Canada Declares War on Freedom of Religion and Conscience

Canada’s CTV News referred to “the harmful practice” of conversion therapy, noting that this will now be banned for people of all ages, part of a promise made to “the LGBTQ2S+ community” by the current government.

As to why the bill was fast tracked, Sen. Leo Housakos, a member of Canada’s Conservative (?!) Party, explained, “I think we have to get to the reflex in this institution, that when something is in the universal interest, public interest, that we should not create unnecessary duplication and engage into unnecessary debates.”  In other words, when there is such widespread agreement that something is so evil and dangerous, we must act quickly and decisively, without debate and discussion.  Let’s get this thing done!

How does CTV News define “conversion therapy” (a name created by the critics, not the practitioners)?  It states: “Conversion ‘therapy,’ as it has been called, seeks to change a person’s sexual orientation to heterosexual or gender identity to cisgender.  It can include seeking to repress someone’s non-heterosexual attraction or repressing a person’s gender expression or non-cis gender identity.  These practices can take various forms, including counselling and behavioral modification, and they have been opposed by numerous health and human rights groups.”

So, we’re not just talking about trying to force gays to try to become straight or kidnapping children and subjecting them to torture in a secret reprogramming camp. God forbid.  No genuine Christian would agree to such practices, nor is there a counselor who would engage in them.  If that is what was meant by “conversion therapy,” then of course, we should all oppose it.  But that’s only the tip of the iceberg.  

The reality is that this new bill actually prohibits Christians from practicing their faith when it comes to homosexuality and bisexuality and transgenderism.  It also prohibits people who want to get help to pursue change, whatever their age, from pursuing that change – as long as it is change away from being gay or bi or trans.  Not only so, but the bill prohibits any attempt at “behavioral modification,” meaning, simply wanting to lessen one’s same-sex attractions or actions.  This is now forbidden by law.

As expressed by Jose Ruba, communications director of Free to Care, “This means heterosexual Canadians could get support to reduce their unwanted sexual behavior but non-heterosexuals could not.  That is a violation of our Charter rights.”

This is dangerous government overreach and yet another step towards banning the Bible. This bill is actually the worst thing of its kind that has ever been passed – and it was passed unanimously, with the help of “Conservative” senators.

So, what happens to a 30-year-old married man with children who secretly struggles with same-sex attraction?  Under the new law, could he receive professional counseling to help him deal with these attractions?  No.  He could, however, get counseling to help him embrace his homosexual desires, even if it destroyed his marriage.  What about a 19-year-old woman who feels tormented within her own skin, as if she’s a man trapped in a female body?  If she wanted to find wholeness from the inside out, rather than getting on hormones for life and having radical sex-change surgery, could she receive professional counseling?  Absolutely not.  But if you’re a 10-year-old child who identifies as trans, you can get a doctor to prescribe puberty blockers for you and start to plan for the first of several sex-change operations when you reach 18.  How utterly perverse.

The opening text of the bill reads:

“This enactment amends the Criminal Code to, among other things, create the following offences: (a) causing another person to undergo conversion therapy; (b) doing anything for the purpose of removing a child from Canada with the intention that the child undergo conversion therapy outside Canada; (c) promoting or advertising conversion therapy; and (d) receiving a financial or other material benefit from the provision of conversion therapy.”

So, based on provisions c and d, if you are a professional counselor who has helped people with unwanted same-sex attractions or gender-identity confusion for years, you can neither advertise such services nor receive payment for them.  How discriminatory.

You might say, “They’re getting this all wrong.  There’s no problem with a counselor or a pastor helping someone deal with unwanted same-sex attractions or the like.”  Quite the contrary.  Instead, all positive attempts to help the countless LGBTQ individuals who want to change for personal or religious reasons are branded “conversion therapy.”  And any belief that homosexual practice is wrong or that God created only two sexes – male and female – is now labeled as bigoted.  

Listen to the bill’s Preamble:

Whereas conversion therapy causes harm to the persons who are subjected to it; Whereas conversion therapy causes harm to society because, among other things, it is based on and propagates myths and stereotypes about sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, including the myth that heterosexuality, cisgender gender identity, and gender expression that conforms to the sex assigned to a person at birth are to be preferred over other sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions; And whereas, in light of those harms, it is important to discourage and denounce the provision of conversion therapy in order to protect the human dignity and equality of all Canadians; Now, therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows .... ”

So, under Canadian law, you are believing in “myths” and “stereotypes” if you affirm what the Bible teaches, namely, that: 1) marriage is the union of one man and one woman; 2) homosexual practice is always sinful in God’s sight; 3) heterosexuality is God’s intended norm for the human race; 4) there are only two sexes, male and female; 5) it is better to be at home in your biological body than to pursue sex-change; 6) with God’s help, all people can change; and 7) there are many ex-gay and ex-trans individuals.  

As expressed by a Canadian pastor, the LGBT movement, which “fought for tolerance, equality and acceptance ... now denies these rights for others and demand[s] those with deeply rooted religious convictions deny who they are and conform to a society that hates them.”

Canada has taken a very dangerous plunge, awaiting the official signature on the bill from the Governor General or her designate.  The only solution is for Christian leaders to refuse to comply, preaching the Word openly and saying that change is possible – and for counselors and therapists to do the same, continuing to serve those who willingly come for help.

As for America, wake up!  Otherwise, what happened in Canada won’t stay in Canada.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Remove Bible Verses from Army Products

The Department of Defense (DoD) is now facing a religious freedom lawsuit after they managed to create a problem for a Christian-owned company where one did not exist for over 23 years.  Shields of Strength (SoS) has been told they can no longer offer their military branded dog tags with Bible verses – something they have been doing without issue since 1997.

The biblical inspired products are so popular that President George W. Bush even requested one in 2003 to honor the first soldier from Operation Iraqi Freedom who was buried in Arlington National Cemetery – CPT Russell Rippetoe.

According to their counsel’s website: “You [Shields of Strength] are not authorized to put biblical verses on your Army products … for example, Joshua 1:9.  Please remove ALL biblical references for all of your Army products,” read a letter from Army Trademark licensing program director Paul Jensen in an August 2019 letter to SoS.

Joshua 1:9 offers a message of strength and encouragement, “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

First Liberty Institute (FLI), the organization representing the Christian company, has brought a federal lawsuit against the change in the application of the trademark licensing law claiming the DoD’s actions are unconstitutional, arbitrary, and capricious.  

