Don’t let the title of this blog entry confuse you. I am crazy about my MOM! She’s the best. I wouldn’t trade her for anyone else. But I don’t worship her, and I don’t worship “Mother Earth” either. Why? In a nutshell, because it is idolatrous. Earth is a creation, not a “mother.” She has no life in and of herself. In fact, it is totally misleading to apply a personal pronoun like “her” to the earth. The earth is a planet, not a personality. You get the point.

However, if you treat dirt like your mom you end up doing really weird things. For instance, in Britain a global warming, mother earth worshipper was released from his position at a property management firm because his “religion” was in conflict with the views of the management. Evidently this man complained about the fact that company executives were flying to business meetings instead of traveling by more eco-friendly means. According to the employee, man made global warming is the “most important issue of our time” and “nothing should stand in the way of diverting the catastrophe.” He sued the company for terminating him and argued in court that climate change is “a philosophical belief that reflects my moral and ethical values.” In other words, he was being persecuted for his religious beliefs.

Amazingly, the judge ruled in his favor! Imagine the following scenario. The boss says, “I need you to be in Los Angeles tomorrow for a critical meeting.” A mother earth worshipping employees replies, “Sorry, we’ll need to re-schedule the meeting due to an unacceptable carbon footprint. It will take me at least a month to ride there on my bike.” What are you to do as an employer? According to this absurd ruling, if you give the employee an ultimatum you are now violating his religious beliefs and you may be fined or punished.

This is what happens when we worship the creation instead of the Creator (Romans 1:25). If we fail to honor God and to give Him glory (Romans 1:21) He promises to “abandon [us] to our foolish thinking and let us do things that should never be done (Romans 1:28).

Father, help us love You more than false mothers made of dirt!

Watching the current majority leading our nation is like a day at the circus. The bizarre and breath-taking acts filling the center ring provide a never ending assault on freedom and decency. The latest trapeze act could leave pastors suspended in mid-air with no safety net!

I was just informed that a vote on Hate Crimes may happen this week, probably on Thursday. As you know, Hate Crimes legislation passed the U.S. House (HR. 1913) and an amendment (S. 909) to a Defense Appropriations Bill passed in the U.S. Senate. However, the differences between the two versions mandate that the matter go to conference committee for harmonization. Now Congress is poised to take a final vote. If approved, President Obama will sign this dangerous legislation into law.

Why the cause for alarm? Because if passed, this Hate Crimes law will eventually result in efforts to silence pastors, churches, and other faith-based organizations who publicly and peacefully oppose homosexuality on biblical grounds.

“Hate crimes” laws are a part of a comprehensive plan by radical homosexual activists who seek to redefine morality, marriage, the family, religious freedom and life as we have known it in America. Peter Sprigg, Vice President for Policy at the Family Research Council, has outlined the major components of this insidious, decades long effort, which directly threatens the liberties we hold dear:

1. Have homosexuality removed from the ‘mental disorder’ categories by the American Psychiatric Association. (completed)

2. Persuade us that homosexuality is inborn and not a choice made by homosexuals. (ongoing)

3. Add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to categories of protection under anti-discrimination codes. (ongoing)

4. Force homosexual curriculums into public schools, even to Kindergarten. (ongoing)

5. Redefine marriage from exclusively heterosexual to include same-sex ‘marriage.’ (ongoing)

6. Demand enactment of hate crimes laws that punish bias against homosexuals, cross-dressers, and the gender confused. (ongoing)

Former presidential speechwriter, David Frum, has prophetically declared this warning:

“When you decide to extend your nondiscrimination principles to behavior condemned by your society’s major religion, you are embarking on a course that will sooner or later require the state to police, control and punish adherents to that religion.”

This is what the future holds for people of faith. Please take a moment to call your Senators and Representatives NOW. Here’s the number: (202) 224-3121.

In previous blogs I have repeatedly stressed the need for pastors to bring moral clarity to public policy issues. This is why I enthusiastically participated in the first Pulpit Freedom Sunday initiative, in September of 2008,  sponsored by the Alliance Defense Fund.

Through my involvement, I have had the pleasure of meeting Erik Stanley, Senior Legal Counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund. Erik recently explained the purpose of this important initiative in The Ministry Today Report:

“Pastors have a right to speak about biblical truths from the pulpit without fear of punishment. No one should be able to use the government to intimidate pastors into giving up their constitutional rights. [The Alliance Defense Fund] is not trying to get politics into the pulpit. On the contrary, the whole point is that churches should be allowed to decide for themselves what they want to talk about. The IRS should not be the one making the decision by threatening to revoke a church’s tax-exempt status. We need the government to get out of the pulpit.” —Erik Stanley, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, which this past weekend held its second annual “Pulpit Freedom Sunday,” in which at least 80 pastors across the nation again challenged IRS rules by preaching on the biblical alignment of various political candidates and government officials. With the urging of such organizations as Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the IRS has investigated multiple cases of pastors supporting or speaking out against particular candidates from the pulpit, yet only one has resulted in a church losing its tax-exempt status. [wnd.com, 9/26/09]

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In the words of the Alliance Defense Fund, “The First Amendment of the United States Constitution is unwavering in its affirmation of our religious liberty. Our Founding Fathers knew it was the most basic and unalienable of human rights. It is, in fact, Our First Liberty.”

I am encouraging all pastors to learn more about this important initiative by going directly to the Alliance Defense Fund website. The coming year, 2010, is a big election year and pastors need to be speaking out from the pulpit on the moral issues impacting our nation. Let’s protect freedom of speech in the pulpit while being a prophetic voice of righteousness in our nation!

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