Christians Beware--Hate Crimes May Silence Us

Today's Daily Encounter

Christians Beware--Hate Crimes May Silence Us

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of
courage; be strong. Do everything in love."1

Gary Bauer of Campaign for Christian Families wrote,
"On April 29, the United States House of
Representatives passed the so-called ‘hate crimes’
bill, adding sexual orientation and gender identity to
the federal hate crimes law…."

"The legislation also represents a threat to religious
liberty. The Washington Post recently noted, "[F]aith
organizations and individuals who view homosexuality
as sinful and refuse to provide services to gay people
are losing a growing number of legal battles that they
say are costing them their religious freedom…."

Note, too, that, "In 2004, a pastor in Sweden was
sentenced to one month in jail for preaching a sermon
on the biblical view of human sexuality."2

In Tuesday’s issue of BreakPoint, Chuck Colson in his
article, "Same-Sex 'Marriage' and Religious Liberty …
Why They Can't Coexist," wrote about the following:

Two women in New Jersey wanted to hold their civil
union ceremony in a camp building owned by a Methodist
group who didn’t allow them to do so. The women filed a
discrimination complaint against the church group and
won. The camp lost their tax exemption--"a move that
cost them $20,000."

Christian physicians refused to provide in vitro
fertilization treatment to a woman in a lesbian
relationship. The doctors were sued--and lost.

In Massachusetts, a Catholic charity was ordered to
accept homosexual couples in their adoption services
or get out of the adoption business. They got out of
the adoption business.

A counselor in Mississippi was fired for refusing to
provide therapy for a woman wanting to improve her
lesbian relationship.

In New York in 2001 a Jewish college of medicine was
forced by the New York State Supreme Court to allow
same-sex couples to live in married student housing
which was against the school’s orthodox Jewish
teachings.

"In Albuquerque, a same-sex couple asked a Christian
wedding photographer to film their commitment
ceremony--and sued the photographer when she
declined."3

I urge you to read both Gary Bauer and Chuck Colson’s
articles. The links are in the footnotes below. We are
heading for major challenges.

Regardless of what we think about the Miss America
Pageant, when Carrie Prejean was asked what she
thought about gay marriage, she simply stated her
belief that marriage was between a man and a woman.
She was attacked mercilessly as a result.

According to a report on the Fox News website, "The
slew of attacks against Miss California USA, Carrie
Prejean, who answered a question about gay marriage
during the Miss USA pageant two weeks ago, have been
nothing short of a systematic ‘character
assassination,’ her supporters say.

"They're really going after her," Focus on the Family
President Jim Daley said of Prejean, whose critics
have gone so far as to compare her to a Nazi war
criminal."4

Because of the ever increasing anti-God, anti-Bible,
and anti-Christian attitude here in North America, we
can be sure that attacks against Christians, Christian
beliefs, the Christian church and God’s Word, the
Bible, are going to increase dramatically in the days
ahead. We who stand for God’s Truth may begin to
suffer persecution as Christians have in other lands
for so long. Our faith may be tested as never before.

If we are going to "stand firm" in our Christian faith
as God’s Word instructs us to do, we need to make
certain that we are true Christians and truly
committed to Jesus Christ. For help read "How to Be
Sure You’re a Real Christian" at:
www.actsweb.org/christian or to renew your commitment
read the last prayer on this article at the end of
page 2.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, in this day of ever
increasing attacks against Christians, against your
Church, your Word and your laws, please help me to
stand firm in my faith in you knowing that the day is
coming when your Son, Jesus Christ, will come again to
earth and rule and reign supremely and deal with all
evil and all sin and all unrepentant sinners. Thank
you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in
Jesus’ name, amen."

1 Corinthians 16:13-14, (NIV).
2. Gary Bauer, Campaign for Working Families, April
29, 2009,
http://capwiz.com/cwf/issues/alert/?alertid=13295416
3. Chuck Colson, "Same-Sex 'Marriage' and Religious
liberty ... Why They Can't Coexist" May 12, 2009,
http://www.informz.net/pfm/archives/archive_779848.html
.
4. Fox News, Monday, May 11, 2009,
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,519796,00.html.

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