THIS IS NOT A PITY PARTY, THERE IS A POINT

THIS IS NOT A PITY PARTY, THERE IS A POINT
In 1986 the State of North Carolina mounted an attack on our little church. (yes, you read that right, 1986, during Reagan's second term). "Well," you may say, "Reagan was not Governor of North Carolina." No, he wasn't. But N.C. was not the only state oppressing Bible Christians in the 80's. Christians were losing their homes, their children and their churches because they were meeting, raising their children, teaching, feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, preaching the gospel, and they were not "asking the State for permission" to do that which was accepted as Church ministries and Christian rights. It started in the 70's, but it did not stop in the 80's, it did not even slow down in the 80's.

MISSPENT FIREPOWER
At that time, the Federal government was having hearings concerning Sun Myung Moon, the self proclaimed second coming of Christ and leader of and the Unification Church (cult). Christian men like D. James Kennedy, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson were giving varying degrees of support to him, because they said they were concerned about the government oppressing the Church, even to the point that some sat with Moon at the congressional hearings in Washington.

BIG GUNS
I asked pastors in various parts of N.C. and across the country, to stand with us against the State. Though most of them agreed with our position, they refused to stand with us (because they were not under fire at the time). I even reached out to the three nationally known ministers I mentioned earlier. They basically said, "be warmed and fed." We met with and communicated with well known N.C. politicians (Republican) also (including Sizemore, Coble, and the giant slayer, Helms), asking them for help (since we were North Carolinians and our church was in N.C.). Two of these men verbally said they agreed with our position but they each refused to give any support, and only sent us to the other, because it was not in their "jurisdiction." The younger one of the three was on his way up the political ladder, and the best advice he had for our church was to leave the State. I also spoke to lawyers, but got the same response from them.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT
After doing all we could, we finally moved to Texas. While we were there we stood with a church ministry that was under fire from the well known Democratic liberal, Jim Mattox the Attorney General of Texas (known as "The Junkyard Dog of Texas Politics"). His office told us that the State of Texas would take our children away from us if we stood with this ministry. I, along with members of my church were there with our children when the Texas Department of Safety (state patrol), the Texas Rangers, and a group from the AG's office raided the church. I was there when men were handcuffed and arrested, when children and women were terrified in the sanctuary of the church, while State investigators threatened and questioned them about their families.

I could go on, about this and many other situations where Christians were man-handled and abused by State officials in Indiana, Georgia, Nebraska and other places, for doing what churches were allowed to do. But Statism was rising up against Christianity. People could not believe it was happening in America.

HERE IT COMES
Today we are appalled at the attacks taking place in other countries, while we yawn at the mounting attacks against Christians who simply want to live their lives in obedience to Christ. America labels the morally sound followers of Christ as the trouble makers in our country. And it is gathering momentum, as it appeals to a society that openly rejects the rule of God, by murdering the unborn and joining people in same gender marriage, along with a laundry list of other atrocities.

My point? We have come a long way in throwing off Christian influence in this country. But the final destination is going to be calamity for everyone. Think about this the next time someone says, "This is not the America I remember."