The Ongoing Attack Against Orthodox Christians in America

I have been accused in the past by some of my readers of overstating my case.  And I will admit I have pushed the envelop at times.  But if I have it is only because I want people to wake up to what's happening around them. 

I've been reading through the book of Jeremiah.  Yesterday I read these words:

They (the prophets & priest) have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying "Peace, peace," when there is no peace.  Jeremiah 6:14

Orthodox Christians are under attack in this country, while many are crying, "Peace, peace," as if everything is okay.  Once the religious liberty of orthodox Christians is stripped away, can the onslaught against all people of faith, regardless of their faith, be far behind?

No doubt some people will think that I'm being fanatical in my warnings, however look at what is already taking place.  These aren't hypothetical situations, these are real court cases where the religious liberty of individuals and groups have been denied.  The following stories have been produced by the National Public Radio, which certainly isn't a bastion of conservative thinking.

Two women decided to hold their civil union ceremony at a New Jersey pavilion owned by the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association. This Methodist group told the women they could not “marry” in any building used for religious purposes. The Rev. Scott Hoffman said a theological principle—that marriage can only exist between one man and one woman—was at stake.  The women filed a discrimination complaint with the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights. The Methodists said the First Amendment protected their right to practice their faith without being punished by the government. But punish the Methodists is exactly what New Jersey did. It revoked their tax exemption—a move that cost them $20,000.

Then there’s the case of the Christian physicians who refused to provide in vitro fertilization treatment to a woman in a lesbian relationship. The doctors referred her to their partners, who were willing to provide the treatment. But that wasn’t good enough. The woman sued. The California Supreme Court agreed with the woman, saying that the doctors’ religious beliefs didn’t give them the right to refuse the controversial treatment.

In Massachusetts, Catholic Charities was told they had to accept homosexual couples in their adoption service, or get out of the adoption business. They chose correctly and got out of the business.

In Mississippi, a mental health counselor was sued for refusing to provide therapy to a woman looking to improve her lesbian relationship. The counselor’s employers fired her—a move that was backed up by the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

In New York, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University refused to allow same-sex couples to live in married student housing, in keeping with the school’s orthodox Jewish teachings. But in 2001, the New York State Supreme Court forced them to do so anyway—even though New York has no same-sex “marriage” law.

In Albuquerque, a same-sex couple asked a Christian wedding photographer to film their commitment ceremony—and sued the photographer when she declined.

An online adoption service was forced to stop doing business in California when a same-sex couple sued the service for refusing, on religious grounds, to assist them. 

All the above examples involve the loss of religious freedom because the individuals or groups held an orthodox Biblical worldview.  So you see why I'm concerned when people bury their heads in the sand about the attack on the free practice of religion and ignore the warnings that are proclaimed.  The priests and prophets of Jeremiah's day didn't listen and the Israelites paid a terrible price. 

I fear we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg of persecution which will come upon people of faith in our nation.  The only hope I see is if people of faith, Jews, Muslims, orthodox and progressive Christians come together and say, "Individuals must have the freedom to practice their religion even if we don't agree with their beliefs.  For when one person or group is denied the right to practice their faith as they see fit, then we all stand the chance of  losing our right to practice our religion."

NT: breakpoint.org

Comments

[anon]

The Ocean Grove example is discussed, debunked, and destroyed in the comments to this excellent blog post. If the rest of your examples are as flimsy, and the rest of your arguments amount to "the evil state is refusing to let us force our beliefs on everyone else," I'm not impressed.

[anon]

Sorry, missing link -- trying again:

http://scienceblogs.com/dispatches/2009/04/gay_marriage_and_religious_lib_1.php

[John B]

I am in no way advocating, "the evil state refusing to let us force our beliefs on everyone else." In fact, I'm advocating just the opposite. I am saying the the state should not force an individual's or group's belief on another. That is exactly what is happening in the above examples. In these cases, the government is forcing the belief that the practice of homosexuality is morally neutral upon those who believe it is not. By the way, official United Methodist belief says it isn't.

Anon, I take it from your comment that you're ok with the state forcing one set of beliefs upon those who don't hold to those beliefs as long as those beliefs are in line with your own. Is there no room for tolerance and honest disagreement?

I'm not saying you or anyone else has to agree with me. All I'm asking is that neither you nor anyone else use the power of the government to force your beliefs on me. This is assuming that the beliefs we're talking about do not cause any physical or direct finance harm to another.