We have been given to understand that there will be persecution in the last days but the gates of hell will NOT prevail. Jesus has already won victory for us on the Cross of Calvary so we are dealing with a defeated enemy who is posturing as if he were the victor. This is his handiwork.

God’s strategy for destroying the works of the enemy is legendary.

Yes, we can be vocal but with God’s wisdom it will be far more effective and strategic to penetrate the very epicentre of where this assault is coming from.

So why not ask Him what He wants us to do?

Colin Deoki

Surely we are fiddling at the edges, here. As others have said, let’s use this opportunity as an example to show how the EO Law itself is basically flawed.

Surely all this has almost inevitably led to the imposition by the Victorian Government of the Vilification Law and the Abortion Law, both of which have tossed up clear examples of the confusion (not the improvements in community affairs they were supposed to bring).

Freedom has been mentioned as being a casuality. I have been most impressed (but not surprised) by the reaction of the Catholic church to the Abortion Law, and the requirements of Cathlic (or any) doctor to direct abortion seekers to abortionists. Their five page colour document on freedom of conscience which was apparently produced to support a Catholic wide Conscience Sunday (I have forgottent the actual title) reads extremely well.

I agree wholeheartedly that Christians have been taking all this for far to long. There is still time to raise our voces very loudly to actually condemn the proposed amendment. I say that we should go a lot further and call for the repeal of the EO Act itself!!!! We have all been asked by others to note that existing Common Law, properly applied, should and must be made to cover all these instances of demanidng of rights which can often lead to actual verbal and physical assault.

Brian Tideman

Rohan (and others)-
The silence is disturbing, I agree. I might be able to offer a partial answer.

Looking at my own committed Christian friends, associates and church circles, most people are busy working away in pastoral care, evangelism, nuture and personal devotion. These things are seen to be of much higher priority than battling the culture at large on the Big Issues. To some extent that is true. It is individuals who must stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account of themselves.

However, it is also true that this turning inwards to the personal and the “spiritual” is a sign that we have swallowed the lie that the secularists are preaching — that religion is an entirely private matter between individuals and God. It is left to the Christian Left to exhibit and express a public faith — and their version of “faith” is generally one that has all of the world’s (corrupt) values.

So the problem is not sloth or lack of programs or effort, or even lack of leadership; it is a misdirection or imbalance in our efforts.

Again I point to the US, where religious conservatives *do* exhibit a very public faith- in their pro-life, pro-family, pro-Creation lobbying and so on. (Is it any surprise that the man who runs this blog is American?) We need to catch that bug down here.

Jereth Kok

I have a feeling that we have brought this persecution on ourselves. If we are not prepared to develop some backbone, then God will have to do it for us. If it means that it gets rid of the shallow and counterfeit, I say bring it on.

The battle of Jericho was won with 300 soldiers after 29,700 had been dismissed. Lord give us 300 that will do whatever it takes.

Roger Marks

Yes you are doing your bit which is terrific. As you say, if we could just get everyone else to do their bit, we could easily win this one. Thanks for leading by example here.

Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

I have read your new article — thanks. I agree with you that the Bible does not command us to seek out persecution. I certainly don’t want to suffer! nor do I want my Christian friends and family to. Yes we should do our best to defend the current freedoms we enjoy.

I was just trying to draw together some threads in what others had written. The naivety and complacency of what seems to be the bulk of people sitting in our churches on Sunday, concerning what our Governments are trying to achieve with their “rights”-driven anti-discrimination policies (and other social engineering agendas), is a sad state of affairs. This complacency is likely to mean that we will lose the battle to the secularists, and when things get tough there will inevitably be a “refining” effect on the Church. If, in God’s providence, this results in an increase of zeal and faithfulness among his people, it won’t be all bad.

I look at the USA from a distance, but it appears to me that Christians there are forced to be much more truthful and vocal because the hostility from secularism is more aggressive. Christians are forced to speak up on issues such as the natural family vs. homosexuality, protection of the unborn, and the teaching of Creation in schools; whereas in Australia, at present, it is possible to sit back and keep quiet.

I like being comfortable as much as anyone else, but I would be willing to accept a modest amount of “persecution” (I don’t think we’ll be held at gunpoint, no matter how bad it gets here!) if the fruits were an increase in Christian boldness, and consequently greater glory to God and his Kingdom.

Jereth Kok

You raise some important points, which others have also touched on. Instead of offering a brief reply here, I have penned a whole new article. So go here to see my thoughts on your comment: http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2009/05/27/thinking-about-persecution/

Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

Bill M replied:
“Nothing will ever fully silence the church of Jesus Christ. It will prevail against all opposition. And persecution is always the lot of true Christians. … [but] There is the very real possibility that Christians who take their faith seriously may soon be driven underground, as was the early church.”

Mark Durie wrote (on his blog):
“One of the problems in achieving a coordinated response is that comfortable middle-of-the road Christians tend to just assume everything will continue on for ever as in the past. This could be a great mistake.”

My comment:
While increased persecution from the state is not desirable, perhaps it is exactly what the Christian Church in Victoria (and Australia) needs. Tragically, our churches are filled with lukewarm, complacent people (“comfortable middle-of-the road Christians” as Mark puts it) who in many cases are willing to follow secular culture down all sorts of corrupt paths — feminism, homosexual perversity, divorce, abortion (yes, my denomination supported decriminalisation) , Gaia-worship, Darwinism, religious pluralism…

For example, how many people turned up to protest the abortion decriminalisation bill? About 3-5 thousand. Out of the 19% of the population who (according to NCLS) attend church regularly. That’s not many. You’d think that murder of small innocents would stir up slightly more opposition amongst Christians.

Under the refining fire of persecution things might be different; I doubt there were too many lukewarm believers in the underground early church. God prefers that we be hot or cold (Rev 3:15ff), and persecution is one way to achieve that outcome.

Jereth Kok