The responses to the Boy Scout’s decision to allow open homosexuals to be members has drawn a variety of responses. From religious groups particularly evangelicals it has been mostly negative along with a few groups who want to take consider their options and organizational responses to the new rules.
A few months ago they were considering a change that would allow different troops to decide for themselves whether to allow homosexual members or not. Now churches and religious groups are left to decide whether they can work with the new rules or not considering their own doctrinal stances. Some have already declared that they would no longer sponsor Scout troops but turn to forming alternate youth groups. Others like the Mormon Church (LDS) are on board with the new change.
An article from OneNewsNow includes a number of initial responses from Christian groups:
Response: This is just the beginning. The LGBT activists will not back down nor will they be completely happy until the Boy Scout’s allow openly gay leaders. Not only that but politically there is the push to drop the non-profit no- tax status of any and all youth groups which maintain a no homosexual rule for members. This is already happening in California and is next on the agenda in many state legislatures across America. Religious organizations of all kinds even churches themselves are next on the PC hit list.
The tide has now turned in America and from here on out there will be tremendous pressure on any group, even churches, who maintain any kind of teaching or rule against homosexuals. Freedom of religion itself, when it comes to homosexuality, could well be under assault in the future. *Top
A British Soldier is Killed and Beheaded on a London Street
The Muslim terrorist above quoted from the Quran to justify his deeds. Most of the media deleted that portion from their quotes and videos. Here’s details that the major media does not really go into from the DEBKA File:
The two Islamist terrorists who hacked a British soldier to death on a London street Wednesday, May 22, chanting Allahu Akbar, were born in Britain of Nigerian descent and known to British security authorities. Motivated by revenge for Muslem deaths in Afghanistan, they selected as their victim a soldier from the Woolwich barracks who had served there.
What the article does not say is that the youths are Muslims from a community where 80% are Muslim immigrants. The writer blames unemployment but in reality it is only at 6% among the youth in that city so other reasons must really be at the root of it all. The rioters are blaming the police but could culture and their religion be a factor? None in the main stream media dare to ask.
Here’s one article from WND that does ask the questions:
Response: America is a country that has been built over the centuries by diverse immigrants that have added their own distinctives to the whole but eventually melted into a unified American culture. Not so in this generation in which new immigrants are encouraged to not only maintain their unique identity but to not really assimilate into the general American milieu. Some of the guiding principles that are part of those immigrant cultures are actually antithetical to the traditional American way of life and our freedoms.
The point is, we can expect more ‘Boston Bombings’ in the USA and also events like those above in the future. It is now inevitable. The greatest danger is that we refuse to identify the real causes and the cultural and religious underpinnings behind it all.
We have freedom of religion in this country and it should never be compromised. Muslims must be free to practice their religion in America. Nevertheless, it is time to recognize that there are cultural practices connected to Islam that are not acceptable and never should be condoned in America. Also there are political and sharia law components to that religion that must be denied or the Constitutional freedoms that we have all shared for over 200 years will be in jeopardy.
Finally, it does not serve us well for our leaders and our major media to continue to ignore reality or dismiss those of us who want to face the facts as ‘Islamophobic.’ If they continue on like this then it will bring us more ‘Bostons’ and events like those above. *Top
This is a heart warming story about a kindergartner that wanted to sing his favorite Christian song at the school talent show but the school administrators asked him to choose another song because of it’s religious content. Then the Pacific Justice Institute stepped in and he will be able to sing his favorite song after all.
The School officials quickly reversed their initial decision which was based upon a misguided understanding of the law. Meanwhile thefamily is elated and thankful that this incident demonstrated to their son that his faith in God was not something he had to hide.
"This issue exemplifies the ongoing fear from school administrators to allow anything even remotely connected to Christianity in the school. In their attempt to avoid the wrath of anti-religionists, misguided school officials end up inadvertently embracing secularism as the school’s official religion."
Response: The story demonstrates why Christians should not give up but continue to ask for and even demand their Constitutional right to religious freedom in America. *Top
Local town and county counsels plus state legislatures all across America have begun their meetings with prayer for over 200 years. The US Congress and the Senate still does but in this generation it has become an issue.
"to invoke divine guidance on a public body entrusted with making laws" did not violate the 1st Amendment’s prohibition on an "establishment of religion."
Nevertheless, since several courts of appeals have recently ruled that it is a violation of the first amendment so the current US Supreme Court will take up the issue once more and deal with it in the Fall.
Response: It seems incredible that this would be a Constitutional issue after more than 200 years. Particularly since the very sessions that produced the writing of that very document began with prayer and at times of major impasse the convention actually took time out to seek Divine guidance. But now in this generation there is a question of whether prayer in the public is even Constitutional? The framers and writers of the Constitution by their very actions demonstrated that it was.
