Green Energy
About five years back, I attended a Christmas play my daughter was performing in at her pre-school, which was located in a Christian Church a few miles from our home. Before the performance, we were asked to pledge allegiance to the American flag, and then, when that was over, we were asked to turn and pledge allegiance to the Christian flag.
My wife and I turned to each other with a cock-eyed look on our faces as if to say, "What the fuck?"
Neither of us pledged.
My wife is an immigrant, well-schooled in our Constitution, having had to take classes and pass a test on the subject, in order to become a citizen. We are both lovers of the Freedoms protected by our Constitution, and neither of us intend to insult those hard-won, God-granted Freedoms, by pledging allegiance to anything other than the Constitution of the United States, which guarantees their continued presence in this dangerous and oppressive world in which we live.
I looked at the sheep-like Christians around me, all putting their hands over their hearts, and being led in a soft-betrayal of their country.
Here is the pledge they recited:
However, that being said, the tremendous ignorance which would prompt a Christian to even propose such a pledge is also a demonstration of profound arrogance, and an abyssal lack of gratitude. All your average Christian ought have to do to understand why such a pledge is disrespectful would be to look at Saudi Arabia or Sudan, or any other nation in this world which does not guarantee religious Freedom, whose people are unwilling to fight for religious Freedom, and who thus have no Freedom of worship.
In such places, Christians are murdered for their Faith.
In such places, Christians must read and share the Bible under cover of fear and darkness.
In such places, most people never hear the Word of God, never learn to put their Faith in Christ, and rarely find themselves enjoying the blessings of the Grace of God.
Christians who would pledge a political allegiance to their own opinion about God's Word, rather than the Constitution which guarantees their Freedom of Religion, deserve to be shipped off to Saudi Arabia to re-convert under the blade of a sword.
Now, as I write this, I imagine you believe I am telling you my experience in a Bible-believing Fundamentalist church whose members tend to be Conservatives, and right-wing voters.
And, you are correct.
However, I want you all to know that I recently chose to leave another Church, with whom I had been affiliated for close to 20 years, a church to whom I had tithed my salary, a Church in which I had worshiped, played in the Praise band, and raised my family.
And why did I leave this Church? Because, in my opinion, my beloved Church had become equally arrogant and lacking in gratitude, pledging allegiance to a "Christian" flag of their own, becoming a law unto themselves.
And, what is the sin with which I charge my Church? How had they become their own law?
By refusing to obey the law of the land.
You see, the leadership of my Church had decided that they were no longer bound by the laws which declare who is and is not a citizen of the United States. They have decided it is their mission to give aid and comfort to illegal aliens, people who are in the United States in violation of the laws of our land.
This is not a light decision on their part, whereby they are moved to compassion by a case of mistreatment. It has become the policy of the leadership of the Church to seek out "those in need" and do unto the least of these, by violating the laws of the United States, trampling on our Constitution in the process, biting the hand which has protected their right to exist as a religious body.
To put it simply, the United States, the nation united under the Constitution which has protected the Freedoms which allows my fellow Christians to worship as they please was no longer worth respecting in the eyes of the leadership of my Church.
Truly, the Pastor of my Church believes he knows better than the Constitution and the laws of the land, and the leaders elected and hired, by We the People, to enforce and administer those laws.
Here at Infidel Bloggers Alliance, we have always championed Freedom of Speech over and before all other considerations. The reason for this is, we believe Freedom of Speech is a requirement for Freedom of Choice.
Therefore, no government, religion, media outlet, or academic institution can supersede the importance of Freedom of Speech/Conscience.
Indeed, a primary function of Freedom of Speech is the criticism of cultural and societal institutions of power, such as government, religion, media, and academic institutions.
But, the only reason we have the Freedom of Speech is because our Constitution preserves it as an absolute, and because We the People agree to live under the Constitution.
My former Church has decided they are above the law of the land. They have decided their understanding of God's Word supersedes their responsibility to follow the laws of the land, and the Constitution of our nation.
Imagine if all Churches made such a decision. It would be a recipe for chaos. And, chaos is the opposite of what God Creates, which is Beautiful and Awesome Form.
Therefore, my Church is advocating the opposite of God's Will expressed in His Creation.
But, that is merely a Theological argument against their policies and behavior.
Now, imagine that other loci of power, such as government, media, or academic institutions, decided they were above the law, and no longer needed to follow the Constitution of our nation.
Such chaos would be absolutely destructive to the ends of all our societal institutions. The institutions, themselves, would crumble without the protections afforded by the laws and the Constitution. Our entire culture would be a Tower of Babble come crashing down.
