Culture
Got Your Permit to Study the Bible?
I’m in Southern California right now with my family which really brought the seriousness of this story to mind. Do Bible-believing Christians understand that a season of persecution could be right around the corner in this nation? Actually, not around the corner: Recently, it showed up at the front door in San Diego county. 
The following story of suppression of faith will be even more likely if homosexual behavior and marriage are legitimatized by law–one more reason for you to fight the good cultural fight in your state and nation and stay on fire for liberty of conscience. RB
Carlos Ray “Chuck” Norris is an American martial artist, action star and television and film actor who also writes a weekly column for Human Events. This article appeared on 6-2-09.
by Chuck Norris
Recently a California pastor and his wife were required by San Diego County officials to obtain a permit to hold a Bible study in their home.
“What?! Is this a joke?” I wondered as I heard the news for the first time. It was no joke. Rather, it’s a First Amendment nightmare and possibly a foreshadowing of what’s to come.
Are you prepared for a future in which you hear, “Got your permit to study the Bible?”
On April 10 (Good Friday), a county code enforcement officer visited the home of David and Mary Jones after receiving a complaint about their Christian gatherings. The Jones’ attorney, Dean Broyles, president of The Western Center for Law & Policy, conveyed in disbelief, “The county asked (Mrs. Jones), ‘Do you have a regular meeting in your home?’ She said, ‘Yes.’ ‘Do you say “amen”?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Do you pray?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Do you say “praise the Lord”?’ ‘Yes.'”
The officer then warned the family to “cease and desist” the “religious gathering” or they would face weekly fines. A few days later, the county delivered a citation claiming that the Joneses were guilty of “unlawful use of land” and mandating them to “stop religious assembly or apply for a major use permit.”
At first, I thought, “They must have a large congregation meeting in their home to warrant this type of citation and prompt this type of commotion, right?” Actually, according to their lawyer, the Joneses have been hosting weekly Bible studies in their home for about five years, with an average attendance of only about 15 people.
Broyles appropriately responded, “If the county thinks they can shut down groups of 10 or 15 Christians meeting in a home, what about people who meet regularly at home for poker night? What about people who meet for Tupperware parties? What about people who are meeting to watch baseball games on a regular basis and support the Chargers?”
Well, this past weekend, barraged by hundreds of complaints after WorldNetDaily broke the news to the international community, San Diego County officials informed the world that they’d backed down from requiring the Joneses to obtain a permit. Despite their retraction (based solely upon public pressure, I might add), however, I am appalled at how far the county’s enforcement and encroachment crossed the constitutional line and became a flagrant disregard for Americans’ right to exercise their religious faiths. And I’m concerned that we will see far more of these overreaching governmental actions in years to come.
As Mary Jones shared with Fox News: “The implications are great because it’s not only us that’s involved. There are thousands and thousands of Bible studies that are held all across the country. What we’re interested in is setting a precedent here — before it goes any further — and that we have it settled for the future.”
I’m not expecting county officials to be constitutional lawyers, but they should be aware of these basic precepts of America’s makeup. For example, prior to the San Diego officials’ recanting their position regarding the Joneses’ Bible study, Chandra Waller, the general manager of the county’s Land Use and Environment Group, declared, “The Bible studies are one that’s probably in a very gray area.”
“Very gray area”? Is there anything “very gray” about the First Amendment?
I agree again with Broyles, who explained further to Fox News: “The government may not prohibit the free exercise of religion. I believe that our Founding Fathers would roll over in their grave if they saw that here in the year 2009, a pastor and his wife are being told that they cannot hold a simple Bible study in their own home.”
Part of the genius of America’s Founding Fathers was to provide and secure a foundation for our freedom of religious belief. The First Amendment simply reads, “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.”
Could it be any clearer that government may not prohibit “the free exercise thereof”?
Now more than ever, we need to be like the Joneses! Fight for the First Amendment and your freedom to exercise your religion.
The 15th of April – A New Independence Day?
The 4th of July.
We say it differently than other dates because it has a special meaning in America’s history.
The 15th of April.
Months or maybe years from now, will it be a national holiday that commemorates the re-birth of the United States in the 21st century?
April 15, 2009 will be long remembered by those those who attended the over 2,000 Tax Day Tea Parties that took place this week across the America nation. Rallies such as in New York and Atlanta, brought tens of thousands of concerned citizens. Hundreds of smaller rallies–we had forty in Washington State alone–were filled with colorful signs and patriotic chants by an energized electorate. Millions of people took a stand for real change in America.
