Prime Minister's Bible Plan: A KJV To Every School in the Country

In a move intended to help every pupil access Britain's cultural heritage, the Prime Minister plans to send a copy of the King James Bible to every state school in England.

This new copy of the 1611 translation of the Bible will contain a brief foreword by Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, to mark the 400th anniversary of its translation.

According to Number 10, the exact details of how the Government intends to commemorate the anniversary are yet to be confirmed, but every primary and secondary school should be in possession of a new copy of the KJV by next Easter.

ATHEISTS ARE ANGRY

Predictably, this proposal has been criticised by atheistic groups, which believe it is a bad use of public money.

• The National Secular Society (NSS) questioned why the Department for Education could not put a message up on its website and save the country “tens of thousands of pounds.”

“It’s not as if Bibles are in short supply in schools,” NSS president Terry Sanderson said. “But if (Mr Gove) intends to go ahead with this, will he also please ensure that a copy of On the Origin of Species is sent out on Darwin Day.

This book is much harder to find in schools and would be in line with his policy of promoting science and evidence-based education. I’m sure that he could write an excellent foreword to this, too,” Mr Sanderson added.

• And the British Humanist Association (BHA) said it was “highly unacceptable” for the Government to promote a particular religious text in every school.

“Either the Government is funding this initiative itself at a time when it is making severe cuts elsewhere, or the Church is funding it but using the Government as a vehicle through which to promote Christianity - both are unacceptable,” said BHA campaigns officer Richy Thompson.

“All state-funded schools and the Department itself should be neutral on matters of religion and belief, so that they can aim to be equally inclusive for all pupils and staff, regardless of their background,” he added.

A CRITICAL MOMENT IN THE LIFE OF THE NATION

The Government, however, is insistent that one does not have to be a Christian to believe the translation of the Bible was a “critical moment” in giving knowledge to the masses and therefore hugely important.

BEAUTIFUL

Michael Gove, who is proposing to write a two-line introduction for the bibles sent to schools, said of the 1611 translation: “It's a thing of beauty, and it's also an incredibly important historical artefact. It has helped shape and define the English language and is one of the keystones of our shared culture. And it is a work that has had international significance.”

“Some people look at certain battles, or some look at certain parliamentary acts, as hinge moments in history,” Mr Gove said. “I actually think the translation of the Bible into the vernacular is a critical moment in the life of the nation.”

He went further, adding that the King James Bible was the most important book written in the English language.

“It’s a thing of beauty, and it’s also an incredibly important historical artefact,” he added. “It has helped shape and define the English language and is one of the keystones of our shared culture. And it is a work that has had international significance.”

The Government is reportedly looking for private funding for the scheme.

Letter To Tesco PLC re their Sponsorship of Sodomy

Sir Richard Broadbent
Chairman
Tesco PLC


28 November 2011

Dear Sir,

It was with a sense of deep disappointment that I recently learned that ‘Pride London’ (which will host ‘World Pride 2012’ in London next year), has identified Tesco as a “Gold Sponsor” of World Pride 2012.

RECORD ON CHARITABLE GIVING
I am well aware of the support that Tesco gives to a plethora of excellent charities and good causes. I was especially delighted that Tesco chose ‘Alzheimer’s Society’ and ‘Alzheimer Scotland’ as its Charity of the Year for 2011 - generating support that runs into millions of pounds. I have also been informed that one of your officials, in response to letters you have received that may be of a similar nature to mine, has been citing the fact that 1.8% of Tescos pre-tax profits are channelled into charitable and good causes. This, of course, is very commendable and I congratulate you on this very considerable effort.

However, I was dismayed to read that Tesco has pledged a significant sum of money towards World Pride 2012 (building on its former sponsorship of Pride London during 2011), and is committed to organising an area for families at this event. In my opinion, there is no way in which this can be construed as promoting a good cause, since it is promoting a behaviour that is inherently detrimental to family life and empirically dangerous to those who adopt it as their lifestyle of choice.

One lesbian who was present at Pride London this year enthused about Tesco’s “family area” on her internet blog. Her report on the day’s events commences with the intriguing caveat, “I’m not sure how much of the language we used on that day will be allowed in this article ... .” She continues: “If you ever feel low on hope, please just imagine a little grassy area full of little kids and babies with either two mums or two dads. Happy children and happy parents. All eating discount fresh fruit salad from Tesco.”

This may well be an idyllic scene in the eyes of a fraction of 1% of the population, but I am quite confident you are aware that the overwhelming majority of people in our country view such a “family area” - and worse, Tesco’s sponsorship of it - as a bizarre anomaly.

PROMOTING PERVERSION
The reason they are of this opinion is because the historic foundation of our society, the great tenets of Bible Christianity, simply confirms the feeling that is innate within them that homosexuality is both unnatural and perverse (Romans 1:26-27).

GOD'S MODEL FOR THE FAMILY
Basic teaching on family life is found in the first two chapters of the Bible, Genesis chapters 1 and 2.

God, in this portion of Genesis, teaches us that, “male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27). We were created to a plan - male and female complementing each other - and so enabled to enhance each others’ lives and produce and nurture offspring as commanded in Genesis 1:28, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.” This command is repeated to Noah after the Flood (Genesis 8:15-17). Cain and Abel had neither ‘two mommies’ or ‘two daddies,’ but a father and mother. In this they fulfilled God’s own model for family life.

When Jesus, in New Testament times, was questioned about marriage, He referred back to these two chapters at the start of Genesis (Matthew 19:1-12; Mark 10:1-12).

The Bible provides the foundation for the Christian’s faith - and this foundation has become the focal point of homosexuality’s aggressive assault against Christianity.

THE PATRONS OF PRIDE LONDON
That such a struggle is ongoing is brought into sharp focus by the public activities of at least several of the patrons of the event you have sponsored, ‘Pride London.’

