Obama Creating Religion-Free Military

I once heard that the military is one of the most religious institutions in the world. As one soldier once explained, there’s something about being in a foxhole with bullets whizzing by your head that causes a person to find religion – quick! 

Yet, now it appears President Obama is trying to make the military a religion-free zone.  Just last week, his administration “strongly object(ed)” to a religious liberty amendment that would have protected the religious rights of soldiers. The administration said the amendment would have a “significant adverse effect on good order, discipline, morale, and mission accomplishment.”

However, what the amendment would really do is prevent the kind of Christian suppression that’s increasingly present in the armed forces.  For example, the military reportedly told an Air Force officer to remove a Bible from his desk because it might give the impression he was endorsing a religion.  Also, the Air Force censored a video created by a chaplain because it included the word “God,” which officials said might offend Muslims and atheists.  But, perhaps the most shocking example of anti-Christian sentiment in the military involved a senior military official at Fort Campbell. He reportedly sent an email to his officers, instructing them to recognize the “religious (R)ight” in America as a “domestic hate group.”  Apparently, few are concerned with offending Christians.

“The bottom line,” according to Congressman John Fleming, the amendment’s sponsor, “is the military is bending over backwards to remove . . . expressions of faith and conscience.”  What’s worse, this scrubbing of Christianity appears to have the support of President Obama.  Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council said, “The Administration’s opposition to (the) religious freedom amendment reveals that this administration has gone beyond accommodating the anti-Christian activists . . . to aiding them by blocking this bipartisan measure.”

Honestly, I don’t know if we’ve ever had a president who talks more about his love for Jesus – yet whose actions are so seemingly inconsistent with that love.  If there’s any group in this country that deserves the freedom to exercise their religion, it’s those who risk their lives to protect that freedom.  I pray President Obama recognizes this – and reverses his position on this crucial amendment.  

Is Evangelical Immigration Table a Front Group for George Soros?

            Is the Evangelical Immigration Table – a coalition of liberal and conservative evangelical groups – actually a front group for George Soros and the institutional Left?  Last week, Breitbart dot com – a leading conservative news website – leveled that accusation.  Now, evangelicals associated with the Table – like Russell Moore of the Southern Baptist Convention and Lynne Hybels of Willow Creek Community Church – are embroiled in a major controversy.

            At issue is the funding for a recent media campaign launched by the Table.  According to the group’s radio ads, funding for the ads came from the Table itself.  But, according to Breitbart, the Table doesn’t legally exist.  And, the group who paid for the ads, the National Immigration Forum, gets much of its funding from Leftist groups like George Soros’ Open Society and the Ford Foundation.  (If you’ve never heard of Soros before, he’s a powerful billionaire credited with funding the so-called “Shadow Party.”  This is a network of unions, think tanks and activist groups that promote far-Left causes, often using dubious methods.)

            So, what’s a bunch of good evangelicals doing with the likes of George Soros?  Well nothing, according to Damon Schroeder of World Relief, a member of the Evangelical Table. In emails last week, Schroeder admitted to me that the Table doesn’t exist as an incorporated entity. And, he conceded that the National Immigration Forum paid for the recent ads.  But, he added that the 250-thousand dollars the Forum used for the ads came from donors who earmarked their money for the Evangelical Table.  So, though the Forum technically paid for the ads, the money really came from donors to the Table.  In other words, not a penny from George Soros nor any Leftist group paid for the Table’s campaign.  Case closed, right?

            Not exactly.  It’s still problematic that the Evangelical Table is partnering with the National Immigration Forum.  Over the past three years, the Forum received more than a third of its funding – more than 4.2 million dollars – from Soros’ Open Society and the Ford Foundation.  So, though the Table may not be a front for the institutional Left, the Forum very well may be.  Ephesians 5 instructs believers not to partner with the ungodly.  So, though I applaud the efforts of the Evangelical Table to lobby for immigration reform, I think it should cut its ties with the Immigration Forum immediately. 

Should Christians Bury the Dead?

           Three-hundred eighty nine.  That’s the number of indigent people who died last year in Cook County, Illinois, and whose bodies were never claimed.  Dozens gathered at a Chicago church last week to remember these departed souls.  The county board president reminded the audience that each one who died was a member of the community.  “They had family and friends,” she said.  “They were daughters and sons.” 

Though these are nice sentiments, there’s no evidence any of the departed had family or friends – at least, not living ones.  In fact, a CBS reporter said no one in attendance knew any of the deceased.   Nearly 400 people.  In just one county.  In just one year.  And, not one person willing to give them a proper burial.

