TOLERANCE, NO MORE! - TheCypressTimes

The more I watch and listen to the things going on around me in our country, the more I am drawn to God's word. I find myself spending more time in prayer and feeling a conviction I have never experienced.

The Holy Spirit is conjuring up something within my soul that I am afraid is about to awaken a new emerging desire of fulfilling God's will. I have this energy within me that is bubbling about, stewing, wrestling, and rising. I opened my Bible last night and began reading in Galatians chapters one and two. I had finished my other reading and needed to start in a new book. Not quite sure how I ended up choosing Galatians but it was more than appropriate with the feelings I have been having.

Living in America represents Christianity, freedom, security, and so many other things that you cannot find in any other country. We were founded on Godly principals by God fearing men. I have no doubt God led this nation to greatness because our forefathers feared Him and followed Him. We were a nation unafraid of presenting the Gospel truth. We were a nation unafraid to pray before a meal, unafraid to pray in school, unafraid to speak the name of Jesus in public, at work, or in our schools. We were a nation under the convictions of the Holy Spirit. Looking at America today what do you see? No longer can our children pray before meals in school, yet we honor the Muslims in some schools, Richardson, TX, by allowing them to pause from their classes and go pray five times a day. We begin to talk about God in the work place and we get fired, such as I did, from Birch Telecom in Irving, TX. I prayed before meals, talked openly about my faith and trust in God, when asked by others how I was so strong emotionally. I was asked by the management who I would vote for during the 2000 elections. I gave them my answer based on my beliefs in Christ. The next morning I arrived at my desk, only to find everything boxed up. The manager waiting for me. She explained that she had to let me go because of my openness and beliefs in God. I received unemployment and went to school to become a personal trainer.

Christians are getting fired for wearing crosses around their neck, yet Muslims can wear their turban, which is much more distracting. The schools are teaching tolerance, yet they are totally intolerant of Christianity. They are teaching our kids about sex, homosexuality, and birth control at the tender age of 10. Yet, they won't teach God, abstinence, or morality. I am not prejudiced against Muslims. I do not have a problem with them wearing turbans. I do have a problem when they tell us that we cannot wear a cross around our neck .

I love football and sports. You see people painting their faces, wearing crazy costumes, dancing and jumping up and down, and shouting. They have no problem with being embarrassed or looked at. Yet, Christians are afraid to stand up and talk about God. We are afraid to pray in public. We are afraid of "offending" people. We are worried about what they will think of us. We are worried that they will not agree. Yet, we will fight to the end about which team is the best. Peter, in Galatians, tells us that he was sent by God, not man. He tells us that he answered to God, not man. He was more concerned with showing respect to God, not man. He also spoke about how quickly the people deserted the Gospel and resorted to other gospels, that he says really were no gospel at all if it was not the one true Gospel from God. (Galatians 1:6,7). In verse 10 chapter 1 Peter says this, "Am I not trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or, am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ". He goes on to say, Gal 1:10,11 "I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by the revelation from Jesus Christ".

Why are we so afraid? What are we so afraid of? Because of our fear of man we have lost our very freedom in Christ. We have allowed the non-believers to strip away the God given freedoms that this nation was originally founded on. Because we wanted to be tolerant. We didn't want to offend anyone. Well, my friends, guess what! Now, we cannot talk at all without being lightly persecuted or fired. They have reached our children. When is enough enough? When are we going to gather together and decide that we must stand up and fight back? When are we going to realize that God did not teach us to be tolerant of sin. He did not command us to be tolerant of sinful behavior. In fact, He teaches us to encourage and build up those around us, those we love. We are taught to build up and encourage through the love of Jesus Christ. We are taught to correct our brothers and sisters in love, not tolerate their sinful behavior. We are taught to go and make disciples of all nations. How can we possibly do that if we cannot even speak the name of Jesus in a public place without repercussions? When is enough going to be enough? When will we realize that we have hindered ourselves and God to work in our lives and our nation?

No more! No more for me! I refuse to be told that I cannot worship my God, the one true God, that this nation was founded on. I will ask God for courage and boldness. I will ask God to use me in whatever way He needs. I will not be afraid to go where God tells me, or to say what God tells me to say. My hope, my promise, my future, is all in Christ Jesus. I will no longer worry about offending anyone. I would rather offend someone and tell them about the merciful God who has promised a life in eternity with Him, than not tell them, out of fear for offending them, and then praying they don't go to hell.

