Monday, December 19, 2011
Taking a stand Part 1: How its done in Texas

Over 5,000 people gathered together at high noon in Athens, Texas Saturday. They were not protesting. They were not the Occupy Wall Street movement. They were not the TEA Party. They were men, women and children who were taking a stand for the values of their community. And they were joined by others around the state who share their values. They were showing support for the local judge and officials who kept a nativity scene on display at the Henderson County Courthouse after an anti-religion, anti-American group out of Wisconsin called "Freedom From Religion Foundation" sent a letter to Athens officials demanding their atheist banner be displayed along side the nativity.

Athens is a small town of some 13,000 people. The nativity scene has been on display each Christmas season for more than ten years. Henderson County Commissioner Joe Hall told WFAA of Dallas, "I'm an old country boy, you come to my house looking for a fight, you're going to get one. That's from the bottom of my heart. We'll remove it when hell freezes over. It's not going to happen." Freedom From Religion has on its Board of Directors Ronald Reagan, Jr., an activist for homosexual rights and atheist son of the former president, and Michael Newdow, who has failed at several attempts to get the Supreme Court to remove the phrase "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance.

Randy Funston, president of the AGAPE Movement, who traveled several hours to stand with the townspeople said, "This seems to be a continuation of the very same ilk of anti-family, anti-American, anti-God radicals who have plagued the state of Texas since the last presidential election. We have fought them in the veteran's cemetery, at Medina Valley High School's graduation, and now in Athens over a nativity scene. Different faces, same radicals. Christians are commissioned by God to share their faith and the gift of salvation. It is a gift. It is offered even to these atheists. Though they refuse it, it is not their right to prevent us from sharing the gift of Christ with others by mocking our beliefs with offensive banners and actions."

Funston reported to The Daily Jot, "The event was awesome. In a town of approximately 13,000 people the attendance was estimated to be 5,000+. People clinging to their Bibles and faith...Pastors speaking out in a Christian way more or less telling the government & atheists to stand down! If we could get this rolling across the USA we could change the direction of our nation." Jesus said in Matthew 10:32, 33, "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." Funston is right, if we all did our part in confessing Christ before men, hearts would change, and so would America.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson