I read with interest the news reports on Comedy Central’s potential new show called “JC,” which would depict Christ as a modern day partier.  Several religious groups have rightly pointed out that even consideration of this show by the network demonstrates a double standard.  It recently censored shows that would be offensive to Muslims.  One columnist goes so far as to say this amounts to “Christophobia.” If there really is an irrational fear and hatred of Christians in this country, we shouldn’t be surprised. Christ Himself warned us that “all men will hate you because of me.”

There certainly is some evidence of “Christophobia” when it comes to recent treatment of the Church. ADF attorney Dale Schowengerdt lists several examples of churches being defaced and vandalized in his 5/27/10 blog.  This also shouldn’t be a surprise, since the Church is the Body of Christ. But it is disturbing in a land where Religious Freedom and churches have been the foundation for all other freedoms and our very way of life.  George Washington had it right when he said, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.  …And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.” We would do well not to forget our First President’s wise words.

ADF’s new Church Project is dedicated to encouraging and defending churches that heed Washington’s advice and are embracing their role as the moral compass of our country. Whether “JC” ever makes it to prime time or not, it’s encouraging to know that many churches continue to preach the truth in the face of hostility and ADF has their back when they do so.

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Not too long ago, the pernicious and unconstitutional doctrine of “separation of church and state”–which is often invoked to sanitize public life from Christian influence–was eclipsed by a newer and even more disturbing doctrine: the separation of church and home.

As discussed here, a group of seven Christians was banned from meeting in their pastor’s home in Gilbert, AZ, under a zoning ordinance of questionable applicability.  When the Christians, with ADF’s assistance, tried to get Town officials to reverse the ban, they were only rebuffed and told to file an appeal (and pay $300) to the Town’s zoning board.

Thankfully, after intense international public pressure persuaded the Town to reconsider its unconstitutional ban on religious meetings in homes, the Town began working to redraft its ordinances.  And they have just given final approval to an ordinance amendment which will protect religious liberty.

While, of course, it would have been better to have avoided this situation altogether, Gilbert’s prompt and constitutionally-sound resolution of the situation serves as an example for other municipalities.  And now Christians in Gilbert can worship at home without fear that they’re breaking the law.

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In front of his crying children and wife, Julian Raven was sentenced to nine days in jail for praying.  Was this in communist China?  A story from the old Soviet Union?  Was he trying to pray in a Muslim country where Christianity is outlawed?  Not even close.

Julian Raven was sentenced to jail in Elmira, New York.  Here.  In the United States of America.  How can it be that in a country that was built on religious freedom, we get to the point where a man was handcuffed and led by armed police to a locked cell for merely praying?

But wait.  Surely there was something else going on.  You just don’t hear something this outrageous without thinking that there is another side to the story.  If the  person on the other end of the phone is offering a free vacation, then you just know there is a high-pressure time-share sales talk somewhere down the line.  With respects to Paul Harvey, what is the rest of the story?

While there is a rest of the story, it is not found in the facts.  No, the facts surrounding his arrest and conviction will not alleviate your shock of seeing a preacher being jailed for his prayer.  In 2007, Julian and 6 others went to a public event in a public park in Elmira.  This event was a city wide celebration of homosexual behavior.  Hot dogs were gulped down.  Bands were rocking.  Politicians were kissing babies.  There was even a drag show going on to boot!  Make no mistake about it – there was a party going on in Elmira that day, and everyone was invited.

Everyone, that is, but the Christians.

But surely Julian and his friends went into this event and were shouting hateful, spiteful speech, right?  No, in fact, Julian and his friends walked into the park silently, without saying a word, and with heads bowed.  They came in quietly, laid on the ground and prayed.  If Julian was trying to pick a fight from this fetal position, then he was sure to get whupped.  At trial, even the city’s own witnesses stated that Julian and his group were acting very peacefully.  Julian and his group were so peaceful that some people enjoyed a nice picnic lunch right next to his group, as this picture demonstrates.

So why was Julian arrested?  The technical reason for the arrest was disorderly conduct.  That’s right.  Go ahead and laugh.  In the middle of a loud festival with all kinds of commotion, including a drag show, the people silently praying were the ones acting disorderly.  What’s next, arresting Mother Teresa for hate speech?  This is like my son complaining to me that his brother’s face hit his hand.  Surely we live in a wacky, backward world when the people who  are silently praying are the ones acting disorderly.

Julian was arrested because the Christian message he was trying to deliver by his actions was not welcomed at the event.  Through his silent actions, he was communicating that there is hope in Jesus.  In fact, on his shirt were the words, Liberated by the blood of Jesus.   Julian wanted to communicate that while we are all sinners, Christ died for us and liberated us from sin through his death and resurrection.

But there is a rest of the story and it’s this -  if a preacher can be arrested for praying in a public park, how many generations away are we from pastors being arrested in their own pulpit?  How safe is the pulpit from government censorship when people can be arrested in a public park, not because their actions were in any way violent, but because others did not like the message?  How much longer will churches be allowed to freely address immorality in our world, call sin sin, and call this nation to righteousness?  And that, my friends, could be the rest of the story.

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