Ken Ham: How Long Will It Be Before the Bible Is Banned and Religious Freedom Is Lost?
Answers in Genesis CEO and President Ken Ham has suggested that it might not be long before the Bible is banned in the Western world, reflecting on news stories of prison chaplains being forced to resign for quoting Bible passages.
"This is an alarming example of how quickly Christians are losing religious freedom across the West. In this case, it wasn't even acceptable for this chaplain to use God's Word during a chapel service — a completely voluntary service where those attending would expect to hear from God's Word. It won't be long before we see this happening in other countries, including America," Ham said in an article for AiG Thursday.
"And really, the authorities are saying the Bible itself is not suitable for people! How long before it will be outlawed?"
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Last year, the Rev. Barry Trayhorn, an ordained Pentecostal minister, was forced to quit his job after prison authorities warned him that the Bible verses he was quoting from and telling prisoners were "homophobic."
Trayhorn had read parts of 1 Corinthians 6 when speaking to prisoners, which states: "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."
The minister had tried to explain that he was only quoting traditional teachings, and pointed out that prisoners where free to leave the service if they were offended.
Still, prison officials said he was breaching equality laws by reciting such verses, and warned him to stop.
"I was very angry. All I was doing was preaching the Bible and repeating the same message of repentance that was heard in many services," Trayhorn said back in November.
Ham argued that cases like this show that religious freedom in the West is increasingly being targeted.
"Christians are increasingly being punished for the free exercise of their faith and for standing on God's Word and holding to biblical convictions about sin. This is especially apparent with the gay lobby. They claim they want acceptance and tolerance, yet anyone who dares express disagreement with their agenda or lifestyle is boycotted or dragged off to court and punished," he argued.
"This will only continue as our culture drifts farther from God's Word and becomes more secular," he added, urging Christians to continue to pray for God's will.
Ham has made such warnings in the past, notably with the legalization of gay marriage in America last year.
"Christians are increasingly being punished by the government for acting on their sincerely held religious beliefs about marriage that are based on the standard of Scripture. And we are hearing of more and more people being disciplined or fired from their jobs because they profess their Christian faith," he said in September, responding to an opinion by the Supreme Court of Ohio which argued that judges should not be allowed to refuse to preform gay marriages if it goes against their religious beliefs.
