Christianity is under attack.
The progressive left will stop at nothing until freedom of religion is limited to freedom of worship, and all public professions of faith are sanctioned, silenced, then eliminated.
The battleground for this fight?
California, the formerly Golden State, now the Land of Progressive Tyranny.
One specific lawmaker has been pushing this perverse agenda onto the state's 38 million residents.
State Senator Ricardo Lara (D-California) … and he is an intolerant bigot.
Born to illegal aliens, he promotes illegal aliens over citizens. Openly gay, he demands that everyone else accept homosexuality as a new identity.
Lawlessness and immorality define his distorted worldview, especially against Christians, and the Judeo-Christian culture on which our nation is founded.
His latest bill, SB 1146, would have effectively shut down Christian education in California. The bill would have provided relief, i.e. open up lawsuits, for homosexual/transgender students claiming discrimination. The bill would have also limited the scope of the Title IX exemptions which the colleges currently claim.
In effect, Christian colleges would have to:
1. Allow men into women's facilities
2. Accommodate the Regressive Left's redefinitions of marriage, sexuality, and gender.
3. Limit their teaching and preaching on these subjects
This is outrageous. The state has neither right nor authority to dictate to any person, or private institution their beliefs.
Christian communities throughout the state began raising the alarm against this tyrannical overreach.
Like the armies of Joshua blowing horns around the walls of Jericho, they marched around exposing the secularist state legislature (especially arrogant state senator Lara) their schemes to strictly limit Title IX exemptions and drive faith and values out of the public sphere.
Lara’s decision came after a half-dozen universities formed a new committee called the Assn. of Faith Based Institutions and contributed $350,000.
The group raised $350,000!
That's not chump change.
They spooked high-ranking Democrats in Sacramento.
That's no small feat.
They were not alone in the activist efforts, either:
The new flexing of political weight is in addition to lobbying that has been done on behalf of 32 universities by a group called Assn. of Independent California Colleges and Universities.
The fundraising, the lobbying, the calls, the connections–all of it pounded Senator Lara and his Democratic cohorts.
It's just like the Israelites who watched the walls of Jericho crumble from their shouting.
The Daily Signal reported a win for pro-family conservatives.
But instead of going full victory–killing SB 1146 outright–these pro-family groups have claimed victory from one part of the bill removed.
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But two very pernicious parts remain.
1. The Christian colleges must conspicuously publish their application and approval for Title IX exemptions.
2. The colleges will have to file a report to the state every time they expel a student for violating their moral codes.
One question: what agency has to submit to such overbearing, overreaching regulations?
For the record, the student whom Senator Ricardo Lara relied on for a sympathy vote to pass SB 1146, is not exactly worthy of such sympathy. Learn more about the sordid history of the expelled student Antonio Villarreal here.)
The fight against SB 1146 is not over.
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The walls have fallen down, but the city has not been taken.
But have the Christian colleges caved in this fight?
The Democrats have an overwhelming 52-28 majority in Sacramento. They can pass #SB1146 in its original form (or much worse) if they want to do so.
No. Some Democrats are facing a challenging general election fight. They depend on donations from with constituents and special interests.
Also, as noted above, the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities raised an incredible amount of money which spooked the legislators.
Keller continued:
[T]he fact that we have been able to build common ground with moderate Democrats like Lorena Gonzales and Luis Alejo should be cause for gratitude. Pro-family citizens should work within the political system and both flex their muscles but also extend an olive branch to those who are being educated on the value of religious liberty.
Christian leaders sought "common ground" with moderate Democrats? This is wrong. The politicians who are trying to destroy liberty need to be removed from office, not accommodated. Christians should not be seeking common ground–or compromise–on First Amendment rights. PERIOD!
In the Bible, the Israelites were told to utterly destroy the demonic inhabitants of Jericho, not co-exist. Liberty cannot coexist with tyranny, but must be victorious.
Or become the next victim.
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Furthermore, power depends not sheer numbers, but principled organization and effort.
Consider Christian citizen-patriot Samuel Adams:
It does not take a majority to prevail… but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.
The Word of God is more powerful:
“Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few." (1 Samuel 14:6)
Twelve Apostles shared the Good News of One Savior, and the world is still shaking, growing in grace and truth!
Therefore, the capitulation of California’s Christian colleges over SB 1146 is unconscionable.
The Declaration of Independence talks about "inalienable" rights.
That means that the government cannot take them away.
Our God-given rights come with no strings attached, and none should be attached.
Why did the Christian Colleges stop short of total victory? Why offer an “olive branch” to the other side so quickly?
God gave the Israelites the Promised Land, but the generation of unbelief settled for wandering in the wilderness.
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Today, a new generation of Christians, who see their identity in Christ, not in their efforts; who trust in His grace, not in their law-keeping, must not settle for less.
To their provision credit, some Christian college leaders signaled that they would read the language of the new bill before giving their approval. Nevertheless, there is no pulling punches in this First Amendment fight. Lara pledges to reintroduce strict limitations on Christian colleges next year!
The Body of Christ needs to be bold, just like the Joshua Generation, and “possess our possessions” in Christ (Obadiah 1:17).
California’s Christian colleges must pledge to defeat SB 1146, and demand that such monstrous, tyrannical intrusions never surface again as potential legislation.