IS RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION COMING TO AMERICA?

Religious liberty in America is in grave danger. Many political leaders and most in the media no longer view the First Amendment guarantee of religious liberty as a sacred right to be cherished and guarded, but as a burdensome nuisance to be ignored or explained away. 

Already obvious, this hostility has been made even more clear by the dismissive and demeaning manner in which churches have been treated during the coronavirus pandemic. For example, the Democrat mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio, sounded like an old Soviet dictator as he threatened churches and synagogues with “permanent” closure if they did not abide by his draconian shutdown order (no mention of mosques). 

Numerous mayors and governors have declared abortion clinics and liquor stores to be “essential” during the pandemic while churches are declared “nonessential.”

The Democrat governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, warned that church gatherings of 10 or more could result in a $2,500.00 fine and up to a year in jail. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom allows large and loud public protests against the police but restricts church gatherings to small groups with gag orders of “no singing.”

In Nevada, the Democrat governor, Steve Sisolak, placed churches under greater restrictions than the many casinos in his state. As a result, Calvary Chapel of Dayton Valley, NV filed a discrimination lawsuit against the state, which went all the way to the Supreme Court.

Surprisingly, Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the four liberal justices and the Court ruled against Calvary Chapel. Justice Neil Gorsuch, in his written dissent, scorched the ruling, saying,

The First Amendment prohibits such obvious discrimination against the exercise of religion. The world we inhabit today, with a pandemic upon us, poses unusual challenges. But there is no world in which the Constitution permits Nevada to favor Caesars Palace over Calvary Chapel.

Justice Roberts’ ruling against Calvary Chapel is especially troubling for it shows that those in power are vulnerable to the argument that churches are "nonessential" and can be curtailed and even closed for "public safety." It is also troubling because in a Democrat administration the Supreme Court would be the only bulwark against increased attacks on Christians and the dismantling of the First Amendment.

America’s Founders Valued Religious Liberty

America’s founders valued religious liberty above all others, which is why they listed it first in the Bill of Rights. “Congress shall make no law concerning the establishment of religion or hindering the free exercise thereof.” They knew from personal experience the oppressive conditions of life without religious liberty.

The Puritans who settled New England fled religious persecution from the government-run church in England. The same was true of the Quakers who settled Pennsylvania, the Baptists who settled Rhode Island, and other groups as well. These groups and individuals suffered imprisonment, beatings, and even death for their faith.

John Witherspoon, a member of the Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, spent time in a Scottish prison for his faith before immigrating to the Colonies and becoming president of the College of New Jersey, now Princeton University. A devout Christian and ordained minister, he knew by personal experience the value of religious liberty.

In his Autobiography, Benjamin Franklin tells how his grandparents suffered under the reign of Mary Tudor who would not allow the English people to possess a Bible in their own language. As the official head of the Church of England, she and her priests would tell the people what the Bible says and what it means.

In response to Mary’s order, Franklin’s grandfather fastened an open Bible to the bottom of a stool. With one of the children watching at the door for civil or religious authorities, he would turn the stool upside down and read the Bible to his family. In case of danger, he would quickly secure the pages and return the stool upright to its place in the corner of the room.

The danger was real for during Mary’s reign 288 Protestants were burned at the stake for their faith. Yes, Benjamin Franklin knew the importance of individual and religious liberty.

The Founders Believed in the Inherent Power of Truth

With the implementation of the First Amendment, America’s founders created a free and open marketplace for religious ideas and expressions without government interference. They believed such freedom to be the Divine plan, as stated by Thomas Jefferson, who wrote,

Whereas Almighty God hath created the mind free; that all attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burdens, or by civil incapacitations, tend only to beget hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion (Hyatt, 1726: TheYear that Defined America, 148).

America's founders were not afraid of opposing views in the marketplace for they believed that on an open and even playing field, truth would always prevail. They believed in the inherent power of the Christian message and agreed with John Milton who said,

Let Truth and Falsehood grapple; who ever knew truth put to the worse in free and open encounter? She needs no policies, nor strategems, nor licensings to make her victorious. Give her but room.

Progressive Democrats Have No Confidence in Their Message

Modern progressives have no such confidence in the power of their message. This is why they use coercive measures to impose their views on the American populace. Google, Twitter, Facebook, and other tech giants, instead of providing an open forum for the exchange of ideas, impose their liberal views by censoring and removing those conservative views with which they disagree.

Just a few days ago, Twitter censored an inspirational, Bible-based tweet by Tim Tebow, former Heisman Trophy winner, and a devout follower of Christ. What is frightening is that these elitist "fact-checkers" want to run the country and the world. 

Make no mistake! If Democrats win the White House in November, there will be outright persecution of Bible-believing Christians and an attempt to dismantle the First Amendment. This is the most serious moment in American history since the Civil War. 

Our Response Will Determine Our Future

So, is religious persecution coming to America? It depends on us. Will Christians in America rise up and be that "light" and "city on a hill" that Jesus called us to be? (Matthew 5:14)

The need for Christians to come out of hiding was recently highlighted to me by the mayor of a north Texas city. I had walked into his office and handed him a copy of my latest book, explaining that it documents the role of faith and prayer in the founding of America. 

He thanked me for the book and then asked a question that momentarily stunned me. He asked, "What has happened to the Christians in America?" I was silent and he then asked, "Do you think the Christians are going to rise up again?" I replied, "Yes, they are coming our of the closet." He exclaimed, "I sure hope so!"

Yes, even politicians know that unless Christians rise up and make their influence known, America is in deep trouble. This reality is expressed by the conditional promise of a national healing in II Chronicles 7:14, which begins with the words, If My people . . .. 

I, therefore, urge the following steps for those in America who name the name of "Christian."

1.     Renew your commitment to Christ to be His witness and to make His name and His ways known in your circle of influence. 

2.     Begin now to pray for the rain of the Holy Spirit to be poured out across the land. As I document in my book, 1726, it was a great, spiritual awakening that brought this nation into existence and only another such awakening will sustain her.

3.     On November 3, vote for the candidate and party that will defend religious liberty and give room for the Gospel Message to spread  throughout this land and to the ends of the earth. This will be pleasing to God and to America’s founders as evidenced by the prayer of George Washington in which he prayed,

Bless, O Lord, the whole race of mankind, and let the world be filled with the knowledge of Thee and Thy Son, Jesus Christ (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 132).

Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt is the author of 1726: The Year that Defined America, available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com. This book documents how the First Great Awakening had a direct bearing on both the founding of the United States of America and the ending of slavery on this continent.