Tag Archives: religious freedom

Arizona, discrimination, and being forced to violate one’s conscience

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gavelThe whole country has been talking about Arizona SB 1062. For the most part, ridicule has been heaped on the lawmakers and on the conservative Christians the lawmakers were seeking to protect.

Sadly, much of that ridicule has come from professing Christians.

First off, let me say that I’m against discrimination in general. I’m against discrimination against homosexuals. Against atheists. Against muslims. Discrimination based on race.

And from what I can tell, the language of this law was much too broad.

That being said, most of the attacks on the law have shown extreme prejudice. Rather than deal with the actual issues at stake, they’ve opposed the law with hyperbolic arguments.

The intent is not to keep anyone from sitting at a lunch counter. You should be ashamed of yourself for even making the comparison. Saying such either shows ignorance of what is going on or a willful distortion of the facts. The intent of the law is not to keep anyone from exercising any rights they have. The intent of the law is to allow people the right to not participate in things that they find violate their ideals.

Does anyone argue that African Americans print shop owners should be forced to produce signs for a white supremacist group? Does anyone argue that a Jewish theater owner is obligated to rent his property to a neo-Nazi group?

The concept behind the law, hidden behind overly ambiguous language, was the idea that a Christian who feels that gay marriage is wrong should not be forced to perform services as part of a gay wedding. That’s the thought. The baker shouldn’t have to put a same sex couple on the cake he creates; the photographer shouldn’t be forced to shoot a wedding that violates his conscience; the minister shouldn’t feel obligated to perform a wedding for a couple when he doesn’t believe that wedding will result in an actual marriage.

Someone commented on Twitter that God sides with the marginalized. In this case, in 2014 U.S. culture, the marginalized is the conservative Christian who dares stand up for his beliefs. If you don’t believe me, look at whom everyone is ridiculing. There are rational voices out there, but they are few and far between.

Christian business owners should feel compelled to offer good, courteous service to everyone. But they should not be compelled to participate in a ceremony that violates their conscience.

The idolatry of religious freedom, revisited

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A while back, I wrote about the idolatry of religious freedom. The subtle seduction of this standard is hard to overstate, especially for those of us who grew up in the United States. It only seems logical that this freedom would be one of the most important freedoms that Christians should seek to protect.

Logical, maybe, but hardly biblical. I’m not saying that we should seek to lose this freedom that we enjoy, but like all of our rights, it must never stand in the way of the good of the Kingdom. (See Paul’s discussion about this in 1 Corinthians 9)

I spent last week in Cuba, part of the time in Matanzas, part of the time in Havana. I heard the “party line” straight from the mouth of Communist officials and was reminded of the limits placed on the church there. I also saw a healthy, vibrant church that is growing by leaps and bounds.

I was struck yesterday by the contrast between what goes on in Cuba and what goes on in the United States. I see Christians here in the States spending endless time debating politics, while Christians in Cuba are about the business of spreading the gospel.

The church here is stagnated. The church in Cuba, in a Communist country with limits on their religious freedom, is growing and growing.

Which scenario do you think is more pleasing to God? While we spend our time protecting our economy, our democracy and our religious freedom, we leave the business of God’s Kingdom untended. Of course, it’s not the Kingdom that is worse off for that. It’s us, our children and this country.

What would you give up to see the Kingdom grow?

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Worship at a congregation in Matanzas

Worship at a congregation in Matanzas

All right, it’s time to get this blog started again. My planned post about Christmas seems a little out of place now, so we’ll move on to another topic. How about a thought question? If you had to choose, would you opt to live in a country where you could practice your religion comfortably or live in a place where the church was growing by leaps and bounds?

Now don’t jump to conclusions, I’m not saying that everyone everywhere has to choose between those two. I was thinking about my friends in Matanzas, Cuba. In a lot of ways, their lives are nothing to envy. Many of them live in poverty. They don’t enjoy many of the freedoms we do. Opportunities for the future are limited. But on any given Sunday, they baptize 4-5 people at church. Over the last few years, the main congregation in the city of Matanzas has started 19 churches and has averaged 200 or so baptisms.

Would it be worth it to you? Would you give up personal comfort, civil rights, etc. for a chance to live in a place where the Kingdom is growing rapidly?

Idolatry of religious freedom

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Brian Nicklaus mentioned a book to me yesterday, a book called Resident Aliens. Investigating the book, I read a review which mentioned the phrase “the idolatry of religious freedom.” That phrase jumped off the screen at me. I need no explanation of that; I’ve faced it time and again, just didn’t realize what it was.
It comes up in almost every discussion of Christians and politics. “If Christians aren’t involved in politics, we may lose the religious freedoms we have.” “We have to make sure that our children have the same freedoms we do.” (I could point out the fact that the religious right has been more visible and influential politically than ever the last few decades, yet most feel that we’ve made no progress in achieving more religious freedom. But that would distract from the main point.)
Dare we base our decisions about what is best on something that isn’t set out for us in the Bible? Surely the book of Revelation is pertinent here. When writing to an oppressed church, Jesus told them to be faithful. No words about religious tolerance or religious freedom. The Christian’s job is to be faithful.
Religious freedoms are wonderful. I admit it. I view them somewhat like riches; they make life easier, but they are also dangerous. The church that lives in a country that grants freedom tends to grow fat and lazy. The lack of resistance allows the church to grow soft. It also creates confusion between patriotism and holiness. Just as I won’t willingly seek poverty, I won’t willingly seek to lose my religious freedoms. But I can’t see making the preservation of those freedoms a principal goal in my life.
When Jesus talks about being willing to give up everything to follow him, he means everything. Would we be willing to give up our religious freedoms in order to be faithful? If not, then religious freedom has become an idol in our lives.
I can somewhat understand being involved in politics to help end war, to help protect the unborn, to fight for the environment, to work to bring about social justice. I think that’s the wrong way, and I think it’s the least effective way. But at least I can understand it. However, the fight to preserve religious freedom has no biblical base. And it borders on idolatry.
Or is there something I’m missing?