Kenny Vaughan, owner of SoS believes the change is related to a complaint from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF).  “It’s rooted in fear, fear always looks out for itself, love always looks out for others,” Vaughan explained.  “Unfortunately, I think our leadership is afraid, they are afraid of bad press, they are afraid of what it may cost them.  As a result, they are doing what is best for themselves without regard for the men and women that are fighting for our freedom.”

The complaint was initially filed with the Marine Corps Trademark and Licensing Program in July of 2019 by the MRFF.  “These Christian proselytizing dog tags are blatantly religious and wholly sectarian in representing solely the Christian faith.  Indeed, they each contain a Bible verse along with the official USMC emblem,” the complaint read.

In order to use military emblems on products, it must conform with Title 5 Federal Code Regulation that specifically regulates the use of DoD marks.  “DoD marks may not be licensed for use in a manner that creates a perception of DoD endorsement of any non-federal entity or its products and services,” the law reads.  “DoD marks may not be licensed for any purpose intended to promote ideological movements, sociopolitical change, religious beliefs (including non-belief), specific interpretations of morality, or legislative/statutory change…”

FLI General Counsel Mike Berry noted that they have allowed SoS to do this for decades and the military members request them by the thousands.  “It wasn’t until this complaint showed up that all of a sudden they got spooked and said, ‘oh, this might violate the so-called separation of church and state, you better stop now or we might get sued or get some bad publicity,’” Berry explained.  

Separation of church and state cannot be found in the United States’ founding documents and many people understand that the 1st Amendment was intended to keep the government out of religion and not the other way around.  The very basis for the city, county, state, and federal government structure is based on biblical principles such as in Exodus 18:21 when God commanded Moses to set up a civil government structured similar to the one American citizens now enjoy with leaders places over “thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens.”  

“My first hope is that the Secretary of Defense [Lloyd] Austin just wasn’t aware of this, because his unit has requested more Shields of Strength than any other units in the United States military, in Afghanistan and Iraq,” Vaughan said.  “I hope when he sees this that he’ll realize what’s going on and stop it.”

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

What’s Next for Unvaxxed Marines?

Thousands of U.S. Marines are refusing to get vaccinated – and as a result are taking a huge risk of getting booted from the Corps— despite having served their country well.

American Family News (AFN) spoke to a Marine Corps officer who said he wanted to remain anonymous – and make it very clear that his views do not reflect the views of the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of the Navy, or the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC).  The officer says the USMC continues to live out its motto, Semper Fidelis (“Always Faithful”) – but seems to be most faithful at denying religious exemptions to those who, for valid reason, wish to opt out of taking the coronavirus shot.

Based on firsthand experience, he contends that what’s happening to Marines refusing the COVID jab for any reason – including the denial of their requests for a religious accommodation – is not simply an “administrative separation” … but is more appropriately described as a “type of punishment.”

The officer references the 667-page Marine Corps Separation and Retirement Manual, explaining that options currently exist to separate someone from the USMC “at the convenience of the government” for “refusal of medical treatment” and for “refusing inoculations.” The manual gives a commander the discretion to separate a Marine even “if the refusal of medical treatment is determined to be reasonable,” he explains.  Like others in the USMC, he argues that natural immunity is much more effective against COVID than the current experimental “vaccines” – and he considers this a “reasonable” argument to refuse the injection.  However, despite the fact that commanders in the USMC are allowed to separate a Marine for simply “refusing inoculation,” he says, “the Corps is choosing a different way to categorize those who they are separating for refusing to be vaccinated with the experimental – and ineffective – COVID vaccines.”  

The USMC, he states, is instead choosing to separate these Marines under the category of “commission of a serious offense” – which has the stigma of misconduct – much like other offenses (e.g., drug abuse, rape, sexual assault, and more).  “And this allows the Marine Corps to strip away the ‘honorable’ characterization of a Marine’s service,” he describes.

The other four characterizations of a discharge that the USMC might choose include “general (under honorable conditions),” “other than honorable,” “bad-conduct,” or “dishonorable.”  “Depending on which one of these is chosen, it can affect the benefits for that Marine for the rest of his or her life,” the officer explains.  For example, he says, “even if the Corps chooses a general discharge (under honorable conditions), the Marine loses GI Bill benefits and any educational assistance that would have been afforded to him or her after serving the country honorably for a few decades.”  And assuming that particular Marine has four children and assigning one year of tuition to each of them, “these children risk losing the educational benefit earned by their father over nearly two decades of service and multiple combat tours to both Iraq and Afghanistan,” he adds. What’s worse, he adds, is that the Marine’s children risk the loss of this benefit because “their father is standing strong for his Christian faith and for promoting the virtue of reason in the face of this unconstitutional vaccine mandate.”

The proud USMC officer laments: “What kind of message does this send to other Marines?  What kind of message does it send to the American people about how much the Marine Corps leadership cares about the strongly held religious beliefs of its personnel when they are denying 100% of all requests for religious accommodation and 100% of all appeals – and then stripping away honorable discharges as they separate Marines?”

A purge isn’t pending … it’s happening now.  The Marine emphasizes that perhaps the primary mission of all branches of the U.S. military is to protect Americans’ freedoms. “And one of those freedoms is the ability to choose whether one submits to a medical procedure,” he argues.  “[But] many of those who would stand between forced vaccinations and the American people are being purged from the ranks.”  According to the Marine officer, most of the people he knows in the ranks who are refusing the vaccine are not only “the best and brightest” but also “critical thinkers who have done their own research, and who have the courage to stand by their moral principles.”

Regardless, many across the DoD who are being separated for refusing the jab are pilots and individuals who aspire to be special operators.  “Almost all are devout in their faith,” he tells AFN.  “But some just choose reason and common sense over blind obedience.”

The officer then shares a personal note about a resulting, intangible loss – a loss he says many others in the USMC are seeing as well: “These are not people who can be ‘re-created’ overnight to defend the United States of America,” he warns.  “I feel like the Marine Corps is trampling upon its motto ‘Semper Fidelis’ and its core values of honor, courage, and commitment.  So, all [these Marines] can do is pray,” the officer concludes, adding that others can join in and “pray for the Marines being persecuted – and pray that military leadership will make a course correction.”  Prayer, he acknowledges, may be the only solution to stopping the military from going down a path on which unvaccinated people are accused of committing a serious offense.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Prophecy, the Heartbeat of Christmas

Christmas 2021 is here.  The negative opinion is that Christmas has already been ruined—ruined by lingering COVID variants—ruined by rules mandated for travel and—ruined by supply-chain interruptions and more.  There is even a Santa shortage.  As we look at changes brought about from two years of the pandemic on the loss side, you may agree that Christmas is ruined for yet another year.  