For example:

• one patron of Pride London, Elton John, has opinioned: “I would ban religion completely,” arguing that religion’s product is “hateful lemmings.”

• another patron of Pride London, Sir Ian McKellen, boasted in an interview with the ‘London Telegraph’ that he rips out the book of Leviticus, which condemns homosexuality, from the Gideon Bible in every hotel room in which he stays. He followed this statement up with a further attack on the Bible when he insisted that Scripture should carry, “a disclaimer in the front saying this is fiction.”

• Peter Tatchell, another of Pride London’s patrons, has stated: “More than any other institution in British society, Christianity has waged an almost ceaseless 2000-year-long war against homosexual people.” He is also responsible for the horrendous allegation that, “The Bible is to gays what Mein Kampf is to Jews. It is the theory and practice of Homo Holocaust.”

TESCO AND EQUALITY FOR ALL
Judging by a sentence that appears in a letter sent from the Chief Executive’s Office to some who have complained about Tesco’s sponsorship of Pride London - “We believe that everyone should be welcome at Tesco” - I assume that Tesco prides itself on pursuing a policy of equality for all.

A CASE STUDY IN LIVERPOOL
A recent discussion about the opening of a new Tescos store on High Park Street in Liverpool appeared on the Equality Law website under the banner headline, “Promoting Equality. Preventing Discrimination.”

Store manager Richard Hatley seemed to articulate Tesco’s own commitment to the promotion of equality and the prevention of discrimination when he explained concerning the choice of an appropriate name for this new store:

“We had a problem. Do we call it Tesco Toxteth or Tesco Dingle? The border lies literally right here at our feet. Dingle’s got a bit of a reputation for drugs and crime and Toxteth’s got the riots. Both sides wanted it [the name] because it’s good for the area.”

In the end you plumped for Tesco Park Road after the name of the busy road on which the store sits. “And both sides are happy,” Richard Hatley affirms.

We believe that everyone should be welcome to shop within your stores. After all, this is what is expected from a major retailer, providing a service for all the people in any given community in which you have a store.

However, in your decision to become a headline sponsor of ‘London Pride / World Pride 2012’ - an event fronted by many who are openly intolerant of the Christian Faith and virulently opposed to the Bible on which this faith is founded, and also an event that showcases a practice that is particularly abhorrent to true Christianity - it is evident which side you have espoused.

FURTHER EVIDENCE OF DISCRIMINATION
This discriminatory promotion is further emphasised by the fact that:

• the Tesco Board sponsor and support a corporate initiative, ‘Out At Tescos’ - a grouping within Tescos that has been established for the specific purpose of, “creating, supporting and publicising the LGBT network.” Evidently this group is encouraged to turn out ‘en force’ at ‘London Pride’ and has been given special permission to adapt the company logo so that it reflects a homosexual symbol, the ‘rainbow flag.’

In explaining your promotion of this group, the answer to the first question in the list of FAQs on the ‘Out At Tesco’ site states: “At Tesco ‘no one tries harder for customers’ and ‘treat people how we like to be treated’ are two of our key values and are at the core of everything we do.”

I wonder if any other group has been reserved for such indulgence?

Or has Tesco made any attempt to strike a balance between the protagonists on this modern battlefield by offering support to the Christians who many prominent homosexuals so clearly ‘love to hate’?

Or, indeed, has Tesco raised even a voice of support on behalf of Christians who are being persecuted in some of the countries in which it operates, or financially assisted any of the Christian charities that provide solace for these persecuted souls?

I have searched for evidence of Tesco’s involvement in this good cause – but all my investigations have drawn a complete blank.

BLASPHEMY AGAINST CHRIST EMANATING FROM THE HEART OF TESCO
Additionally, Tesco’s discriminatory behaviour in favour of homosexuality and against Christianity once more rises to view when you appear to be turning a blind eye to the virulently anti-Christian activity of one of the ‘founding fathers of Tesco.com,’ (currently a key player in your ‘Research & Development’ team and a known participant at Pride London), who is featured on the internet reciting one of the most vile poems ever written about our Lord Jesus Christ.

This activity is patently blasphemous and highly offensive to Christians. Should we conclude that you view this as acceptable behaviour for a person who occupies such a key role in your company? And once again, is this the image you wish to cultivate - that of aligning yourself with persons and groups who take such obvious delight in offending Christians?

400th ANNIVERSARY OF KJV
It cannot have escaped your attention that 2011 is the 400th Anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible - a Book widely hailed by world renowned linguists as:

• “the fountainhead of good English prose” (John Dos Passos);

• “the greatest English text” (Mark Schorer);

• “unquestionably the most beautiful book in the world” (H. L. Mencken).

It may shock you to learn that some of these eminent linguists made no profession of Christianity; in fact the last quote is from a notorious nonconformist and self-confessed “infidel,” who did not believe in God and who despised bigotry.

What continues to shock me is that Tesco, the third largest retailer in the world, appears to have allowed this historic anniversary to slip by without significant recognition or support and, at the same time, has chosen the year of this anniversary to donate further funds towards an event whose patronage includes persons who denigrate the Christ of this Book in the foulest manner possible and gleefully rip out its pages.

This is certainly a strange way in which to promote equality and prevent discrimination, or to ensure that Christians remain happy shopping at Tescos.

Yours sincerely,

Ian Brown

The Printer, The Baker and The Flower Arranger

THE PRINTER

On 24 February 24, 2000, the Ontario Human Rights Commission found Scott Brockie guilty of discriminating against homosexuals according to its code.

Brockie, the owner of ‘Imaging Excellence, Inc.’, maintains that his Christian beliefs compelled him to reject a request by the ‘Canadian Gay and Lesbian Archives’ in 1996 to print materials for the group.