            That’s terribly sad.  But, due to the recession and perhaps too, the breakdown of the family, unclaimed bodies are becoming increasingly common.  No group tracks this sort of thing. But, according to the Associated Press, coroners and medical examiners across the country report a sharp rise in the number of unclaimed dead persons.  In fact, in one county in Kentucky, the annual number of pauper burials jumped from 65 in 2005 to 300 in 2012!

               Local governments are struggling to deal with cost of disposing with so many unclaimed bodies.  Chicago has resorted to using mass graves.  Los Angeles rountinely cremates.  And, in Tennessee, coroners donate unclaimed bodies to a research facility.  Yet, even that facility can’t handle the high volume and at times has had to stop donations.

            I don’t know if any Christian ministries to bury the indigent exist, but they should.  Because Christianity teaches the worth and value of every human being, Christians long have cared for society’s throwaways – even dead ones. In the third century, a horrific plague struck the Greco-Roman world, claiming as many as five-thousand people a day in the city of Rome.  And, while pagans fled the cities in fear and despondency, Cyprian, the Bishop of Cathage, called on Christians to stay and bury the dead.  This they did – dumbfounding the pagans – and providing an incredible example of love, sacrifice and commitment to their fellow man.

            As Christians, we think a lot about doing unto others while they’re alive.  But perhaps, we need to apply the Golden Rule to the dead, as well.  

Do Youth and Children's Ministries Help or Hurt Families?

Several years ago, my sister attended a newcomers meeting at her church.   There, numerous ministry leaders excitedly described their programs for elementary-aged children, middle-schoolers, high-schoolers, young adults, singles and married adults.  Truly, there was something for everyone – and an event for someone in the family practically every night of the week.

However, my sister, understanding her family’s already fairly busy schedule, began to wonder how all these programs would fit into her family’s life.  When the pastor invited questions, she asked:  “Are there any church events that families do together?”  The leaders seemed dumbfounded.  Apparently, this was a novel idea. “Well, families attend Christmas Eve and Good Friday services together,” they said.  But, that was it.  Even on Sunday mornings, the church had separate services for grade-school children, youth and adults!

Unfortunately, this pattern is repeated in many American churches.  It’s as though we’ve forgotten that God established the family as the means of raising godly children, not ministry leaders and age-targeted programs. 

Rob Rienow, founder of Visionary Family Ministries, discovered this the hard way.  “One of the biggest mistakes I made in youth ministry,” he writes, “is that I sought to win the hearts of the teens to the youth group.  I wanted them to find their community and spiritual home there . . . and I succeeded.  I didn’t realize that when they graduated, they lost their ‘home’ and many then lost their faith.”

As I look back on the years my husband and I spent in youth ministry, I have to admit we made the same mistake.   We overestimated our importance – and we underestimated the importance of parents.  And unfortunately, we experienced the same results.

If we had to do it again, we’d make connecting teens spiritually with their parents our top priority.  We’d plan regular family-friendly activities, integrating parents with teens.  And, we’d encourage and equip parents to disciple their children, rather than assuming the responsibility ourselves.  In short, we’d recognize that, as Rienow puts it, “Strong churches don’t make strong families;  strong families make strong churches.”  

Open Letter to President Obama

     I may get audited for saying this, but I refuse to cower to bullies. President Obama, you need to take full responsibility for the IRS scandal. You may not have authorized targeting your political opponents. But, by regularly disregarding civil and especially, religious liberties, you’ve created a culture that allowed it to happen.

      In 2009, you appointed Chai Feldblum, a lesbian and gay activist, to be a commissioner on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Ms. Feldblum openly admitted that when religious liberty and sexual liberty conflict, she would have a – quote – “hard time coming up with any case in which religious liberty should win.” Still, you supported her.

      You also pushed the healthcare mandate, requiring all employers to provide contraceptives, including abortifacients, to their employees. As Ken Klukowski of the Family Research Council notes, even some of your closest advisors thought the healthcare mandate was “a bridge too far.” But, you pushed your agenda anyway, trampling the religious liberties of scores of Christian employers. To top it off, now your administration is trying to deport a German homeschooling family. Though clearly Germany’s ban on homeschooling violates this family’s religious freedom, you refuse to grant this Christian family asylum.

