Should our response be silence?.....NO

[admtaylor]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We are standing at or beyond a crossroads in our country and with our faith. Over the last 30 some odd years our courts have stripped away foundational laws of our country. They've not only interpreted (which is their duty) but changed laws that affect our daily lives and our ability to stay faithful to God. It was once acceptable to have the Bible as a source of education in our schools. The Bible a book we hold dear, a book that speaks to not only our hearts and minds and directs the paths we take, but also the Word of our Lord. The Lord has placed those who govern us in power, He's allowed them to have the privilege to lead His people and once our country was guided by His Will. Since the Bible has been taken out of our schools we have seen the overturning of practices and laws in our country that were evidently the Will of our Father. Prayer, unless in a general fashion and kept to one's self is no longer tolerated in our schools. The horrible practice of abortion has been made a right in our country when it was once considered murder and illegal. Now we face a myriad of litigation and law creation and change of law and definition of law that further threatens to tear our country further from God and His protection.

How can we forget what happened to the Nation of Israel each time they refused to acknowledge God and turned their backs on His Will?? Do we want His protection pulled from our country? Do we want our right to practice our faith in the public square ripped from us? How then do we fulfill the Great Commission? How then do we affect change in our country and world when our voice can no longer be heard? No matter what we must because we were commanded to, but the direction our country is headed means that we could face not only ridicule on a higher level than we do now, but also prosecution such as is happening in Canada and the Netherlands. Congress tried to pass a Hate Crimes bill recently that would have made it an infraction of the law to even preach or publicly speak on some of the "hot" issues of the day and how they are viewed Biblically. We must pray for God to turn this trend around, we must publicly stand against those things that go against our faith, we are the salt of this world and must begin living it. Pray, write your government officials, speak to those around you or our future in this country may be very dim.

 

[hat lady]

No we must not be silent. Our opinion is just as important as anyone else!
We are to be his hand extended, our voice to proclaim His love.

 

[Count]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We are standing at or beyond a crossroads in our country and with our faith. Over the last 30 some odd years..................

Do you really think that this is our duty as christians? Find even a verse in the Bible that you seem to love so much, that says that we should interfere with state, governmet or political issues. I myself cannot find such a verse. When Jesus Christ came to earth, and proclaimed Himself a King, many thought that He came to deliver the Israel from Romans, but they were wrong. Jesus Christ didn't come to deliver us from any bad government or poltics, He came to deliver us from sin.

The church and the world are two different things. The church should not mingle with the world issues. The church power is not depended on the way the world governs. Don't forget that the church was stronger than never when she was persecuted by the world. It was not until the church mingled with the world (Constantine era) that the church lost her power.

The only thing that the church should do, is pray for the governments. But even if any government would persecute her, I would say: "Praise the Lord", because we would see clearly that the power of the church depends not on the world. Her power depends on her Bridegroom, Her power depends on her Lover, her power depends on her Lord, on Jesus Christ! When the church is deprived of power, that is, wordly power (money, political power etc.), she is really powerful, clean, beutiful, the most beautiful woman in the world, ...in His eyes. When she is mingled with the world, she has commited adultery, she has cheated on her Lord. She has become a prostitute!

May the Lord mercy us and see our real situation!

 

[admtaylor]

Do you really think that this is our duty as christians? Find even a verse in the Bible that you seem to love so much, that says that we should interfere with state, governmet or political issues. I myself cannot find such a verse. When Jesus Christ came to earth, and proclaimed Himself a King, many thought that He came to deliver the Israel from Romans, but they were wrong. Jesus Christ didn't come to deliver us from any bad government or poltics, He came to deliver us from sin.

The church and the world are two different things. The church should not mingle with the world issues. The church power is not depended on the way the world governs. Don't forget that the church was stronger than never when she was persecuted by the world. It was not until the church mingled with the world (Constantine era) that the church lost her power.

The only thing that the church should do, is pray for the governments. But even if any government would persecute her, I would say: "Praise the Lord", because we would see clearly that the power of the church depends not on the world. Her power depends on her Bridegroom, Her power depends on her Lover, her power depends on her Lord, on Jesus Christ! When the church is deprived of power, that is, wordly power (money, political power etc.), she is really powerful, clean, beutiful, the most beautiful woman in the world, ...in His eyes. When she is mingled with the world, she has commited adultery, she has cheated on her Lord. She has become a prostitute!