The Toronto-based CGLA provides a clearinghouse of information about homosexuals and their history.

A board of inquiry appointed under the Ontario Human Rights Code ordered him to pay damages of $5,000.

“Their position was that you must serve every customer who walks through your door with no exceptions,” said Janet Epp Buckingham, legal counsel for the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, which defended Brockie in court.

But the Gay and Lesbian Archives argues that Brockie's refusal of service is equivalent to racial discrimination: “If we were black, this would be a case of asking Rosa Parks to get off the bus again,” said the group’s board president, Matt Hughes, referring to the famous incident during the American civil rights movement.

The Ontario Human Rights Commission’s board of inquiry asserted that, “it is reasonable to limit Brockie's freedom of religion in order to prevent the very real harm to members of the lesbian and gay community.”

The board added that, “Brockie remains free to hold his religious beliefs and practice them in his home and in his Christian community.”

But Buckingham points out that the code, which was established in 1962, requires employers to accommodate the beliefs of their employees. “It’s unfair to say your religious and conscientiously held beliefs are of no value,” she said.

The appeal was lost - however, it was decided that Mr Brockie or his business would not be required, “to print material of a nature that could reasonably be considered to be in direct conflict with the core elements of his religious beliefs or creed.”

THE FLORIST

Homosexual activists protested outside the home of a Christian florist in Canada because she would not provide flowers for a lesbian wedding.

The protestors dropped flowers tied with rainbow-coloured ribbons on the front lawn of the florist’s suburban home, and demanded that she be hauled before the courts.

The intimidating protest was sparked when the lesbian couple’s ‘wedding planner’ wrote about the Christian florist’s stance on Twitter.

PROTEST
Florist Kim Evans runs her business from her home in Moncton, New Brunswick.

She previously told the lesbian couple by email: “As a born-again Christian, I must respect my conscience before God and have no part in this matter.”

Outside the florist’s home, protestors spoke to news reporters, claiming they were ‘spreading a message of tolerance.’

The lesbian couple’s wedding planner did not disclose their names, but said he was appalled and outraged by the Christian florist’s stance.

Kim Evans was not initially told that the couple were lesbians, but when she discovered this, she politely declined their business in an email.

DESIRE TO PROSECUTE
Homosexual activists in Canada and the US are calling for the florist to be taken to the Human Rights Tribunal, even though no case or complaint has been lodged by the unnamed lesbian couple.

Mike Judge of The Christian Institute commented: “These activists are spreading a so-called ‘message of tolerance’, yet the one thing they will not tolerate is this Christian lady’s freedom to disagree with them.”

THE BAKER

A Christian baker in the US state of Iowa may face legal action and has been sent hate mail after she politely told a lesbian couple that she could not make them a wedding cake.

Victoria Childress, who runs a cake baking business from home, said: “I didn’t do the cake because of my convictions for their lifestyle.”

She also commented: “I did not belittle them, I did not speak rudely to them. There were no condescending remarks made, nothing.”

Lesbian couple Trina Vodraska and Janelle Sievers thanked her for being honest. However, they may lodge a civil rights complaint over the incident.

Victoria owns Victoria’s Cake Cottage in Des Moines, Iowa, and has received hate messages for her actions.

But she has also received support for her actions. She told FOX that she has also receive plenty of positive feedback, including support from local businesses glad that someone is standing up to bullying by homosexuals: “People are telling me they were proud of me for standing up for my beliefs because not many people do that these days.”

STATEMENT
The lesbian couple released a statement which said: “Awareness of equality was our only goal in bringing this to light, it is not about cake or someone’s right to refuse service to a customer.”

They said they hoped “we have prevented someone else from experiencing the same type of bigotry.”

THE FALLOUT
Reaction from the homosexual ranks to the stance adopted by the baker has shown the usual measure of restraint and tolerance:

• The incident attracted the attention of Des Moines television station KCCI, which gave Trina Vodraska a platform to voice her anger at being snubbed by Childress.

“It was degrading,” she told the television station. “It was like she chastised us for wanting to do business with her. I know Jesus loves me. I didn’t need her to tell me that. I didn’t go there for that. I just wanted to go there for a cake.”

• Soon Childress began receiving hateful emails – so many and so disturbing that she stopped reading them.

“It’s really hard to read things like that,” she said. “I’m a pretty quiet, soft-spoken person. But when I stand up for my convictions against things, I’m very strong when it comes to that.”

• Pro-gay activists have launched a boycott of this Iowa baker.

• The two lesbians who were denied their cake said they are mulling possible legal action against the principled baker. In 2007 Iowa’s civil rights laws were expanded to ban discrimination based on a person’s sexual orientation, with religious exemptions allowed only for qualified institutions such as churches or schools. This may possibly leave Childress exposed to being cited for discriminating against the lesbians.

The Queen of England and the King James Bible

Queen Elizabeth II is ending 2011 after the pattern of 2010 - by paying special tribute to the King James Version of the Bible.

CHRISTMAS SPEECH 2010

The Queen’s message broadcast on Christmas Day, 2010, came from Hampton Court where, she told viewers, King James had “convened a conference of churchmen of all shades of opinion to discuss the future of Christianity in this country. This was to become the King James or Authorized Bible, which next year will be exactly four centuries old.”

In the course of this message the Queen highlighted the book’s “glorious language,” saying it has, “given many of us the most widely-recognised and beautiful descriptions of the birth of Jesus Christ.”

And the Queen went on to add that the KJV is: “Acknowledged as a masterpiece of English prose and the most vivid translation of the scriptures.”

SERVICE AT WESTMINSTER ABBEY

On Wednesday, 14 November 2011, the Queen attended a special service at Westminster Abbey marking the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible - the culmination of a year of events, including lectures, educational programmes and theatre performances, held around the world to mark this anniversary.

