Dear All -
I believe "judgment begins in the house of God" and this is the beginning of that judgment.
Back in the 60s the culture began serious redefinition of sexuality. The Biblical idea that God placed children in the loins of the father, and that it was the duty of each Christian man to use his sexual ability to bring those children into the world and raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord for His glory ... that idea and sexual framework were abandoned. We abandoned the idea of procreational sex and accepted the world's idea of recreational sex. This made children a byproduct - an unintended consequence - of recreational activity. In Christianity, the emphasis moved to using sex within marriage as a relationship-enhancing activity. Of course children would be welcomed, but the world's idea of "responsible" sexuality (that is, not having more children than you can "afford") became part of the recreational sex package. Early champions included Tim and Beverly LaHaye, and if you can find an early copy of their book "The Act of Marriage" you will see exactly what I mean.
The church followed Hefner, and in 1974 the Supreme Court followed the thinking of the church to one of the consequences, by legally removing the "personhood" of pre-born children. We see in the scriptures that Levi - while still in the loins of Abraham - paid tithes to Melchizedek, and John the Baptist leapt for joy. Let's not miss the implications.
The church - that is, the "liturgical" or "organizational" church - in America had 42 years to fight the battle for Biblical sexuality on two fronts: in the church and in the world. But the church went along with the culture. They made the obligatory bleating noises once a year on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade but in a war against children that has claimed over 55 million innocent lives, the organizational church has been silent at best, and usually complicit. The stench has reached the nostrils of God.
When any public official takes an oath of office, he swears "so help me God" that he will uphold the constitution and laws of the jurisdiction within which he serves. No Christian can take such an oath when sodomy has statutory support. ANY law written to address discrimination, or dealing with marriage, etc. etc. (limited only by the creativity of the sodomites) must be supported and enforced. Who will fill those offices when Christians can't?
Supposing resignations and elections, let us then suppose that a few sodomites go down to a church on Sunday morning and vandalize a few hundred cars in the parking lot. Let us then suppose that these miscreants are caught and put on trial for criminal and maybe felonious destruction of property. They plead that the Christian message caused them extreme emotional stress and pain. "Honk if you love Jesus" was as painful to them as "honk if you think gay people are evil." In short, the Christians incited the action and the gays were simply responding to emotional attacks against them.
In a sane society, this would not fly. But when the judicial system is staffed and run by perverts, this will seem reasonable and all these criminals will be found "not guilty" and released. "... and perverse justice proceeds..." with a vengeance. Habakkuk 1:4 comes to mind. Proverbs 1:25-26 is also germane.
How will those Christians spend their next Sunday morning? I daresay it won't be in "church" but rather on the driveway with a razor blade and some soapy water, getting those bumper stickers off their cars. Will they continue to go to "church"? Only if the church bus picks them up, or the parking lot is fenced in, or they are within walking distance.
I believe the organizational, liturgical "church" in America is coming under judgment. And frankly, I'm not lamenting it. It is going to be tough living in a country run by perverts and miscreants, but it will sure weed out the tares and phoneys.
I'm sorry it's come to this, but we've brought it on ourselves.
Steve