Words of Wisdom
“Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, keep your minds fixed on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, Who put darkness for light and light for darkness, Who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter, Who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight, Who justify the wicked for reward, Who take away justice from the righteous man, and Who despise the word of the Lord. (Isaiah 5:20-23)
America needs God more than God needs America. If we are no longer one nation under God, we are a nation gone under. (President Ronald Reagan)
“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness.” (George Washington, Farewell address.)
Preview: What Is Truth?
Introduction. This is the second of a series of Crossroads programs based on a book that Rita Dunaway, now Peters, wrote several years ago entitled Restoring America’s Soul. You can listen to the radio broadcast this weekend on one of the valley stations listed below. In brief, we recognize that we are in a battle for Truth and Virtue in America.
To begin, we are living in what the Oxford Dictionary has described as a post truth world. It’s not a new challenge. Pontius Pilate asked Jesus the same question 2,000 years ago: “What is truth”? It’s a question that we continue to hear so often today when we debate issues that go to the very core of who we are as Christians and as Americans.
For example, how do we inspire a renewed commitment to religious liberty when the very tenets of our faith are an affront to those we seek to inspire?
And again, how do we make a compelling case for natural marriage in a culture which is occupied by many pre-marital and extra-marital “affairs”, easy divorces, and even same-sex “marital” relationships?
And how do we convince a culture to exalt life, goodness, and virtue when that same culture worships at the altar of aborting preborn babies in the name of “choice”?
These are just some of the challenges that Rita and I wrestled with on our first program last week and more of which we will address again this weekend and in coming weeks.
In the culture and in the public square, these are issues that often divide self-identified “progressives”, “liberals”, and “secular humanists” on the one hand, from self-identified “conservatives” and “evangelical Christians” on the other.
Obviously, in political terms, these two sides generally identify themselves as Democrats and Republicans, respectively, with some “independents” in between.
What Is a Conservative?
In this atmosphere of dueling beliefs and perceptions, why are conservative Republicans often perceived to be, or at least labelled by their critics as, the “Party of No”, people who don’t like change. They may even see the GOP as the party of “Grumpy Old People” rather than as the “Grand Old Party”?
So what is a conservative? You may recall that, in her introduction to last week’s program, Rita described “a true conservative” as an American who believes that the best government is the one that happens closest to home. He or she believes that individual responsibility and private initiative are the backbone of American stability and prosperity, that strong families help build a strong society, that loving mothers and fathers are the primary and best nurturers and educators of their children, and that religious freedom is the most precious of all of our individual liberties.”
Therefore, Rita sees conservatives as being committed to “conserve” the things that we hope to keep and that are worthy of being kept, things of beauty, goodness, truth, and virtue. As a conservative herself, she insists that is the positive message that should be in the forefront of everything we do, just as we are called to be Salt and Light to the world. It is a vision that can appeal to millennials as well, even as it calls us to fight vigorously against what is ugly, bad, false, and perverse.
What Then Is Our Message?
That goes to the heart of why Rita wrote this book, and which takes us to the focus of this week’s program. What is our message when we are challenged for our beliefs? Do we just withdraw from the field, or can we stand together to maintain a consistent and compelling vision that will benefit our families, our communities, and our nation – and which in the process, draws many others to our cause? Yes, it happens in real life all the time, because courage is contagious to help build a brighter future for everybody.
Protecting Community Standards
For example, in the case of the growing presence of SOB’s (Sexually Oriented Businesses) in Harrisonburg back in 2003, the Valley Family Forum had several message options. We could try to ignore and turn a blind eye on them, we could mount a public street protest to demand that they get out of town, or we could work with churches, law enforcement, and city officials to help address the problem and close them down.
We chose the third option that included a clear message of concern for the dangers these SOB’s posed to our community, as leaving a trail of ruined men, exploited women, and broken families. Many others, including churches, added their voices, and the city council then passed an ordinance to limit the time, manner, and place of these SOB operations. As a result, nearly all of them eventually closed their doors.
Promoting Natural Marriage
In the same way, the Forum joined other “conservatives” across Virginia in 2016 to win a statewide referendum that amended the VA constitution to define marriage as only between one man and one woman. Valley voters were particularly helpful in gaining support for and winning passage of this amendment.
But more than just saying “No” to same-sex “marriages”, it was a positive and very necessary message that reaffirmed the importance of the traditional family with one mother and one father for every child.
Defending Moral Values
Another specific case involved a highly controversial Elkton (Gay) Pride Day that Merck and the Shenandoah Gay and Lesbian Association sponsored in 2011. It stirred up local residents both because they felt that it implied that the town was sponsoring the event, which it was not, but also because it offended their deeply held religious beliefs against homosexuality. Again, should they just let this Gay Pride Day celebration go on without objection, mount a public protest against it, or meet with Merck management to express their concerns and to discuss a better way.
Once more, working with one of the local churches in Elkton, and on behalf of some Merck employees who also opposed the event because of their Christian beliefs, these Christian conservatives chose the third option with a positive message of concern for the welfare of the company and of the community. And again, they were able to explain not only what they were against but also what they were for. As a result, they reached an accommodation with both the Merck management and the event organizers that defused the situation and satisfied both sides.
Restoring Religious Freedom
However, there was a less desirable outcome in a third case which involved Indiana’s passage of a “Religious Freedom Restoration Act” in 2015. Almost immediately, Indiana Governor Mike Pence and state legislators were attacked by the ACLU and gay activists who pressured powerful corporations to boycott key sectors of Indiana’s economy if the law was not reversed.
Again, several options. Should the legislators stand their ground, refuse to change the bill, and accept the consequences? Should they withdraw the bill and leave their communities of faith at the mercy of LGBT bullies? Or should they agree to amend the bill in order to ensure protection for LGBT activists but which would also leave religious freedoms less secure?
Unfortunately, they chose to amend the bill, but at what cost? What did that do to their credibility should they be threatened again on this or other issues? More importantly, what could they say to their constituents in the faith communities who looked to them for protection and for whom the bill was originally intended?
How to Order the Book
These are just a few of the real life challenges and issues that we will be discussing as we review Rita’s book on Restoring America’s Soul on our Crossroads programs this weekend and over the next several weeks. Therefore, I would again encourage you to get your own copy and follow along with us. You can still order it from Amazon.