THE CHRISTIAN CONSCIENCE

"Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." - Romans 14:5

In recent days, social media has been abuzz with stories, articles and news clips about Kim Davis.  Kim is the Kentucky county clerk who defied a Federal court order when she refused to grant marriage licenses to gay couples, which led to her temporary imprisonment for contempt of court.  According to Ms. Davis, she refused to grant the licenses because it violated her religious convictions.

From the social media comments I've read, some believe she is menace to society while others consider her to be a Christian martyr.  Even among Christians, there is disagreement about whether she should have resigned or continued to stand her ground.  From my own point of view, I am bothered by all the hypocrisy in this news story.  On one hand, I have no doubt that the "Kim Davis Story," will soon be in print.  On the other hand, I know that many of the gay couples that were denied licenses got their 30 seconds of fame when they were interviewed by news agencies.  Then there is the President of the United States who hypocritically said that "no person is above the law," when he, like many of his predecessors, conveniently ignores laws that he doesn't agree with.  I get rather disgusted by the whole situation.

Rather than voice my support or opposition to Kim Davis, I want to address an issue that has been brought to the forefront through her situation & many other similar cases.

As a Christian, I am deeply bothered by the fact that the Christian conscience is being silenced in the public sector.  Although the Supreme Court allowed the owners of Hobby Lobby to maintain their Christian conscience in the light of the new healthcare law, more often than not, Christians are facing overt efforts to silence their conscience. 

In addition to the Kim Davis issue, we need to remember some of these recent news stories:

• A judge has ordered a Christian couple to pay fines because their bakery business (founded on Christian principles) refused to bake a cake for a gay wedding.
• A Christian pastor in Vermont was sentenced to one year in prison for refusing to marry a gay couple.
• The continual threat to remove "tax exemption" from specific churches when the pastors preach against public sins that are deemed "political" issues.
• A current Presidential candidate stated publicly, "deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed." (Emphasis added).

Unbelievers tend to say that Christians have the right to practice their faith --- as long as it is kept private.  This belief has silenced many people of faith.  However, the Christian faith is NOT just a private faith.  It is impossible for a person to take the Bible seriously and remain silent. There is no such thing as "private Christianity." Jesus commands His followers to take the Gospel PUBLICLY.  Today, when the Christian faith enters the public arena, there is an explicit effort to stifle that faith.  "Freedom of Religion," has become "Freedom From Religion."  The "Separation of Church & State," has become the "Separation of Faith from the Public."  The devil is actively at work in America. 

Whether or not you agree with Kim Davis, here's a major questions to ask yourself:  What if your boss or the government demanded that you do something that is in total violation of your faith?  Of course, answering this question in theory is easier than answering this question in reality.  However, I agree with John MacArthur when he advised Christians to settle this matter in advance.

In coming days, I have no doubt that there will be severe consequences for those who stand firm in the faith.  Such issues as a loss of income (losing a job), financial loss (through law suits) and a loss of freedom (through imprisonment) are not outside the realm of possibility for Christians. 

Some may argue that I am overreacting.  However, history proves that once freedom is compromised, it is a matter of time before it is completely gone.  The key issue that Christians face today is the loss of religious freedom. 

In my opinion, the Christian voice has been silent long enough.  The Christian conscience should compel each of us to have private piety AND a public voice.  The world needs the message of the Gospel and that message must be shared publicly.  If we allow ourselves to be manipulated into compromise, the Lord will be dishonored, dying souls will perish and we will ultimately regret it.