In getting ready for my weekly shows, there is no shortage of “Christian-esque” events being cancelled or moved from public grounds because someone from the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), to whom I fondly refer as the Freedom From Religion Freaks, sent a letter, filed suit, and made a stink.
For instance, a bakery in Oregon refused to make a cake for a gay wedding. It went against their religious beliefs. OMG (that’s Oh My Goodness for those not in the know), it’s time to tar and feather them.
But wait. They have a right to practice their Christian faith, don’t they? Not in Oregon, where lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT) are protected from being discriminated against.
Were there no other bakeries? What would happen if a Christian couple were denied service at an LGBT-owned bakery because the owners were uncomfortable making a cake that looked like Jesus, or the sign of the cross with a scripture about men leaving the natural use of their bodies (Romans 1:27), or the one that says, “when a man finds a wife he finds a good thing”? Would there be equal protection under the law?
Then there was the Christian photographer couple in Colorado who was fined more than $6,000 for refusing to photograph a gay wedding. The photographers declined the request, saying they couldn’t accept the job because their religious scripture says it’s a sin. Wouldn’t you want the person who would capture your joyous occasion to be someone who understood the moment?
The gay couple filed a complaint, resulting in a stiff fine for not shooting the wedding. What if the reverse happened and a Christian couple asked to have their traditional family wedding (complete with lots of scripture and “God talk”) photographed? What if the gay couple who owned the photography business said they would be too uncomfortable to shoot the wedding? Would there be equal protection under the law?
If I owned a store and simply refused to serve people who believed in global warming or the Second Amendment or who wore offensive T-shirts, would I be sued? Not a chance. Why? Because it has nothing to do with a religious belief, especially not Christianity.
In several cases, female Muslims have fought to win the right wear a hijab while working in a theme park. Let that sink in for a moment (most people working in a theme park are in costume or a uniform). Yet, employees and students have been told they cannot wear a cross around their neck because it might offend someone. Is that equal protection under the law?
How many cases have you heard of a menorah being removed from a public place during the holidays? Or a Jew asked to remove his yarmulke because it “may offend someone?” It seems like the stories against Christians are 100 to 1.
Recently, a mother in Connecticut was stopped from praying at the entry to a school (on the sidewalk), which she did because she learned there was ammunition found on school grounds. She prayed as the kids came in. She had been doing it for months until the FFRF called the school to threaten legal action. Yet some public schools have prayer rooms for Muslim students, on school grounds, during school hours, and that’s OK.
Your tax dollars pay to accommodate Muslim prayer in school. But it’s not OK for Christians.
If you see stories about attacks on any religion, feel free to forward them on to me (Joe@TheRealSide.com). I’m interested in all of them. But I can tell you, percentage-wise, the primary war is and all-out attack on Christianity. So let me apologize once again: There is no war on religion in this country, but there is a war on Christians.
Stand strong, my brothers. Take up the whole armor of God and fight back. Never give in and never give up.
Joe Messina is host of The Real Side (TheRealSide.com), a nationally syndicated talk show that runs on AM-1220 KHTS radio and SCVTV [here]. He is also an elected member of the Hart School Board. His commentary normally publishes Mondays.
I Was Wrong: There's No War on 'Religion' | Commentary by Joe Messina