May the Lord mercy us and see our real situation!

We were told by Christ to render unto Caesar what Caesar is due. Our government in the United States is a representative government that has its power from the people. When we stand silent we allow the sin that surrounds us to flourish and be accepted and be supported by our government. That is what's happening now. How does speaking Truth to the world equate to being part of the world? We are also suppossed to be fishers of men, but such a task would become much harder if we allowed the government to become oppossed to Christian values. I don't deny that persecution is something that should be rejoiced about, I understand that Christ told us that we would be persecuted and I also understand that we're on the right track if we are. That doesn't excuse allowing our nation to become a modern day Soddom and Gamorah. We are to be the salt of the earth. We aren't suppossed to love the things of the world, but we also aren't suppossed to isolate ourselves from the world. How then would more be added to the kingdom? You don't win souls by preaching over them, you win souls by showing Christs love and that would require a non isolationist yet non participatory approach to the world.

I humbly and strongly disagree with your assertion that standing against evil in this country and world is against Christ's/God's Will.

 

[seebs]

A polite reminder, this is not a debate forum.

 

[nukebird]

Two words: Free will.
If you're so worried about the lack of God in schools... do you support or participate in any after-class Bible-studies? Are you a mentor to a student? Prayer, a most private and intimate thing, can be done anywhere- it is far from outlawed in schools. It's just that it cannot be imposed on others; a very fair assessment. Why should someone be "forced" to pray if they don't mean it?
Abortion: have you reached out to any poor, single mothers lately, offered them a place to live and a helping hand? How about rape victims? Do you fund any outreach programs related to this issue?
Hate crime and "hot" issues: Man has used God as an excuse to commit terrible atrocities for a long time- Hitler, for example. You could even argue that GWB used God as an excuse to bomb 15 000+ innocent Iraqi civilians to death. God shouldn't be used to advocate hate towards anyone; a loving God does not hate His children. We, as God's children, have been taught to love each other...
God's word should not be enforced through law, it should be taught and understood.

 

[admtaylor]

It's funny how when a blaring problem is spoken about everyone gets defensive. By the way I was speaking about citizens of the US, it appears your Canadian.

 

[Count]

Two words: Free will.
If you're so worried about the lack of God in schools... do you support or participate in any after-class Bible-studies? Are you a mentor to a student? Prayer, a most private and intimate thing, can be done anywhere- it is far from outlawed in schools. It's just that it cannot be imposed on others; a very fair assessment. Why should someone be "forced" to pray if they don't mean it?
Abortion: have you reached out to any poor, single mothers lately, offered them a place to live and a helping hand? How about rape victims? Do you fund any outreach programs related to this issue?
Hate crime and "hot" issues: Man has used God as an excuse to commit terrible atrocities for a long time- Hitler, for example. You could even argue that GWB used God as an excuse to bomb 15 000+ innocent Iraqi civilians to death. God shouldn't be used to advocate hate towards anyone; a loving God does not hate His children. We, as God's children, have been taught to love each other...
God's word should not be enforced through law, it should be taught and understood.

Amen
I couldn't agree more, brother.

 

[admtaylor]

It's not that law would be enacted to enforce God's Word, it's that laws that have been enacted and those in the works would be prevented from taking place or repealed so that God's Word could exist in this country as it was intended to by it's founders.

 

[nukebird]

defensive of your own inaction perhaps? It's one thing to point out every imperfection in God's name; it's quite another to do God's work.
By the way, God transcends all borders and nations, and is far from exclusive to the United States.

 

[admtaylor]

defensive of your own inaction perhaps? It's one thing to point out every imperfection in God's name; it's quite another to do God's work.
By the way, God transcends all borders and nations, and is far from exclusive to the United States.

Never said he didn't transcend all borders and nations, but I was speaking specifically about a problem in the US. And as far as defensive of my own inaction, perhaps unless you are following me around you might not want to make that accusation.