How Communist concepts have led to suppression of Christian views
It is essential that nations hold to the negotiated international human rights treaties to restrict the power of the state and protect the rights of individuals, western nations advocated for strong free speech
VS.
The Soviet Union successfully pushed for bans on “incitement to hatred”
-Hate is whatever those in power say it is
-No one should incite others to hatred, but the problem is it is impossible to legally define what that means-open to interpretation
-Laws fuel mob violence against Christians
-Hate speech laws are cut-and-paste from Soviet times and communist countries
--Around the world, Christians are facing a level of hostility not seen in many decades
”all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).
“Evil preaches tolerance until it is dominant. Then it tries to silence good” Charles Chaput
“There is a clear rise in global persecution of Christians” Paul Coleman
New Reality
-Juneteenth overshadows July 4th-rewriting history
-1619 Project has released a new school curriculum to push the idea of reparations in the classroom
-2 + 2 = 4 is no longer correct, but how one feels about the equation
-Math skills have been hijacked by social justices
-Traditional Christian beliefs about marriage, human sexuality, and sanctity of life have been censored on the bases they they are hateful
-the accepted cultural norms will become the laws of the future
-Biblical beliefs are suppressed
-Believers lose their jobs for expressing Biblical truth
-Some have landed in prison for their faith
-Erasure of biology
-Gender affirming care of children
-Parental rights are being removed in say of their child’s education and gender
-Gender and sexuality is on a spectrum
-Don’t agree you will be canceled
-Biological men in women's' prison as trans-identifying inmates
Ex. California protects the rights of trans-identifying biological males to be house n female prison in the face of female inmates who carry trauma from sexual violence or abuse
Examples from around the world:
-Attack on biological women by taking over their private spaces-bathrooms, locker rooms, and women's’ sports
-Western nations are on the move to promote censorship
-A lot of this censorship is now coming with criminal penalties
-In Africa, Middle East, and Asia is a rise of cases often involving blasphemy laws or laws against conversation
-Mexican congressman convicted as a “political violator against women” for calling attention to the fact that congressional seats reserved for women were taken by men who identify as transgender
-Midwife in Sweden denied work in hospitals because of her objection to abortion
-Australia is considering a new law that would bring about “the end of authentic Christian schooling in Australia”
-College campuses are implementing rules to dismissal and expulsion of students who misgender or do not use appropriate pronouns
“Any unlawful discriminatory behavior, including transphobic harassment or bullying by individuals or groups, will be regarded extremely seriously and could be grounds for disciplinary action, which may include expulsion or dismissal."
Speak truths
-Christians must respond to this hostility and opposition
-Apostles Peter and John were arrested and ordered not to preach in the Name of Jesus Christ, but the church prayed and the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit
Acts 4: 31 “continued to speak the word of God with boldness”
-They did not back down
-The did not hide
-They responded to the challenge with boldness and confidence
-They prayed and relied on the Holy Spirit
****We must mirror the model outlined in the Bible-Be light in this dark world
The New Tyranny? The Transgender Movement Threatens Women, Children, and Civilization at Large by Jerry Pierce
-When a culture rejects the Bible’s account of God creating man and woman in His image So “God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27).
-The world is in a battle over whose “truth” wins the day eventually becomes a power struggle
-The Transgender movement questions all sexuality
-First Baptist Church in Dallas gathered to address concerns and taking action against:
Unmasking Gender Ideology: Protecting Children, Confronting Transgenderism
“It’s almost a new tyranny that’s begun to develop” (Jeff Myers)
“The only way to effectively understand and develop a culture around truth is to have an objective point of reference outside of yourself and how you see things in the world” (Jeff Myers).
-Truth= Christians believe in God-breathed Scripture
-Truth= What is prevailing is the LGBTQ+ movement because Christians fear voicing their opinions
Why do we stay silent?
We don’t want to be canceled
We don’t want to offend
We don’t feel equipped to defend what we believe
Address these Challenges
Representation: legal professions, ethics, Christian ministry, medicine, and women’s rights
-Truth = the transgender movement is a cult like contagion
-Truth = the transgender movement has taken over ethics and public policy
“The transgender movement has begun shaping language, our laws, our healthcare” (Mary Rice).
“It’s shaping our relationships”
1996- the rise of a self-described “transexual” activists
1996- unveiled something called the International Bill of Gender Rights
-transgender ideology gained influence in the media, entertainment, school, Law, health care, and religious beliefs is declining
Today:
-Biden “Today, the People’s House-your house-sends a clear message to the country and the world. America is a nation of Pride.”
-Move over allegiance to the American flag the White House has the LGBTQ+ flag in prominent placement
-medical practices related to gender, especially for minors, are not being driven by physicians but by activists pushing “junk science”
-kids diagnosed with gender dysphoria there is a noticeably high percentage who are on the autism spectrum as well as those with a plethora of other social and emotional issues
“There is always a more honest answer to gender confusion in a minor than chemical sterilization and surgical mutilation of what is otherwise a very healthy young body”
***Christians must be ready to respond with Biblical answers in a way that seeks to build a connection before issuing a correction
-Sound doctrine are Biblical truths regarding sexuality and gender
-young people seem more swayed by their own experiences or friendships than by what Scripture teaches
-Believers need to lovingly speak Biblical truths to our youth
***The rise of de-transitioners is rapidly expanding***
-they are talking about how they believed the lie and now trying to stop the lies being pumped into our young people