Sorry, I just can't be silent
I've penned before that I'm wondering what's wrong with the world these days. I honestly believe something is SERIOUSLY wrong with some of the things than happen, and sometimes go by completely unnoticed by most, particularly in this country. If you have an aversion to religious topics, stop reading here. I don't mean to offend, truly I don't, but something IS wrong. Some want ANY mention of God removed from EVERYTHING this country does. I just don't understand it. This is not one of those “scratch my head“ things, its one of those stunned silence things.
How many out there watch the O'Reilly Factor on Fox News? In our house, it's almost a ritual. We started watching it around the time of the September 11th terrorist strike. So, why am I writing this time? On Monday night, O'Reilly had two guests on that just didn't sit right with me. The two guests were Brian Fahling, senior trial attorney of the conservative American Family Association, and Chuck Volz, a representative from “Outfest“. I won't go in to details at this point about what Outfest is since that is not the reason I'm concerned. The reason? I've given this some serious thought which is why its taken until now to even bother blogging this. But...here goes.
Last year in Philadelphia, members of a Christian group came “uninvited“ to the event called "Outfest." Some from the Christian group were charged with criminal felonies. Eleven Christians were arrested last October and were charged with three felonies and five misdemeanors. Four of the eleven now face up to 47 years in prison because they, and not the others, were caught on camera evangelizing. Read that sentence again. Just the last sentence is OK. 47 YEARS IN PRISON for preaching from the bible? The Christians were singing, praying, and reading scriptures that city officials deemed as fighting words and hate speech. The bible, and in particular evangelism criminalized as “hate speech“. Reading from scriptures “hate speech“? If that doesn't strike you a little odd, well, maybe I'M odd.
Is the bible about to be banned? Are we in for a brand new book burning? Think what you will but if we don't sit up and take some serious notice to what is occurring in this country, it can and will happen. The bible is and has been for a long time the best selling book. Centuries have gone by with many critics trying to put down that best seller. I'm sure most homes have one. I'm not that old, but I NEVER thought in my lifetime that I would see a time where reading from the bible could be deemed as “hate speech“ and subject to imprisonment. Hate speech. What most take as God's Word. Hate speech. 47 YEARS IN PRISON.
How many crimes can you name (if you even think this is a crime) have a penalty like that? Maybe there are more facts that have not come out yet, but I can't imagine 47 years in prison as the potential sentence regardless of the additional facts unless there was violence and bloodshed of some sort. Does the crime fit the penalty here? Is that what this country is coming to? If I dare quote scripture in public, is this what's next? I'll be thrown in jail because I may be reading from a passage from the bible that someone deems “hate speech“? It turns my stomach at where this may be leading, perhaps to a new phase to martyrdom (and some do think its prophesied to happen). It makes me sick to think about it. I have to live with some of the laws in this country that I don't agree with under the guise of "constitutional rights" and “freedom of religion“, and now I see a 47 year prison sentence as a potential penalty for reading scripture from the bible in public.
I'll be keeping an eye on this story. Is the U.S. really heading toward persecution of Christians? Who will be next if the four involved in this trial are found guilty and thrown in jail?
OK...off my soap box.