The judgement ruling against the Johns raises a number of issues, freedom of speech, human rights, discrimination, multiculturalism, diversity and so on it goes. I suppose Christians would see at least some of these things as opposed to their faith – and by and large they are, or at least are becoming so.
The Default Position of Society
But, is this merely a return to the default position of society. That is, Anti-God, and more specifically Anti the Christian God of the Bible. As sad, or as difficult as Christians are finding this – it’s normal. Maybe we have been suckered into the belief that the United Kingdom is or ever has been a Christian country. It is not, it never has been and more than that it never will be. The Bible does not teach this and so for a long time (who can say how long) we have been deluded into thinking it is so. We have for many years been living as it were on borrowed spiritual capital. Maybe the ruling against the Johns is a wake up call that we badly need to hear.
Appealing to Caesar
Using our ‘Inalienable Rights’ as citizens is something that we can do. This is a ‘right’ we still have under the law. Paul had this right as a Roman Citizen and look where it got him – imprisonment and probably death! Having the right to appeal to Caesar doesn’t make any problems of perceived or real persecution go away. It’s important, I think, that if we are going to have this ‘right’ then we of necessity must extend it to everyone else. I have no God given right to expect it, but to have it reciprocated would actually be quite nice. This is where the Government gets itself into difficulties because trying to maintain an equal balance between the ‘rights’ of everyone is going to be impossible. In this case someone’s going to lose. The reality with this is ‘you win some you lose some’. I’m not here talking about some form of fatalism – this is living in the real world. Here’s a real world check for Christians – the world and it’s systems are opposed to the God of the Bible, the Christian God. Therefore we ought to expect these things. Borrowed capital only lasts so long and then it’s payback. We need to wake up and smell the coffee.
What to do
Obviously, losing privileges that have – possibly – been taken for granted isn’t something I particularly relish, but then who would. But it is something I need to get my head round. However, based on the rights I do have, doesn’t mean I have to keep quiet. Just because some people think I’m a complete nutjob for putting my faith in Christ doesn’t mean I have to act like it and take it lying down. Sure, I need to be humble and Christlike about it but that doesn’t mean I have to shut up. I’m not going to bomb anybody or attack them no matter how much I dislike it. Again, the Apostle Paul always had some bunch trying to slag him off or even kill him, it didn’t stop him though.
Courage from Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti
It deserves a separate post really, but Shahbaz Bhatti continued to speak out knowing full well that it could cost his life – and it did . I realise it’s way easier said than done and we do desperately need God’s grace to continue to speak out for Christ. It’s not all bleak though. Although our freedoms in the West do seem at times to be very precarious, we do still have them. We have way more freedoms than Gadafi or other dictators would allow. Christians in communist and Islamic countries will tell you that! So, as opportunity presents itself I shall endeavour to speak trusting that in the final analysis God in Christ will have the last word.
Related Articles
- Only half of Britons say UK is a Christian country (telegraph.co.uk)
- Christianity isn’t dying, it’s being eradicated (blogs.telegraph.co.uk)
- Foster parent ban: ‘no place’ in the law for Christianity, High Court rules (telegraph.co.uk)
- Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan’s sole Christian minister, is assassinated in Islamabad – Washington Post (news.google.com)
- Slain Pakistan minister left video warning (alternet.org)