Religious Persecution

Our Lord never said it was going to be easy on earth.  In fact, he said that the world would hate us because of his name (Matt. 10:22, John 15:18) and that it hated him first.

The current administration’s policy requiring Catholic health insurance plans to cover contraception and abortafacients for women - as well as the so-called “compromise” to that policy - is government-sponsored persecution and an assault on religious freedom that is unprecedented in American history.  If history warns us of anything – it’s that the initial steps in the attack against religious liberty are just as crucial as the final steps.

Many people living in Germany in the 1930’s thought nothing of Hitler’s methodical attack on the Jews.  It wasn’t until the atrocities came to light that people cringed – and not until the end of the war that they saw the depth of the evil that was perpetrated on the Jews and others.

One of the most frightening commentaries about what happened during that time was encapsulated in the poem, “First They Came . . .” by German Lutheran Pastor Martin Niemöller, who suffered in the German concentration camp, Dachau.  It chronicles the downfall of society in Nazi Germany and begins with the list of who the Nazis went after - and the complacent attitude of much of the public:

“. . . then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak out because I was Protestant.

Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.”

If all Catholics voted according to Christian ethics instead of a politically-correct, liberal agenda and stood up against this kind of governmental persecution and constitutional manipulation, we could put a stop to it.  If all Christians – Catholics and Protestants - took a stand against the atrocity of abortion, we could end it tomorrow.  If we all sit around and do nothing or continue to vote for those who proliferate these policies – we can expect more of the same or worse.  Scripture tells us that we will be judged for what we didn’t do – just as we will for the things we did do (Matt. 25:14-46).

There is an old saying that states, “The only thing necessary for evil to exist is for good men to do nothing.”  Unfortunately, we are living in a time of horrific change. How long can we simply stand by and do nothing?   What is it going to take before all Christians join hands and finally say, “Enough!”