"Christianity's history is marked by moments of persecution, even driving the earliest Christian Separatists and Puritans to seek refuge in the New World to escape religious oppression. In America, a nation historically grounded in Judeo-Christian values, Christians have long felt secure. However, the landscape has shifted. Our society is witnessing the unsettling phenomenon of calling good evil and evil good, as Isaiah 5:20 forewarned." - James Lasher
Let's deal first with the Puritans, beloved by the NAR narrative because they were more demanding of "purity." The purification they sought however was not against the state but rather against the Catholic Church. They felt the reforms that the Protestants had achieved were not enough and they wanted all forms of Catholicism eradicated from the church. Note here though that the Puritans escaped persecution from the CHURCH, not the world. They also existed hundreds of years before the founding of America. The NAR keeps trying to sell this as one homogenous time period, but it was not. By the time we got around to the American Revolution, the issues were economic, not religious. Sure, there were still some more zealous than others but many of the founders were deists and some even atheists. Their complaint was against taxation, not doctrine. This destroys the narrative the NAR desires which pretends early America was an Evangelical Shangri-La that has only been ruined recently by those nasty people in the world who hate us God-fearing Christians. Except it was not this Christian utopia as they present it to be. While many believed in "a" god, they did not believe in the God. Thomas Jefferson rewrote the bible, removing all of the miracles of Jesus and any reference to His deity. You think calling evil good has started recently? The church once openly supported slavery. The church took sides in the Civil War. Man has been calling evil good and vice versa from the garden onward.
"Believers may find themselves in a situation reminiscent of the early days of the Roman Empire, shortly after the formation of the Christian church. During that era, new Christians bore the brunt of blame for numerous societal problems. Nero infamously accused Christians of setting fire to Rome, leading to widespread persecution. Christians were subjected to horrific trials, including facing lions in the arena and being thrust into gladiatorial combat. They were scapegoated for societal ills and often excluded from economic activities, a pattern that seems to be emerging in our modern society. This deep-seated animosity toward Christ and His followers is not a novel phenomenon; it mirrors the historical disdain of pagans for the Lord and His representatives. Notably, even non-Christians have acknowledged the positive influence of Christianity on society. Jewish commentators Dennis Prager and Ben Shapiro has lauded Christianity's role in providing moral and legal foundations that guide our civilization. They warn that dismantling these Judeo-Christian foundations may lead to societal chaos. The erosion of these principles is not limited to specific regions but is spreading across the world."
The heights of absurdity they are willing to go to knows no end. America is the freest country in the history of the secular world. There never has and never will be a country this free to practice whatever religion you want and therein lies the rub. The dominionist takes offense that other religions are given the same latitude as Christianity, even though those other religions have existed since America's founding. What they argue for is essentially a theocracy, but the bible never said to go into the world and force people to become Christians. Lasher is trying to honestly compare the meager push back society gives these lunatics to the oppression of Rome! Joe Biden is now Nero! Not allowing forced prayer in public schools is now akin to being fed to the lions! It is so brash in its audacity and stupidity. It is not a deep-seated hatred towards Christ but rather towards people who claim to be working on His behalf but whose actions do not line up with scripture. Dennis Prager and Ben Shapiro are not "Jewish commentators." They are Republican shills and vile ones at that. Prager has produced videos mocking the atrocities committed against the indigenous people of the Americas and pretending slavery benefitted the slaves. Both he and Shapiro do not represent Jesus Christ but rather the Republican Party.
"Recent events highlight the growing tension between Christianity and certain sectors of society. As Charisma News reported, in Phoenix, Arizona, the Washington Elementary School District, by a board vote, severed ties with Arizona Christian University, citing the university's Christian beliefs as problematic. This action shines a spotlight on resistance to Christian influence and values. Similar incidents are not isolated to Phoenix. A Los Angeles community expressed outrage when a church, which had rented space in a school facility for worship services during non-school hours, invited a speaker who shared her journey of leaving the LGBTQ lifestyle. The backlash led to the school disallowing any group from meeting on their premises, despite clear legal precedents that should allow religious organizations access. The decline in the recognition of Judeo-Christian heritage can be traced back to a pivotal Supreme Court decision in 1980. In Stone v. Graham, the Court struck down a Kentucky law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. This decision, in essence, removed a moral compass from schools out of fear that children might be influenced by the principles within." - James Lasher
Once again, the idea is to paint Christians as the victim. The reality in Phoenix is that there was an agreement between these two entities that required a vote to continue every five years. This time around, it was voted down, 5-0. There was no termination of the agreement, it simply was not renewed. The reaction from the pious apostate church? To sue of course because who wouldn't Jesus sue? The bible teaches us in the key verses that the things of God are foolishness to those that are perishing so why are people confused when they act as such. People need to true gospel, not to be sued into submission. It is a matter of valuing and focusing on the carnal things of this world instead of the eternal fate awaiting us all. The same goes for the Los Angeles story. The pathetic thing here however is the notion that these problems are all related to the decision to remove the Ten Commandments from public schools. How weak is the god you claim to serve that His plans are thwarted by a piece of cardboard not hanging up in a classroom? Is it this placard's responsibility for instilling Christian morals in kids or parents? The notion that this decision was out of fear that it might positively influence children is frankly quite stupid. It is designed to continue to foster the division the Republican Party desires so that the aggrieved churched folks will come out to vote. The decision was reached because not all the children in public schools are Christian!
"Perceptions of Christianity are increasingly marred by misconceptions. In Queensland, Australia, the deputy police commissioner linked Christian Premillennialism to terrorism, a baseless accusation that fails to understand the Christian belief in a peaceful return of Jesus Christ. Christianity often finds itself tied to extremism in today's climate. Australia's strict gun control laws have left society vulnerable to government overreach, highlighting the consequences of limiting individual freedoms." - James Lasher
Let's clear up the distortion regarding Australia. There were three people who ambushed and killed two police officers in a planned, pre-meditated attack. Their social media and things they had written revealed the involvement in Premillennialism and anger over the government involvement during the COVID pandemic. So, their reporting it out as such was correct. The authorities also went OVERBOARD in explaining their cult-like beliefs were so far removed from the message of Christianity as to be "unrecognizable." Furthermore, the notion that Christianity often "finds itself" tied to extremism is because it is often tied to extremists. Just like the lunatics who defecated in the well of the Senate on January 6th and then prayed thanking Jesus for the success they had that day in beating cops to death. Just like the Branch Davidians or the Bundy ranchers. Just like the NAR today in America convincing churchgoers that the government is secretly plotting against them or slipping the mark of the beast into COVID vaccines, or even once respected preachers like John MacArthur feeding his sheep into the COVID woodchipper so he could hold court every Sunday. The sad truth is that while extremism and behaviors like this are antithetical to the teachings of Jesus Christ that does not stop extreme people from committing atrocities in the name of Jesus Christ. I might add here that none of this has anything to do with Australia's laws regarding guns. Jesus didn't carry a gun and the one time his followers tried to get cute with weapons He told them to drop the sword because he who lives by it, dies by it.
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