Dear Crosswalkers,
This is a weird story from just last month. Dante Autullo, a 32 year old Chicago man, was building a shed when he thought he cut himself on the head. Being a tough guy, he decided to gut it out without seeking aid. A persistent headache, however, prompted him to go to the hospital the next day. What he thought was a surface wound turned out to be much more serious. Without knowing it, Dante had accidentally shot himself in the head with a nail gun, sending a 3.5 inch nail into his brain. The X-ray reveal that the nail was lodged just millimeters away from the part of the brain that controls the motor functions.
Dante said, "When they brought in the picture, I said to the doctor `Is this a joke? Did you get that out of the doctors joke file?' The doctor said 'No man, that's in your head.''' In a happy ending, doctors at Advocate Christ Medical Center successfully removed the nail and replaced a piece of his skull with a mesh patch and titanium plate. 
It’s amazing the harm we can do to ourselves and be completely unaware of it!
But what is true of individuals is also true of society. In the past week or so there have been some remarkable news stories about the increasing secularization of American culture that is accompanied by hostility to spiritual values and religious liberty. I wish we had the time and space to discuss the Susan G. Komen flap in detail. The issue is simply this: Shouldn’t Americans be allowed to give to a charity to support Breast Cancer research without a portion of their money going to Planned Parenthood, which does not provide mammograms and is America’s number one provider of abortions? Another hot issue is the government’s refusal to grant religious organizations an exemption from purchasing health insurance that covers abortion-inducing drugs, surgical sterilization, and contraception. There was an immediate outcry by many, especially the Catholic bishops who called it an egregious violation of religious liberty.
But I wish to highlight is story out of New York City where city officials ruled that churches could not worship in public facilities (including public schools when not in session), because it is mixing church and state. They have ordered over 60 churches evicted by February 12. Thankfully the New York Senate passed a bill on Monday that would allow churches to rent spaces in public schools for worship services. However, the measure's fate in the state Assembly and on Gov. Andrew Cuomo's desk is uncertain.
Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Church in NYC, said this: "It is my conviction that those churches housed in schools are invaluable assets to the neighborhoods that they serve. Churches have long been seen as positive additions to communities. Family stability, resources for those in need, and compassion for the marginalized are all positive influences that neighborhood churches provide."
In his LifeWay blog, Ed Stetzer gave three reasons why NYC’s plan to evict churches should be reversed:
1. Churches benefit communities
Schools and churches make their communities better and the public knows it. According to a 2011 Barna Research study: Three-quarters of U.S. adults believe the presence of a church is "very" (53%) or "somewhat" positive (25%) for their community. In contrast, only one out of every 20 Americans believes the influence of a church is negative. Most Americans see churches as partners in the community, but the NYC school system sees churches as a threat rather than a benefit.
2. Discriminating on the basis of the speech content is against our values
The NYC municipal government contends religious speech should be banned from public school buildings to avoid confusing our children. (Remember churches use the schools when school is not in session.). To the contrary, it affirms our commitment to religious freedom.
3. Religion-neutral is better than religion-hostile
Any constitutional concerns about church use of public school buildings can be answered by a religion-neutral approach. A government that is religion-neutral we will not discriminate based on the content of speech--even unpopular religious speech. Thus, I stand with my Muslim friends who wish to rent on Friday, my Jewish friends on Saturday, and my Christian friends on Sunday--all paying money to use space that belongs to us all.
My question is this: Is America thinking these issues are minor scrapes, or is it much more serious? Are we shooting ourselves in the head with a nail?
Please pray for the direction of our country and our cultural values. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 -
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.
Blessings on your week,
Pastor John Christie
No comments:
Post a Comment