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Is Religious freedom Free?
“Religious Freedom or Freedom from Religion?” by Terry Dashner,
Senior Pastor
Faith Fellowship Church…PO Box 1586…Broken Arrow,
OK…74013…918-451-0270
I’m concerned about American citizens who take religious
liberties for granted. Every God-fearing American who is
indifferent to his right of legal assembly, who’s indifferent to
the support of a church or synagogue by attendance and tithes,
and who neglects to pray daily for the continuance of religious
freedom is unwittingly placing America’s religious liberties in
jeopardy. By his failure to participate actively in religion,
he’s sending a message to American lawmakers, and to the world
at large, that worship by free expression and free assembly is
not very important. It’s interesting that most Americans claim
to be Christian. If we are, then why aren’t our Churches and
synagogues reflecting these numbers of supporters? Americans
must use or we will lose our First Amendment right to religious
liberties. These precious rights are privileges, not mandates.
There is a frightening spin manifesting now in other countries
that claim religious tolerance. Religious tolerance for them is
not like America’s religious tolerance. Their tolerance is in
name only. What they practice is tolerance for one-state
religion. All other religions must comply with the
state-preferred religion or suffer persecution. This is scary
because it could happen in America if we don’t support our
religious rights. If we don’t use our right to worship we will
lose our right to worship.
Cal Thomas, a leading American columnist, writes articles worth
reading. I read one of his articles the other day that stated
the following information. The Institute for Religion and
Democracy (IRD) in Washington says Sharia law discriminates
against women and Iraq’s small (estimated at 2 percent)
Christian population. In a statement, IRD says that if a
Christian man converts to Islam, he could divorce his Christian
wife and she might lose custody of her children, who would be
officially decreed Muslim. Anyone converting to another faith
from Islam is considered an apostate and, under some
circumstances and interpretations of the Koran, could be
executed.
In his book, Islam, Muhammad and the Koran, Dr. Labib Mikhail,
an Egyptian who moved to the United States in 1973, notes: ‘”The
Koran commands Muslims to fight non-Muslims until they
exterminate all religions so that Islam will be the world’s only
religion.’” In the Koran, Surat Al-Baqarah 2:193 says, ‘”And
fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and
worshipping of others along with Allah) and (all and every kind
of) worship is for Allah (alone). But if they cease, let there
be no transgression except against As-Zatimun (the polytheists
and wrongdoers).”’ To a devout Muslim, a polytheist is a
Christian, who believes that God is three persons in one.
While we are exploring this topic, we must not overlook the
persecution of Pentecostal congregations in many European
countries. France has many Catholics and Protestants, but
France, as well as Germany and other European nations, is a
secular society. France’s Revolution in the 18th century forced
the religion of Enlightenment on the country and trivialized
Christianity. Today, if you go to a secular European country to
start a Pentecostal mission, you won’t find religious tolerance
for the Pentecostal faith. Most likely you will be harassed and
badgered by the secularists to comply with the norm or you will
become discouraged and probably leave the country on your own.
America’s Constitution protects all religions throughout our
Nation, even those that are different from mine. This is a great
liberty that many God-fearing Americans take for granted and
ignore through indifference. I’m concerned, and I know that you
are too. That’s why I’m honored to network with you through
e-mail for encouragement and prayer for America. Please pray for
the Body of Christ around the world also. Will you continue your
support of religious assembly by supporting a church or
synagogue of your choice? Remember this, if you don’t exercise
your right to worship, you may lose it. Someone might tell you
someday by authority of law how or what to worship. May this
never happen in America.
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