Click Image to Visit AlbertMohler.com
From AlbertMohler.com:
We have seen this coming for some time now. The public space has been closing, especially when it comes to Christian speech — and especially when that speech is about homosexuality.
Now, a Christian preacher has been arrested in Britain for the crime of saying in public that homosexuality is a sin. This arrest is more than a news event — it is a signal of things to come and an announcement of a new public reality. Even if all charges are dropped against this preacher, the signal is sent and the message is clear. The act of Christian preaching is now a potential criminal offense.
…
From The Telegraph:
During the exchange, he says he quietly listed homosexuality among a number of sins referred to in 1 Corinthians, including blasphemy, fornication, adultery and drunkenness. After the woman walked away, she was approached by a PCSO [Police Community Support Officer] who spoke with her briefly and then walked over to Mr. McAlpine and told him a complaint had been made, and that he could be arrested for using racist or homophobic language. The street preacher said he told the PCSO: “I am not homophobic but sometimes I do say that the Bible says homosexuality is a crime against the Creator”.
The police officer, identified in the news report as a homosexual and as the “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender liason officer” for the local police department, then identified himself to Dale McAlpine. The preacher responded, “It’s still a sin.”
He then preached a sermon on a range of issues that did not include homosexuality. The paper reports, “Three regular uniformed police officers arrived during the address, arrested Mr. McAlpine and put him in the back of a police van.”
He was arrested under Britain’s “Public Order Act,” which, the paper reports, “has been used to arrest religious people in a number of similar cases.” The law allows the arrest and prosecution of anyone who, with intent to harass or cause harm, uses “threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour.”
Let me state right off the bat my first concern is for the brothers and sisters in England. My special concern is for those that struggle with same sex attraction who will be forcibly coerced into an oppressed silence. That oppression being a mix of imposed societal shame and fear of police hauling them off to jail. They will not be allowed to share their testimonies of overcoming homosexuality without fear of potential criminal prosecution.
Sure we could share part or most of our testimony without saying homosexual behavior is a sin but … why should we have to hide any part of our life? Would it be lying by omission to not call homosexual behavior sinful if that is a key part of our testimony?
When I visited England last year, a year ago this week as a matter of fact, I heard stories of people on a Christian post-gay journey being fired, or put on probation (at work), because someone simply asked them what their opinion was about biblical sexuality (and one on gay marriage.) They answered honestly and were punished severely for their beliefs.
So while criminalizing religious speech has just started, marginalizing religious speech has been in the works for a long time.
We are seeing increasing hostility toward freedom of religious conscience and speech in the United States and I have been called a murderer for simply sharing my own personal story. We get threats quite regularly about how some activists in the states would love for similar stories like the one above to happen here.
There is no better catalyst or preservative for freedom than free speech. To take away free speech from one group is to put us all in danger of the government’s politically correct (for the moment) whims.
About Randy Thomas
This is sad.. I am glad however that the media here whilst often not being very favourable towards Christianity is in this instance backing the right of free speech and pointing out that the police officer in question probably had a personal agenda.
http://www.christian.org.uk/news/commentators-speak-out-over-street-preacher-arrest/
Interestingly, the particular law that he was arrested under, has a free speech safeguard in it, which two of our leading political parties have sought to remove. see the bottom of this web page for more detail
http://blog.echurchwebsites.org.uk/2010/05/02/dale-mcalpine-christian-street-preacher-arrested-charged-publicorder-offence-homosexuality-sinful/
I do wonder tho if it is an indication of things to come… we have been so very blessed to be free of persecution for our beliefs for so long, unlike many of our brothers and sisters around the globe.
This is sad.. I am glad however that the media here whilst often not being very favourable towards Christianity is in this instance backing the right of free speech and pointing out that the police officer in question probably had a personal agenda.
http://www.christian.org.uk/news/commentators-speak-out-over-street-preacher-arrest/
Interestingly, the particular law that he was arrested under, has a free speech safeguard in it, which two of our leading political parties have sought to remove. see the bottom of this web page for more detail
http://blog.echurchwebsites.org.uk/2010/05/02/dale-mcalpine-christian-street-preacher-arrested-charged-publicorder-offence-homosexuality-sinful/
I do wonder tho if it is an indication of things to come… we have been so very blessed to be free of persecution for our beliefs for so long, unlike many of our brothers and sisters around the globe.