Let us be clear, any Church which believes it knows better than the Constitution which protects it's organization, and it's parishioners, demonstrates they believe they are a law unto themselves.
They are setting themselves up as a Theocratic ruler above the law of the land.
They are the Mullahs of our nation.
They are guilty of sedition, and they belong in prison.
I write this because I believe my Church is not alone in taking such Theocratic action. I do not think they are alone in believing their ideas are God's ideas, and are, therefore, above the law of the land. I do not believe my Church is the only treasonous, mullah-infected Church in the United States.
I believe that, more and more, my Church is becoming the common Church. Christianity is devolving into an anarchy-spreading adversarial faith, and I do not use the word "Adversary" lightly. Anyone who knows the Bible knows whereof I speak.
I'm blowing the whistle. And, I would like to hear from anyone else who has had similar experiences in their home Church.
Has your Church decided it is it's own Theocracy?
- Pledge Of Allegiance
"I've been listening to you boys and girls recite the Pledge of Allegiance all semesterand it seems as though it is becoming monotonous to you.If I may, may I recite it and try to explain to you the meaning of each word?"Ime, an individual, a committee...
-
We Do Not Need To Ban The Religion of Islam - We Merely Need to Enforce Our Existing Laws The laws are already in place to deal with Islam. 1) The stoning to death of apostates is against the First Amendment protection for Freedom of Speech/Conscience...
- We Do Not Need To Ban The Religion Of Islam - We Merely Need To Enforce Our Existing Laws
The laws are already in place to deal with Islam. 1) preaching the stoning to death of apostates is against the First Amendment protection for Freedom of Speech/Conscience 2) preaching the stoning of gays is a hate crime 3) preaching the subjugation...
-
Pakistan: Taliban Send Letters to Christian Institutions Warning Them to Convert to Islam and pay Jizya or They'll be Killed and Their Women Turned Into Sex Slaves.... Washington -- International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on October...
- The "allah" Ban
So much for interfaithing, that idiotic process which attempts to equate the Abrahamic faiths. In Malaysia, only Muslims may legally use the word "Allah." The law is being challenged by Christians: A MALAYSIAN church and a Christian weekly newspaper...
Green Energy
Theocracy: Leftist Christian Churches Pledge Allegiance To The Christian Flag
About five years back, I attended a Christmas play my daughter was performing in at her pre-school, which was located in a Christian Church a few miles from our home. Before the performance, we were asked to pledge allegiance to the American flag, and then, when that was over, we were asked to turn and pledge allegiance to the Christian flag.
My wife and I turned to each other with a cock-eyed look on our faces as if to say, "What the fuck?"
Neither of us pledged.
My wife is an immigrant, well-schooled in our Constitution, having had to take classes and pass a test on the subject, in order to become a citizen. We are both lovers of the Freedoms protected by our Constitution, and neither of us intend to insult those hard-won, God-granted Freedoms, by pledging allegiance to anything other than the Constitution of the United States, which guarantees their continued presence in this dangerous and oppressive world in which we live.
I looked at the sheep-like Christians around me, all putting their hands over their hearts, and being led in a soft-betrayal of their country.
Here is the pledge they recited:
I pledge allegiance to the Christian Flag and to the Savior for whose Kingdom it stands. One Savior, crucified, risen, and coming again with life and liberty to all who believe.I was not terribly offended by the pledge they asked us to recite, as they did not ask us to back up the pledge with any anti-government activity.
However, that being said, the tremendous ignorance which would prompt a Christian to even propose such a pledge is also a demonstration of profound arrogance, and an abyssal lack of gratitude. All your average Christian ought have to do to understand why such a pledge is disrespectful would be to look at Saudi Arabia or Sudan, or any other nation in this world which does not guarantee religious Freedom, whose people are unwilling to fight for religious Freedom, and who thus have no Freedom of worship.
In such places, Christians are murdered for their Faith.
In such places, Christians must read and share the Bible under cover of fear and darkness.
In such places, most people never hear the Word of God, never learn to put their Faith in Christ, and rarely find themselves enjoying the blessings of the Grace of God.
Christians who would pledge a political allegiance to their own opinion about God's Word, rather than the Constitution which guarantees their Freedom of Religion, deserve to be shipped off to Saudi Arabia to re-convert under the blade of a sword.
Now, as I write this, I imagine you believe I am telling you my experience in a Bible-believing Fundamentalist church whose members tend to be Conservatives, and right-wing voters.
And, you are correct.
However, I want you all to know that I recently chose to leave another Church, with whom I had been affiliated for close to 20 years, a church to whom I had tithed my salary, a Church in which I had worshiped, played in the Praise band, and raised my family.
