Not a Level Playing Field

The writer of Hebrews, in the 10th chapter, was intent on inspiring the followers of Christ, who had faced opposition:
32But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings:33partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated;34for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.35Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.36For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise...

So, even though some of the readers had experienced persecution, even the loss of physical possessions, the writer is saying to them - and us - to continue to be confident in the Lord.   In a culture where Christianity faces a certain degree of hostility, and there are those that want to erase the display of faith statements or images, or even discussion of matters of faith, we can continue to live the Christian life, in the power of the Spirit, motivated by the love of God, so that people can be drawn to the life-changing truth of God's Word.

As Jesus wrapped up the passage from the Sermon on the Mount known as the Beatitudes, He devoted some time to responding to persecution:
10Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.11"Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.12Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
There will be persecution, but we can be glad because of the promise of eternity.

Earlier this year, even though it was facing a lawsuit, the school district in Orange County, Florida allowed a public school Bible distribution to go forward. According to a report on the ChristianNews.net website, the Florida Family Policy Council, World Changers of Florida and several area churches collaborated for the effort, distributing Bibles at nine Orange County schools. The groups simply made the Bibles available to students by setting up tables marked with signs noting that they were free for the taking.

The organizations hosted a similar distribution last year after World Changers sued the Collier County School Board in 2011 for barring Bible distribution on campus. The two groups later reached a settlement, allowing World Changers and others to simply make the Bibles available without handing them out to students.

Upon learning of the distribution, the Central Florida Freethought Community, with help from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, sought permission from the school district to give students a variety of atheistic and anti-Christian materials.

ChristianNews.net says that according to reports, the Orange County School Board permitted FFRF to distribute several books and pamphlets, including a booklet entitled “What’s Wrong With The Ten Commandments?” and a brochure entitled “What Is An Atheist?” However, the board prohibited FFRF from giving students several other publications, citing the materials’ “disruptive” and inappropriate content.

But that wasn't good enough for the FFRF - eventually, the school board complied with the organization’s demands, giving FFRF permission to distribute the previously-prohibited materials. Then, earlier this month, a district judge officially dismissed the FFRF lawsuit, thus giving the green light to the in-school distribution of atheistic materials.

The materials approved by the Orange County School Board include a variety of graphic and anti-Christian content, including explicit sexual references, offensive expletives, and a description of God as the “most prolific abortionist of all.” The materials repeatedly attack Christian beliefs and doctrines, including the life of Jesus Christ.

So the Christians merely wanted to distribute Bibles and were relegated to setting up tables but not handing them out; the atheists are aggressively working the system and now have their offensive materials distributed in the school district.   Even though this is not a level playing field, I am confident that the Bible can speak for itself and hope the Christian students in the schools will live the life and provide a compelling witness for Christ.

Meanwhile, the Green family, who own Hobby Lobby, are attempting, through their Museum of the Bible, to get a Bible curriculum beta-tested in the Mustang school district near its Oklahoma City headquarters.   It was approved by the school board in April and set to roll out this school year, but last week, Steve Green announced that there have been some delays.

Religion News Service reports that Jerry Pattengale, editor for the projected four-year high school syllabus, stated, “We have operated on an aggressive timeline to deliver the curriculum for the upcoming school year." But “unforeseen delays” necessitated postponing the debut until January.

Pattengale has portrayed the curriculum as a conceptually elegant, technologically spectacular primer with 550 web links; proprietary videos; and connections to the Greens’ vast collection of biblical artifacts, which they also expect to feature in a museum to be built a few blocks from the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

But when the Mustang school board made 220 pages of the book public, church-state experts suggested that its claims and assumptions amounted to teaching the Bible from a particular religious perspective, which the Supreme Court has banned in public schools.  

The book had already undergone significant revision. But Pattengale reportedly told Time magazine last month that he intended to make more changes to correct “overreaching.” It was unclear from his comments on Wednesday whether the current glitches are technical or editorial.

The WORLD magazine website reported that some of the criticisms include leading questions like, “How do we know the Bible is historically reliable?” rather than, “Is the Bible historically reliable?” Other accusations seem to equate the term “reliable historical document” with promoting biblical inerrancy.

The Supreme Court ruled in 1963 that Bible courses can be “presented objectively as part of a secular program of education.” The Freedom From Religion Foundation decries the Greens’ efforts, implicitly arguing that only non-believers can be objective.

Yet, in Orange County, Florida, the FFRF is certainly not advocating objectivity, is it?   

These instances are indicative of the world that we live in.   This was driven home yesterday, as religious organizations who do business with the Federal government now are apparently told they have to change their hiring practices to include people who participate in behavior they view as sinful, or lose funding from the government.   Calls for a religious exemption were rejected by the President.   By attempting to not "discriminate" against certain individuals, those who want to do business according to their faith principles are being discriminated against.  

It's not getting any easier, is it?   And, despite the high court ruling in the Hobby Lobby case, it does seems that we're on a losing streak regarding our traditional values.  I don't believe we are called to stop speaking out on behalf of our deeply held faith principles.  But, I also don't think we develop a victim's mentality, either.   

Because, you know that book that the students in Orange County can take from the tables, the book that hopefully will be taught in schools all across America, the book that we regard as infallible and authoritative for our lives - that Book, God's Holy Word, is powerful.   Its principles work - and if we live our lives according to it, then our lives will reflect the overwhelming love of Christ and the power of God to change lives.   In this we can be confident.

So, we face the realities of the current playing field, but we recognize that we have a hope that is not of this world!   Be encouraged to live the Christian life.  Allow Christ to live through you, and even though you may encounter those who do not believe or are hostile to our message, they can be won over by the power of God's Spirit working through a believer in Him.   Be of good cheer...Jesus said He has overcome the world!