Thanks for bringing this to light. I do want to make one important distinction though: Homosexuality is NOT a sin. Homosexuality is a word that not only refers to behaviors but to desires and attractions. I know that you know that it isn’t our desires or attractions that are sin but rather what we do in response to those desires or attractions. In short, temptation is not a sin; yielding to it is.
I realize that it may seem needless to say ‘homosexual fantasy and behavior’ in place of ‘homosexuality’…especially in a context where we list other sins by their ‘short names’: adultery, fornication, etc. But those other words ONLY apply to behavior and do not have the desire or attraction as a part of their definition.
Keep up the good work!
Thanks for bringing this to light. I do want to make one important distinction though: Homosexuality is NOT a sin. Homosexuality is a word that not only refers to behaviors but to desires and attractions. I know that you know that it isn’t our desires or attractions that are sin but rather what we do in response to those desires or attractions. In short, temptation is not a sin; yielding to it is.
I realize that it may seem needless to say ‘homosexual fantasy and behavior’ in place of ‘homosexuality’…especially in a context where we list other sins by their ‘short names’: adultery, fornication, etc. But those other words ONLY apply to behavior and do not have the desire or attraction as a part of their definition.
Keep up the good work!
Praying right now for this British preacher and others who are sharing biblical principles about homosexuality. May God give them grace to share His truth with love and courage. And may we who call ourselves Christ followers in the U.S. do the same. -Eileen Rife, author of RESTORED HEARTS, the poignant tale of a Christian man’s struggle with homosexuality–and the healing of brothers, long divided.
Praying right now for this British preacher and others who are sharing biblical principles about homosexuality. May God give them grace to share His truth with love and courage. And may we who call ourselves Christ followers in the U.S. do the same. -Eileen Rife, author of RESTORED HEARTS, the poignant tale of a Christian man’s struggle with homosexuality–and the healing of brothers, long divided.
It is a travesty that we are on the verge here in the western world of loosing our most sacred right to speak our minds. More terrible is that our rights to have faith in Christ and to share Him wherever we go are soon to face the same end. Unless something is done, we will loose these rights for good, if it is not too late already. The silver lining to this cloud though is that we as Christians may be on the verge of an outpouring of God’s power like we haven’t seen since the early church. What I mean is that church growth and conversions happened at an exponential rate during the 1st and 2nd centuries in spite of, and I believe maybe even because of the persecution of the saints. We have enjoyed centuries of uninhibited religious freedom and what has happened? At least here in the USA, the church has shrunk. No longer is the church the majority. So, assuming we loose our rights and it becomes a crime to speak about our faith, or even to practice it, Christians will get serious about Jesus and a new wave of revival and power will hit the church. We may be martyred for Christ, but the church will survive and even thrive to make Christ’s glory known. So, let us pray that God moves to protect our rights, but let us also pray that the church will arise and make His glory known no matter what.
It is a travesty that we are on the verge here in the western world of loosing our most sacred right to speak our minds. More terrible is that our rights to have faith in Christ and to share Him wherever we go are soon to face the same end. Unless something is done, we will loose these rights for good, if it is not too late already. The silver lining to this cloud though is that we as Christians may be on the verge of an outpouring of God’s power like we haven’t seen since the early church. What I mean is that church growth and conversions happened at an exponential rate during the 1st and 2nd centuries in spite of, and I believe maybe even because of the persecution of the saints. We have enjoyed centuries of uninhibited religious freedom and what has happened? At least here in the USA, the church has shrunk. No longer is the church the majority. So, assuming we loose our rights and it becomes a crime to speak about our faith, or even to practice it, Christians will get serious about Jesus and a new wave of revival and power will hit the church. We may be martyred for Christ, but the church will survive and even thrive to make Christ’s glory known. So, let us pray that God moves to protect our rights, but let us also pray that the church will arise and make His glory known no matter what.
today, on the eve of our general election, there is a hate campaign against Philippa Stroud, a Christian MP, whose husband leads one of the largest churches in London… she is being attacked for trying to “pray the gay away”. No idea whether she has in fact ever tried to deliver someone from same sex attraction by prayer alone, but I do know that she loves people, especially the hurting, downtrodden, marginalised and oppressed..
sadly you can read all about our medias attack on her simply by googling her name of searching #philippastroud on twitter
one article in support of her written by a mutual friend is here.
no need to publish this one but thank you for reducing my hugggggge link to one word, that’s so clever!
today, on the eve of our general election, there is a hate campaign against Philippa Stroud, a Christian MP, whose husband leads one of the largest churches in London… she is being attacked for trying to “pray the gay away”. No idea whether she has in fact ever tried to deliver someone from same sex attraction by prayer alone, but I do know that she loves people, especially the hurting, downtrodden, marginalised and oppressed..
sadly you can read all about our medias attack on her simply by googling her name of searching #philippastroud on twitter
one article in support of her written by a mutual friend is here.
no need to publish this one but thank you for reducing my hugggggge link to one word, that’s so clever!
