Thursday, March 6, 2014

The Loss of Liberties by Pastor Stephan Nash

     What has happened to freedom in the USA?  The changes in our country are alarming!  Why are we (and our Congress) allowing this to happen?  Pastor Stephan Nash comments on many of the losses of liberty in his article today from The Daily Rant.

Give me liberty or give me death!

The Loss of Liberties

 If you have ever been to Williamsburg, Virginia you have heard of the venerable name and influence of Patrick Henry.  Henry was a fiery statesman, who passionately gave us the immortal words, “Give me liberty or give me death!”  He felt that to live without certain intrinsic rights was a life not worth living. He and others of his day prayed, preached, protested and fought for the American liberties that we have enjoyed and most nations only dream about.
Today there is a tremendous shift on the subject of civil and religious liberties in the U.S. and abroad.  For instance, the recent decision in Arizona that made it illegal for a Christian photographer to refuse to shoot a gay couple’s wedding, and at the same time, a Muslim taxi cab driver can refuse to drive a newlywed couple to the airport because they have an unopened bottle of champagne given to them back at the reception.  Do you see the double standard?
A well-known pastor from Brooklyn, who was invited to speak in Canada, recently told me that Canadian law did not permit him to speak on the sin of homosexuality, but he could speak about homophobia.  Didn’t Jesus say, that in the last days, “Men will call good evil and evil good!?”  I have termed this twisted thinking “backwards thinking.”  It is frustrating to hear this warped mindset on a daily basis.
We hear of the IRS singling out and harassing conservative groups who are applying for a 501c-3 or 4.  The FCC has threatened to investigate conservative TV and radio stations who speak against government policies.  My friend, what country are we living in?  I heard this week that when you walk into a large shopping area, the data on your cell phone is confiscated and sold without your awareness.  For the first time in American history the government can monitor what you say, where you go and what your daily habits, interests and routines happen to be.
Through Obamacare, the U.S. citizen has little recourse if they choose not to sign up.  The cost, care and conditions are in the hands of the government.  Two thirds of the American people don’t want this government intrusion into their family’s health care, but that doesn’t matter.  The citizen who refuses to work is subsidized by those who do, and the illegal immigrant is fully covered by the taxpaying American citizen.
I read earlier that the first drag queen show on a military base was performed, but the military chaplains are no longer permitted to preach the Gospel as they once did.  Whatever happened to, “Congress shall make no law respecting an established religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances?”
In Connecticut guns will be confiscated by the police if not turned in to the authorities.  Whatever happened to,” A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
At the same time we have a president who has ignored the 14thAmendment to the Constitution that gives Congress the right and responsibility to legislate and manage our national spending/debt.  He declares, “I have a phone and I have a pen!”  He continues to ignore the limitation of his office and the balance of powers that are crucial to a republic.
When civil and religious rights are stripped from a society, the outcome will be internal unrest and revolt.  At the same time, our enemies from abroad will detect that our spiritual, moral and civil fiber has become weakened and will seize the moment when it is time to attack.  We will wield little resistance because we have lost our backbone.
Do you see the shift?  Do you see the hypocrisy?  Do you see the dangerous direction we are going?  What can we do?  Pray for the spirit and passion of Patrick Henry and other patriots who sacrificed greatly to gain these liberties in the beginning.  Pray, vote, assemble, protest, write, preach, teach as long as God gives you the strength to do so! 

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