Don’t Ask

Recently, the insidious threat to our liberties which has been creeping stealthily into our lives has struck a masterful blow. I say masterful, because it has been almost universally effective in it’s impact and nearly all people of faith who call themselves people of faith have been overcome by it. Not only have they been overcome in this instance, but they have given tacit approval, by their submission, to government regulations concerning religion. To quote a famous document which you may have heard of:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Because it was not the congress who did it, and it was not exactly a ‘law’, and because everyone sheepishly agreed that “OUR SAFETY” was in jeopardy, the entire body of religious leaders, communities, and faiths left their religious liberty, dignity, and convictions on a dusty shelf somewhere and walked blindly forward according to the “suggestions” of ‘medical experts’ who claim to have our ‘best interests’ at heart.

So, I will pose a question: If, before all of this happened, someone, anyone pretending to have good intentions came to your door, or the door of your center of worship and ‘suggested’ that it would be for the good of everyone in the room to cease to sing? What if he was very sincere? What if he said that he had been told by an angel to tell you those things? What if he posted it on the internet?

I know very well that if any such person could have conceived of such a thing and would have acted in such a manner they would have been summarily invited to vacate the premises and asked to take their ‘suggestions’ elsewhere, at the very least.

It matters not who makes the absurd suggestion. It matters not if it becomes a law, an executive order or a governor's decree. It matters not who they SAY will be threatened or sickened. Since these unholy ‘suggestions’ have become decrees, mandates and orders, I have thought many times of the Prophet Daniel in ancient Babylon. The decree was made by a foolish King, who was counseled by his leading ministers who were angry with Daniel and sought his destruction. Through the unrighteous decree, they hoped to rid themselves of Daniel and his influence in the Kingdom. No one was to pray to anyone but the King, and when Daniel was found praying (aloud) to the God of his fathers, he was arrested and thrown to hungry lions. This would have been a very unpleasant way to die, except Daniel was faithful and God was faithful. Thus, Daniel was spared, to the delight of the King, and those ministers met their untimely death.

Today, we are witnessing precisely the same conditions faced by Daniel. The unrighteous decrees of powerful men are working to, among other things, silence the prayer and worship of good people throughout the world. This is a lamentable condition indeed, but is only the beginning of the devastation which comes when one once submits to the condition of being silenced, stunted, curbed, and humiliated in this manner. We have just witnessed the end of religious liberty as we know it. Once gone, it cannot be regained unless you are willing to fight for it. Sadly, people are so far from being willing to fight for religious liberty that they will allow anyone to make the most wild, unholy and preposterous ‘suggestions’ about how to ‘worship’, (or not worship, as the case may be), and they will follow and obey those suggestions to the letter, and beyond! Ironically, it was our faith in God that taught us about exact obedience. I wonder if we can be forgiven for shifting our allegiance like this, and for doctors, no less. I wonder what the Great Physician would say? Perhaps we should not ask.