Forgotten Word Ministries

Does God have a place in Public Discussion?

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February 25, 2009
Robert Wise

I was reading an article by Charlie Butts which I have included below in regards to whether God was now considered a four-letter word in Public Schools. After reading it I then realized that God is now considered a four-letter word not only in Public School but in Public as a whole.  If we all think back, we will remember the numerous times we have heard people say something like: "I never discuss Politics or Religion".   It all sort of came together for me once I remembered that saying.  People have for many years decided that Politics and Religion have no place in public discussions as they both seem to be either embarrassing to talk about or in regards to Religion, a subject that is "taboo" as it seems to always cause some sort of argument between the people discussing it.

When considering all this, I found myself feeling guilty.  Guilty of what I thought?  Guilty of failing to be open and proud of my God and His worthiness.  Many years ago, I would avoid those very same topics with many people for the same reasons as stated above.  I didn't want to hurt someone's feelings by discussing politics because if I disagreed with them I might be causing them to feel either offended or hurt by what they believed in.  As for discussing God, I didn't want to embarrass anyone or make them feel guilty especially if they were not saved.  Thank God, I at this point in my life, discuss both politics and religion in the public arena.  Especially grateful am I that I am not ashamed to discuss my beliefs about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  I try to incorporate the Lord into every conversation I have.  I am not always successful but many times I am.

It is no wonder our Country is in the condition it is in.  God has been confined to the four square walls of a church building with bars on the doors and windows.  Bring Him out for a Sunday afternoon dinner but whatever you do, don't talk out loud about Him in front of anyone.  I know this seems silly to some, but it is just the plain truth.  The God people do talk about in public is not the God of the Bible. 

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The God most people talk about is the God of "prosperity".  The God of "self-indulgence".  The God of "make believe".  The God of "make-me-feel-good".  The God of "anything goes".  The list goes on and on.  Don't believe me?  Take a morning off from Church on Sunday and watch with open eyes and ears from about 5:00 a.m. until noon, all the different preachers on TV and you will se first hand what I am talking about.  Very few of the programs on TV will preach anything about "Repentance", "Hell", "Punishment by God" or anything else except "love" and "personal increase".  Very few teach the "whole" council of the Bible.  They seem to pick and choose what only the parts which build them up or show increase on a personal level.  Very few teach the "overall whole picture" of what the Bible is all about.  It seems there is a mentality abounding that says "if I increase, then it must be from God".  "If we have the largest congregation", it must be from God.  "If we have the "best toys", "largest building", "loudest choir", it must be from God.  The bigger is better mentality certainly has taken hold of America's Churches.  BUT, those very same people who gather together on Sunday morning in their mega-churches, walk out after the service and leave God and His teachings right in the pew waiting for them next Sunday. 

Years ago, Rodney King said something like, "can't we all just get along" and it seems his words were prophetic in regards to how people talk today.  Most people are willing to sacrifice their soul to not cause a rift or not cause a disagreement with someone.  I remember when it was right and proper to discuss differences between individuals and no one was considered a hypocrite or a jerk or a heretic for it.  Today, you disagree and people call you a trouble maker.  Even when you are right and they are wrong about a subject, it doesn't matter.  You are the bad guy for even bringing up anything that may seem controversial.  I personally do not agree with that approach at all.  I would rather go down fighting as to join the "dark side" and lose all my future inheritance.  My "father" has promised me a wonderful inheritance when I pass from this life to the next and I am looking forward to it with baited breath.

We "MUST" repent from our wicked ways.  Allow God to be an open book with you in regards to everything you do in life, whether it be talking to a fellow believer in private or having a friendly chat with a stranger on the street.  If the sun is shining, let the other person know that God has sure made a great day hasn't He?  If it's a overcast day, tell them that it won't last, God has a brighter day coming.  Find a way to gently allow God into the discussion.  DO NOT BE ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL!  (Romans 1:16)  The Gospel is what God left for us to learn from.  His Word is a lamp unto our feet. He will brighten our paths! (Psalm 119:105)  Tell your Christian friends to do the same and before long you all will notice that you have made a small difference in this old world.  Small differences added together end up making a big difference!.

God Bless.                        What are your thoughts on this article?


'God' - the new four-letter word in public schools
Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow - 2/25/2009

Why is religion taboo in American schools? Christian attorney John Whitehead addresses that question.

"God has become THE four-letter word in most public schools in the United States," says Whitehead, founder of The Rutherford Institute. And he explains in a commentary why that has come to pass: "An elite segment of society that views God as irrelevant has come to predominate." (View video commentary)
 
Whitehead gained his legal insights into the phenomenon through the many cases of religious discrimination that have crossed his desk.
 
"What's happened is [that] the elitists -- the people who run American society, from the public education system to certain governmental institutions and figures -- have basically decided that God is irrelevant to public discussion," says Whitehead during an interview with OneNewsNow.
 
"...This ignores the 120 million-plus people in America who take their religion seriously, [who] practice it, and who pay taxes to support institutions like the public schools."
 
And what that does, adds Whitehead, is force those people -- along with their religious rights and their free-speech rights -- into "utter subservience" to all other beliefs.
 
The issue, according to the attorney, is not separation of church and state -- an argument frequently cited by those who assume the secular viewpoint. "The issue in such instances is the religious believer versus the secular state," he writes. "It is also a denial of everything this country stands for in terms of the freedoms of speech, religion, and a respect for moral tradition."
 
Whitehead believes that what exists now in America is akin to the old Soviet Union and China, where it is religious believers fending off the state.