The principles of genuine liberty, and of wise laws and administrations, are to be drawn from the Bible and sustained by its authority. The man, therefore, who weakens or destroys the divine authority of that Book may be accessory to all the public disorders which society is doomed to suffer...
- Noah Webster, 1833
In the last post, I briefly mentioned Christian persecution. We often think of persecution abroad because, quite frankly, we do not find ourselves suffering much for our faith here in the US. However, the tide is changing. Fox News reported that Pentagon officials met with Mikey Weinstein, of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. He is urging the military to make proselytizing of one’s faith a criminal offense subject to court martial. He characterized the sharing of one’s faith as unconstitutional calling it “spiritual rape” by “fundamentalist Christian religious predators.” The story is also covered here.
There is a lot that could be discussed and argued regarding this horrific statement. Since space is limited I am going to discuss this news report in two parts. This will be a mult-part series as we first, examine our American Christian Heritage. Future posts will examine the Biblical principles of persecution and evangelism in the face of persecution, for I fear it is coming soon.
First, let me be clear, the United States of America was founded upon Christian principles. I recommend the book Original Intent by David Barton (2010) for a thorough discourse on this topic. This book is thoroughly researched with hundreds of footnotes. It cites dozens of US Supreme Court cases and the writings of many of our nation’s founders acknowledging our Christian foundations. Much of the constitutional context I that follows is drawn from Barton’s book.
The first constitution written in the United States, 1639, was the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut which explained the purpose of entering into a confederation was to “...preserve the liberty and purity of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ which we now profess... which, according to the truth of the said Gospel, is now practiced amongst us” (cited in Barton, 85). Later in 1643, four colonies created the New England Confederation. The document explained their purpose for uniting together, “[W]e all came into these parts of America with one and the same end and aim, namely to advance the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ” (cited in Barton, 85).
In the 1892 US Supreme Court case Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States the court examined the history of our nation and numerous previous court decisions explaining why it is, quoting Barton (p. 55), “completely repugnant to the spirit of the Constitution to in any way hinder, whether directly or indirectly, the spread or propagation of Christianity by legislative act.” For example, the court examined Updegraph v. The Commonwealth in which the court stated, “Christianity, general Christianity, is, and always has been, a part of the common law...not Christianity with an established church...but Christianity with liberty of conscience to all men” ( cited in Barton, 57). In examining People v. Ruggles the y found the court stated “[W]e are a Christian people, and the morality of the country is deeply engrafted upon Christianity, and not upon the doctrines or worship of those impostors [other religions]” (cited in Barton, 57).
It is important to recognize that our founders established the American system of law on Biblical, Christian principles, not the establishment of Christianity as a mandated religion. The Constitution clearly prohibits the establishment of a national religion and, seemingly forgotten, protects our free exercise of religion. In contrast, countries such as Burma, North Korea, or the Sudan demand their citizens follow the state religion for which a violation is subject to imprisonment or death. Through the Constitution, “America granted broad religious toleration to other religions not in spite of, but because of its Christian beliefs” (Barton, 76).
Weinstein would have you believe that the sharing of one’s faith in the military is an establishment of federal religion. It is interesting to note that US military chaplaincy exists to protect the soldiers‘ right to exercise their religion and provide access to exercise their beliefs regardless of where they are stationed throughout the world. For an explanation on the Constitutionality of military chaplaincy see the United States Service Command and American Center for Law and Justice. Weinstien would criminalize any sharing of faith within the military, even for chaplains.
For Mr. Weinstein to declare that sharing one’s faith in the military is unconstitutional, is itself unconstitutional and intentionally misleading. Clearly he has set his own personal agenda to change the fabric of our nation. Unfortunately for Christians, it is this agenda that is gaining more ground; it is this agenda being taught in our Godless public schools; and, it is this agenda that will persecute the American church.
God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever.
- Thomas Jefferson, 1781
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