As Christians, we only ruin Christmas if we allow it.  We must always keep Christ as the real meaning of Christmas.  If Christ is the center all the peripheries can fall away. Christmas remains strong when the heartbeat is the prophesy of Jesus’ birth fulfilled.

Change is inevitable.  Kids grow up, people move away, friends pass away.  If we admit it, we have never experienced two identical Christmases.  Yet, we strain our emotions in attempting to create that perfect sugar-plum experience.  Hallmark movies by the dozens are consumed and we are often let down when our big day does not match Hollywood perfection.  Clark Griswold in his frenetic race to create the best family Christmas ever finally conceded that “It’s the Christmas star.  And that’s all that matters tonight.  Not bonuses or gifts or turkeys or trees.  See kids, it means something different to everybody. Now I know what it means to me.”

Stripping away the commercialism of Christmas and resting in the sweet acceptance that Christmas is the miracle of miracles is the heart.  It beats with the star, the virgin birth, Christ dying on the cross and rising again.  It’s the ultimate culmination of prophecy.  It’s the past and the present and the future all coming together.  The completion of the story.

The heart of Christmas lies in the fulfillment of prophesies.  These are the true miracles of Christmas.  The virgin birth is perhaps the most distinctive event of the Christmas story.  It is the most difficult for many people to understand and accept.  As with other miracles found in the Old Testament, God displays Himself uniquely before men.  He sets His message apart through miracles.  Miracles are “otherworldly”, not explainable by man.  “Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call Him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

Prophecy also names the lineage of Jesus.  God’s promise to Abraham is revealed in Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Lowly Bethlehem receives its role in the Christmas story in Micah 5:2, “But you, Bethlehem…out of you will come one who will be ruler over Israel.”  Through these ancient scriptures the Magi were able to trace the birth and travel to Bethlehem.  In Matthew 2 we find their story as they follow the star to the prophesied King.  Prophesy of the birth of Jesus and His life are scattered throughout the Old Testament.

Christian, allow the beat of your Christmas heart be the wonder of prophecy fulfilled.  The miracles of the place, the star, the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Is Racism a Forgivable Sin?

The Bible teaches us that all sins—except those against the Holy Spirit—are forgivable. As Matthew 12:31 says, “And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.”

This fact might come as a surprise given the social climate we are in, which endorses the idea that racism is the “unpardonable” sin.

Reading black liberationist theologians like James Cone, one could easily be deceived into believing that the metric against which God Himself is measured is that of racism. As one of his mentees quoted Cone as saying, “If God is white, kill God.”  This kind of explosive, exaggeratory language is just not true.  Whether he meant to or not, Cone set up racism as the ultimate abomination.  He was wrong.

All sins are forgivable.  Even as statues deemed “racist” are toppled around the world, activists remain unsatisfied, demanding yet more erasure of historical figures who dared to partake of the common morality of their time.  Out goes any accomplishment or significance if the person who did it is deemed a racist.

A recent news article was titled “Black America should stop forgiving white racists,” headlines like this one that appeared in the Washington Post merely fan the flames of this unrelenting quest for “cleansing.”

As one pastor wrote for United We Pray, this belief that racism is unforgivable also means it is unconfessable.  It leaves us trapped in the past with no way forward, a moving target that will never be reached.

“Sometimes believing that racism is unforgivable can enable the belief that racism is unconfessable.  But the gospel offers real justice and mercy for sins committed by and against image bearers, and it offers real peace and forgiveness achieved between God and one another.  Racism isn’t the unpardonable sin, so let’s forgive and confess.”

This advice aligns with the Gospel of Luke’s statement in 17:3, which outlines the proper result of repentance from sin, “So watch yourselves.  ‘If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them.’”

This is not an idle theological discussion.  Whether or not racism is forgivable has massive implications for the wellbeing of the United States and its citizens.

As Democrat strategist James Carville noted after the shocking Republican win in Virginia, anti-racist wokeness is tearing his party (and our country) apart.  If Christians do not stand up to the notion that racism is unforgivable, battle lines will be drawn and all hope of reconciliation will be lost in the name of misguided fanaticism.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Can’t Bar Christian School of Vouchers Because of Beliefs on Sexuality

A federal judge has ruled that Maryland unlawfully discriminated against a Christian school due to its traditional views on marriage and gender identity when the state denied it access to a voucher program.  U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie Gallagher ruled last week that state officials violated the First Amendment rights of Bethel Christian Academy in Savage when they excluded the school from the Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST) voucher program.  

Gallagher, a Trump appointee, argued that the state failed to put forth evidence that Bethel’s policies have “deterred a single prospective applicant from applying for admission” or that “Bethel has ever denied admission expelled, or disciplined a student on the basis of sexual orientation.”  “Not only was Defendants’ decision to exclude Bethel from BOOST eligibility based on Bethel’s speech, but it was based on the specific viewpoints Bethel chose to express in its admissions policy,” Gallagher wrote in her ruling.  “The First Amendment, which is applicable to the states via the Fourteenth Amendment, bars laws that restrict the freedom of speech.”  Judge Gallagher concluded that “the First Amendment prevents Defendants from attempting to use BOOST funding as leverage to compel recipients to express views that Defendants find more palatable.”  

The decision also rejected an effort by state officials to have Bethel return $102,000 of BOOST funding that it received the first two academic years it was eligible for the program.  Ryan Tucker of the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal nonprofit representing Bethel, said in a statement that the ruling showed that Maryland “may not discriminate against religious schools simply because it dislikes their religious beliefs.”  “The court was on firm ground to stop the state from targeting and denying children scholarships simply based on the beliefs and policies set out in their school’s parent-student handbook,” stated Tucker.

BOOST was created in 2016 by the state legislature and jointly overseen by the Maryland State Department of Education and a seven-member advisory board.  BOOST funding is given to students to attend nonpublic schools in the state, with 17 students at Bethel receiving the vouchers in the 2016-2017 school year and 18 students receiving the funding for the 2017- 2018 school year.  In June 2019, Bethel filed a lawsuit against Maryland over the private Christian school being removed from BOOST in 2018 due to its traditional views on sexuality and gender.  At issue was the school’s official handbook defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman and requiring students and faculty to use the facilities that correspond with their biological sex rather than any preferred gender identity.  