I attended the largest rally in our state, on the steps of the capital in Olympia. The Seattle Times claimed there were five thousand people at the event, but it looked more like eight-to-ten thousand to me. On a beautifully sunny day, the gathering between the Capitol Dome and the Temple of Justice was packed with adults, youth, children, thousands of creative signs, and the thunderous praise and applause as a variety of speakers called on the various governments in our state to:
- Stop the unfettered growth of Big Government.
- End the wasteful spending spree of tax-payer money.
- Restore the God-given rights of the American people to life, liberty,and the pusuit of happiness.
- Return the nation to its God-blessed cultural moorings.
It was a day to shout, cry, send a message to law-makers, and receive great encouragement that a new American revolution has begun. As I stood among the excited throngs, something rose up within me that whispered, “This is a new day. What you’ve been praying for for many years is about to take place. Remember this moment. Seize the day. The tide has turned.”
My heart is deeply stirred with these thoughts and possibilities. For decades I’ve been concerned about America’s spiritual, moral, and more recently, economic tailspin. The past election only seemed to solidify the death grip of secular forces on American culture. Barack Obama has stated very openly that he doesn’t want America to be a “Christian nation,” and all of his policies so far have been as anti-Christ as anything this nation has ever known.
When a good friend of mine first heard Barack Obama speak at the 2004 Democratic Convention–his coming out speech as a national figure–my normally meek-mannered friend turned to me and said, “Ron. Could this man be the anti-Christ?”
I was shocked at the comment, and said I didn’t know.
I still don’t know, but I do know this: America has been under spiritual and moral attack for two generations, and the present administration is taking us further and further away from our godly and historical roots. The Bible says prphetically that “Righteousness exalts a nation. Sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). America became the most prosperous and generous nation in the history of the world because of the abundant application of biblical principles in our laws and Christian attitudes and actions in our people. As our government steers us away from biblical truth and our people forsake the ways of our Creator, some very dark clouds of judgment and chaos loom on the horizon.
In fact, the same afternoon of the Tax Day Tea Parties, the Washington State House of Representatives passed on a 62-35 vote the expansion of domestic partnership benefits to homosexual couples–effectively ratifying Homosexual Marriage in our state. Here’s how Faith & Freedom’s Gary Randall broke the sobering news:
“Washington State Legislature Approves Homosexual “Marriage” –without the name—for now. Washington State lawmakers passed SB 5688 yesterday afternoon, thus giving the homosexual activists what they want. Gov. Gregoire will sign it.
We will seek to overturn it by referendum. While the lawmakers were voting in favor of homosexual marriage in the Capitol, I and several other leaders in the faith community were meeting a few blocks away, finalizing details before filing a referendum to overturn this legislation. A more detailed press release will be forthcoming following the Governor’s signing of the bill into law.
The bill, the homosexual activists in the Legislature initially called “Every Thing But Marriage,” but dropped after we called them out on it, elevates homosexual relationships to that of traditional marriage, thus eliminating any legal difference between domestic partnerships and marriage. Their next step will be an easy one them. Litigate, correctly claiming there is no legal difference, then claim discrimination and it’s a done deal.
They will have successfully done an end-run on the State Supreme Court ruling which upheld DOMA and will have dismantled the Defense of Marriage Act. Except, we We can overturn this legislation with our referendum. Joshua once asked the people of God to, “Choose this day whom you will serve. As for me and my house,” he proclaimed, “We will serve the Lord.” This is that kind of moment. Do you believe in homosexual marriage?
If you do not, stand with us.”
I was one of those leaders behind closed doors, praying and planning a frontal assault on this sad and destructive legislation. After seeing thousands of people stand up at the Olympia Tea Party for God, faith, government accountability and responsibility, I, too, believe that the tide is turning–and that we can win the battle for marriage in the state of Washington.
But it will take all of us, moving forward with commitment, wisdom, compassion and prayer.
The 15th of April. Our new independence day.
Please join the army to push away the clouds of darkness and bring back the bright and glorious sun of personal salvation for many, and cultural renewal for all.
Tax Day Tea Parties – April 15, 2009 – Yes You Can!
On April 15, 2009 millions of modern day patriots of our American Christian nation will do a very peaceful and Christian-like protest of the present misguided and irresponsible course of our Federal Government and many state governments.