     Several Christian groups recently called your administration “the most hostile towards religious liberty in all of American history.” And, Florida Senator Marco Rubio spoke correctly when he said the IRS scandal is not an isolated event. He charged it’s the latest in a string of events where you’ve used your power “to hardball people who don’t agree with you.”

     Last week, Franklin Graham sent you a letter protesting the politically motivated IRS audit of the Billy Graham Association and Samaritan’s Purse. He urged you to take immediate action to ensure that we’re not entering “a new chapter of America’s history” – one marked by “repressive government rule.” I agree.

     Mr. President, my ancestors came to America to escape religious persecution. And, for more than 200 years American has been a haven for observant Christians. Please, stop these repressive actions and change course.

The Necessity of Joy

            I don’t go to church because I have to; I go because I want to.  In all honesty, Sunday morning normally marks the highlight of my week.  Worshipping with God’s people, in the glory of His presence, fills me with indescribable joy.  And, as I look around my congregation, I can tell others feel the same way. We’re a happy church – and honestly, I don’t think I could attend a church that’s not. 

            Now, that may strike some folks as shallow or saccharine.  I’ve noticed lately that happy isn’t trendy; what’s in is “being real,” which often equates to pessimism or melancholy.

Now, I understand where this comes from.  Many Christians, especially Millenials, have experienced Christian community as a place where most people are faking it.  As Carson Nyquist writes in The Post Christian Church, “Many of us grew up in homes and churches where image management was king.  As a Christian, it was your goal to convince others of how spiritual you were.  Reality was irrelevant.  Perception was everything.” 

As an antidote to this manufactured happiness, some Millenials are creating churches where people can honestly share their hurts and struggles.  And, that’s a good thing.  But, I’ve attended some of these churches.  And often, the sermons focus on hurt, pain and disappointment with the Christian life.  So do the worship songs.   While there may be a place for lyrics that ask, “Wilt Thou pursue thy worm to death?” I’m not sure a steady diet of them produces health.

You see, the antidote for manufactured joy is not authentic pessimism; it’s true joy!  As Orthodox Priest Alexander Schmemann writes, “From its very beginning Christianity has been the proclamation . . .  of the only possible joy on earth.”  He adds that without that joy, the church ceases “to be a credible witness to (the world).  Of all the accusations against Christians, the most terrible one was uttered by Nietzsche when he said that Christians had no joy.”

            As believers, we should never allow anything to steal our joy.   Yes, let’s be real and honest.  But, let’s also remember that Jesus came to give us abundant life.  And, as the Westminster Catechism states, one of the chief ends of man is to enjoy God forever. 

           

Gays Finally Telling the Truth: We’re Out to Destroy Marriage

    Now that gay marriage appears a foregone conclusion, the truth is coming out: gay activists do want to destroy marriage! 

    About a year ago, lesbian activist Masha Gessen disclosed: “It’s a no-brainer that (gays) should have the right to marry. I also think equally that it’s a no-brainer that the institution of marriage should not exist. . . . Fighting for gay marriage generally involves lying about what we’re going to do with marriage when we get there . . . The institution of marriage is going to change, and it should change.”

     Gessen believes marriage needs to change because it fails to recognize all alternative family combinations. Gessen, who has children with multiple partners and two sperm donors, wants society to recognize all these people legally as parents.

     Other gay activists find marriage too restrictive. In fact, many already have begun redefining marriage as “monogamish,” not monogamous. Monogamish relationships are exclusive in emotional intimacy only – but allow sexual infidelities or even group sex. According to researchers at Hunter College, nearly half of all gay partnered relationships are open or monogamish. As gay activist Zach Stafford writes, “monogamy may be too much to ask of anyone” because “everyone will have moments of lust or desire.” Of course, if one accepts the basic gay premise that sexual desire defines a person and must be obeyed, then Stafford is right.

     Gay activists used to keep these beliefs and practices to themselves, but now they’re openly proselytizing. In fact, prominent gay activist Dan Savage now regularly devotes space in his popular column to heterosexual “monogamish” success stories. Reportedly, he’s also planning a book on the subject.

     And why not? Now that society has bought the premise of the gay lifestyle, it likely will adopt its promiscuous practice, as well. And, to Geffen’s point, now that society has rejected the notion that children do best with a mother and a father, it likely will embrace any number of family combinations too.

     This should serve as a warning to Christians – especially those who argue Christians should simply live and let live. Satan is using the gay agenda to destroy society. And, we either oppose this godless ideology publicly – or we surrender marriage and the society on which it depends.