Baptist preachers and teachers What will you do if...?

WHY SO NEGATIVE?? The chance of this happening in our lifetime is right between slim and none, heavily tilted towards the none.

 

If that were to ever happen, I'd continue following the Word and suffer the Earthly consequences.

 

You're right, the Word is clear that it will happen. But the Word also says that in the end, we win. I hope it doesn't happen in my lifetime, but if it does, I'll follow Christ. His blessings far outweigh the junk of this world.

 

Only in one interpretation of Revelation is it "clear" that such a thing would happen. I see no reason to think it will here in the United States.

Joshua

 

Jailminister, I would do as the secret church has done for years, follow God's word and share the great news at any cost. God's law over man's laws!

However, instead of pushing people at an abortion clinic, one can work at places like Birthright that will counsel and offer help to these young women. There are ways, now, to do God's work without breaking laws.

The way our country is going..... I'm not sure we'll have free speech when it comes to calling sin sin in the very near future.

Diane

 

It was not my intention to start something. I merely was trying to state that if such a thing ever happened here, that I would try to be found faithful in what Jesus has commanded. To hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant," is a dream I long to hear.

 

Regardless of one's interpretation of Revelation, history has taught us that such things do occur.

Consider the stranglehold that the papcy kept on Christianity for so many years, executing anyone who went against their views.

Look at the persecution of our Baptist forefathers causing them to die in prisons and suffer at the hands of tortuous officials.

How about the Puritans in the foundational years of the Massachusetts colony, implementing punishment for those who thought outside the norm, or even those they suspicioned of such?

While we enjoy the merits of religious liberty now, that may not always be the case. Fortunately, Christ promised us that the very gates of hell would not prevail aganst the church, but he never promised us that it would be a cakewalk. Much of the New Testament was written under the persecution of Nero and the exhortations contained therein center around that.

What would I do if this came to be? I hope, that with the help of the Lord, I could stand strong in the face of adversity, "for it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's Will, than for doing evil. 1Peter 3:17"

 

Bob, I do believe we will "win" in the end. What I don't believe is that Scripture is clear that there is a time of persecution for the church forthcoming.

Jailminister and JoshuaR are phrasing it as if such pesectuion is an inevitability. I disagree.

Joshua

 

Dear Dr. Bob,
Rev Joshua has already answered, but I read it differently than you to begin with. For one thing, the time of his posting was four minutes after Joshua's, so that is a sign he was responding to a post pre-Joshua's.
I have found a number of times that when I am responding to a post immediately before mine, that another response can end up coming in immediately before mine and after the one to which I was responding.
This is part of why I always quote some of the post to which I am responding.

Karen

 

Well now, back to the original question:

I abide in Christ Jesus, my Lord.....and I truly trust Him to lead me now, and I know He does not change, so He will lead me then.


Sherrie

 

I have a great solution! If we would all ensure that separation of church and state is enforced, this will be even more unlikely to happen. What so many folk seem to forget or not even know...separation of church and state is not an end, but a means to an end. TOTAL religuious liberty for aALL is the end.

Under that kind of atmosphere, the church will flourish. We have never needed nor never will need the favor or crutch of the government. They will always oppress us under the guide of being a "Christian" government

So let's band together for Separation of church and state!

 

Intresting Topic. God says we are to obey our leaders. But, we are to obey him as well. I would obey him read his Word , and do my best to do what I should. I guess i'm on the fence on this. We are to obey those put in power above us. But, we are also to try and save the lost by spreading the Gospel Which way to go It will be a sad day in this country if we have to ever make that decision.

 

Interesting that no one has responded to my post on separation of church and state. We live in a very unique country. It was unheard of in 1776 to be a nation where your citizenship was not identified with a certain religion (German-Lutheran, England-Anglican, Italy-Catholic) Because we have pretty much kept church and state separate, we have had the greatest faith prosperity than ANY county. NOW that it seems that evagelsical Christians are in the majority we seems to be changing our tune.

We will pretty much never get in the position of not being able to express our faith IF we grant religious libery to ALL! John Leland said it best (he was put in prison by the government of Virginia for preaching the gospel as he understaood it, "God has given man the right to believe in one God, two gods, three gods , or no gods!"

George Truitt preached a great message on these idea on the steps of the nation's capitol as the rising tide of religious oppresion began to rise after WW1 in the 20's.


Have we Baptists forgot or never knew that the oppression will come from religious tyranny?

Remeber, it is the goverments that are religiopus which end up oppressing believers!

 

My position on separation of church and state is, I think, well known.

Without nit-picking, I agree with your summation.

 

Religious-liberty, very good and true post. When the concept of Religious Liberty becomes selective rather than all-inclusive, it by definition ceases to be a liberty.


Stubbornkelly, not only is your position on separation of church and state well known, but your position is clearly supported by the Baptist Distinctive requiring adherence to Separation of Church and State. Unfortunately, for too many Baptists, this distinctive appears to be optional.

 

I am sorry but if you all want me to participate...I believe this is precisiely on target.

If religious tyrants come after me and forbid me to speak about Jesus like they did John Leland, I hope I will learn from it and believe even more fervently (as Leland) did for TOTAL religious liberty) Then I hope that I will preach in jail (as Leleand did and saw scores of people come to Chrisr!)

Jailminister, when you believe so fervently in this idea of liberty as Leland did) maybe it won't even matter what happends to you physically, God will be honored because you have dicovered His heart (on liberty for all). And folks will be amazed at the respect and recognition of God-given dignity which all have.