The news of an Arizona pastor jailed and fined more than $12,000 for hosting a Bible study group in his home rightfully outraged a great number of freedom-loving Americans. Granted, some facts emerged later in the case that seem to paint the pastor as less than upfront on some peripheral issues, but the fact remains that his first brush with the law emerged from his desire to increase the faith of his friends and neighbors.
It would be bad enough if this had been just an isolated incident, but prosecution (and persecution) of practicing Christians continues, as chronicled in the recent charges against one Florida couple.
The couple invites up to 10 people into their home on Friday evenings for prayer and Bible study, which local government decided warrants a $250 fine per day for code violations. The targeted hosts framed the hypocrisy perfectly, saying nothing is done when just as many individuals converge on a residential location to view a football game.
Technically, oppressive officials claim, the practice of reading God’s word and invoking Him in prayer makes the home in which it takes place a “house of worship.”
Do we have free speech in America? When churches face the possibility of IRS retribution for politically incorrect sermons, and private citizens are afraid to mention the name of Jesus in their own homes, my contention is that today’s liberal elite views the First Amendment as little more than irrelevant words written by out-of-touch white people.
To be fair, many on the left view everything our founders did as irrelevant, but freedom of speech (and with it, freedom of religion) is the cornerstone of our republic – a right without which liberty becomes an impossibility.
Thank God for informed citizens, even in the liberal hotbed of California. After local officials in that state caught significant flak for fining a couple who hosted a Bible study identified by the city as “a regular gathering of more than three people,” they reversed course and adopted state legislation allowing such small meetings to continue without expensive permits and inconvenient regulation.
For every victory such as this, though, how many dictatorial officials are spying into the living rooms of believers across this nation? The truth is that there should be no need for citizens to fight for their right to pray and fellowship with other Christians. That right should never be threatened in the first place!
Just out of curiosity, I wonder how much manpower is being directed toward every home three or more practicing Muslims happen to occupy at the same time. It’s disturbing we only hear of Christians being subjected to such blatant and overreaching religious intolerance.
B. Christopher Agee founded The Informed Conservative in 2011. Like his Facebook page for engaging, relevant conservative content daily.
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I wonder if this, and the false story of Jesus and his "wife," are not ploys to get we Christians riled up just as they have got the muslims starting riots all over the east. If you have noticed, the occupy wall street has started up again, too. There is also a country, I believe it is France, that is showing pictures of a naked Mohammed and that is causing havoc. Christians know what is the truth and what is not, and should just ignore these type of things, as they are implemented just to annoy us. I have become a skeptic, and believe all of these things are deliberate and planned to get all of us, one against the other. Prayer mats are allowed in prisons and other places for muslims and they are invited to the white house, but Christians now are not even being allowed to hold bible studies in their own homes. It is hard to believe this is happening in our own beloved country.
Wow just like the underground churches in Nam an China and how the Egyptians Iranians Jordanians,and eevery country of Islam..and dont forget all the other Communists countries that raid churches and destroy….This has been written about in The Holy Scriptures…The falling away the apostacy, and the hatefullness towards Jesus….He told us (they Hated Me before they Hated you ) We have to stand up and be vocal and stand on the rightly divided word of God….When God is for you who can stand against you…No weapon used against you will prevail…I will never leave you nor forsake you and espcially Romans 8/28……Do you think that they go after Buddists, or Muslims that meet in homes …The End of the Begining and the Begining of the end is at hand….So Keep looking up your Redemption draws nigh…Just one man's opinion…….We are strongest on our Knees and when in the valley's is the time our faith is the greatest….Those who come against us God has already explained(VENGANCE IS MINE SAYS THE LORD)
As long as we have a organization like the ACLU we will continue to hate the bible.Those commies hate God and will sue cities,states and their mothers over the mention of God,that is why politicians fear them.Send ACLU members a crucifix and watch there bodies incinerate.