(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Augusta Press.)
Without going into the history of the life of Martin Luther, suffice it to say that his writings and teachings did not make the established religious groups and political groups of the day happy. He came under scrutiny from the powers that controlled Rome and stood in danger of being put to death for his beliefs unless he recanted and changed what he taught and believed. It was a very serious moment for Luther, and it was a seminal moment for Christianity and the Bible itself.
Essentially, Luther was being faced with either changing his beliefs or being put to death. Charles V, in response to Luther’s unwavering stance issued the Edict of Worms and declared Luther an outlaw. His arrest and death as a heretic were declared because he would not abandon his own Bible based convictions and adopt the positions of the religious-political groups of the day. He uttered these words when he was asked if he would recant his positions or not.
Luther said, “Unless I am convinced by Scripture or by clear reasoning that I am in error, for popes and councils have often erred and contradicted themselves, I cannot recant, for I am subject to the Scriptures I have quoted; my conscience is captive to the Word of God. It is unsafe and dangerous to do anything against one’s conscience. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. So help me God. Amen.”
Anyone living today, if they have one grain of sense, will have to admit that this world has gone absolutely mad! It is more than crazy; it is MAD. And the sad thing is that people are ok with all of the craziness going on. At least it seems to be that way. I believe the majority of people know things are seriously askew but they don’t know what to do about it. Our leaders are taking this country down the wrong path and the payoff isn’t going to be pleasant.
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When men dress as women and take part in “drag-shows” and think it’s normal, the wheels have come off the wagon. When children are subject to this kind of thing and it is deemed ok, the wheels have come off the wagon. When our education system feels that it is their duty to teach little children that they could be of another sex other than what they were born with, the wheels have come off the wagon! When men decide they are women and women declare they are a man, the wheels have come off the wagon! (Gen. 1:27, So God created man in his own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them). When people of the same sex can marry and when our legal system endorses such a thing, the wheels have come off the wagon. When Congress won’t do anything about such things because they fear being called a name such as racist or homophobe it’s time to replace them with some heroes in Congress who will do something about it. Re-election looms too large for them to say much because it might hurt their chances of retaining power. I don’t give a flip about someone’s political career.
What this country needs are people who will stand for what is right and protect the good, normal people of society and right now, we don’t have very many protecting us. In my opinion, our greatest enemies are internal. Those elected to guide the nation are the very ones, in many, many cases, who are in favor of continuing the madness we are experiencing. I expect that some will call me some names for expressing my opinion but so be it. I frankly don’t care. If someone calls you names for doing what is right and good, that just points them out as those who love the madness.
This evil society is now insisting that Christian people, should be forced to change their beliefs to align with leftist ideology. They want us to compromise our beliefs in order to sync up with the liberal way of thinking and accept the crazy stuff going on today. I have news for them: As Luther said, “my conscience is captive to the Word of God.” I cannot change to suit this world and still be acceptable to God. And, I choose to be acceptable to Him and Him alone. If this world thinks for one fleeting millisecond that Bill Harrell is going to change my Bible-based beliefs just so they won’t have opposition to their rotting points of view you can bet there will be icicles ten feel long in hell before that will happen! That’s not being hard headed or stubborn, it’s just the facts. I am Captive to the Word of God!
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Now, let me tell you the latest thing that I have just been made aware of. I am going to simply state the facts and let the chips fall where they may. In telling you about this, I am going to have to, of necessity, refer to some political parties. My information comes from an article printed by the Epoch Times and featured on the Breitbart News site. Here we go! Most Republicans, 75 percent, and Independents, 61 percent said Christians should not be forced to change their beliefs to line up with leftist “woke” ideology. Democrats are split on the issue with 41 percent saying they should be forced to change their beliefs and 41 percent saying they should not. The article continues: “However, among Biden 2020 voters specifically, 42 percent believe Christians should compromise their beliefs to match up with leftist ideology compared with 41 percent who do not.
The survey shows that efforts to normalize “woke” ideas such as transgenderism and Critical Race Theory continue even though parents nationwide disagree. As a comparison, 79 percent of Trump voters say Christians should not have to compromise their beliefs to adhere to leftist ideology. (Sorry for having to bring politics into it all but I am only stating the facts as it is long overdue that we do.)