The Queen was accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and around 2,000 other worshippers.

During the service the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams described the King James Bible as an “extraordinary text” which remains of “abiding importance.”

He also commented that the landmark English translation of the Bible, designed in 1611 to be read aloud in public gatherings, should be celebrated for its determination to find words that express “the almost unbearable weight of divine intelligence and love pressing down on those who first encountered it.”

At the start of the service historic copies of the famous Bible translation were carried through the Abbey.

THE PEOPLE'S BIBLE

The Westminster Abbey event also celebrated the ‘People’s Bible’ - a hand-written version of the King James Bible completed by more than 22,000 people around Britain.

A bound copy of the Book of Genesis from the People's Bible was presented at the altar during the service.

The first two verses of the Bible have been hand-written by the Prince of Wales, with others completed by people including Prime Minister David Cameron, and representatives in more than 200 towns across Britain - from the Orkney Islands to the Isle of Man, and Jersey, Whitby, Swansea and Wrexham - took part in the project.

Wednesday’s service was the culmination of a year’s worth of events, organised principally by the King James Bible Trust, to mark the 400th anniversary of the text.

Professor Pauline Croft, a trustee of the King James Bible Trust, said: “People are always surprised how much of the language they use without thinking.”

Precisely.

LET PRACTICE FLOW FROM THE PRAISE

And another truth is this: if only the Bible was as much practised as it is praised, our country would not be in the middle of the moral crisis it now endures.

In light of the Queen's involvement in celebrating this 400th Anniversary of the KJV, it is appropriate that we should quote one of the typically majestic portions of this peerless volume (1 Timothy 2:1-3):

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour.”

Bible Verses on Christmas Stamps to Celebrate KJV

Bible chapter and verse references have been printed on the face of this year’s Christmas stamps, unveiled by Royal Mail to mark 400 years of the King James Version.

The series of seven stamps feature Bible references taken from the gospels of Matthew and Luke. The stamps also include pictures of nativity scenes.

Royal Mail, which alternates between religious and secular themed stamps each Christmas, released the new designs last week.

GOSPEL
Stephen Agar from Royal Mail said: “Christmas stamps help deliver festive messages of good cheer and celebration across the UK and around the world.

This year’s stamps feature scenes from the Nativity, together with the Gospel references from the King James Bible which inspired them.”

Royal Mail also commented that many of the KJV’s “distinctive sayings have found their way into our everyday way of speaking, with more than 200 phrases such as ‘the apple of my eye’, a ‘den of thieves’ or ‘the land of the living’ have become part of modern English.”

CELEBRATE
Last year it was revealed that Royal Mail was to commemorate the KJV anniversary, following numerous requests from the public.

Mervyn Storey, MLA for North Antrim, was one of those who called for the stamps. He said “the King James Version didn’t just influence our literature and language,” it also “had a beneficial influence upon political and constitutional affairs.”

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London has also marked the anniversary with a cover-to-cover reading of the text.

And in their festive messages The Queen and the Archbishop of Canterbury also celebrated the occasion.

SCHOLARS
Work on the KJV began in 1604, with the permission of James I of England and VI of Scotland, and carried on until 1611.

A team of 47 of the best Bible scholars of the day worked on translating the text into English, and the King James translation became the version read by many English speaking nations.

[ Sources: 'The Christian Institute' and BBC News UK ].

Tesco to Sponsor Sodom’s Show but not Cancer Charity

Global retailer Tesco has generated a storm of controversy by dropping its support for the Cancer Research ‘Race for Life,’ and announcing shortly after that it would now become a headline sponsor of Britain’s largest 'gay' festival.

The supermarket giant has supported Cancer Research for more than a decade, helping the charity raise hundreds of millions of pounds towards combating an illness that is estimated to affect one-in-three of the population.

But now the retail chain has signed a deal to become a major sponsor of ‘Pride London’ (and, by extension, ‘World Pride 2012.’ London’s annual ‘gay pride’ parade, ‘Pride London,’ will be extended to two days next year when it hosts the global World Pride 2012 festival in the summer).

So, instead of providing funds to potentially produce a cure for a virulent disease that forcibly invades the bodies of 33% of the population, Tesco is narrowing its focus to cater to the perverse choice of a fraction of 1% of the population.

'Family Area' At The Sodomite Festival

Apparently Tesco's sponsorship - to the tune of £30,000 - will host the festival’s “family area” for the second year running. This family area is meant to provide entertainment and activities for younger children.

It is hugely ironic that by sponsoring the “family area” of ‘Pride London,’ Tesco is striking at the heart of the family ideal and helping to destroy the basic family unit on which our society is built.

God’s Model for Families

The foundational teaching on family life is found in Genesis chapters 1 and 2. When Jesus was questioned about marriage, He referred back to these two chapters (Matthew 19:1-12; Mark 10:1-12).

God, in Genesis, teaches us that, “male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27). We were created to a plan - male and female complementing each other - and so enabled to enhance each others’ lives and produce and nurture offspring as commanded in Genesis 1:28, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.” This command is repeated to Noah after the Flood (Genesis 8:15-17). Cain and Abel had neither ‘two mommies’ or ‘two daddies,’ but a father and mother. In this they fulfilled God’s own model for family life.

A Militant Son of Sodom’s View on the Family

A quick snapshot of the kind of vision for Britain that Tesco is sponsoring is obtained by consulting the printed comments of that archetypal homosexual activist himself, Peter Tatchell.

In ‘Teenage Sex - What Should Schools Teach Children?’ he writes:

“Until very recent times, all sex education was overwhelmingly biased towards promoting heterosexuality, marriage, parenthood and traditional family life. Anything outside this exclusive framework was either ignored or condemned.”

