direction in the decisions we have to make and the challenges we encounter. In Psalm 27, we read:
11 Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence.
13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.
14 Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!
When we feel we lack strength, that provides a great opportunity to allow God's strength to take control of us. As Paul wrote, when we are weak, He is strong. When we face confusion in our minds, we can gain clarity in our hearts as we study God's Word and listen for His voice as He speaks by His Spirit. Because Christ lives in our hearts, we can release His resources from the reservoir within and see His power and character manifested through us.
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Moses spoke to the people of Israel in what might be termed his "farewell address." He referred to
the nations with which Israel would have conflict, and said this in Deuteronomy 31:
6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you."
7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, "Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it.
The conflict between so-called gay rights and religious liberty have been on a collision course for some time now. The freedom of religion is something that has been part of our Constitution since the crafting of the bill of rights, and should be respected. Unfortunately, you even have some that would eliminate half of the First Amendment and tout the concept of "establishment" without respecting the "free exercise" clause.
Our country was founded with a strong foundation of religious liberty. But a competition has emerged, especially with regard to the LGBT community. Our President said at the Democratic National Committee’s LGBT Gala in New York that the Constitution’s protections for “gay” rights trump the protection for religious rights, according to a piece on the WorldNetDaily website, which has this quote: “We affirm that we cherish our religious freedom and are profoundly respectful of religious traditions...But we also have to say clearly that our religious freedom doesn’t grant us the freedom to deny our fellow Americans their constitutional rights.”
Pope Francis, during the same time frame as he returned to the Vatican from his U.S. visit, where he addressed religious freedom, is quoted as saying (from Reuters): “Conscientious objection must enter into every judicial structure because it is a right." He added, "I can’t have in mind all cases that can exist about conscientious objection, but, yes, I can say that conscientious objection is a right that is a part of every human right."
And, there has been a steady erosion of the protection of freedom of religion, a right that has been replaced, in terminology and seemingly in practice, by the less-invasive "freedom of worship." In fact, WND reported on a group of prominent faith leaders asking Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to fix a problematic document for newcomers to the United States that teaches about the country’s “freedom of worship” rather than freedom to exercise religion.
The letter, from this summer, stated: “We … write to you with deep concern about the wording of the answer to question 51 on the study materials for the civics portion of the naturalization exam. The question asks students to provide two rights guaranteed to everyone living in the United States, and listed among the possible correct answers is ‘Freedom of Worship.’ We write to you requesting that this answer be immediately corrected to the constitutionally accurate answer – ‘Freedom of Religion."
The letter went on to say: "We believe that the wording change we are requesting represents much more than a ‘distinction without a difference.’ Many totalitarian forms of government have allowed for the freedom of worship in their governmental documents but in practice severely restricted individual religious freedoms. The phrase freedom of worship, as it has been used throughout history, articulates an intentionally limited freedom that restricts a citizen’s rights to the four walls of a government-sanctioned house of worship and only for specific times and events."
It also quoted from First Lady Michelle Obama, who, at the A.M.E. church in Charleston where 9 people lost their lives: "Our faith journey isn’t just about showing up on Sunday for a good sermon and good music and a good meal. It’s about what we do Monday through Saturday as well. … Jesus didn’t limit his ministry to the four walls of the church, He was out there fighting injustice and speaking truth to power every single day."
Sarah Torre of the Heritage Foundation said the difference is significant. In practice across America, the "freedom to worship" seldom has been challenged or even questioned. But "freedom of religion" is under direct fire.
So, what do we take away from this material? Well, for one thing, we can continue to be reminded that there is an effort to suppress religious expression in the public square and to minimize the awareness of the Judeo-Christian foundations of our nation. That being said, how do we respond? Well, we continue to make up our minds to be bold for Christ. A government's laws should not conflict with the higher law of God, and when they do, we continue to follow God's laws.
So we have to be bold...and determined. We see the challenges that are already here and those which could come, and we prepare our hearts for service and our minds for decisive action. There will be opposition to our faith, but we can see those occasions as opportunities to glorify God. Our endgame is to glorify God and to win people to Christ, so we can be determined to speak and live as servants of Christ.
Finally, shifting gears a bit here, words matter. The phrases "freedom of religion" and "freedom of worship" are not interchangeable. And, there is evidence that officials are OK with religious practice, as long as it stays within the church. But, that's not the way Christianity works - Jesus calls us to get out of our enclaves and penetrate the culture. These words have been intentionally chosen. And, I think this can challenge each of us to choose carefully the words that we speak, to recognize that words have meaning and power. May our words always be consistent with the presence and principles of Christ in us.
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