Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or of the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Perhaps, my fellow Americans, the most important political words ever written, EVER!
These are the promises, the rights, unalienable rights of every person, all humankind, and especially, all Americans. These words should be memorized and drilled into the heads and hearts of every single American citizen.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. That means, House and Senate, don’t go near religion legislatively. Don’t make any law, direct or indirect, which in any way would favor, establish or support ANY RELIGION. For the most part, Congress has abided by that prohibition. In fact, the Congress of the United States at least at this point in time wants nothing to do with religion. In many ways, the Congress wants religion out of the public square, gone from the marketplace and out of public and certainly political life altogether.
Which of course means that we the people should be concerned with Congress not establishing religion but:
PROHIBITING THE FREE EXERCISE THEREOF.
And they, the House and Senate with often a compliant judiciary are just beginning the legislative acts of PREVENTION which every American person of faith and in fact all Americans should understand and be concerned with.
We live in a dramatic, aggressive even anti–religious day and age. Forces hostile to religion are on the march, everywhere. Religious life is threatened, churches are assaulted, Christian leaders and Pastors are threatened with severe fines and even jail time if they confront secular mandates. The fight of faith is on, big time.
Recently, there was a spate of vandalism at Catholic churches in various US cities. There were attacks on Catholic institutions from Boston to Florida, church property was vandalized including and especially statues of Jesus and the Virgin Mary so much so that one Catholic Archbishop said the following:
“We have to be as vigilant as our Jewish brothers are vigilant against instances of anti–Semitism.”
The vandals especially targeted statues of Jesus. That led the church to make yet another statement:
“The underlying motive of these sacra religious attacks is clear: to intimidate and instill fear in the hearts of those who worship Christ.”
That should not only send a message to the Catholic church, but to all churches, and synagogues, and even mosques. I wonder if these vandals, these terrorists would have the courage to attack the mosques and incur the ire of Muslims. Judeo – Christians by and large do not resort to violent retribution and of course right thinking Muslims the same. But if mosques were attacked by these fanatic, angry terrorists, I wonder how Islam would react. THE FIGHT OF FAITH IS ON, BIG TIME!
First President and Constitutional Founder George Washington said the following:
“Religion and morality are the essential pillars of civil society.”
So that, if these two pillars of society are weakened or destroyed, society comes tumbling down. Lawlessness pervades, as it does even now in many quarters. Morality disappears, and license replaces responsible freedoms. ANYTHING GOES! Much of America is already there and it is time for the people of faith, all of them, every religion, to STAND UP, resist (the devil) and turn the tide back to where America once belonged:
BUILT AND REBUILT UPON THE TWIN PILLARS OF RELIGION AND MORALITY.
If not, America, its incredible republic and reliance upon democracy is done and over with. And this inconceivable end can come more quickly than anyone can imagine. If the Democrat party wins the presidency, and the House of Representatives, and the United States Senate, there will be a lurch to the left, a secularization of America the likes of which we have never seen nor even imagined.
Many people think that a large part of the problem is the failure of the clergy to lead and respond. In a survey conducted by D. James Kennedy Ministries (DJKM), respondents by overwhelming margins want their Pastors to speak out, to lead, to take stands on moral and cultural issues. Federal legislation, including and especially the Johnson Amendment, prohibit Pastors and church leadership from being politically active within the boundaries of the church itself. But the survey found that the respondents want the Pastors to take a stand on so many of the issues of today, including and especially abortion. And, the respondents were deeply concerned with RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. And the role of government, and the role of the church in politics and government. But perhaps the main concern was:
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY.
The freedom to exercise religious beliefs anywhere, and especially in the public square. Freedom of speech, uninhibited, dealing with any and all issues whether political – secular or religious was indeed a most fundamental concern. Pastors FROM THE PULPIT (including of course Priests and Rabbi’s) must have the unfettered and unabridged right to freedom of speech, the right and privilege of every American citizen anywhere and from any source. If the Pastors and other Christian leaders do not lead, take the initiative and captain the fight of faith:
WHO WILL LEAD THE PEOPLE?
So, Pastors and Christian leaders, this may be your – our last chance to step up, confront, resist and champion the free speech of religion, of an overactive and legislative threat from our very own Congress, and the right of people of faith to assemble, and to especially worship in church. Pastors must, MUST remember and be guided by the words of constitutional founder Benjamin Rush:
“The only foundation for a republic is to be laid in religion. Without this, there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all Republican governments.”
Religion, Pastors, is the foundation for our republic and without the right to believe, and practice the faith, and worship, and exercise all facets of that religion anywhere and everywhere including and especially the public square, there will not be any republic, NO AMERICA! Wake up and rise up Pastors, approach this spiritual battlefield with courage, determination and fight, FIGHT this fight of faith, and do it now, NOW!
Across our nation, churches have been closed, ordered closed by secular governments everywhere, state by state. One Pastor, a very special servant of Jesus Christ, one John MacArthur with the full support of the elders of GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH in Sun Valley, California has stood up and announced to all that he and his church intended to:
“OBEY GOD RATHER THAN MEN” (ACTS 5:29).
In short, Grace Community Church intended to defy the order of California Governor Gavin Newsom which ordered the closing of indoor operations of churches. In a blog prepared by MacArthur and his church, WHICH YOU SHOULD READ, the biblical case for the churches duty to gather was laid out even though county and state officials threatened repercussions, including fines and criminal prosecutions. But MacArthur, soldier, brilliant theologian, and committed Christian refused to back down. In response to those threats and secular intimidation, John MacArthur issued the following statement:
“We cannot and will not acquiesce to a government–imposed moratorium on our weekly congregational worship or other regular corporate gatherings.”
Amen and amen! Congratulations, very special servant of the Lord for a spiritual stand second to none.
In fact, MacArthur went on to warn government officials that when they issue orders regulating worship (or preventing it) (constitutional – prohibiting the free exercise thereof), they step outside the legitimate bounds of permissible authority and invade the sovereignty and authority of Jesus Christ and that cannot be allowed to stand! And that is the leadership of the clergy which America desperately needs, DESPERATELY! Congratulations, and thank you John MacArthur for your STAND and may the courage you have shown in behalf of your Lord, our Lord Jesus Christ be a witness, an inspiration and a model for Pastors and Christian leaders everywhere.
And so, I ask of you my fellow Americans, fellow Christians:
WHERE DOES YOUR PASTOR STAND?
Pastor, Priest, Rabbi, Islamic cleric where does he or she stand, WHERE! Or, do they STAND UP for religious liberty and freedom in any way? It is your duty, our duty to make certain the Pastors stand and stand tall and firm and FIGHT THE FIGHT OF FAITH. And now, NOW! This work protecting freedom of religion must be done for the night is coming when no man, no clergy person, no Christian leader can work and that will not only be the end of the church as we know it, but, since religion and morality are the essential pillars of civil society (George Washington) that will be the end of society as we know it.
Challenge your Pastors and religious leaders, my fellow Americans, to stand up and meet this evil, secular force head on so that all people of faith can enjoy unabridged and unconditional the right to the free exercise of religion in any and every way. This freedom is absolutely essential, the very first freedom in the First Amendment to the Constitution. Congress cannot prevent the free exercise of religion in anyway, in any form.
IF THIS FREEDOM IS LOST, IT WILL BE, AS PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN SO ELOQUENTLY STATED, BE LOST FOREVER!
DON’T LET THAT HAPPEN!
