How do we answer attacks by militant and intolerant atheists?

“How do we answer an attack by militant and intolerant atheists on a high school in Georgia and a church in Texas?

The aggressive Freedom From Religion Foundation threatened East Coweta High School in Newnan with a lawsuit because the coach had the audacity to pray with his football players. Their lawyer declared from their “bully platform” that “it is illegal for public athletic coaches to lead their teams in prayer” and how doing such is “unconstitutional because he endorses and promotes his religion when acting in his official capacity as a school district employee.” Such threats cause most lawyers for a school district to cringe and cave in to the pressure of a financially expensive lawsuit. 

Immediately after entering the field Friday, Nov. 3, the East Coweta Indians ran to the sideline and prayed in defiance of an complaint from the Freedom From Religion Foundation. FOX5ATLANTA.COM/Screen grab

To be a Christian in secularized America (because of the success of the ACLU and the FFRF) is downright frustrating and exasperating, especially when we know without a doubt that the United States Constitution does not outlaw such activity!  No objective and fair-minded historian or constitutional expert could argue with a straight face that George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson – not to mention the original members of the Supreme Court – would have agreed with such a radical and ridiculous interpretation of the Constitution! 

The Founding Fathers never said nor intended for American government and schools to be separated from God, religion, the Ten Commandments, and prayer.  To say so is a blatant lie, and one that can easily be disproven on historical and constitutional grounds.  Unfortunately, it is a lie promoted by “legal bullies” who seek out judges who do not hold to a strict and historic understanding of the Constitution.  

Like those who misuse the Bible by reading in what is not there, “the atheist agitator-bullies” who seek to secularize our culture read into the Constitution what is not there! The United States Constitution says nothing, absolutely nothing, about a “Separation from God, Religion, the Ten Commandments, and Prayer.” It does seek to safeguard us from a State or National Church that dictates our religion. That is all! To say a coach in Newnan was guilty of such is ludicrous!

We as Christian Americans must not give in to frustration and exasperation! We can take heart in knowing that the ACLU and FFRF are distorting and misrepresenting the truth in their “Secular Jihad” against Judeo-Christianity – all of which undercuts their own credibility. It is comforting and reassuring to know that if truth were on their side they would not need to twist and distort the facts as they do! They ought to be ashamed of themselves, and those who cower before them ought to be ashamed likewise!

What is far worse than a coach being threatened to stop praying with his players is to have an angry, bitter, and crazy atheist invade a church with an intent to kill as many worshippers as possible. This insane, hate-filled atheist may have succeeded in shedding innocent blood within the sanctuary of a Baptist church, but he also demonstrated the need for God’s life-transforming presence that alone can overcome such anger, bitterness, and hate-filled crazy evil – a divine presence he had shut out of his own heart and mind. Meanwhile, those he murdered were immediately wrapped in the grace and mercy, love and peace of Jesus Christ, and ushered into Paradise because they had humbly opened up their lives to Christ Who had died for them at the hands of angry, bitter, and hate-filled people who shut God and Jesus out of their lives. First and foremost this malicious murderer destroyed himself in more ways than one.

Every church offers an alternative to his kind of anger, bitterness, and hate-filled craziness. May we pray not only for the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, but for every church that is vulnerable to attack and desecration? May we take advantage of the courses our Georgia Baptist Mission Board offers on church safety?  Above all, may we take heart in knowing that Christ is with us in the midst of tragedy and tribulation inspiring and empowering us to share our love, faith, and hope with a world where hate is front page news, disbelief is promoted throughout our pop culture, and a sense of hopelessness is pervasive among an increasing number of young people? 

Apart from our churches, where can people find unconditional, universal, and self-sacrificial love embodied in Jesus Christ – a faith rooted in Him and not oneself or ever-so-flawed humanism, and a hope that goodness triumphs over evil?

While on retreat recently with a Bible study group at the beach I went to see an encouraging and uplifting movie entitled Let There Be Light. This movie portrays a most famous atheist who is converted. He not only seeks to be a light in a darkening world, but survives and thrives in the midst of awful, heart-breaking, double-dosed trouble! 

The movie features Kevin Sorbo (God Is Not Dead) as actor/director together with his wife as writer/actress and their children. Here we have a Christian family in a movie, reminding us that Hollywood has some Christians sharing their faith when much of the Hollywood culture’s decadence and depravity is being exposed in real-life headlines.  

This is a time to see a movie that declares how atheists can be saved and transformed by the grace and love of God!  May we share our faith, hope, and love with people who may be utterly faithless, seemingly hopeless, and quite completely untouched by God’s love!