RSS
 

Archive for the ‘Freedom of Religion’ Category

Freedom of Religion-F-4

11 Mar

With God we have hope when our own resources fail us. My life is a perfect example.  I did not grow up with a knowledge of God. Our family never attended church or talked about God. I had Polio and spent my early childhood on crutches. I was often told that I would never amount to anything because I was poor and crippled. I was failing in school because I saw no benefit in it. I never considered suicide, but after I was able to walk, I lived with reckless abandon, often engaging in activities that could have easily ended my life. In Junior high, I had a teacher that had Polio but had never been able to walk and was in a wheelchair. I realized that I could become a teacher if she could and sought to study hard, however I had lost so much schooling when I was younger that it seemed impossible. In high school, my grades were so bad I was told I would never graduate.  However, when some students led me to Christ I got new hope. I went on to graduate from high school, college, and even graduate school. I was only able to with God’s help because I could never have done it on my own. Since they have taken the Bible out of school and many places no longer allow it to be taught,  and many families no longer attend church, young people get very little exposure to the Word of God. They have nothing to fall back on when their own efforts seem inadequate. They won’t hear the love of God unless someone tells them.  Therefore it is important to reach out to those who don’t know God.

 

 

Freedom of Religion-F-3

11 Mar

We are seeing an Increasing suicide rate which the media blames on  more access to dangerous drugs and a reduced safety net. While those are contributing factors, the fact is that it is due to an increasing loss of hope. Without God, we have nothing to rely on except our own abilities and the help of those around us. When we meet circumstances which seem beyond our abilities, and we often do, we have nothing to fall back on, except the help of those around us. However, the help of those around us is undependable and the increasing isolation in our society is resulting in a lot of people who have no support from those around them. The result is depression and often suicide. Up until the 1970’s, Christian morals and beliefs dominated American society. Christian values were taught in the schools and were mandated on television, radio, and in the entertainment industry. As a result, most people, even those with no church connection accepted the values in theory, if not in practice.  In the 1970’s, liberal producers began pushing their message and conservatives did not challenge them. Conservatives did not support conservative media and entertainment venues and have allowed liberals to dominate them. With the growth of social media, Christians have not utilized the media and liberal social media has taken control of the media. In addition, Christians have not been vigilant in watching what was being taught in the schools and they have been increasingly pushing liberal textbooks. In addition, an increasing number of people have left the church and the church has not been actively teaching Christian values in the church. As a result, many Americans, especially young ones, have acquired liberal views, including many in the church. As liberals have gained control of the social media, they have begun blocking conservative candidates from fundraising and from campaigning  on social media.  It has severely hurt fundraising among conservative candidates and made it difficult for them to counter the lies and slander put out by liberal candidates. Meanwhile, conservatives, especially Christians, have been slow to develop their own social media. Many Christians continue to get the majority of their news from liberal sites and do not support conservative social media.

 

 

 

Freedom of Religion-B-V

26 Nov

We are in a cultural war between the forces of light and the forces of darkness. While liberals try to tell you that they just want equal time to express  their beliefs, it is a lie. While they tell you they want to take all religion out of the schools, that is also a lie. While their religion is not organized like Christianity or Islam, their beliefs are as much a religion as anyone else’s religion. They believe in a god, they believe that they are the god and supreme ruler of their universe. They have a belief in a reason for their existence and the existence of everything around them, they believe it all happened by accidental occurrences down through history.  They have a belief in what will happen when we die, they believe we will simply cease to exist. Their “religion” is very similar to the existential religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, and similar religions. They are seeking to replace your religion with theirs. In fact, the seeds of this religion began sprouting in America in the hippy years when the hippies rejected the materialist culture and adopted many Hindu and Buddhist practices. They were originally attracted to Socialism which they equated with Communism (no relation to what Russia and China claim to have which is merely Socialism in disguise). Many of our leaders today are Socialists that came out of the hippy movement and have close ties with Russia and China. They have  infiltrated the schools, the media, and the government to teach their religion and force you to accept it if you resist. The California State Assembly passed a resolution directing all religious leaders to promote homosexuality and the transgender lifestyle. While it is not legally binding, it shows how far the homosexual lobby is willing to go to promote its agenda. How long will it be before they pass a law requiring it? It is obviously a trial balloon sent up to see how much opposition there is before they push for a law.  There are other States waiting to see how it turns out before pushing their own attempts to stamp out all religions, except their own. They believe that they are god the all-knowing one, and know what is best for you and are seeking to make themselves the god who rules your universe as well as their own, just as Caesar and many other kings and rulers of the past have done.  The Bible says that in the last days, Satan will prowl like a roaring lion seeking who he may devour, seeking to turn even the elect, and all we have to do is look around to see that he has been very successful.

