Christians will not go quietly into their night of despair
If you ever have any doubts, let me make something crystal clear: Southern Evangelical Seminary and Bible College believes in religious freedom. We also believe that our government owes to its citizens the security and protection necessary to fully practice our faith not only inside our places of worship but in the public square as well.
Scripture tells us that the primary issue for believers when it comes to good government is the freedom to give out the Gospel message in its entirety. This freedom to exercise our faith emanates from Almighty God, but also the very first words penned in our magnificent Bill of Rights. For you history buffs, two states, Rhode Island and my home state of North Carolina, were the two states that would not ratify the Constitution and refused to be bound by that unique and abiding document until the Bill of Rights was added.
England and Canada do not have a specific Bill of Rights in their constitution nor is there a particular written, articulated Freedom of Religion in their founding document, and it seems that this is now working to their detriment. It turns out that our American Revolution was well-founded, and North Carolina and Rhode Island got it right at least this one time! Without this God-given freedom, the proclamation of the Gospel is in grave danger and so is true Christianity from a national perspective. At SES, it is one of the hills on which we are prepared to die, and we urge our followers to vote for the candidates and party that seeks, at its core, to protect this unalienable and necessary right in a totally free democracy. Our forefathers recognized its necessity, and so do we.
Having stated the obvious, this precious freedom of religion that we hold so dear has come under attack in our nation and world in recent days and weeks. Just this past December, based on a new “buffer zone” law designed to protect the legalized killing of helpless babies, a woman in the United Kingdom was arrested because she stated that she “might be” silently praying in front of an abortion clinic even though the clinic was not open at the time based on its operating hours. While awaiting trial she was arrested again in March for having these “deviant thoughts.” Ultimately, she was acquitted, but it took a good deal of time before the police were able to muster an apology for taking so long to dismiss the second charge after the ruling in the initial case. At the same time though, many members of parliament were flummoxed by the thought that their attempt to isolate and destroy religious freedom had failed and are currently trying to figure out a way to strengthen the law to prohibit such “terrorizing” acts like praying in public even though no words are uttered out loud.
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Not to be outdone by the Mother Country, it appears that Canada by and through its Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, along with Parliament, is continuing his “scorched earth” efforts to destroy free speech in that country. This is particularly so if the speech supports any viewpoint smacking of Christian ideals. In a purely Marxist attempt to make his secular view of culture the norm in his country, Mr. Trudeau has been hellbent on passing legislation prohibiting free speech anywhere and at any time. Perhaps you can remember the heavy-handedness with which the Canadian government moved on the trucker’s convoy a few months back. If you can, you might also remember that it was pastor Arthur Pawlowsky who was given a 60-day active jail sentence for preaching to the truckers who were protesting the government’s draconian COVID-19 measures and who had the audacity to speak out against the Canadian government.
As if that were not enough, reports are now coming out of Canada that Mr. Trudeau and his disciples are propounding legislation known as Bill C-367, which is an amendment to the Criminal Code that prohibits anyone from expressing “an opinion based on a belief in a religious text.” The bill intends to pave the way for people to be arrested for quoting the Bible, or any other religious text, on Canadian soil. Why would Mr. Trudeau and his government seek to make such a dastardly move? It obviously is to curb antisemitism of course! At least that is the public persona being portrayed.
As the old saying goes, “It’s their story, and they are sticking to it.” Never mind that Mr. Trudeau and Parliament recently celebrated a known Nazi war criminal with a standing ovation in their chamber. By the way, they want you to be sure to overlook the fact that the “antisemitic” law can be targeted against Jewish folks just like it will be used to deter Christ followers. Make no mistake; this is a full-blown broadside against religion, especially Christianity. Why is it happening? Because people of faith are standing in the way of what they want government to be — Marxist in its makeup. Europe, Canada, and many others are becoming more and more secular, more and more godless, and their governmental interests are being massaged by elitist conspirators who seek to make rules for the masses that they have no intention of imposing on themselves or their friends. In other words, it is a pitched battle for control by the minions of darkness, and true Christ followers are in the crosshairs.
Many prognosticators are saying that what happens in Europe and Canada is a foretaste of what is to come in the United States. In addition, there is an adage that as California goes today, so will America in 10 years. As we face this crossroads of faith and democracy in America there are only two things that will stand in the gap to prevent this wildfire of persecution from totally sweeping over our nation.
The grace of God has enabled America to be the shining light of the world. His favor has shone brightly on this nation and been a shield for us against our enemies. But as we, as a people, push God and His moral structure further and further outside of the marketplace, how long will God forbear in forestalling the total destruction of our nation? It was Billy Graham who once said, “If God does not destroy America, then He will have to go back into history and apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.” The Rev. Graham’s words are hard to hear, but they speak truth to a culture that is on its way to its own designed oblivion.
As we find ourselves standing on the precipice between good and evil, the people of God must once again turn to the source of our faith. But herein lies a serious problem. The reality of our frightful conundrum seemingly has fallen on deaf ears amongst those who make up Christ’s Church. In fact, a recent article reminded us that secular intolerance actually has its intentional chilling and deleterious effect on most Christians. When challenged, somehow people of faith feel the need to succumb to some form of self-censorship rather than the desired effect of standing steadfast for the truth. This reaction is concerning on at least two levels.
First, in an age of supposed tolerance, how can such blatant intolerance of faith be given such standing and credibility? How absurd to say that we are only tolerant of anything with which we agree. But that is, in essence, what our culture is apparently now saying to Christianity.
Second, and perhaps even more incredulous, is the notion that so-called Christians are willing to meld into the culture and disappear like vaporized ghosts. Never forget that it was with the torched bodies of early Christians that the Roman roads were lighted. Are we that readily willing to give up that for which so many have fought and died without even a whimper? Could it actually be that the American church has been lulled to sleep in the arms of the wicked one? If this be true, is it any wonder that average Christians have become such wandering souls?
At Southern Evangelical Seminary we proclaim that the failure of Christ’s Church to illuminate our culture is not acceptable. How can we ever claim that we are spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ when we are cowering behind the skirts of our rebellion and then have the audacity to call it religion? So, when it comes to defending the traditional Christian faith and God’s Holy Word, let the word go out from here today that the battle line forms behind Southern Evangelical Seminary. As the Scripture so eloquently states in Psalm 20:7, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm!”
It is past time for true Christ followers to rise all across America and proclaim that enough is enough. We must in a civil but unyielding way let the minions of Satan know that we are not willing to give our precious children over to their pernicious indoctrinations. We will no longer stand by while Socialists and Marxists take over our nation and turn it into a Hell hole of atheistic abominations. It is time for us to let the entire world know that we do not intend to go quietly into their night of despair. As we face the uncertainty of these days, let us be found standing in the battle in the full armor of God, proclaiming a God who loved the world so much that He gave His only Son to die for our sins. Then with the glory of Easter before us, we will continue to stand in the power of Christ’s resurrection. There is no safer place to be no matter what arrows may be directed in our midst. Then, and only then, will we be proclaiming the only truth that matters.
As for our beloved country, may the Freedom of Religion encased in the First Amendment to our Constitution ever be embraced in this great land that we love so dearly even if it takes another revolution of thought and deed.
After a distinguished career as both a lawyer and a judge, Judge Phil Ginn retired as the Senior Resident Superior Court Judge for the 24th Judicial District in North Carolina. Over the course of his 22-year judicial career, he was privileged to hold court in almost 50% of the county seats in North Carolina. Currently, Judge Ginn serves as the president of Southern Evangelical Seminary.
