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TERRI SCHIAVO:
VICTIM OF JUDICIAL TYRANNY?
Or
The Absence of Salty Christians?
“Do
not deny justice to your poor people in their law suits. Have nothing to
do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to
death for I will not acquit the guilty.”
( Ex
23:6-7)
Job:
“When a land falls into the hands of the wicked, He
blindfolds its JUDGES”
By Bud Reeves
Today in America, our culture is no longer
shaped by the truth of the Bible. Sadly, our culture has been shaped more
in the past 50 years by courts and judges who have no regard for divine
truth, than by the church and the Bible. You may disagree, but when a
society uses tax money to kill innocent babies in the womb and polls show
a majority agree with the court’s denial of the human rights of Terri
Schiavo, the argument is self evident.
I am writing on Thursday, March 24th.
Terri is hanging onto life and I just heard her mother on the radio say
after a short visit that Terri is gaunt, her lips are cracked but her eyes
and movements seem to be crying out for help, words that Terri’s parched
lips cannot utter. Terri’s mom and dad are grieving, crying out,
themselves experiencing a form of extreme mental pain and anguish, knowing
that their beloved daughter Terri is systematically starving to death,
being deprived of food and water. A uniformed policeman, sworn to uphold
life and liberty of the innocent, stands guard over Terri, not to save,
but to ensure that water, food or any kind of comfort is not given to her.
Outside the hospice, Christians stand vigil, praying, crying out for
justice. A boy appearing to be about 12 years old is handcuffed and taken
away for the crime of trying to take a glass of water into the hospice.
Prolife Christians from around the country are
also gathered outside the Florida hospice. They are praying and appealing
that the U.S. Congress, the Florida State Legislature and the judges
involved in the case, will grant life sustaining food and water to Terri,
to stop this torture that if administered to a cat or dog, would send its
perpetrator to jail for cruelty to animals.
At this time experts say that every avenue
of court appeal, including the thumbs down from the U.S. Supreme Court has
taken place. Terri is dying a horrible death. Thank God for her
Christian faith. Yes, her torment will be over. Thank God, but woe to
America. We have become so busy pursing the good life and material
things, we have significantly failed to be the divine influence in our
society that serves to ensure just and fair government and courts.
The prosperity gospel spewed from the
glittering golden throne-like TV studios and the impressive and ornate
mega-churches have produced “Christians” who seem to live lives believing
one can pick and choose those portions of the Bible that serve their needs
and then reject those portions of scripture that would deny them their
“choices.” The right to “choose” now trumps the call to discipleship. The 35 years of silence and ear tickling “God is here to meet your needs”
gospel is equally guilty. Altar calls rarely call for self-denial,
repentance and holiness, rather timidly ask if any one wants to “receive
Jesus into their hearts”, a phrase not found in the scriptures. Is it any
wonder so many American say they are “born again” but still seem to live
lives marked by addictions, abortions, divorces and mental breakdowns.
Of course there are many American churches
which have sounded a clear sound, a warning to the people and the
culture. They have dared to mention the “A” word, and confirm the
sanctity of marriage for a man and woman; not for Steve and Wayne.
Unfortunately today’s American Christians seem to flee these churches,
complaining that the church is “too political.”
We have gone along to get along. We agreed
to not expose evil government officials or endorse righteous ones from the
pulpit in order to save our tax exempt status. We are so unlike the
early church. Francis Schaeffer in his classic book, “How Then Shall We
Live” described these early Christians as “rebels.” They confronted the
Caesars with truth and had no desire to compromise for economic favors.
Because they would not say “Caesar is Lord” they were made into human
torches by Nero who tarred them and then torched them, burning them to
death as they lit up his garden. Their crime?
Proclaiming only “Jesus is Lord.” Beatings, jail,
death, persecutions; for what? For the sake of
the gospel of Jesus Christ. Their absolute fidelity to Christ and
the gospel stood Rome on its head and spread the Good News throughout the
world.
Today, most American Christians won’t go
near an abortion clinic to pray or offer help because of fear, after all
they might get arrested. Pornography stores stand in most cases without
opposition, surrounded in communities filled with churches. Voting for
politicians who endorse abortion, gay marriage and homosexuality is okay
because after all, he or she is a fiscal conservative who will fix the
state’s economy. Woe to the once mighty and militant Christian church
which has hidden in the wine press, afraid to come out and confront the
heathen. The Ten Commandments are being stripped from the public square
and being replaced by images of Aztec pagan gods (San Jose, CA).
We Christians are quite willing to blame
the judges. Yes, they have been promoting evil and not granting justice.
But Jesus charged us to be the salt and light in our world. In so many
ways we have failed to be salty. We have chosen to be sugar, not wanting
to offend anyone by confronting them or our culture with its perversity
and bloodshed. Believing such things to be “political”, the church fails
to believe the Bible that government is established by God and is to be
stewarded by God’s people. Consequently, as
Jesus taught, we are being trampled on. Oh that
Christian men would become warriors and that the people would listen to
the prophets of our day who have confronted and warned us. No, most of
the church would rather hear from the prophets who tickling our ears,
promising blessings and prosperity.
The Prophet Isaiah plainly confronted God’s
people of his day for their compromise with their pagan neighbors; their
rebellion, lies and unresponsiveness to God’s clear law and leading.
“Justice is driven back and righteousness stands at a distance. Truth has
stumbled in the streets, honesty can not enter. Truth is nowhere to be
found, and whoever shuns evil, becomes prey. The Lord looked and was
displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, he
was appalled that there was no one to intervene; …”
(Isaiah
59:14-16)
Today, in Florida, across America, justice
is driven back and truth has fallen in the streets. In Isaiah’s time it
was the fault of God’s people. Nothing has changed. It is time for a
dramatic wake up in the American Church. Although there seems to be slight
movement today in the church toward recognizing that God desires his
people to repent, pray, live radically for Christ and shape the culture;
will we recognize the times, respond to the alarm, or hit the snooze
button?
Is not this the fast
that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke ,to let the
oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Jeremiah
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