“This old-style monocultural sex moralism is now totally out of sync with our modern multicultural society where there is a great diversity of cultures and communities, lifestyles and love-lives.”

“Nothing must be off limits.”

“Sex education, to be effective, needs to start at a very early age, beginning gently in the first year of primary school and gradually becoming more detailed and explicit at secondary level.”

Tatchell proceeds to candidly mention some aspects of this “more detailed and explicit” teaching, but those details are much too vile to mention on this blog (cf. Ephesians 5:3).

It is evident that many homosexuals have little use for the biblical model of the family - and feel obliged to run roughshod over its core values.

Bullied in/out of Business: A Christian Family Victimised

Peter and Hazelmary Bull are an elderly Christian couple who run a bed and breakfast business in their own home in Cornwall. Like Tesco, they are in the business of providing goods and services. But, unlike Tesco, they refused to bow to the dictats and bullying of gay pressure groups.

At the beginning of 2011 they were informed that they had contravened the ‘Sexual Orientation Regulations’ (SORs) in that they had discriminated against two homosexual men, Steven Preddy and Martyn Hall, in refusing them use of a double bed in their guesthouse.

These men knew perfectly well how deeply offensive it would be to Mr and Mrs Bull to have anyone performing sodomy under their roof - whether married or unmarried, male or female. They could have followed the mantra, "Live and let live," respected the convictions of this Christian couple, and gone elsewhere. They had a choice of many double beds in Cornwall catering for their ‘tastes,’ but rather chose to drag this elderly couple into court.

In addition to having to pay damages of £3600 to them, other homosexuals then besieged the Bull’s guesthouse with demands for double rooms - a crude attempt to completely collapse their business.

Mrs Bull, 66, also received abusive and menacing phone calls, at the time when her 71-year-old husband lay critically ill in hospital.

A key question is: does Tesco want to be seen to sponsor the kind of people from which such behaviour emanates?

And when law-abiding citizens like foster parents, Mr and Mrs Johns, or the Manchester housing officer Adrian Smith, plus a burgeoning catalogue of victims of homosexual hate that includes teachers, therapists, councillors, counsellors, magistrates, paediatricians, registrars, nurses, firemen, policemen and clergy - people from every walk of life - are publically humiliated, fined, forced out of their occupation, compelled to close down their business, dragged through the courts, threatened with violence by homosexuals, and expected to pay for their own oppression through their taxes, simply for trying to defend the values and morality of traditional marriage and the family, with whom does Tesco sympathise?

It has been clear for many years that a disturbed minority, aided and abetted by our institutions (like Tesco), are attempting to impose homosexuality on our children - and silence the parents of those children when they articulate their Bible-based opposition to this aberrant and abominable activity.

The Aftermath

Shall many more of us, who express our disgust at the promotion of sodomy, be forcibly made to attend a diversity course at the national headquarters of the homosexual lobby group, ‘Stonewall’ in London, as was the case with Bristol councillor, Chris Windows, when he expressed his concern about ardent homosexual Ian McKellen proselytising homosexuality to Bristol schoolchildren?

Can we be comfortable with the appalling prospect of Tesco using some of our money to help promote something ‘World Pride 2012’? Such blatant promotion of what is so militantly anti-God can only result in driving more customers away from its stores.

The Sons of Sodom Clambering Around Delaney’s Door

An incredible incident that occurs in real life is sometimes described as, "It was like a scene from a movie!"

What has happened since Eamon Delaney put pen to paper for 'The Sunday Independent' (an article published on 30 October 2011) has a distinct resemblance to an infamous event narrated in the Bible.

The biblical parallel is found in Genesis 19:4-9:

"But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:
5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, 'Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.'
6 And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,
7 And said, 'I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
9 And they said, 'Stand back.' And they said again, 'This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door."

The written article that precipitated this recent aggression from 'the sons of Sodom' appeared under the heading: ‘Loud And Proud Gays Want To Take Over Rest Of Society.’

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/loud-and-proud-gays-want-to-take-over-rest-of-society-2920975.html

In his article Eamon Delaney argued that the gay rights agenda is overreaching by seeking, for example, a right to marry, to adopt children, and to intimidate opponents into silence.

He stated his view that, “like many, I've recently begun to get impatient with the endless trumpeting of gay 'identity', and the growing appetite for more and more rights and privileges.”

And explained: “Increasingly, it seems as if the homosexual community has forgotten that it is the minority” with its demands for gay marriage, adoption, children’s birth certificates falsified to show two ‘mothers’ or two ‘fathers’ ... .

This one column resulted in an immediate firestorm being directed towards him by incensed homosexuals. Delaney’s column went viral on the internet, recording a stratospheric 13,000 electronic shares - a truly astounding number - and attracting over 500 comments within the space of a week, the vast majority of them adverse.

The homosexual ‘troopers’ then proceeded to glory in the intensity of their firepower.

‘Gaelick,’ a blog maintained by lesbians, took its readers on a conducted tour of the counter articles that lashed vitriol and vile abuse at Delaney’s door. In a topic it hosted on 2 November, ‘It’s the Eamon Delaney round-up!’ a catalogue is provided of authors who pumped out venomous sentences from their keyboards against Delaney:

• Paul Bowler’s blog, which considered Delaney’s column a “truly pernicious” article;

• Niamh Ni Mhaoileoin’s post denounced Delaney’s views as “discriminatory bile”;

• Rachel Barry, Education Officer at Trinity College Students’ Union, made her feelings known in ‘The University Times,’ branding Delaney’s article as a “homophobic diatribe” that was “contradictory, archaic and mostly inaccurate.”

• Rebekah Murphy also fired her riposte ... .

‘Gaelick’ gleefully continued, citing names, linking to and summarising what they said. The writer then enthused over attacks on Delaney’s views that had emanated from other countries:

“Even the LGBT Liberal Democrats in Northern Ireland entered the debate ...

