Religious freedom is America’s first freedom and in every session of Congress there are bills introduced that impact religious liberty at home and abroad.

A comprehensive list on the how the current Congress (the 111th) participated on religious freedom legislation has been prepared by our friends at Open Doors. The list includes both the members of the House and the Senate. Unfortunately, only Kansas Senator Sam Brownback received a one hundred percent favorable rating.

The “scorecard” shows an overview of your own legislature’s work, and whether they measure up. The scorecard measures legislators’ prioritization of religious freedom.  Low scores mean that a legislator has not prioritized the promotion of international religious freedoms. It does not mean that the legislators are against international religious freedoms.

Thankfully, Congress did condemn the UN’s outrageous, Muslim-led attempt to silence the Gospel around the world, and Congress stood with persecuted Christians and religious minorities in Iraq, North Korea, Iran, China, and Egypt.

The scorecard includes relevant faith initiatives concerning those outside of the Christian faith. To serve Christians, it is beneficial to support religious liberty for other persecuted groups. Legislation is often not limited to Christians but focuses on multiple faith groups.

TAKE ACTION:

Be sure to find out how your Senators and Representatives did. As your Congressmen are out campaigning this fall, implore them to make religious freedom a high priority.

Click here to find the scorecard.

Last week, U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips made a dramatic ruling that will deeply impact our military.

In 1993 Congress passed the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law regarding homosexuals enlisted in the service. Homosexuals could serve as long as they kept their sinful lifestyle to themselves. But the Obama administration opposes “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” even though 75% of the military agrees with it. The chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines have only recently asked Congress for more time and research before it is considered for repeal.

Now Judge Phillips has overturned the law, placing it on injunction. If her ruling is not reversed, it will have a profoundly harmful impact on military readiness by undermining unit cohesion.

As California's Attorney General Jerry Brown and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger are seemingly paralyzed by political games from actually doing their jobs of upholding the law (as seen by their recent in-action surrounding Proposition 8), we are urging the Obama administration’s justice department to step in and enforce the law. Will they fulfill their constitutional duty and appeal the ruling or play politics and let the ruling stand?

TAKE ACTION:

Help us urge Attorney General Holder to do his duty and vigorously defend “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

• Call: 202-353-1555
• Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Those who want to burn the Koran are free to do so as far as their American liberty goes, but not according to Christian principles of charity and wisdom.

It’s very easy to empathize with the frustration regarding the hypocritical double standard afforded Islam because of Islamic radicals. They run around shouting they are eternally offended at the slightest provocation while they are engaged murdering and intimidating fellow Muslims and non-Muslims and desecrating churches, synagogues and religious symbols all over the world. 

But as Christians we are supposed to operate by a different standard. If someone is willing to lay down their life for the sake of advancing the gospel, that’s highly commendable and constitutes being part of the glorious train of Christian martyrs. But to engage in activity that can cost the life of others is not sanctioned by the precepts or example of Christ.  

Christ died for us and invites us to freely follow him, even if that means voluntarily laying down our life. But it is presumptuous for me to intentionally cause an international incident that may cost the lives of others who are unwillingly associated with me by virtue of their being American or of the Christian faith, not the least of which are fellow Christian missionaries and humanitarian aid workers.  

Christians do associate with Christ even unto death, but since when do we have to die for the unnecessary, intentional provocations of other Christians? While we can make the distinction between the free acts of individual Christians, apparently radical Muslims do not. Though we may not like it, we have to take this into account.  

So, what does burning the Koran prove? That we are brave or right?  If these pastors want to convince Muslims of the truthfulness of Christianity, then they ought to move with all their families to the Middle East and minister there. Acting in a provocative way to expose Islam from the safety and confines of America is not the epitome of moral or physical courage. 

Perhaps a refresher course in missiology would help these ministers remember that Islam is not just an abstract metaphysical debate for Muslims. It’s about an entire way of life and is their essential identity. So they take this very personally, much more so than the average American Christian who lives a more intellectually and religiously compartmentalized life.  

If you burn our flag Americans may get heartburn, but we know the enduring principles undergirding the Republic will survive even the most crass, unpatriotic act. If you burn a Bible Christians know it does not alter its message and we are secure in its enduring truth. Is it offensive? Absolutely. We may protest and appeal to conscience and common decency, but Christians don’t behead non-Christian blasphemers because we respect moral agency. We advocate for the Truth and pray God will grant repentance.

Christians don’t have to act in a provocative manner to prove we aren’t going to be intimidated. The government is charged by God to protect us (Romans 13) and thankfully they are working hard to do so. The church is about declaring Truth, but burning books of any kind projects intellectual weakness.  

Christians are given only three spiritual “weapons” to advance the Gospel- prayer, proclamation and the willingness to lay down our lives for our testimony, not book burning . The issue is supposed to be the Truth, not bonfires and if we are going to start burning books that contradict the Bible then we are going to have very big blaze.  

Why don’t these concerned ministers make 9-11 a teachable moment and create “Debate a Muslim Cleric Day?” Use it to demonstrate the stark differences of Islam and Christianity, as if most people don’t already know.  Murdering people because a book, even a holy book, is burned presents an unjust and vicious view of reality. That’s what we need to address.   

Turn the frustrations that 9-11 represents into a prayer meeting. Beg God to show mercy on us and pray for the conversion of Muslims. Then go share the Gospel with them. 

Unfortunately, this controversy may have now devolved into a matter of pride for those involved. To back down may appear to show weakness and the temptation to dig in is irresistible.   

But as Christians we must realize that the spiritual battle for souls of mankind is the Lord’s work and we must do it the Lord’s way. Remember the promise of Christ: The meek, not the macho, will inherit the earth.  

God is not mocked. As Islam continues its reign of terror we rightly defend ourselves and advance true religious liberty as the alternative, knowing God is working through us to evangelize the world. 

Christ said the gates of hell themselves cannot prevail against His church and anything not built on the bedrock of His words will collapse.  Burning the Koran demonstrates a kind of desperation and a sense of frustration with Christ’s Lordship.  

Be assured that Christ is well able to advance the Kingdom of God on earth by the means he has ordained.  Let’s get back to using the mighty spiritual tools we do have and stop stooping to the level of our detractors.