This is why I think it is important for people with SSA to say ‘I am gay and I think gay relationships are wrong’. First, using the word ‘gay’ is what society understands. They don’t always understand ‘same sex attraction’. Second, identifying as a gay person will most probably get you off the hook of being arrested for homophobia. Or saying, “I’m not heterosexual by orientation”. I love saying, “As a gay person…” Because then people back off. And they listen to what you say. They might not agree, but they listen and they can’t accuse the person of being homophobic if they are gay or not heterosexual.
I do worry about heterosexual people always banging on about homosexual behaviour. Cos they don’t seem to bang on about any other sin.
However, this guy did list many other sins, apparently alongside homosexual behaviour. I think it would be great if loadsa Christians with SSA stood next to this guy in court, when the photos are taken etc, with plackards saying, We are gay Christians who are against gay behaviour’ or something to those words. Cos all society is picking up on is homophobia, and as a person with SSA, that’s how it feels to me a lot of the time. But this guy seems cool. So we should openly back him and be open about having SSA. And God bless him.
This is why I think it is important for people with SSA to say ‘I am gay and I think gay relationships are wrong’. First, using the word ‘gay’ is what society understands. They don’t always understand ‘same sex attraction’. Second, identifying as a gay person will most probably get you off the hook of being arrested for homophobia. Or saying, “I’m not heterosexual by orientation”. I love saying, “As a gay person…” Because then people back off. And they listen to what you say. They might not agree, but they listen and they can’t accuse the person of being homophobic if they are gay or not heterosexual.
I do worry about heterosexual people always banging on about homosexual behaviour. Cos they don’t seem to bang on about any other sin.
However, this guy did list many other sins, apparently alongside homosexual behaviour. I think it would be great if loadsa Christians with SSA stood next to this guy in court, when the photos are taken etc, with plackards saying, We are gay Christians who are against gay behaviour’ or something to those words. Cos all society is picking up on is homophobia, and as a person with SSA, that’s how it feels to me a lot of the time. But this guy seems cool. So we should openly back him and be open about having SSA. And God bless him.
My dad is a Bible theologian who has studied the Bible constantly with deep, spiritual, profoundness. He has been studying the Bible for 55 years. He speaks and reads Hebrew fluently. My father took apart revelation, and he has studied it thoroughly. And yes, the Lord has revealed astounding things to him because he is a servant of G-d. My father always humbles himself, and says, I’m just a messenger for the Lord, and the wisdom is the Holy Spirit who speaks through me and uses me. All of this knowledge is not my own, but only the Lord’s. I’m not better nor less than anyone else. He never ever takes any credit, which is correct. Also, he always tells me, never take something someone said about the Bible as true without investigating for yourself to be true by studying the scriptures.
My dad has been observing persecution of Christians on the rise in nations that once were known for their missionary work and preaching the gospel throughout the world, and where the Holy Spirit was once very powerful and present. Now, so many, many churches within these nations are watered down. These nations are: The United States, England, Scotland, Canada, The Nordic countries, and Australia. My father said persecution on Christians from these nations are going to rise in the last days because theses nations have turned their backs on G-d as nations, and have turned to secularism. They knew the gospel more than any other nation on earth, and yet they are now worse than any other nation on Earth. When the day comes when the two witnesses arrive, Moses and Elijah, they are not going to be lukewarm in their preaching, but they are going to be extremely powerful in the Holy Spirit, firm in the word of G-d, and speak with tremendous authority. And they will not compromise the word of G-d in the very slightest degree. Right now in the world places like, China and the Middle East, just to name a few, are persecuting Christians in extreme harsh circumstances for simply preaching the word of G-d and/or possessing a Bible. My dad said he is not a bit surprised that Christians are being persecuted in the Western World and in fact, things that are occurring here and there in North America, parts of Europe, and Australia are just the tip of the iceberg of things to come.