However, it no longer seems to matter what the original framers really meant or intended. So the activists that would like to take religion out of the public square continue the battle in the courts and find judges that are willing to change the very words of the Constitution and stand it on it’s ear to mean something entirely different than originally intended or commonly understood 200 years ago.
How the current court will rule in this area is really up for grabs and Christians should begin praying for the court over this issue while there is still day. The Court indicated that it would hear this case in the Fall.
In the future we may wake up in an America where it is only legal to exercise religious freedom within the four walls of a place of worship. That is what some folks in America are pushing for including Obama’s DOJ in many instances. Something that is far and away from the America that the founders lived in and originally intended. *Top
Now that is has become public that the IRS has been targeting conservative groups during the ‘watch’ of the Obama administration, lots of different religious groups are beginning to come out of the woodwork with similar claims of harassment. They all have one thing in common- they are conservative and they support some issue that is at odds with the current administration.
Response: These are just a few of the stories of this kind that I found this morning. You can bet that others received similar treatment and may still be afraid to even now make it public.
This is unacceptable and it demonstrates that our way of life is actually under assault. These stories should give pause to consider to all of those who consider us to be rather paranoid when it comes to the Obama administration and their horrible record on violating and limiting religious freedom.
So those of you who think this is over should reconsider the facts. This is just the beginning and there are still 3 1/2 years to go for this administration to make their dismal record on religious freedom even worse. *Top
A number of recent controversial actions and official statements from the Pentagon have caused many to question whether religious liberty wasn’t actually under assault in the US military.
These reports have elicited a great deal of concern and confusion among military chaplains, pastors and congregations. In some cases, misinformation has been mixed with fact, with the possible result of furthering already tense relationships between military and religious communities.
We reject any and all attempts to sensationalize or misrepresent situations, in this or any other context. Having said that, we are concerned. While rejecting any conspiracy theory linking the reports above, we believe there are in some of these cases elements that are indicative of a troubling lack of respect for true religious diversity in our military. Furthermore, problematic attempts in some sectors of the military to compromise the free exercise of religion have given a sense of plausibility when other such reports emerge, even when those reports are not grounded in fact. …
While no reports indicate any known court martial or disciplinary proceedings related to evangelism, we also know that the time for clarification and protection of religious liberty is before such rights are taken away, not simply after they have been. …
We ask then, and expect, from our military leaders, and from their civilian command, clarification of a commitment to safeguarding religious liberty, including the right for all servicemen and women to share their faith, short of coercion or harassment. This would entail a less subjective and more precise definition of such coercion and harassment, beyond the ambiguous language of "proselytizing."
Response: The joint statement reflects my greatest concern that “proselytizing” will be defined so broadly that real religious liberty and freedom will end up being compromised. The report emphasizes the need to more clearly define the lines between sharing one’s faith and more coercive acts of harassment. The word- “proselytizing” is woefully inadequate in defining the difference.
Read the summary of recent events in the article and the ‘facts’ as understood by this joint committee. It is excellent and their conclusions clearly define what still needs to be done. *Top
The IRS officials recently admitted that some of their workers had made a practice of harassing conservative groups particularly those applying for non-profit status. Now it comes out that the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association as well as Franklin Graham’s international charity Samaritan’s Purse were both audited for the first time under questionable circumstances by the IRS last year.
The man known as America’s pastor was among those targeted by the Internal Revenue Service after the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association ran newspaper advertisements promoting traditional marriage and biblical values, according to a letter his son wrote to President Obama.
“I am bringing this to your attention because I believe that someone in the Administration was targeting and attempting to intimidate us,” wrote Franklin Graham in his letter and shared with Fox News. “This is morally wrong and unethical – indeed some would call it ‘un-American.’”
Graham is president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association as well as the international charity Samaritan’s Purse. Both organizations received word of audits on the same day – not long after they ran full –page ads supporting North Carolina’s Marriage amendment.
Response: This is horrific and a real example of the obvious intimidation of a conservative Christian organization. Both ministries were cleared in the audit but it did end up costing them a great deal of time, effort, and money that could otherwise have been spent on ministry.
I believe that this is just the beginning rather than the end if matters are not taken to control the politicization of this agency. Even more outrageous is the potential law that the liberal state legislature in California is currently working on. It would not allow non-profit status for all organizations that oppose homosexuality and same-sex marriage (except for churches and official worship centers). They plan to target the Boy Scouts and other Christian sponsored youth groups via that method. *Top
