An interesting post from an evangelical Christian at Baylor University in Texas. It is interesting how these so-called religious leaders twist the truth to garner power within the political ranks. England is still, indeed, somewhat of a church state, and it was that church state that had become too liberal that the early Puritans left for the "freedom of religion" in the New World. They, as we know, wanted the "freedom" to persecute in their own way.
Franklin Graham is playing to the perceived fears of evangelical Christians in this country in order to continue to build his political power. Where his father ministered to presidents, he apparently wants to be a political minister. There is no persecution of Christians in this country. Every time I drive around town I see another empty store front that has been converted into a church, and I'm not exaggerating. Fortunately, as the blogger writes, we do have a constitutionally protected freedom of religion in this country. If it is in danger, it is because there are those like Graham, who would force a particular brand of religion into power in government. Then, like the Puritans and the Church of England, anyone who worships differently, will be in danger of losing that right.
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3 comments:
What a sad situation we have put our nation in. Once it called to those who were persecuted, "Come. Be free to follow your heart." Now...fences, gun-toters at our borders, if I were Jewish I would start to feel uneasy in a land that told me to come. The deepest intent of the Christian Bible seems to be lost, destroyed by the fringes of an angry mob mentality.
Fhttp://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/2505/christian_lawyers_claim_religious_persecution%3A_will_the_supreme_court_agree/
Franklin Graham could learn a great deal from his sister Anne Graham Lotz and her inlaws with the Baptist World Alliance.
Maybe a more interesting case is the Christian Legal Society and their input into this matter; well see the link above of it too unwieldly click over to my blog for the post on Casey Mattox, a key attorney in this matter I have know since 6th grade when he was one of my sub teacher charges.
Since Stephen Fox brings us Franklin Graham, I would like to give you a true story from Haiti coming to me from FBC New Bern where one of their members serves as the front man for NC Baptist Men with their Disaster Relief.
"Scuba" is his nickname and he spent some time at the shared compound of Billy Grahm / Franklin Graham. His first observation was the level of hostility between the 2 groups.
Next, Franklin's helocopter made frequent runs bringing in goods and people. In a few days the "outsiders" were invited to leave and find their own housing and food.
With that they journeyed into town to find dreadful things involving child abuse. As they stopped at a sign, children assailed the vehicle to wash windows. They declined to pay since they had no money. The man organizing the children began to beat one boy in the face with his fist for failing to collect. My friend was physically restrained from giving some man-to-man instruction on proper child treatment.
Next, they went to a food store and were charged 4 times the value prices, if not 10 times. Again, he was restrained from saying anything by the local host who informed him "that's just the way it is."
In short, Haiti has more problems than we know. Franklin Graham is far from his father in the use of money--of which he has plenty.
NC Baptist Men use common sense in their approach to help. They try not to be used. When they collect money, it goes as the solicitation says. They will be there and do much good.
Haiti is a "wasteland" of human depravity and its poverty is allowed by government and people who live there under duress. It is a pathetic picture of society at its worse.
My son was on the USCGC Diligence out of Wilmington during the Cuban-Hatian boat lift many years ago. His description of hygene as some 700 were transported back on the decks of a ship 210' long with a crew of around 70, is pathetic.
He still won't talk about what he saw in shark infested waters with people riding anything that flots toward Florida. My son cares about helping people, but it was beyond the USCG's ability to do anything but save whom they could and keep them in their homeland.
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