We are very close entering the threshold of the End Times or The Tribulation. The enemy is at war with the true church. The church that follows the Lord’s word, and dose not water the word of G-d nor the power of G-d down. The true church that isn’t closed, but the church that is open to submitting to the word of G-d through his word; such as, The manifestation of the gifts of the power of the Holy Spirit, casting out devils, the power of healing, allowing the Holy Spirit to flow within the congregation freely, and the gift of discernment. There are still some churches whose hearts are not hard, but are humbled and submissive to the Lord G-d Almighty’s will, and who carry out his will. These are the churches and Christians, who follow the Lord G-d’s desires, and commandments with obedience being opened to the Bible. Those churches that will obey his word, will survive turbulent Ending of human history and transformation in which will ultimately be the Lord’s reclaiming and restoration his kingdom on earth! His reign! Again, this is coming very, very soon. These last days that are approaching us, we must pray for one another, and be unified who follow the word of G-d. Strongly we must really on Jesus Christi because he is with us! Embrace the word of G-d, and protect yourselves with the power of the Holy Spirit, and the word of G-d because there is an increase of deception out in the world more than ever before! Be strong! My father always says this to me, the fear of the lord isn’t being scared nor frightened all the time, but in the Hebrew translation the fear of the Lord means, giving the Lord G-d reverence and not to doubt his power in him when there is trouble, but have faith in him! G-d knows what is going on, and G-d is in control. Look at Noah’s Ark, Noah and his family during the flood was never submerged. They were protected in the misted of catastrophic trouble.
My dad is a Bible theologian who has studied the Bible constantly with deep, spiritual, profoundness. He has been studying the Bible for 55 years. He speaks and reads Hebrew fluently. My father took apart revelation, and he has studied it thoroughly. And yes, the Lord has revealed astounding things to him because he is a servant of G-d. My father always humbles himself, and says, I’m just a messenger for the Lord, and the wisdom is the Holy Spirit who speaks through me and uses me. All of this knowledge is not my own, but only the Lord’s. I’m not better nor less than anyone else. He never ever takes any credit, which is correct. Also, he always tells me, never take something someone said about the Bible as true without investigating for yourself to be true by studying the scriptures.
My dad has been observing persecution of Christians on the rise in nations that once were known for their missionary work and preaching the gospel throughout the world, and where the Holy Spirit was once very powerful and present. Now, so many, many churches within these nations are watered down. These nations are: The United States, England, Scotland, Canada, The Nordic countries, and Australia. My father said persecution on Christians from these nations are going to rise in the last days because theses nations have turned their backs on G-d as nations, and have turned to secularism. They knew the gospel more than any other nation on earth, and yet they are now worse than any other nation on Earth. When the day comes when the two witnesses arrive, Moses and Elijah, they are not going to be lukewarm in their preaching, but they are going to be extremely powerful in the Holy Spirit, firm in the word of G-d, and speak with tremendous authority. And they will not compromise the word of G-d in the very slightest degree. Right now in the world places like, China and the Middle East, just to name a few, are persecuting Christians in extreme harsh circumstances for simply preaching the word of G-d and/or possessing a Bible. My dad said he is not a bit surprised that Christians are being persecuted in the Western World and in fact, things that are occurring here and there in North America, parts of Europe, and Australia are just the tip of the iceberg of things to come.
We are very close entering the threshold of the End Times or The Tribulation. The enemy is at war with the true church. The church that follows the Lord’s word, and dose not water the word of G-d nor the power of G-d down. The true church that isn’t closed, but the church that is open to submitting to the word of G-d through his word; such as, The manifestation of the gifts of the power of the Holy Spirit, casting out devils, the power of healing, allowing the Holy Spirit to flow within the congregation freely, and the gift of discernment. There are still some churches whose hearts are not hard, but are humbled and submissive to the Lord G-d Almighty’s will, and who carry out his will. These are the churches and Christians, who follow the Lord G-d’s desires, and commandments with obedience being opened to the Bible. Those churches that will obey his word, will survive turbulent Ending of human history and transformation in which will ultimately be the Lord’s reclaiming and restoration his kingdom on earth! His reign! Again, this is coming very, very soon. These last days that are approaching us, we must pray for one another, and be unified who follow the word of G-d. Strongly we must really on Jesus Christi because he is with us! Embrace the word of G-d, and protect yourselves with the power of the Holy Spirit, and the word of G-d because there is an increase of deception out in the world more than ever before! Be strong! My father always says this to me, the fear of the lord isn’t being scared nor frightened all the time, but in the Hebrew translation the fear of the Lord means, giving the Lord G-d reverence and not to doubt his power in him when there is trouble, but have faith in him! G-d knows what is going on, and G-d is in control. Look at Noah’s Ark, Noah and his family during the flood was never submerged. They were protected in the misted of catastrophic trouble.