And why did I leave this Church? Because, in my opinion, my beloved Church had become equally arrogant and lacking in gratitude, pledging allegiance to a "Christian" flag of their own, becoming a law unto themselves.
And, what is the sin with which I charge my Church? How had they become their own law?
By refusing to obey the law of the land.
You see, the leadership of my Church had decided that they were no longer bound by the laws which declare who is and is not a citizen of the United States. They have decided it is their mission to give aid and comfort to illegal aliens, people who are in the United States in violation of the laws of our land.
This is not a light decision on their part, whereby they are moved to compassion by a case of mistreatment. It has become the policy of the leadership of the Church to seek out "those in need" and do unto the least of these, by violating the laws of the United States, trampling on our Constitution in the process, biting the hand which has protected their right to exist as a religious body.
To put it simply, the United States, the nation united under the Constitution which has protected the Freedoms which allows my fellow Christians to worship as they please was no longer worth respecting in the eyes of the leadership of my Church.
Truly, the Pastor of my Church believes he knows better than the Constitution and the laws of the land, and the leaders elected and hired, by We the People, to enforce and administer those laws.
Here at Infidel Bloggers Alliance, we have always championed Freedom of Speech over and before all other considerations. The reason for this is, we believe Freedom of Speech is a requirement for Freedom of Choice.
Therefore, no government, religion, media outlet, or academic institution can supersede the importance of Freedom of Speech/Conscience.
Indeed, a primary function of Freedom of Speech is the criticism of cultural and societal institutions of power, such as government, religion, media, and academic institutions.
But, the only reason we have the Freedom of Speech is because our Constitution preserves it as an absolute, and because We the People agree to live under the Constitution.
My former Church has decided they are above the law of the land. They have decided their understanding of God's Word supersedes their responsibility to follow the laws of the land, and the Constitution of our nation.
Imagine if all Churches made such a decision. It would be a recipe for chaos. And, chaos is the opposite of what God Creates, which is Beautiful and Awesome Form.
Therefore, my Church is advocating the opposite of God's Will expressed in His Creation.
But, that is merely a Theological argument against their policies and behavior.
Now, imagine that other loci of power, such as government, media, or academic institutions, decided they were above the law, and no longer needed to follow the Constitution of our nation.
Such chaos would be absolutely destructive to the ends of all our societal institutions. The institutions, themselves, would crumble without the protections afforded by the laws and the Constitution. Our entire culture would be a Tower of Babble come crashing down.
Let us be clear, any Church which believes it knows better than the Constitution which protects it's organization, and it's parishioners, demonstrates they believe they are a law unto themselves.
They are setting themselves up as a Theocratic ruler above the law of the land.
They are the Mullahs of our nation.
They are guilty of sedition, and they belong in prison.
I write this because I believe my Church is not alone in taking such Theocratic action. I do not think they are alone in believing their ideas are God's ideas, and are, therefore, above the law of the land. I do not believe my Church is the only treasonous, mullah-infected Church in the United States.
I believe that, more and more, my Church is becoming the common Church. Christianity is devolving into an anarchy-spreading adversarial faith, and I do not use the word "Adversary" lightly. Anyone who knows the Bible knows whereof I speak.
I'm blowing the whistle. And, I would like to hear from anyone else who has had similar experiences in their home Church.
Has your Church decided it is it's own Theocracy?
- Pledge Of Allegiance
"I've been listening to you boys and girls recite the Pledge of Allegiance all semesterand it seems as though it is becoming monotonous to you.If I may, may I recite it and try to explain to you the meaning of each word?"Ime, an individual, a committee...
-
We Do Not Need To Ban The Religion of Islam - We Merely Need to Enforce Our Existing Laws The laws are already in place to deal with Islam. 1) The stoning to death of apostates is against the First Amendment protection for Freedom of Speech/Conscience...
- We Do Not Need To Ban The Religion Of Islam - We Merely Need To Enforce Our Existing Laws
The laws are already in place to deal with Islam. 1) preaching the stoning to death of apostates is against the First Amendment protection for Freedom of Speech/Conscience 2) preaching the stoning of gays is a hate crime 3) preaching the subjugation...
-
Pakistan: Taliban Send Letters to Christian Institutions Warning Them to Convert to Islam and pay Jizya or They'll be Killed and Their Women Turned Into Sex Slaves.... Washington -- International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on October...
- The "allah" Ban
So much for interfaithing, that idiotic process which attempts to equate the Abrahamic faiths. In Malaysia, only Muslims may legally use the word "Allah." The law is being challenged by Christians: A MALAYSIAN church and a Christian weekly newspaper...