And there’s more: London lesbians are non-plussed into the bargain ...

But there’s even more: From Scotland, James Whyte gives auld Eamon what for ...

Wait! It gets better, still: Eamon Delaney’s stupidity has managed to reach the poor, unsuspecting people of North America ... .”

So, there you have it: a solitary column of mild criticism of gay aggression is sufficient to mobilise multitudes of militant homosexuals, from the British Isles to America.

If this is not moral intimidation, nothing is.

And if we consider the fact that Ireland is in a country which did not even legalise sodomy until 1995, it is disturbing to realise that a mere sixteen years later and righteousness cannot even raise its voice, just like Lot in Sodom.

As the more physical parallel in Genesis 19:4-9 describes: “This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.”


___________________________________________________________

Meanwhile, over in America ...

The sons of Sodom in a decidedly more literal manner ‘pressed sore’ upon a couple of American evangelists who distributed Gospel tracts and preached at Chicago’s ‘Gay Pride’ parade on Sunday, 26 June 2011.

One of those preachers relates the story:

"I went to the parade armed with 500+ tracts and my camera. My prayer was for God to show me what He wanted me to do. Before the parade I passed out some tracts. At the parade I took lots of pictures and video, and passed out a few tracts. The sidewalk and area behind the barriers was packed.

After the parade there was a steady flow of crowd traffic so I started passing out the ‘I Was Gay’ tracts [the testimony of former homosexual Steve Bennett]. I did this for about an hour, and passed out about 300. Many ended up on the sidewalk.

I experienced every form of mockery you could imagine, but only from one or two at a time at the most. At one point two lesbians were circling me and warning others not to take my tracts. One tore up a tract and threw it at me. Another knocked the tracts out of my hand.

Overall the response was excellent. For every negative there had to be at least three positives — those who came up from behind me when I was turned a different direction to ask for a tract, and many who seemed desperate for some kind of hope as they took the tracts. I saw one or two people bend over to pick up the tracts off the sidewalk.

Several engaged me in serious conversation; there were several opportunities to lay out the gospel. Others just wanted to argue and prove I was wrong.

One man came up and asked what I was doing. I explained I was offering good news for homosexuals by the gospel of Christ and I laid out the gospel for him. I asked if he believed it. He said, “Yes,” and asked if he could join me. He said it was better for him to work with someone and that another person with whom he had teamed up with did not work out.

I stopped, removed my hat and we prayed together, acknowledging that God’s Word would never return void.

He proceeded to unroll a big banner and to strap it to a pole with bungee cords. It was a telescoping pole, and suddenly he lifted the banner up into the sky another 6 feet. It was huge.

He started preaching from a format I had learned called the ‘Way of the Master,’ a series with Ray Comfort. This stresses the importance of preaching Law before Grace.

Joe’s approach was loving, clear and direct — a model presentation of the Gospel, beginning with the law and the reality that we have all sinned.

The mood of the place changed suddenly.

First a small crowd gathered around us. Joe continued preaching and the crowd grew in size.

Then several things started happening all at once.

First, I remember a bright lady coming up to me and started telling me that what we were doing was wrong. Gays can’t help being who they are; that’s the way God made them; when you call their actions sin you are condemning them. She had the air of a Pharisee — I suspect in hindsight she was a pastor from one of the churches that defends homosexuality as good.

While talking to her, several things began to occur.

First, I remember the most sinister laughter, mocking and jeering I have ever heard. The crowd despised Joe’s preaching. People from the crowd were yelling out at us and moving closer to us. Someone from a balcony up above us threw some kind of bottle — I think it was plastic – and hit Joe on his left shoulder. Another man came up and tried to light the banner with his cigarette lighter. While trying to do this someone sprayed beer on both of us and another man poured beer on Joe. At about this point it crossed my mind that we might just be casting our pearls before swine.

I also remembered one point when people were taking pictures of the humiliation they were trying to impose [on us]. One guy stuck up his middle finger in front of the banner and I held up the tract next to him so that would be in the picture as well.

Then one of the men got behind Joe and started to make sexual gestures like he wanted to ... [sodomise him]. Then He reached for Joe’s trousers to try to take them off.

At this point I abandoned my conversation with the lady to pull the man away from Joe. It was at about that time that someone knocked the tracts out of my hand. Some one else tried to take the pole and banner away from Joe, and I told him to be strong.

At this point it turned into a wrestling match for the banner. The crowd had evolved into a mob. Several hands were grasping the pole supporting the banner. Then those who did not want us there began pulling the banner and us with it into a recessed area or an alley.

At this point I called 911 … I couldn’t remember where we were, just that we were just north of Belmont. Within a minute or so the police were there and shortly thereafter there were 20-40 police.

... We thanked the senior officer for his help. I told him, “Sometimes God sends His angels to help us; sometimes He sends the police.” He chuckled, we shook hands, and we left on good terms.

The mob clearly ruled the police at this point; our free speech rights were trampled. But that was a peripheral issue for us at this time. Joe’s passion and concern, which he also expressed to the police, was that those who had mistreated him were going to hell; that was his motivation for wanting to continue preaching to a hostile mob.

It was well past my time to reconnect with [other Americans For Truth volunteers] and I felt my time for evangelizing was finished. The thought of evangelizing to assert my free speech rights never occurred to me, and it is, at best, a twisted motive for evangelizing.

Joe and I walked a couple blocks until he had to go a different direction. I thanked him for letting me share in the experience we had there and I hugged him. Suffering together for the Gospel creates a bond that is not easily broken.

This is my story."

Dan Musick

Evidently - and tragically - we are getting ever closer to Genesis 19:4-9 territory.