Matthew Gallagher, chairman of an advisory board that oversees the vouchers, informed Bethel that its policies were discriminatory.  “A non-heterosexual student may reasonably view the policy as one that allows denial of admission or discipline or expulsion on the basis of his or her sexual orientation,” Gallagher said, as quoted by The Baltimore Sun. “Therefore, the Board concluded that this policy, on its face, was in conflict with the nondiscrimination clause contained in the ... law.”  In 2020, Gallagher had initially denied Bethel a preliminary injunction against the voucher program ban.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

God Help Rural Americans

Psalms 34:18 says that “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”  This is part of a broader Biblical theme that the Lord comforts the broken and the crushed, the oppressed, and the ignored.

The broken and the oppressed take many forms— depending on the context of one’s society. In America, one of the oppressed groups who gets the least amount of attention is poor rural Americans, sometimes represented emblematically by the rust belt— “the geographic region stretching from New York through the Midwest that was once dominated by the coal industry, steel production, and manufacturing.”

A study released in 2019 showed that life expectancy along the rust belt of America has decreased in recent years— dropping due to a number of factors including poverty-induced suicide, smoking, alcohol abuse, and chronic stress.

As one article put it: “So many people now live paycheck-to-paycheck that an illness, a broken-down car or an unexpected bill can throw families into crisis.  ‘You can be as tough and strong as you want to be, but you can’t help but fall through the cracks of the system,’ Nofziger said.  ‘They’re not even cracks, they’re big, gaping holes.’”

Sadly, none of the academic leaders who are at the pinnacle of American society genuinely care about the plight of blue-collar workers.  Ivy league institutions prove the truth of this fact in the courses they design important to teach the next leaders of America.

At these institutions, poverty is usually characterized as a race problem that only affects minorities.  If you search their Fall 2021 course catalog for Yale University using terms like “working-class,” “poverty,” “blue-collar,” “rural,” and “white” no classes show up that specifically study the first four terms and the word “white” only brings up such titles as: “Managing Blackness in a ‘White Space.’”

One writer for the Harvard Business Review critiques this elitist mindset from within by noting:

“Class conflict now closely tracks the urban-rural divide.  In the huge red plains between the thin blue coasts, shockingly high numbers of working-class men are unemployed or on disability, fueling a wave of despair deaths in the form of the opioid epidemic.  Vast rural areas are withering away, leaving trails of pain. When did you hear any American politician talk about that?  Never.”

Though it is a hard pill to swallow, no one is coming to save rural America.  This is one of the sad bi-products of living in a world tainted by sin.  With the added damage of the COVID-19 pandemic, a recovery is not on the way for the rust belt or other poor Americans.

Nonetheless, anyone who finds themselves in this forgotten class of people should not despair.  God is not indifferent.  As the beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount say, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” (Luke 6:20-26).  The poor are no less loved by God.  They should take heart that their salvation is still assured, and the promise of eternal life is also theirs.  God’s Kingdom will not reflect the injustices of this world.

And if someone finds themselves in the upper tiers of society, they should help to correct the indifference (and sometimes outright cruelty) of the elites to those in rural communities.  As it says in Proverbs 14:31, “Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Faith-Based Adoption Agencies Have Allies in Senate

There is an urgent need in the U.S. for more child adoptions and more foster care families.  There are U.S. senators encouraging both and seeking to protect faith-based agencies that are attempting to provide those services.

Earlier this year, Sen. Tim Scott (SC-R) and several co-sponsors introduced the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act that would prohibit federal, state, and local agencies from discriminating against providers who receive federal funds from adoption assistance programs.

Herbie Newell of LifeLine Children’s Services says the legislation is necessary because LGBT-allied politicians keep targeting faith-based providers that operate on the fundamental biblical principle that children should be raised by a mother and father in a loving home. “What's happening is their funding is being threatened, their licensing is being threatened, and the renewal of their contracts is being threatened,” Newell points out, “if they don't compromise their biblical or faith standard.”

In past American Family News (AFN) stories, those faith-based groups have witnessed the darkening culture turn against them in the name of “tolerance”— even after finding homes for thousands of children over several decades of work.  That means it is the children who suffer to advance a wicked political agenda.

“I’m deeply saddened to see some government officials punish foster services for their sincere religious beliefs,” bill co-sponsor Sen. John Kennedy (LA-R) said regarding the legislation. “That discrimination comes directly at the expense of boys and girls who are waiting for loving, healthy homes.”

“In South Carolina and across the country,” Sen. Scott said in a statement, “faith-based foster care providers support the 400,000 children in our foster care system who—through no fault of their own— have nowhere else to go.”  “At a time when religious freedoms are under assault,” he continued, “the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act is a necessary protection for those who are living according to their convictions.”

According to Newell, the entire child welfare system in the U.S. relies heavily on the charity and hard work of people of faith who put the needs of children first.  “There are statistics that show that the majority of those who are participating in child welfare,” he tells AFN, “are those with some type of strongly held religious or faith belief.”  That is why, he adds, the legislation introduced by Sen. Scott and others needs to become a federal law.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

The Salvation Army—Gone Woke?

Is The Salvation Army (SA) going “woke” on racism?  Fox Business observes: “A Salvation Army guide aimed at ‘courageous conversations about racism’ asks ‘White Americans’ to ‘stop trying to be ‘colorblind.’”  

Stop trying to be colorblind?  Wasn’t that what the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. promoted — to treat people according to the content of their character, not the color of their skin?  

There are at least two documents from the Christian denomination (The Salvation Army) that deal with the issue of racism.  One of them is “Let’s Talk About Racism.”  Joseph Curl quoted from this document in The Daily Wire:

“Many have come to believe that we live in a post-racial society, but racism is very real for our brothers and sisters who are refused jobs and housing, denied basic rights and brutalized and oppressed simply because of the color of their skin.”  

The SA has now pulled this document down — perhaps because of blowback.  They recently issued this statement: “… the International Social Justice Commission has now withdrawn the guide for appropriate review.”  

Of course, racism is a horrific evil.  But some critics are concerned that rather than responding to actual racism, The SA had aligned itself ideologically with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Critical Race Theory movements— which leverages unfalsifiable and amorphous charges of “systemic racism” to drive racial grievances.  

Whatever the stated intentions of BLM may be, their stance against the family actually exacerbates poverty— by helping to break down the family.  A BLM handout declares:

“We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and ‘villages’ that collectively care for one another, especially our children, to the degree that mothers, parents, and children are comfortable.  We foster a queer-affirming network.”

So much for God’s design for the family.  

While the extended family can be helpful, studies show what a major difference it makes in the life of the child to have a mom and a dad.  The kind of “disrupting” of the nuclear family BLM advocates has actually done incredible damage to the black community.