“Change We Can Believe In” has become a “Nightmare We Can’t Tolerate”–and less than one hundred days into the present administration, a grassroots revolution is building to take back America to the economic and social principles that made her great.
It’s Tax Day Tea Party Time–and we encourage all Americans who love this nation to take part. If you can’t attend a protest rally, then make your views known at work, school, and in your communities.
The April 15 events, in hundreds of cities across America, will be reminiscent of December 16, 1773 when a handful of men dumped tea into the Boston Harbor. That one act set in motion a chain of events that birthed the most free and prosperous nation in the history of the world. That freedom is now in jeopardy.
Today, many Americans feel helpless as they watch an over-reaching government destroy our Constitution and 237 years of liberty. The first American Tea Party birthed a nation. The second American Tea Party could help save it. Just like our Founding Fathers, many Americans are deeply concerned about the direction our leaders are taking us. It’s time to say:
- NO to the growth of bigger government and the abandoning of free enterprise.
- NO to the war on the successful and the rich to pay for the government growth.
- NO to the class warfare or taking from one group to give to another.
- NO to to the destructive redistribution of wealth.
- NO to trillions of new debt to advance a fascist or socialist vision.
- NO to tax increases to pay for egregious and irresponsible spending.
- NO to bankrupting future generations of American citizens.
- NO to tax cheaters being appointed to positions of power in Washington.
- NO to irresponsible Congressional earmarks.
- NO to the White House power grab of politicizing the US Census.
- NO to ACORN as census-takers under the Department of Commerce.
- NO to open borders for illegal immigrants.
- NO to blanket amnesty for illegals, their families and their friends.
- NO to the mis-named “Free Choice Act” which is a payback to unions.
- NO to closing Guantanmo Bay and bringing terrorists to America for trial.
- NO to the new hostility and harassment of gun owners.
- NO to giving up American sovereignty to world courts.
- NO to being a puppet of the U.N. Human Rights Commission.
- NO to visions of a One World Government and currency.
- NO to destruction of American moral values and principles.
- NO to the destruction of marriage under the guise of homosexual rights.
This could be a pivotal day in the battle for America. Columnist Michelle Malkin comments:
“As unemployment soars and anger over Wall Street bailouts mounts, public outrage will seek an outlet. Populism could go in many directions — and could easily ebb when the economy revives. But if it takes shape as an anti-spending movement, it could revive conservatives much as the 1970s tax protests did.
To be sure, the protest sizes so far are a far cry from the left’s anti-globalization and anti-war demonstrations of the past decade. But they appear to have grass-roots origins. The organizer of the Kansas protest, Amanda Grosserode, calls herself a home-schooling mom who is “fed up” with the spending in Washington. She has been a member of Fair Tax Kansas City since last fall.
“My husband and I were feeling frustrated that the stimulus had passed with very little debate and no one had read it,” “I said, ‘We need to do something.’ ” She began contacting family and friends, and eventually received attention via Fair Tax Kansas City and local talk radio.
“I think the taxpayer revolt is the new counterculture,” said Grosserode. “People want to stand up and say, ‘Hey, I’m paying for that, I do not support that.’ “
Malkin concludes:
“Don’t wait for somebody else to move. Don’t make excuses. Don’t think you can’t pull one off because you’ve never done it before?
Yes, you can!”
I encourage you to get involved in this new American revolution. If you don’t know where to participate, go to Tax Day Tea Party.com and find the locations where rallies and meetings are taking place on April 15. There are two major rallies in the state of Washington, one in Olympia and one in Spokane. You can find the details HERE to those events.
You can also send a symbolic virtual tea bag to our president and Congressional leaders to let them know that you’re a part of the movement to change directions.
Thomas Jefferson’s famous words of July 4, 1776 are as true today as when they were written:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it..”
This is not the time to abolish, but the moment to “alter” our current national trajectory back to the wise and trusted ways of the past. That wisdom includes re-affirming our God-given unalienable rights to:
- Life – now being trampled by the most radical pro-abortion Administration in history.
- Liberty – being suffocated by out-of control spending, massive debt, and crippling regulations to the private sector,
- The pursuit of happiness – “property” – in the minds of the founders that are over-taxed and being taken away from the productive and re-distributed to others.
If you can’t attend a Tax Day Tea Party event, please pray for America, our leaders, and for those who are taking a stand.
Wednesday, April 15, could be a day that changes a nation.
Yes, you can!”