MTV Awards in Belfast - Short Term Gain, Long Term Loss

The biggest entertainment event ever to be staged in Northern Ireland offers the province the opportunity to move forward and assert its place on the global map, according to tourism chief Alan Clarke.

More than 10,000 hotel rooms have been booked for the awards which as an event is expected to generate more than £10 million for the province.

The awards and a series of other shows laid on as part of Belfast Music Week are expected to draw thousands of fans into the city, but it is the international exposure that Mr Clarke said presented the greatest opportunity.

The awards event will be broadcast live into over half a billion homes in up to 160 countries across the globe, putting Belfast and Northern Ireland firmly at the centre of the international stage. Coverage of the event will be carried internationally across 500 satellite and terrestrial TV networks, a multitude of global radio stations and thousands of print media.

“There is a real feeling out there that this is our time to turn the tide and confidently put Northern Ireland on the global tourism map. We want to change global perceptions of the image and reputation of Northern Ireland and raise its profile as a must-see destination,” said Mr Clarke.

We can understand the excitement that this largest musical event ever held in the province has generated, especially with the pound signs piling up high.

However, our sad conclusion is that the staging of the MTV Awards ceremony in Belfast will result in short term gain, but long term loss.

The first issue we take with the MTV Awards ceremony in is the day on which it is held.

THE LORD’S DAY

Isaiah chapter 58 is a classic passage that indicates some of the blessings that come to us when we are careful to keep one day in seven for the Lord - and also draws attention to the losses we incur when we ‘stamp on the Sabbath.’

Speaking of salt that has lost its savour, Christ said that, “it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men” (Matthew 5:13).

In Isaiah’s day, men were treating the Sabbath as savourless salt; they trampled it under foot and treated it as an unholy, worthless thing (Isaiah 58:13). To them, it was just another opportunity for trade and pleasure.

However, through the mouth of His prophet, the Lord spells out some of the blessings that come to us when we are careful to keep the Lord’s Day:

1. JOY IN THE LORD.

“If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord ... .”

When He was upon earth, Christ had to contend with the Pharisees who, with their suffocating system of tyrannical laws, made the Sabbath a dismal, crushing and intolerable burden for their society. Those Pharisees lost all sense of purpose of the day for the Lord (Matthew 12). There are 39 words in the Hebrew 4th commandment (Exodus 20:8‑11): they multiplied 39 x 39 and made up 1521 foolish rules ‑ plus ways to get round them. The sabbath is meant to be a holy and a happy day in which we delight ourselves in the Lord.

“The city is literally vibrating with joy,” said Gary Lightbody, frontman of the local band Snow Patrol, of tonight’s events in Belfast.

I am by no means persuaded that this is the kind of joy requisite of this day – “joy in the Lord.”

2. VICTORY.

A second promise to those who keep the sabbath is victory: “If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth ... .”

In many ways, the Lord’s Day is the training ground of the child of God; the time during which he hones his powers and sharpens his weaponry for the conflict that is to take place in the week (or weeks) that stretch in front of him. That man who respects God’s Day is not a loser, but a victor! Of course the reverse is also true.

3. FEASTING ON ALL GOOD THINGS.

Isaiah 58:13&14 further states: “If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee [lit. ‘feast’] with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.”

The mention of a feast conjures up the idea of abundance ‑ all the good things your heart could wish for!

However, is it practical to spend one whole day in each revolving set of seven in the worship of God? Is the fourth commandment really binding upon us now?

I appreciate the answer of Pastor Walter Chantry (minister of Grace Baptist Church, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.) in his book, ‘Call the Sabbath a Delight.’ He says:

“There can be no other answer to straighten out our crooked generation. Nothing but a weekly day of worship will begin to touch the ignorance which has gripped humanity. This alone, under God, can save families, churches, schools and governments from total moral collapse. ... It is such habit, routine and discipline that will give men both a knowledge of God and moral standards by which to live. It is just such a Sabbath Day that will strengthen families and social institutions. No wonder the church herself is devotionally, doctrinally and morally weak. Even Christians will not devote a day each week to their Lord.

Failure to practise this moral law is a root cause of moral decline, social disorder and widespread human suffering. No successful recovery of mankind can be devised without the inclusion of the fourth commandment in the remedy. ... This is a critical moral topic for our gravely corrupt generation.”

Evidently, those who organised the MTV Awards Ceremony in Belfast on a Sunday have little regard for counsel such as Chantry’s.

Their concession cannot come without cost.

A statement made by D.L. Moody, the renowned American evangelist, does not suggest that the desecration of God’s Day will lead to any long-term success: “Show me a nation that has given up the sabbath and I will show you a nation that has got the seed of decay.”

THE LYRICS

Compounding the problem of the day that has been chosen for this event are the kind of unsavoury lyrics that will be sounded out over our capital city.

At least some of the artists due to perform at the Awards have a reputation for sleazy lyrics - and, to say the least, dress accordingly.

Lady Gaga is up for the night's two biggest prizes, best song and best video - both for ‘Born This Way,’ the title track of her current album.

Gaga has explained that ‘Born This Way’ is her freedom song. The lyrics of the song talk about self-empowerment and feature the names of LGBT communities.

Meghan Casserly of ‘Forbes’ expected ‘Born This Way’ to be the biggest gay anthem ever, since, according to her, it was written with that purpose in mind.

These lines appear in this song:

No matter gay, straight, or bi,
Lesbian, transgendered life,
I’m on the right track baby,
I was born to survive.

I’m beautiful in my way
'Cause God makes no mistakes
I’m on the right track, baby
I was born this way.

In light of the inappropriate and explicit lyrics used by some of the performers, this is definitely one event staged in Belfast that no Christian can welcome.

GOSPEL WITNESS

However, the Christian’s duty as “salt and light” in this world is not exhausted by offering criticism, no matter how valid, from the sidelines.