There’s another document from The SA.  “Study Guide on Racism” is still online.  The booklet states:

“Racism is fundamentally incompatible with the Christian conviction that all people are made in the image of God and are equal in value.  The Salvation Army believes that the world is enriched by a diversity of cultures and ethnicities.”

They also note:

“The only race is the human one;” and they add, “Followers of Jesus Christ now find essential unity in Him, rather than in culture and ethnicity.  Such a way of thinking and relating is a powerful force for good. It embodies the ministry of reconciliation.”

Despite its critics, true Christianity practices real diversity, rather than the race-centered, divisive, skin color-obsessed counterfeit promoted by the left.  In Christ, there is no black, there is no white, there is no distinction of socio-economic status.  

One of the goals of The SA, inasmuch as they are motivated by the love of Jesus, is to alleviate poverty.  This is why they have worked tirelessly since their origin in the slums of London in 1865.  They now work in 131 nations around the globe.  But anyone that promotes the disintegration of the family inadvertently promotes poverty and the further disintegration of society.

The irony is that government policies tend to create more poor people because they penalize functioning families.  Welfare programs in the U.S. subsidize out-of-wedlock births— thus creating more poor people.

The Brookings Institution says that you have a 98% chance of avoiding poverty if you do three things:

1. Graduate high school.

2. Work full time.

3. Marry before you have children.

Only 2% of those who do these things end up in poverty.

As Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation points out, marriage turns out to be the single greatest weapon in the war on poverty.

It would be quite a shame if The SA went “woke.”  This is a lesson all Christian organizations must heed.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

The Great Physician Prescribes Quiet Time

Luke 5:16 says that “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”  Many of us were lonely during the last two years with the pandemic shutdowns.  But were we truly quiet in that loneliness?  Were we quiet for the purpose of seeking a relationship with God?  Can we seek “quiet” now that life has picked up its pace?

Would Jesus cast out our phones like a current day demon as in the account from Luke. “Be quiet!”  Jesus said sternly, “Come out of him!”

The average American spends 3.5-4.5 hours a day on screen time.  We check our cell phones, on average, 58 times a day.  We are deeply connected to our devices.  We fill screen time with screen time by checking our cell phones during every commercial on television.  Each glance at the cell phone can lead to a winding road of endless messages and posts.  These minor distractions add up during the day.  According to a study by the University of California Irvine, “it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back to the deep focus you had on a task once you have been distracted.”  Even if you do not utter a sound, this is activity is not quiet.  Evaluation of our screen time may lead us on a quest to seek true quiet.

Noise and distractions are everywhere.  It seems that we Americans are not happy when there is any kind of pause.  We feel compelled to fill every moment.  Work, hobbies, family, entertainment grab at us like the tentacles of an angry octopus, until we either don’t recognize quiet time or never practice it.

We carry the title of “Christ ones.”  Jesus knew He had only a few short years to spread His message to the world.  He could have set a frantic pace for Himself.  His disciples were sometimes surprised when He would walk away to be quiet.  Matthew 26:36 says, “then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to His disciples, ‘Sit here, while I go over there and pray.’”  In the Gospel according to Mark we see that Jesus rose early in the morning before it was light to go to a desolate place and pray.  How then can we shed the tentacles of distraction and take on the clothes of Jesus’ example?

There are spiritual and physical reasons for seeking a regular quiet time with God.  We know that purposefully turning off distractions can lower blood pressure and calm emotions.  The body relaxes and the brain gains clarity.  Our bodies cry out for it, yet we rarely nourish them with quiet.  Spiritually, quiet time can build a relationship with God. Not only to pray and place our desires and concerns at God’s feet, but to breathe in the essence of God.  Allowing Him to speak to us.  Jesus sought time with God the Father. God the Father yearns for us to connect with Him.

Let this holy season of Advent be filled with quiet time.  Wake up in the morning and do not touch your cell phone until you have spent time with God.  Pray through a verse in the Bible.  Breathe in God.  Listen to a song of worship and sing along in your heart or with your voice.  Meditate on a Bible verse throughout the day.  Receive the blessings of quiet time with God.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Another COVID Variant—Another Round of Lockdowns & Death Tolls

This life is full of trouble.  This should not be a surprise to Christians.  The book of John includes Jesus’ warning to His disciples that the world would persecute them.  However, Jesus also says, in John 16:33— “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”

Christians always need to be reminded that God has overcome the world.  Even when faced by such trials as another COVID-19 variant— which means another round of lockdowns and daily media death tolls.

The discovery of the “Omicron” COVID-19 variant sent the world spiraling into a panic during Thanksgiving week as the newly mutated variant was identified and news of its discovery shared with the world.  By the end of the week, the variant had already been definitively identified in Germany, Italy, Belgium, Israel, and Hong Kong— which means that, realistically, due to Thanksgiving travel, it was already in the United States and is a prime candidate to overtake Delta as the primary driver of infection.

In response to this concerning news, the market Cboe Volatility Index jumped nine points on Friday November 26th, indicating that fears about the effect of the new variant were already sending ripples through the United States’ economy.

This is not a positive signal, but it is likely based on an accurate perception of how the responses of governments around the world will interfere with travel and trade.

Unfortunately, as one recent Yale Macmillan Center webinar discussed, the pandemic and COVID-19 have been used as an excuse in democracies around the world to promote authoritarian policies and increase centralized authority.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic is deadly and very real, the emergence of variants like Delta and now Omicron have decreased peoples’ faith in the ideals of liberty as we have desperately sought to control something that is, at this point, largely uncontainable. Exacerbating factors, such as the 2020 race-reckoning triggered by the death of George Floyd, have also increased peoples’ appetite for government control.

This is not only evident in the push for a federal pandemic mandates, but also in ironic statements from public officials who are complaining about parents objecting to race-centered books being carried by their libraries.  As one public official stated:

“When you have organizations like Heritage Foundation and Family Policy Alliance publishing materials that instruct parents on how to challenge books in the school library or the public library, right down to a challenge form enclosed in the booklet so they can just fill it out, you’re seeing a challenge to our democratic values of free speech, freedom of thought, freedom of belief.”

As frustrating and frightening as this push for government control can be, we as Christians should always keep our eyes on the life in the world to come.  Though Christianity is not a prescription for stoicism, accepting the world and knowing that God is in control will go a long way in maintaining our peace of mind.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Fear Not

Luke 2:10 is one of the most quoted Bible verses— “And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings and great joy, which shall be to all people.’”  Children anticipating dressing in white sheets and wings vie for the position of head Angel in Christmas pageants.  Eagerly proclaiming “fear not”— sometimes suspended by harness and ropes from the ceiling.  We know the line, we quote it, but do we listen to it and obey it?