President Biden signed the “Respect for Marriage Act” making gay marriage legal. This was passed without strong religious liberty protections. This means that preachers expounding the Word of God can be brought to court if they preach against same sex marriage, transgenderism, sex change procedures and other related issues. The Senate passed this horrendous bill with a 61-36 margin and this bill could be used to target Americans who believe that marriage is between one man and one woman as God designed it to be. The Senate rejected a religious amendment from Sen. Mike Lee that would have prevented religious organizations from being targeted by the federal government under the law. An identical amendment was proposed in the House by Rep. Chip Roy but was also rejected. People who are “woke” have already compromised what has always been proven to be right and proper. They are not worried at all about more liberal compromise on their part. Our country is in mortal danger when our “leaders” exhibit no more moral and spiritual understanding that they do. The reason they want Christians to compromise their beliefs is that they know that the only way for them to win is by getting us to join their forces. They know that God’s people are a force to be reckoned with and that they can’t win unless we give up. I ain’t giving up!
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The federal government and those using its power to try to bring all this godless “woke” stuff into being are leading this nation down the “Primrose Path to Perdition.” They are intimidating the good people into submission but this has got to stop. The Christians, who are “Bound by the Word of God” cannot submit to this madness. I say to them, don’t change your position because God has not changed His position at all. The Bible says He is “unchanging” and that is a fact that cannot be refuted. Christians who stand with God are not “woke”. They have been “awakened” by the Spirit of God and therefore they can recognize the rotten error of being “woke.”
One of our basic problems as Christians is that far too many of our preachers have been intimidated in various ways to the point that they are no longer warning their people about what is going on in society. They shy away because too many of the people in their churches are a part of this liberal scene or at least sympathetic to it. The pastors have been silent so long that their congregations are now filled with too many “woke” people who might quit coming to church and giving their money if the pastor did what pastors of the past did: Warn their people of the dangers lurking around and intending to destroy our society. We need preachers in this world of today while will rear up on their hind legs and declare, “Thus Saith the Lord” while realizing that the society isn’t going to like it. My response is: Who cares is they like it or not? My conscience is “Captive to the Word of God!”
Reverend William (Bill) Harrell has been in ministry 49 years. He served as the pastor of Abilene Baptist Church in Martinez, GA for over 31 of those years. He can be reached at wfh@williamfharrell.com. You can also check out his blog at www.williamfharrell.com
Good article Sir
The photo above is of the Frauenkirche in Dresden. The church suffered in the Allied air raids on the rail yard. A must see.
What scholarship put the Bible imn Luther’s hands? His legacy is in thousands of denominations, each without the presence of Christ.
What a great article by someone who is not afraid to follow the teachings of the Bible and tell it like it is. Just remember, we Christians sat back and allowed the Bible to be taken out of our schools and now we are sitting back and allowing GOD to be taken out of our country. If we continue down this path, I am afraid America is going to suffer another 9/11..
Here here Bro. Bill!!! I’m 100% with you. I pray for all those who the Enemy has blinded into all this mad thinking. Sin is sin and they all need to come to know Jesus.
In an attempt to not silently acquiesce to our nation losing its way, my congressional representatives receive the input below annually in January.
1. Limit the annual session of Congress to three months total duration.
2. Balance the federal budget.
3. Support a Constitutional amendment to impose House and Senate term limits. Senate limited to two terms per lifetime, House limited to three terms per lifetime.
4. Require members of Congress to use the same government administered health care plan(s) that they legislate for citizens.
5. Stop federal funding, grants, and contracts to schools, colleges, and universities that promote wokeness (e.g., CRT and transgenderism), dispense socialist/communist and anti-American propaganda, and suppress freedom of speech and religion.
6. Remove anti-trust exemptions from all tech-internet corporations and sports leagues.
7. Remove FCC Section 230 exemptions from internet tech firms.
8. Investigate tech firms, media conglomerates, and mega-corporations like Amazon, Facebook, Google, Twitter, AT&T, Apple, Associated Press, Verizon, Walmart, for anti-trust violations, illegal lobbying, election fund violations, price fixing, and monopolistic trade practices.
9. Deny non-profit tax status to right and left wing political and social movement organizations, like BLM and Planned Parenthood.
10. Prohibit political donations to state and local level campaigns and candidates from individuals and businesses that do not have a physical residence or presence in the state.
11. Complete the wall along the US-Mexico border.
12. Close borders to illegal immigrants until immigration reform laws are passed and enforced.
13. Abolish birth-right citizenship.
14. Deport all illegal immigrants and their children.
15. Deport all DACA illegal immigrants.
16. Protect 2nd Amendment and firearm ownership.
17. Protect firearms and ammunition manufacturers from frivolous litigation based on use of their products (i.e., maintain the PLCAA).