Thousands of people clustered in the centre of Belfast has afforded an opportunity to our Belfast-based ministers and members of their congregations to shine the light of Christ into the darkness of this world. They have ended this Lord’s Day in a most profitable fashion by circulating many Gospel tracts among the crowd that has gathered for this Awards ceremony.

Under God, through His grace and overruling providence, our prayer is that some souls will find salvation and satisfaction in Christ as a result of this outreach and, in days future, will be able to reflect that this was the occasion when they were born again. Please pray with us to this end.

Proposed Changes to The Act Of Succession

An indicator of embarrassment at the C16th Protestant Reformation and the Glorious Revolution can be seen in the campaign that is being fronted by David Cameron and Nick Clegg in their effort to make changes to the historic Act of Succession, specifically removing the clause that prevents “papists,” or those who marry a Roman Catholic, from ascending to the British throne.

Even Tony Blair’s government blocked a move to revise these succession laws, claiming that it would raise too many constitutional issues and was unnecessary at the time.

Back in December 1978, (when media speculation suggested that Prince Charles might marry a Roman Catholic), Enoch Powell MP defended the provision that excludes Roman Catholics from ascending the throne, claiming his objection was not rooted in religious bigotry but in political considerations.

He stated a Roman Catholic monarch would mean the acceptance of a source of authority external to the realm (a Roman Catholic monarch would, like all Roman Catholics, owe allegiance to the Pope) and “in the literal sense, foreign to the Crown-in-Parliament ... .”

“Between Roman Catholicism and Royal Supremacy there is, as St Thomas More concluded, no reconciliation.”

Powell stated that a Roman Catholic crown would be the destruction of the Church of England because, “it would contradict the essential character of that church.”

He continued: “When Thomas Hobbes wrote that, 'the Papacy is no other than the ghost of the deceased Roman Empire sitting crowned upon the grave thereof,' he was promulgating an enormously important truth. Authority in the Roman Church is the exertion of that imperium from which England in the 16th century finally and decisively declared its national independence as the alter imperium, the 'other empire,' of which Henry VIII declared, 'This realm of England is an empire' ... It would signal the beginning of the end of the British monarchy. It would portend the eventual surrender of everything that has made us, and keeps us still, a nation.”

On this 5th day of November, we do well to reflect with a sense of deep gratitude on God's hand of preservation upon our nation - and apply our hearts with earnest prayer to the Lord to long preserve our Protestant crown.

Our feeling is best expressed by the tremendous Baptist preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, in his 'Morning Devotion' for November 5:

Quoting Isaiah 54:17 - "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper" - Spurgeon recalled:

This day is notable in English history for two great deliverances wrought by God for us.

• On this day the plot of the Papists to destroy our Houses of Parliament was discovered, 1605.

While for our princes they prepare
In caverns deep a burning snare,
He shot from heaven a piercing ray,
And the dark treachery brought to day.

• And secondly - to-day is the anniversary of the landing of King William III, at Torbay, by which the hope of Popish ascendancy was quashed, and religious liberty was secured, 1688.

This day ought to be celebrated, not by the saturnalia of striplings, but by the songs of saints. Our Puritan forefathers most devoutly made it a special time of thanksgiving. There is extant a record of the annual sermons preached by Matthew Henry on this day. Our Protestant feeling, and our love of liberty, should make us regard its anniversary with holy gratitude.

Let our hearts and lips exclaim, "We have heard with our ears, and our fathers have told us the wondrous things which Thou didst in their day, and in the old time before them."

Thou hast made this nation the home of the gospel; and when the foe has risen against her, Thou hast shielded her. Help us to offer repeated songs for repeated deliverances. Grant us more and more a hatred of Antichrist, and hasten on the day of her entire extinction. Till then and ever, we believe the promise, "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper."

Should it not be laid upon the heart of every lover of the gospel of Jesus on this day to plead for the overturning of false doctrines and the extension of divine truth? Would it not be well to search our own hearts, and turn out any of the Popish lumber of self-righteousness which may lie concealed therein?"

The Blasphemy that is 'Jesus Christ Superstar'

On the overwhelming majority of occasions, we welcome the presence of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in the news. Not, however, when it is as ‘Jesus Christ, Superstar.’

Forty years on from its original release, there is still nothing to celebrate in this ‘rock opera’ that purports to represent the last seven days in the life of Christ.

A joint statement released by Andrew Lloyd Webber (composer of the music) and Tim Rice (author of the lyrics) states everything a Christian needs to know about their production:

“Basically the idea of the whole opera is to have Christ seen through the eyes of Judas, and Christ as a man, not as a god. And the fact that Christ himself is just as mixed up and unaware of exactly who he is, as Judas is.”

This statement positions the opera in a long line of historic assaults upon the wonderful person, life and work of God’s well beloved Son.

Through this vehicle of their creation, Rice and Webber present Jesus as a mere man, not God; as a mixed up man, who had little true idea as to who He was or what He had come to do; as a man surrounded by myth (“an awful lot happened in Christ’s life that could easily be legend”); and as an impure man, engaged in an illicit relationship with Mary Magdalene.

Each of these allegations is contrary to the biblical description of the Lord Jesus Christ – a calculated attack on One who is, “Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26).

Given the fact that other statements and suggestions that lie at the heart of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ plumb even deeper depths of blasphemy, this opera is a seriously corrupt aberration and shameful misrepresentation of the Christian message. No Christian should have anything to do with it. And production theatres should consider that this idiom, characterised by such inaccuracy and blasphemy, is most inappropriate for teaching our current generation.

[ For further information, check the audio at:
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=47051739 ]

This letter was carried by the 'Belfast Newsletter' on Monday, 7 November 2011:
http://www.newsletter.co.uk/community/letters/rock_opera_corrupts_christian_message_1_3222592