Josh Benner

Tag: FFRF

  • Blessed are the persecuted: the Christian life and opposition

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    10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

    -Matthew 5:10-12

    Almost 2,000 years ago when Jesus preached these words, they also would have been radical to his audience. Persecution is never looked at as a blessing.
    But in Matthew 5, Jesus says that it is.
    Part of what Jesus is saying in these verses is that there is blessedness for the person who’s life is so clearly devoted to God, who is so clearly living out their Christian faith, that they face opposition because of it.
    If a Christian goes through life and never faces opposition, you might be living too comfortably in the world.
    If you never face any heat because of your faith, you might not be associating with anyone who disagrees with what you believe.
    In 2 Timothy 3, the Apostle Paul talks about persecution.
    “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
    ALL who live for Christ will be persecuted.
    Persecution is part of the Christian life. The Bible does not shy away from this fact.
    Shortly before the time of his crucifixion, Jesus said to his disciples in John 5:18-19:
     “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
    Something doesn’t have to be a matter of life and death to be persecution. In American society, we don’t generally hear stories of a person being killed just because they are a Christian. It’s not absolutely unheard of, but it’s rare.
    The persecution American Christians face is often times more social or legal. That can still put us in situations where it’s tempting to sin, where it’s tempting to respond a certain way that we shouldn’t. That still puts us in situations where it’s easier to just go along with what the world is doing than taking a stand for what you believe.
    I know a mechanic who’s a Christian. He was committed to being honest in his dealings with customers. He was so honest that his boss didn’t like him and eventually fired him.
    My wife told me a story about how when she was in high school, she was interviewing to be part of a local youth leadership program in her community. While she was at her interview, one of the people making the decision saw that she was a student at a Christian high school. He started berating her with questions about her faith, questioning how she could believe in Jesus. Asking nothing about this youth organization. Essentially just harassing her about her faith.
    Again, the gospel is a message that some find offensive. “To one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life (2 Corinthians 2:16).”
    There have been examples of groups trying to silence coaches of public school teams from praying with players before games, even when it’s voluntary. I read a story today about the Freedom from Religion Foundation suing a public school in Ohio. A local pastor was leading a Bible study with students at lunch. It was optional. But FFRF still needed to swoop in and sue. There have been legal pressures on Christian universities to cover abortions for staff.
    Those are just a few examples.
    But in living for Jesus, in a fallen world, it is inevitable that there will be times when a person’s faith comes under fire.
    Responding 
    When a person is being persecuted and has a choice of if they’re going to respond in a Christlike way or if they’re going to respond in a hostile way. You can be light to a dark world or you can just spread the darkness.
    The Apostle James talked about the various trials that Christians face:
    “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4).”
    As evil as the persecution that Christians face can be, it’s an opportunity to respond with love. Jesus told us to pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:44).
    God can use those situations as a way to strengthen us in our own faith. To focus us on what we truly value.
    Another part of the reason why persecution is seen as a blessing is that the harsher the persecution, the more that is taken away from a person, the more someone is able to live in total dependence on God and reliance in his ability to preserve them. That’s not to say that the persecution is good in itself. It’s obviously not. That’s not to say that sin is good. It’s not. But through the evils that people commit, God can still use that for good.
    Again, if you’re not ever facing any pressure because of your faith, you might not be living in a way that is distinct from the world. I’m not saying we should go out of our way to be combative. The verse does not say that all persecution is good. It’s when a person is following Jesus and is persecuted for righteousness’ sake that blessed a person.
    It’s a radical idea. But let us remember that we have a savior who faced the ultimate persecution for righteousness’ sake.
    Josh Benner is the associate pastor at Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and has a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He enjoys writing about faith and culture. He lives with his wife Kari in Minnesota.

  • Thousands sign petition for national holiday in honor of Billy Graham

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    There’s an online petition that’s gathered thousands of signatures in favor of doing just that. The petition currently has over 71,000 signatures and the numbers are surging.

    Billy Graham’s ministry and life revolved around pointing people to Jesus.

    It was a man telling the world about someone greater than he.

    So the idea of having a holiday named after Graham doesn’t honor his legacy. It goes against what he stood for. It’s too aggrandizing.

    From reading comments on change.org, many people talk about Graham’s impact (indisputable) and have this sense of Graham “deserving” this honor.

    If you want to honor Billy Graham and what he stood for, tell someone about Jesus.

    The petition says:

    Lets get a National Holiday for Billy Graham!! Mr. Graham preached the Gospel to more people in live audiences than anyone else in history—nearly 215 million people in more than 185 countries and territories—through various meetings, including Mission World and Global Mission. Hundreds of millions more have been reached through television, video, film, and webcasts. Mr. Graham’s counsel was sought by presidents, and his appeal in both the secular and religious arenas is evidenced by the wide range of groups that have honored him, including numerous honorary doctorates from many institutions in the U.S. and abroad. Help us with our cause of setting a national holiday to remember this great man.

    Undoubtedly, many non-Christians oppose this arguing “separation of church and state.” And to their point, I think it’s highly unlikely that this holiday would come to fruition.

    But even for Christians, we should not be concerned with lionizing mere men.

    Josh Benner is the associate pastor at Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and has a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He enjoys writing about faith and culture. He lives with his wife Kari in Minnesota.

  • Man files complaint over restaurant offering discount to people with church bulletins. Have we lost our mind?


    I heard about this story on the Mark Levin radio show.

    A Pennsylvania man has filed a complaint against, Prudhomme’s Lost Cajun Kitchen a restaurant in Columbia, PA on the grounds that they discriminated against him when he noticed on the restaurant’s website that they offer a discount on Sundays to people who present a church bulletin.

    According to the York Daily Record, John Wolff, who is a retired electrical engineer stated: “I did this not out of spite, but out of a feeling against the prevailing self-righteousness that stems from religion, particularly in Lancaster County.”
    (more…)

  • Atheists sue governor over prayer meeting

    The Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) is suing Texas governor Rick Perry, and asking courts to keep Perry from attending a prayer event in Houston next month.

    Perry has publicly advocated for this event and encouraged people to participate in the event dedicated to prayer and fasting. FFRF argues that the head of a state participating in this event violates the First Amendment clause forbidding an established religion.

    In regards to the lawsuit, the FFRF states:

    “Perry’s actions as governor give “official recognition” to a devotional event, endorse religion, have no secular rationale, and seek to encourage citizens to pray and non Christians to convert to Christianity.

    These actions violate the Establishment Clause by “giving the appearance that the government prefers evangelical Christian religious beliefs over other religious beliefs and non-beliefs, including by aligning and partnering with the American Family Association, a virulent, discriminatory and evangelical Christian organization known for its intolerance.”

    I think that FFRF is proverbially grabbing at straws. Yes, Perry is in the government, but he is also a person who has a right to have his own beliefs. The First Amendment does say congress cannot establish a religion, but it also says congress cannot limit an individual’s free speech or right to peaceably assemble.

    While the constitution does not allow an establishes religion, the following clause says that they also may not prohibit the free exercise thereof.

    Saying a person who happens to be in politics doesn’t have a right to participate in religious activities because of the First Amendment is a contradiction to other rights granted in the same sentence within the First Amendment.

    I doubt the FFRF seriously plans on winning the suit. I would assume that this is more about principle and gaining attention, however I believe these tactics could backfire.

    It’s interesting to me that this organization considers its members free thinkers but they are trying to have someone forced into not participating in something in accordance with his own values. That is simply tyrannical.

    I have several friends who are irreligious, and for the ones value liberty, I think they would agree that Perry should have the right to participate and personally endorse this event.

    jrb