Fear is one of the seven universal emotions experienced by everyone around the world. Fear arises with the threat of harm— either physical, emotional, or psychological, real or imagined.  We are afraid of darkness, heights, spiders, social situations and dying.  The past two years of illness— leading to death from COVID— has been a monumental fear and universally felt.  

Yet, fear can be a good thing.  Fear keeps us from putting ourselves in danger.  Fear encourages us to resolve problems so that we are in less danger.  Fear encourages us to grow in areas.

When the angel appeared with the message of “fear not” many of us will believe it to be “don’t fear the angel and the host of angels.”  As we have many fears in 2021, there were many that the shepherds faced each day.  Fear for their livelihood, fear of animals attacking their sheep, fear of government, and fear of illness.  Yes, the heavenly spectacle would have caused fear in those who were present, but was there more to the message?

The angel’s command of “fear not” was not new.  There are between 365 and 500 “fear nots” or “do not be afraid” in the scriptures.  Jesus often said, “do not be afraid.”  When He walked on the water to the disciples Jesus said “take courage, it is I.  Don’t be afraid” (Matthew 14:27).  The book of Luke has many accounts of Jesus’ encouraging words to not be afraid.  Fitting, then, is the return of an angel proclamation in Matthew 28— “The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.’”

How, then, do we react to this command to not fear?  People respond in various ways to fear.  Some dispel fear with knowledge— while others with avoidance.  Fear, in part, is a lack of faith.  From trusting a chair to hold your weight to trusting the airplane mechanic, there is a measure of faith involved.  When the Bible is so prolific with the message of not fearing, why do we spend energy on unqualified fear?  Are we leaning on our own understanding of things that cannot be understood?  Are we avoiding the reality that we need God and a relationship with His Son?  Can we practice releasing fear this Christmas season so that Jesus can shine through us to a fearful world?  

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).  

Remember: “Fear not” is followed by “great joy.”

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

The Christian Difference

It seems that in their bid to treat people fair and with love, many Christians have been swooped up into religious pluralism without even being aware of it.  We are so careful not to step on the toes of our friend or co-worker that we have washed away the essentials of our own faith.

What is religious pluralism and why do some embrace it?  Basically, it is the yellow brick road.  Follow it and you will reach the wizard; God, as it were.  No matter how you walk the road or what you believe about the “wizard” you are still all getting there and that’s what counts.  

To expand, let’s say that you are Dorothy the Christian.  You have received information that God can be found by following the yellow brick road.  Your Bible is your friend, Toto. You bring it along in your basket.  Along the way you encounter a Tin Man.  He also wants to follow the road and find the wizard.  He brings along his axe which is the Koran. He seems harmless enough.  You are both on the yellow brick road, so, it must be alright.  Along comes the Cowardly Lion.  The lion is very unsure of himself and cannot decide any belief, so he comes along with his emotions on his sleeve, but a big heart. The Scarecrow carries the five Pillars of Islam and is sure that his path to the wizard will ultimately prove to be the only path.  Dorothy desires to build relationships with her companions.  She does not want to be judged, even though she knows in her heart that Jesus is the only way.  She believes Christianity teaches that God is Three Persons in One.  She chooses not to argue with her compatriots.  Who is she to know what is truly the one path to God for each of them?

Is Dorothy the Christian tolerant?  Is religious pluralism tolerant and accepting?  Not really.  Its very nature is to prove that its own way is the right way and therefore boastful. This isn’t tolerance; it’s a power play.  When asserting all religions lead to God, the distinctive and very different views of God and how to reach the divine in Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam are brushed aside in one powerful swoop.

Jesus Himself was humble and accepting of others.  However, He never wavered from the message of “I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

The Christian difference might be summed up with these three components:

1. First, other religions teach that a follower must earn their way to God.  Romans 5:8 reveals that we are still sinners and Christ died for us.

2. Next, some religions have numerous rules to follow to find their way to God.  Christianity fulfills our desires and saves if we believe and have faith in the fact that Jesus died for our sins.

3. And, last but surely not least, we have the cross and the resurrection.  The empty tomb speaks for itself of the difference.

The belief that religious pluralism is the GPS on the yellow brick road will surely not lead to God.  Christians, we are called to lead the way!

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Mixed Messages

In today’s American culture, we face a problem regarding the Satanic Temple wanting to erect statues of “Baphomet” in public forums under the guise of “religious freedom” as described in the U.S. Constitution, Amendment 1.  This very thing is happening in states across the nation and local governments are finding themselves hard-pressed to say “No.”  Presumably, if one religion can do this, then all religions can do this.  There can be no saying “No” to anyone.

Mixed messages are so common in our society that we hardly think them through anymore.  The result is that we miss the “mixed” part and accept the implied message at face value.  Like the facade of a building (false front to imply a large, trust-worthy, and successful business inside) we are drawn in by what appears on the surface.  Example: the statement “made with 100% pure juice.”  You might find yourself thinking the product has only 100% pure juice in it, when actually the “100% pure juice” may only be a small portion, but it does exist in the product.  Hence, mixed messages.

One issue of mixed messaging must be confronted by us—as Christians.  Unfortunately, the mixed messages are found on both sides of the issue.  The Satanic Temple presented the seven-and-a-half foot tall goat-headed statue of ‘Baphomet’ to protest the Ten Commandments monument standing in front of the Arkansas State Capitol.  Other examples are also in process in other states.  In Illinois the battle is around a statue which says, “Knowledge is the greatest gift.”  It depicts the forearm of a young woman holding an apple which is entwined by a serpent representing the Devil.

Similarly, Scottsdale, AZ has been wrestling with a lawsuit filed by the Satanic Temple’s AZ chapter.  The lawsuit complains that they have been wrongfully barred from delivering the invocation at a City Council meeting a couple of years ago.  The message is supposedly about equity, fairness and the like.  However, the real message over many decades has been, “Remove God, the Bible, and prayer from the public.”  This includes public buildings, public meetings, and public schools.  Virtually anything or any organization paid for in part or in full by public funds should have no religious attachments at all.

As stated earlier, the problem exists on both sides.  As Christians and churches, we better be ready to accept some blame for these problems.  We also have put forth mixed messages both to the world around us and even to our own families and church members.  How often have we stood in worship with our hands and hearts lifted to God in worship while wearing clothing advertising some vile music group or athlete who defies God, His Son, and His Gospel message?  When we do this, are we not sending mixed messages as to who we are in Christ?  Is the message we portray confusing, at best, and tempts God’s message of love to this world?  

