JD: This week you alerted me David to a bill that is being considered by the Scottish Parliament. It has some potential of making it a hate crime to preach and to teach the word of God. Explain this bill.
DJ: The article I sent you was published to the Christian Institute website. The Christian Institute article carried the title, "Atheist Intends to Criminalize Bible if Scott Hate Crime Bill is Passed". The opening paragraph read as follows, "An atheist activist has welcomed the Scottish governments controversial hate bill as an opportunity to report the Bible in church sermons for so called hate speech." "Atheist saw some merit in the SMP's hate crime and public order, that's the Scotland bill as it will enable the prosecution of all Scotland's religions and their holy books for spreading hatred."
JD: Well David it leaves me with a couple of questions to ask. Number one do you see the possibility of something like this coming to the United States? And then number two if it does how do we as believers respond?
DJ: Well Jimmy when we were discussing the government mandates related to Covid-19 a few weeks ago it was obvious that some of our listeners were concerned that this is exactly what's already happening here in this country. There's definitely been movement in thinking about this among believers. You know initially almost everyone was willing to be tolerant at least temporally although some were defiant from the beginning. But now that we're over 8 months into this I'm seeing more and more believers saying enough is enough. With the CDC's report this week that only 6 percent of reported Covid-19 deaths had no other comb or high risk factors. More are agreeing we've been played.
In today's political, social and religious climate in America I think it's just a matter of time before more and more of what we would hold as Biblical teaching is going to end up being challenged even in the courts. I think there will be hard lines crossed if and when we're told we cannot preach or teach certain passages from Scripture or incorporate Biblical principals and or doctrinal statements or business practices. If that happens then we'll have no choice but to take a stand even if it means arrest, conviction and jail time. When it comes to that Jimmy our greater allegiance is to the Lord and His word.
JD: David James with Bible in hand explaining how the Bible and preaching from the Bible could be considered hate speech and not allowed under government mandate.
We report this information because it is setting the stage for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled.
Should the United States government pass legislation that would define the Bible and preaching from the Bible as hate speech Christians must defy that government mandate. We must obey God rather than man, that's Acts 4:19-20.