 

 

Economics-Government-A-O

06 Jul

A sticking point that Democrats are talking about behind closed doors is to tax churches. Such a move would create a real rebellion because there are so many churches. As a result, no one is talking about it openly. Churches were exempt from taxation by the separation of church and State clause. The power to tax is the power to control and churches have always been tax exempt to prevent government control. However Democrats see it as a lucrative tax source because of the millions  of dollars that flow through churches weekly. While open taxation is currently not an option, the IRS has been  quietly extending its claws into churches by increasingly regulating how giving is done. Those rules are giving them more ways to control churches. They have been using their power to grant non-profit status to churches to threaten churches and religious organizations who speak out on social issues like abortion and Gay privileges. The IRS under President Obama held up applications for Christian organizations seeking to get non-profit status prior to the 2016 elections in order to threaten them into being silent on social issues. In some instances they have tried to silence churches by threatening to revoke their non-profit status. Sometimes, they tried to force pastors to submit copies of their sermons to show that they are not preaching against abortion and Gay privileges. That is illegal because churches are legally able to speak out on issues. In fact, the founding fathers felt that democracy could not survive if it was not directed by people seeking God’s guidance. How can people know God’s guidance on issues if the church can not teach them God’s principles. Churches do not lose their freedom of speech just because they are Christian. In fact, abortion and Gay privileges are religious matters and involve belief in the value of life and of marriage. To force them to support abortion or marry Gay couples would violate their religious beliefs and would be interfering with their religious practices in open violation of the Constitution. In some instances, they have tried to force churches and other religious organizations to turn over lists of their contributors in order to discourage people from giving to them out of fear that the IRS might audit them. Some cities are denying churches permits to build or expand in the city limits in order to force them out of the city. Since churches don’t pay taxes, they want to replace them with businesses that will bring in tax revenue.

 

 

Schools-3-M

29 Jun

A Utah school district has banned the Bible from its elementary school and middle school libraries on the pretext that it is filled with sex. It shows how warped their thinking is. They think it is alright to show graphic pornographic videos and have kids read graphic pornographic novels, but think kids should not read the Bible because they say it is filled with sex. They think it is alright to teach elementary kids to apply condoms and engage in sex but feel the Bible has too much sex. They think it is alright to have graphic Gay and transgender programs in the schools and libraries but think it is wrong to teach them that marriage is between a man and a woman. It shows how narrow liberal thinking is. They see what they want to see and are blind to everything else around them. It is all about them and advancing themselves and they bristle at any views that conflict with their own, but have probably never read it. They are afraid to allow kids to read the Bible because it condemns their lifestyle. God established the value of life, the rule of law, the family and other values because they make life better for everyone. It is important to understand our values and why we believe them if we are to stand against those who want to tear down everything our forefathers fought for and build a new utopia, but it is a house of cards that will fall at the first  wind. When we stand on the rock of Jesus, we will not be moved by every wind of doctrine.

 

 

Freedom of Religion-B-T

19 Apr

There have been growing liberal attempts to destroy the churches by what they call a First Amendment mandated separation of  church and State in the Constitution. However, their work reveals, at the least, a complete ignorance of the Constitution, and at the extreme, a contempt for it and all those who believe in it. The Constitution clearly states that Congress shall make no laws to establish religion, prohibit free exercise of it, or abridge freedom of speech. It not only does not authorize the government to do these things, as liberals claim, it specifically prohibits the government from doing so. Yet, liberals have sought to remove Bibles, crosses, manger scenes, the Ten Commandments, and even the Constitution from our schools, libraries, and government buildings. During the Obama administration, federal judges demanded that pastors turn over their sermons to make sure they weren’t preaching against programs like abortion and Gay rights, which liberals promoted. They have fined and jailed those who refused to participate in things condemned by God such as Gay marriages, and forced taxpayers to fund activities like abortion which violate their beliefs.

 

 

Freedom of Religion-B-S

19 Apr

Our forefathers came to the United States to escape the State supported churches that used their government influence to threaten and intimidate other churches in order to maintain their monopoly. Our founding fathers wrote into the Constitution a specific Amendment which forbid government interference with churches to protect them from the rise and domination of a State sanctioned religion. Our forefathers then wrote into the tax laws specific exemptions for churches to prevent the government from interfering with churches. It made churches tax exempt since the power to tax is the power to destroy. They also released the churches from filing the financial disclosure information required of regular non-profit organizations since filing it would open the churches to potential scrutiny that could lead to government intervention and control. Formerly, churches were held in high regard, even by unbelievers, because of the good which the churches did in their communities. Not only did they hold their members to a higher standard of morals, they also provided care and relief to those in the community through church benevolence and social services. Now social services have been divorced from the churches and is carried out mostly by the government and independent non-profit organizations and the church is no longer held in high regard. In fact, many cities now try to restrict the expansion of churches through zoning laws that prevent churches from expanding or building new buildings. They would rather have a business there that would produce tax revenue. Many liberal government officials also talk quietly about taxing churches which would provide a huge windfall for city and State governments, as well as for the federal government, but do not dare try it because of the huge backlash they would get from churches.

 

Freedom of Religion-B-R

08 Apr

Attorney Generals of twenty two liberal controlled States have asked federal agencies to end all “conscience” provisions in the Affordable Care Act. That would allow those government agencies to force doctors and nurses to perform abortions and sex change operations and force pharmacists to dispense abortion pills and gender blocking drugs, even when they believe they are wrong. The Biden Administration is also considering a regulation that would enable government agencies to screen out conservatives in the hiring practice in direct violation of Civil Service regulations that mandate that people be hired based on merit rather than political policies. The administration and various liberal politicians have been openly vocal in stating that conservatives, particularly pro-life and Trump supporters are not capable in serving in government positions. Now they want to make it general government practice. The Civil Service laws were created to prevent politicians from passing out government jobs to reward their supporters. The new regulation would allow the agencies to fill government jobs with their supporters and block them from opponents. Those of us who worked for the Census Bureau experienced that when President Biden took over. We were forced to submit new applications for the positions we had already been hired for. We had passed a criminal background check when hired under the Trump administration but were required to undergo two background checks before we could continue working. The first was the standard criminal background check but we were never told what the second one was. It apparently was a check of our political affiliation which is a direct violation of the civil service law. I passed the first but after the second one, my application disappeared and no one ever found it. These are just two more steps in creating a totalitarian government where citizens must think and do what the government requires and all thinking and acting that deviates is crushed.

 

 

Freedom of Religion-B-Q

08 Apr

The Postal Service has started requiring workers to work on Sunday and denied a worker’s request to have Sunday off to attend church. A federal court has ruled that federal worker have no right to attend church. President Biden is seeking the Supreme Court to restrict the right of workers to attend church. It is a continuation of attempts by the administration and liberal radicals to shut down churches. If federal agencies can deny workers the right, it could easily be extended to private employers. Liberal politicians tried to shut down churches during the pandemic on the excuse they were not essential services and tried to keep them shut even after other group meetings were allowed. They know that committed Christians will not bow to their liberal agenda and recognize the power of a church committed to serving God in derailing their plans  to abolish the Christian faith. It is bad enough that many school sporting events have begun meeting on Sunday and do not allow students to be on the team unless they agree to attend Sunday morning practices and meets. Unfortunately, many churches are urging members to deny their faith and submit to the liberal agenda. When the liberal agenda contradicts the will of God, the Christian must choose between serving God and serving man. We cannot serve both.

 

Schools-3-L

11 Mar

President Biden directed the Dept of Education to drop the regulation initiated by former President Trump to withhold federal funding from colleges and universities that violate student’s right to freedom of speech. He claims it isn’t needed. However, suppression of free speech that goes against liberal policies is open and widespread on college and university campuses and the schools do little to curb it. Schools should be institutions of learning, not institutions of indoctrination. President Biden is in effect declaring open season on the freedom of speech of anyone who disagrees with him. It shows how far he will go to promote the liberal agenda and suppress conservatives, particularly Christians. Persecution of those who express conservative views is increasing, on school campuses and on the street, as well as in the media and social media. Liberals know that if you tell a lie often enough and long enough, and suppress the expression of any contrary view, then people will believe it is true. Their goal is to create mindless followers who obey without questioning, like they have in Russia and China. Therefore, it is important to share the truth at every opportunity in person and on social media when able. So far, social media does not have the resources to check the millions of individual posts and are forced to concentrate on the big sources of conservative views, hoping to prevent the truth from getting out to others who will repost it, but they have issued a call for volunteers to monitor conservatives and report anyone who expresses views that go against their narrative. I post information I receive and repost information from trustworthy sources to keep my followers informed. The more the information is picked up and reposted, the more people will have the freedom to choose what to believe. We cannot rely on fact checkers because many are employed by liberal news outlets. I recently made a remark about a law passed by California’s legislature. A woman at the meeting told me she checked it with a fact checker, and it said the information was false, even though the information was readily available in the California legislative record. Unfortunately, very few people go to the legislative record to check the facts. Many people rely on fact checkers.