18. Maintain and enforce federal laws concerning marijuana and other illegal drugs and substances.
19. Require that all labels and advertisements for products and consumable items sold in USA be clearly labeled with country(ies) of origin.
20. Stop advantageous trade, tariff, and tax deals for foreign adversaries, e.g., China, Russia, and Iran.
21. Strengthen and expand Section 301 China Tariffs to protect U.S. trade and manufacturing.
22. Reorganize the CIA, FBI, DOJ, DOD, and other agencies to prevent political influence, bias, and internal criminal activities.
23. Prohibit tech companies from gathering and selling personal data and information without permission of the individual and compensation to the individual.
24. Prosecute leaders of businesses and religious, social, and fraternal organizations who cover up sexual abuse, child abuse, financial theft and fraud, defective products that cause injury or death, OSHA violations, and EPA violations. Stop fining corporations for illegal activities. Send responsible employees, managers, officers and board members to jail.
25. Completely privatize the USPS.
26. Prohibit government seizure of IRA and 401K funds for government use.
27. Prohibit federal taxation of real property.
28. Repeal all federal inheritance taxes.
29. Prohibit implementation of a federally funded and administered health care system with mandatory participation (i.e., Medicare for All).
30. Prohibit students from adversary nations from attending US colleges and universities.
31. Implement a simple fair tax system and abolish the IRS.
32. Abolish the US Department of Education.
33. Abolish HUD.
34. Prohibit federal funding of Planned Parenthood and use of federal funds for abortions.
35. Outlaw sanctuary states, counties, and cities and deny them federal funds.
36. Deny federal, state, and local voting rights to illegal aliens.
37. Deny federal, state, and local voting rights to convicted felons.
38. Pass legislation to prevent states, counties, and cities from preempting the Second Amendment, District of Columbia v Heller, and New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen.
39. Confirm only conservative, originalist judges to federal courts and the Supreme Court to end legislation from the bench.
40. Require drug tests for welfare recipients.
41. Ban implementation of Sharia law by states, counties, and cities as a violation of the First Amendment.
42. Investigate the FBI and CIA and purge deep state, partisan operatives. These agencies are embarrassing replicas of the Russian FSB and SVR. They are no longer credible or trustworthy.
43. Limit foreign aid to only allies of the US. Stop supporting terrorist like the Palestinian Authority and countries that organize and allow passage of illegal immigrant caravans.
44. Repeal rules requiring ethanol in 87-89 octane gasoline.
45. Prosecute all violations of federal firearm regulations, including thefts, usage during crime, and straw purchases, in federal and state courts and apply both sentences to the violators.
46. Stop all telemarketing and robo-calls.
47. Ensure politically-incorrect speech is protected by the First Amendment.
48. Stop CDC and NIMH funding of anti-gun research and data collection.
49. Stop taxpayer funding of socialist media Public Broadcasting Corporations.
50. Stop insider trading by Senate and House members and their financial managers.
51. Make all past and present laws and government programs equally applicable to Senate and House members. End life-time perks and benefits.
52. For federal office elections, require all states, districts, and territories to use: a) valid photo identification proving residency for in-person voting, b) the same voting date(s) and hours; c) voter signature on absentee ballots; d) bipartisan witnessed certification of signatures and addresses on absentee ballots; and d.) duration and deadlines for returning absentee ballots.
53. Ensure poll watchers from all parties are granted equal access to voting activities.
54. Stop federal encroachment on state and local rights, such as zoning laws and education.
55. Pass legislation to prohibit sexual reassignment treatment and procedures on minors.
56. Prohibit sexual reassignment treatment and procedures paid for by federal and state taxes (e.g,. in prisons and U.S. military).
57. Stop government spending of money that does not exist – none of the money disbursed as Economic Impact Payments was backed by gold, silver, real property, increased productivity, or other material items that have actual worth.
58. Stop denying that inflation is not a real and current economic issue caused by low Federal interest rates, the Treasury flooding the economy with worthless dollars, government welfare handouts, low domestic productivity, and the government’s economically destructive response to COVID-19.
59. Require transgender athletes to participate only in events with other athletes of the same gender as the transgender athlete’s at-birth biological gender – male or female.
60. Require minors to only use the restroom facilities designated for their at-birth biological gender – male or female.
61. Remove non-profit status from churches whose pastor, minister, or priest promotes political parties, candidates, and agendas at church functions and events.
62. Repeal the Respect for Marriage Act or amend it to prevent discrimination and legal action against religious and laymen whose religious beliefs cannot support homosexual and transgender marriage.