Persecution on the Rise

Some of you may have heard about the recent tide of religious persecution directed at Evangelical Christians in the military. It seems that a fellow by the name of Michael Weinstein was used as a consultant by the Obama Administration in drafting policy regarding religious expression in the Military. To give you a portrait of the man who lead the attack on Christianity in the military I'm including a link to an article he wrote so you can understand his hostility towards Christianity. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-l-weinstein/fundamentalist-christian-_b_3072651.html The result of the "consultation" was to render any personal mention of one's Christian beliefs a "high crime" punishable by court marshal. It is beyond interesting that in these days after the Boston Bombings when we are freshly reminded of the legitimate threat to our way of life in America posed by some religious groups, the attention given to vilifying Christianity is stunning. Does the Department of Defense truly believe that enacting policies that undermine our Country's founding principles, and reverse decades of amicable and effective interaction of service men and women with each other and those in the Chaplain corps is sensible, equitable, reasonable, and/or justifiable? But believers must not lose our focus that we are "citizens of heaven" (Phil.3:20) and that "all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2Tim.3:12). When we read the Bible we know that difficult days lie ahead of us, but in my life time we have never seen such frontal assaults on religious liberty and threats to the open and free practice of Christianity that we have always enjoyed in America. So on the one hand we are shocked by the egregious and bold assault on our precious faith, on the other hand we are warned in the Bible to expect it. As Christians we are increasingly under attack and need to seriously evaluate our willingness and readiness to stand up for our faith in our schools, work places, communities, and now in the military. At one time I had considered becoming a Military Chaplain and I often wonder how I would have responded to the regulations that would curtail the normal practice of my faith. This latest attempt to silence Christians should have each of us asking if we will stand with Peter and John who in Acts 4 were told to "not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus" (4:18) to which they boldly responded, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard"(Acts 4:19-20). I am saddened to say that I believe in my lifetime every believer may be put in that very same position and I want to prepare myself spiritually, mentally, and emotionally so that by God's grace I will respond boldly.