True, we do not want to become legalistic in our actions and personal priorities.  Yet have we become “Pharisees” in our acceptance of our personal contradictions in life?

Consider Jesus’ response in Matthew 22:18-22, when the Pharisees questioned Him regarding paying the poll tax (about a day’s wage) to Caesar.  The tax was to be paid with a denarius which had Caesar’s image and title engraved on it.  Now, a good Jewish leader should have refused to own and use a denarius with the evil graven image in it. Yet, when Jesus asked to be shown one, apparently, they pulled one from their own pockets to present it to Him (Matthew 22:19).  Though it was considered evil, it was in common use by Jews of all stature because of its convenience.  Caesar made provisions for the Jews to produce their own coinage without these images, but only in copper.  In other words, it was much too inconvenient to pay the tax in “pennies” when one could simply carry a “$100” coin.  Their message was a bit mixed.

It is sometimes difficult, or at least inconvenient, to really become a “people set apart” before God.  Jesus answered their question with, “Give (back) to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and give (back) to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21).  

We are to be the image of God so that we are able to give ourselves back to Him as our reasonable and living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2).  Have we learned how to separate ourselves out from the world that we might be true living sacrifices to God and eliminate the mixed messages to those around us?

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

And Now— for the Rest of the Story of Christian Florist vs Homosexual Activists

Barronelle Stutzman of Richland, WA, announced the legal settlement, saying she has paid $5,000 to Robert Ingersoll, The Tri-City Herald reported.  She also wished Ingersoll, who had been her customer at Arlene’s Flowers for almost a decade, “the very best.”

The agreement allows Stutzman to “preserve her conscience” by not forcing her to act against her Southern Baptist religious beliefs, according to a news release from her attorneys with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).  They reached the settlement with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).  It also prevents Stutzman from having “to pay potentially ruinous attorneys’ fees,” the release said.  “I am willing to turn the legal struggle for freedom over to others.  At age 77, it’s time to retire and give my business to someone else,” Stutzman said.

Stutzman was subjected to unprecedented judicial persecution for her Biblical views on homosexuality.  The Washington State Supreme Court (WSSC) issued two unanimous decisions declaring the U.S. Constitution does not grant a license to discriminate against LGBTQ people.  The ACLU of WA said. “We took on this case because we were worried about the harm being turned away would cause LGBTQ people.”  Freed and Ingersoll said in a statement, “We are glad the Washington Supreme Court rulings will stay in place to ensure that same-sex couples are protected from discrimination and should be served by businesses like anyone else.”

The ACLU brought the anti-discrimination lawsuit against Stutzman in 2013 on behalf of Ingersoll and Freed.  WA Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued separately, saying the floral artist violated the state’s Consumer Protection Act by declining to provide services based on sexual orientation.  A Benton County Superior Court judge in 2015 ruled that Stutzman must pay $1 in attorneys’ fees and costs to the state, along with a $1,000 civil penalty, for discriminating against the couple.  That judgment still stands.

The two cases through appeals by Stutzman went to the WSSC, and then to the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS).  The country’s highest court vacated WA state’s previous ruling and sent it back to the lower court in 2018 for another review.  The WSSC in 2019 ruled unanimously that state courts did not act with animosity toward religion when they ruled Stutzman broke the state’s anti-discrimination laws by refusing on religious grounds to provide wedding flowers.  Stutzman and ADF — in their second attempt to get the case before the SCOTUS — filed a petition for review in September 2019.  SCOTUS in July 2021 declined to take up the case.  Stutzman responded with a petition for rehearing, but she will withdraw it as part of her settlement.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Arrested for Reporting Attacks Against Christians in Nigeria

A Nigerian journalist faces prolonged detention allegedly for his reporting about attacks against predominantly Christian communities in Nigeria and the government’s response.

Luka Binniyat, a Nigerian Roman Catholic journalist and father who writes for the anti-communist Epoch Times, was arrested last week.  Binniyat was arraigned at the Barnawa Magistrate’s Court in Kaduna state.  He was charged with cyberstalking— a charge that critics say is often used in the African country to silence the media.  On November 4, Binniyat informed Epoch Times Africa Desk Editor Doug Burton that he was arrested and urged the editor to “contact all relevant persons.”  Burton elaborated on the circumstances leading up to Binniyat’s arrest and the dangers he faces in an interview with The Christian Post (CP).  Burton attributed Binniyat’s arrest to an October 29 article he wrote titled “In Nigeria, Police Decry Massacres as ‘Wicked’ But Make No Arrests.” The article is part of The Epoch Times’ coverage of the deadly persecution of Christian farming communities in the African country that human rights advocates say have escalated to near “genocidal levels” in recent years as thousands have been killed.

In the article, Binniyat pushed back on Kaduna’s Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs Samuel Aruwan’s characterization of an attack on Christian farmers in the state as a “clash.”  The Nigerian government has long refuted claims by human rights activists that a religious genocide is taking place in Nigeria’s Middle Belt states, where radicals from the Fulani herding community have been accused of invading countless Christian farming communities.  The government has long attributed attacks and reprisals as being part of decades-old farmerherder clashes.

In his article, Binniyat included a quote from a Nigerian senator, who accused the Kaduna government of “using Samuel Aruwan, a Christian, to cause confusion to cover up the genocide going on in Christian Southern Kaduna by describing the measure as a ‘clash’” as opposed to a targeted act of violence against Christians.  “What he [Binniyat] did there is he showed that the commissioner was projecting a false narrative,” Burton explained.  “For this reason, I think the authorities, though they knew they would get pushback for prosecuting a dissident journalist, they decided they had to do it because … they want to shut his voice down.” Burton told CP that the journalist was accused of cyberstalking Aruwan.  Cyberstalking is a federal offense.  “The magistrate ruled that he does not have authority to try the charge of cyberstalking because it’s a federal charge, it’s a federal statute.  So the case will have to be transferred to a federal court.  And so, therefore, in the meantime, he can’t get bail because the magistrate doesn’t have authority to give him bail since he doesn’t have authority over this crime.”  Sources Burton spoke to believe that the prosecution is using a “legal technicality to keep Luka in jail.”  “By having his charges presented first in a lower court, a district court where he was charged, they expected him to be charged with defamation and injurious falsehood,” Burton said.  “These are statutes … in the criminal code in Nigeria and can be tried at the lower court level.”  “But the charge of … cyberstalking is a federal charge that … has to be issued by a higher court,” he continued.  “And so by doing that deliberately, the prosecution knew that bail couldn’t be given, and that is the whole idea.”

