it, and share it with others.

The fate of our nation rests not upon ourselves, but upon our relationship with the One who created us. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “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.” As I continue to pray for our country, I urge everyone to do the same. I thank you for taking the time to read this letter and tract. May God bless America… again!

To be continued...

In the Beginning...

Welcome to my new blog, dedicated to lifting up God's standard (as in: flag), against an enemy flooding in from every side! So why is the above picture that of an American flag, instead of a cross or Star of David? Just as God has adopted me into His family, so has America adopted me, an immigrant, as one of its own. And just as God founded His Church on the Rock, Jesus Christ, this country was founded on God's Written Word, the Bible.

First, a little history, not of this country, but of the inspiration behind this blog.

The year was 2003, and Massachussetts was on the brink of becoming the first state in the Union to allow same-sex marriages. My wife and I were outraged. Not sure what we could do about it, we prayed for guidance. The Lord soon inspired me to write a tract, whose title I borrowed from Isaiah 59:19.

"So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him."

I loved the double meaning of the word, "standard!" In a simpler age, it meant "flag", but now it more often refers to something against which all other things are judged. And to "lift up" that standard means not only to display it proudly for the world to see, but also to raise the bar, by which our actions and our morals are to be judged. What a wonderful illustration, around which to frame the goal of returning this fallen nation (and world) to its long-forgotten, high moral standard, that was once founded on God's Word!

To be continued...