Peter tells us in Gal. 1:20,21, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing". May God bless you, and may God, once again, bless this nation. May God grant us with wisdom, boldness, courage, and faith.

Author Disclaimer: The views of the author do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the staff, editor or publisher of The Cypress Times. The author is solely responsible for the content of this column.

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Added: September 06, 2009. 08:51 PM CST

Thank you for your sincerity

I appreciate you taking the time to explain your beliefs and background to me. This allows me to have a better understanding of how to pray for you. lol. You are much like my father, as well as our discussions. My apologies in taking so long to get back with you. God bless. Continuing to pray for you.

American Soldiers wife

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Added: September 05, 2009. 06:52 PM CST

Here you are:

My religious beliefs are somewhat eighteenth-century. Like Jefferson, Franklin and Paine, I am impatient of the claims of organized religion, but strongly believe in one God. Then, they called people like me Deists; now, we're most often termed Unitarians.

I grew up as a Christian, and for that reason sometimes describe myself as a Unitarian Christian (to distinguish myself from other Unitarians who come out of Jewish, Muslim or pagan traditions).

Through a great deal of avid reading in the Bible, I found that there were parts of it that, if applied today, would justify immoral acts (the genocide of the Amalekites being a case in point).

I believe unshakably in a God who is good and just. Therefore, I could not logically maintain any coherent sense of morality and believe in a Bible that is all divinely inspired. The Bible does not do God justice, and I put God before the Bible.

It seems like arrogance to me that mere mortals such as we are should pretend to know, in a final and absolute sense, the nature and desires of the Creator of the Universe. The Universe contains billions of galaxies, of which the Milky Way is only one; and in the Milky Way, there are billions of stars and planets. I have no rational reason to suppose that Christians on Earth, alone in all of Creation, have worked out the sole true way to please Him.

So, I do not speculate on whether Jesus was born of a virgin or not, or whether he was the Son of God. Whether he was or was not, and what God has set up as the economy of salvation and damnation, I do not presume to know.

It will not affect one way or another the obligation I have to treat my fellow human beings lovingly and justly. I aim to "do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with my God", just as I am sure you aim to do with yours.
I read as much as I can, travel as much as I can, gain as wide an experience of people as I can, and hope steadily to learn more thereby about how to live my life rightly and to better the lives of others. My participation as a columnist for the Cypress Times helps with that process. Perhaps the process will even, in death, bring me closer to God. But if not, and if we disappear after death, I would do it anyway.

Zander

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Added: September 05, 2009. 05:11 AM CST

I am originally from England. I was brought up Episcopalian. I have been in the US for ten years now. I live in New England, and like many New Englanders am a Unitarian.

I was asked on Terry Brown's thread "For The Love Of Money" about my beliefs, and responded, so you're welcome to look there for more details.

Zander

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Added: August 31, 2009. 09:01 PM CST

Hello again Mr. Zander

Thank you for your comments and for taking the time and interest in my stories. I am wondering where you are from originally. I recall you saying you are not originally from here and not a U.S. citizen yet. I am curious to know what country you are from and what relgious background you carry. Always enjoyable, God bless

American Soldiers Wife

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Added: August 28, 2009. 07:43 PM CST

It must have been highly upsetting to have been fired in that way.

I have dealt with similar issues as an employer of several people with different, passionately held religious beliefs.

The question for me was not whether they were allowed to express their religious views to one another (they certainly were, and did). The question was whether their different commitments to spread their versions of God's truth interfered with the efficient discharge of the duties for which they had been hired.

So, if, instead of working, they proselytised, that would be inappropriate. If, instead of helping a client find somewhere to live, they told them to pray about it, that would be inappropriate. If they expressed contempt on work time for another employee's or a client's beliefs, that would also be inappropriate. That's not what they were hired to do, and I wanted the workplace to welcome employees and clients of all beliefs and none.

You are welcome indeed to the free exercise of your religion, as are all people of all religions in this country. This country was founded by people who held a range of beliefs about God and about Jesus (extending from Paine's "Age of Reason", through Jefferson's "Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth", to Washington's Masonic Episcopalianism.

On the whole, they did not want to set up a government that intruded on individuals' consciences. That is why the very first Amendment in the Bill of Rights prohibits Congress to establish any religion as had been done in England, or to prohibit the free exercise of any religion. The two go together.

It is therefore proper for us to try to safeguard both of those freedoms - preventing the US government from sponsoring or favoring one religion over another or none, and facilitating each individual in the practice of their beliefs according to their own consciences. That is, I think, the American thing to do.

Zander

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