Binniyat “texted that he felt like his life was in danger,” Burton said.  Additionally, Binniyat said he had been held for five days in a very “cramped” and “dingy” cell that he described as “uncomfortable.”  Binniyat further alleged that he hadn’t gotten much sleep. Burton maintained that the central claim made by Aruwan highlighted in Binniyat’s October 29 story, that the attacks on Christian farming communities in Nigeria are simply “clashes” between farmers and herders, is widely held and promoted by Nigerian government officials.  “That is a distorted representation of what’s really happening.  In fact, there is a farmer-herder aspect to the violence,” the editor added.  “But that discounts the fact that the preponderance of the attacks are sectarian in … nature.”

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Back to Prison for Christian Pastors in Iran

Iranian authorities have ordered a pastor from the Church of Iran denomination to return to prison to begin serving a five-year sentence for “sectarian activities,” indicating that Christian persecution might be intensifying after a brief respite due to the spread of COVID-19 that led authorities to temporarily release many people from prison.

Pastor Amin Khaki is now in prison in Karaj, the capital of Alborz Province near Tehran, after last Wednesday’s summon, the U.K.-based group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reported.  Pastor Khaki, along with two other Iranian Christians, Milad Goudarzi and Alireza Nourmohammadi, stood trial in Karaj in June.  They were charged under a new amendment to the Iranian Penal Code known as Article 500-bis, which deals with “sectarian activities.”  CSW said the three men were not allowed to be represented by their lawyer during the trial.  They were each sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted of “engaging in propaganda against the Islamic regime.”  Khaki has also been arrested, charged, and convicted previously.  The three are appealing the verdict.

CSW’s Founder and President Mervyn Thomas said Iran’s actions “send yet another negative message to religious minorities in Iran, and essentially amounts to a criminalization of Christianity.”  Demanding that the three be released, Thomas said, “We refute the charges leveled against Pastor Khaki and his colleagues.”

In a separate case last week, Iranian authorities also summoned Christian converts Sasan Khosravi and Habib Heydari to return to Bushehr Central Prison to serve the remainder of their one-year sentences for “propagating against the Islamic Republic by promoting Christianity,” Article 18 reported.  The two, who started their sentences in February, had been on furlough since March.  

Governed by Islamic law, Iran ranks as the ninth worst country in the world for Christian persecution by Open Doors USA as the regime has relentlessly persecuted Muslim converts to Christianity.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Pro-Pedophile Professor Placed on Leave

Old Dominion University (Norfolk, VA) has acted against a professor who made comments that attempted to normalize “minor-attracted persons”—or as the criminal justice system refers to the behavior—pedophilia.

“Old Dominion University (ODU) has placed Dr. Allyn Walker on administrative leave, effective immediately, from [his] position as assistant professor of sociology and criminal justice,” says Amber Kennedy, a spokesperson for ODU in a statement released last week.  

The non-binary professor’s comments sparked widespread outrage across the nation and on campus.  “I was very surprised and shocked.  I actually didn’t believe it until I saw it on Twitter,” College Republicans president Andrew Lambakis told television station WVEC.  “I’m actually thinking about planning a peaceful protest against Allyn Walker.”

The spokesperson for this taxpayer-funded university said, “Reactions to Dr. Walker’s research and book have led to concerns for their safety and that of the campus.”  Kennedy added, “Furthermore, the controversy over Dr. Walker’s research has disrupted the campus and community environment and is interfering with the institution’s mission of teaching and learning.”

The ODU president also released a statement condemning child sexual abuse.  “I want to state in the strongest terms possible that child sexual abuse is morally wrong and has no place in our society,” said ODU President Brian O. Hemphill.  “This is a challenging time for our University, but I am confident that we will come together and move forward as a Monarch family.”

The leave announcement followed an earlier statement in which the university said it does not “promote crimes against children.”  “Following recent social media activity and direct outreach to the institution, it is important to share that Old Dominion, as a caring and inclusive community, does not endorse or promote crimes against children or any form of criminal activity,” the statement read.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Taking the Jab or Not

As the COVID virus storms the world with variants and the march goes on to protect the population, so do the demands for vaccination.  Mandates are increasing.  Those in the church and those not in the church are caught up in the undulating wave of indecision regarding “the shot” or “the jab.”  Indecision caused by guilt, fear, pressure from family and friends, mixed messages and more.  People take sides.  Bombarded with endless ads on phones, computers, and televisions, making it challenging to not waver when you want to say “no.”  Celebrities air impassioned sound bites, medical personnel appeal for hospitals and staff that are overwhelmed.  Face it, we all know someone who has died from COVID.

For Christians, the great debate to be shot or not has been present since the 1700’s when the first inoculation was developed for Smallpox.  Though far more dangerous in its embryonic stage than our modern vaccinations, the inoculation did save lives.  It reduced the mortality rate from 15% of those not inoculated to 2% who were.  Matters of conscious versus modern health practices became the topic of pastors and medical professionals alike— and that debate remains front and center today.  Cotton Mather who began the experimentation of inoculation in 1721 was both hailed as a hero and a villain.  His father published a pamphlet entitled “Several Reasons Proving that Inoculating or Transplanting the Smallpox is a Lawful Practice, and that it has been Blessed by God for the Saving of Many a Life.”  His intention was to promote the 6th Commandment— “Thou shalt not kill.”

Smallpox surfaced several more times in the 1700’s and the Christian population was just as divided as it is today with decisions regarding faith, conscience, and medical procedures.  A bold article by Dr. Andrew Wong takes Christians to the mat— “I have heard some Christians say that the pandemic is God’s will, and that God will decide whether we live or die, so they will leave their fate in God’s hands.  I, too, submit my life to God … but I would never have become a doctor if I thought that helping people prevent and recover from illness was contrary to the will of God.”

Franklin Graham has not hidden the fact that he has taken the COVID vaccination; but also, agrees it should be a personal choice.  Therein lies the conflict of conscience. Christians believe that we should help our friends and neighbors, put others first and save lives.  Our “don’t cross the line” becomes the Liberty of conscience and Freedom of Religion.  “The Bible does not instruct us as to whether or not one should receive a vaccine, but it is clear when it comes to the doctrine of the liberty of conscience.  In matters that are unspecified by God’s Word, the Christian is to consider the teachings of Scripture, and remember that all things must proceed from faith and be done for the glory of God.

Let us not trample on the consciences of others.  Let us not condemn others for their decisions of health; instead, let us have faith and walk in love for our fellow man and, at the same time, prayerfully consider what is best for our own personal health.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel