By Chuck Baldwin
August 21, 2007
This column is archived at
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2007/cbarchive_20070821.html
Once again, the burden of responsibility to help maintain America's
liberty rests upon the shoulders of the men in the pulpits. That
should not surprise us, because it has always been this way. Part of
what made America great was old fashioned, tell-it-like-it-is,
no-nonsense preaching. Most of what we hear today is a bunch of
mealy-mouthed, pussyfooting, ear-tickling, don't-offend-anyone
preaching, which has largely contributed to America's current slippery
slope into the sewer. But if you thought it could not get any worse,
guess again.
A startling television news report from Shreveport, Louisiana has
revealed a sinister plot hatched deep inside the diabolical brain
cells of the Bush administration to use America's pulpits as promoters
of tyranny. That is a strong statement, I know. But it is true.
According to KSLA television in Shreveport, the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) intends to use America's preachers to help pave the way
for martial law in the event of another terrorist attack upon the
United States.
The KSLA report (which you can read for yourself here:
http://www.ksla.com:80/Global/story.asp?S=6937987 )
begins, "Could martial law ever become a reality in America? Some fear
any nuclear, biological or chemical attack on U.S. soil might trigger
just that. KSLA 12 has discovered that the clergy would help the
government with potentially their biggest problem: Us."
The report continued by saying, "[G]un confiscation is exactly what
happened during the state of emergency following Hurricane Katrina in
New Orleans, along with forced relocation. U.S. Troops also arrived,
something far easier to do now, thanks to last year's elimination of
the 1878 Posse Comitatus act, which had forbid regular U.S. Army
troops from policing on American soil.
"If martial law were enacted here at home, like depicted in the movie,
'The Siege', easing public fears and quelling dissent would be
critical. And that's exactly what the 'Clergy Response Team' helped
accomplish in the wake of Katrina."
The report went on to say: "[C]lergy response teams would walk a
tight-rope during martial law between the demands of the government on
the one side, versus the wishes of the public on the other. 'In a lot
of cases, these clergy would already be known in the neighborhoods in
which they're helping to diffuse that situation,' assured Sandy Davis.
He serves as the director of the Caddo-Bossier Office of Homeland
Security and Emergency Preparedness.
"For the clergy team, one of the biggest tools that they will have in
helping calm the public down or to obey the law is the bible itself,
specifically Romans 13."
Dear Reader, are you getting this?
In order to convince American citizens to surrender their firearms to
the government during a time of martial law, DHS is enlisting the
assistance of America's pastors. According to the DHS, my job as a
church pastor, is to tell my congregation that, according to Romans
13, they must surrender their firearms when the government asks them
to do so.
Of course, faithful readers of this column know that I have already
addressed the Romans 13 question. See
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2007/cbarchive_20070810.html
For those who are ignorant of Romans 13, let me address the issue
bluntly: According to Romans 13, every citizen is only bound to obey
his or her governing official to the degree that the governing
official does not violate the duty of the citizen to obey the "higher
powers" which, for Americans, are God and the U.S. Constitution. In
other words, no Christian can be ordered to disobey God, and no
American citizen can be ordered to disobey the U.S. Constitution.
Properly understood, Romans 13 teaches that each and every governing
official (including the President of the United States and all those
under him) must submit to the U.S. Constitution.
Article. VI. Paragraph. 3. of the U.S. Constitution states, "The
Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the
several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers,
both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by
Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution."
So, what does the Constitution say regarding the disarmament of
American citizens? The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution could
not be clearer: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the
security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear
Arms, shall not be infringed."
Did you get that? "[T]he right of the people to keep and bear Arms,
SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED." [Emphasis added]
Therefore, any attempt to disarm the American people must be viewed as
an act of tyranny and must be resisted.
The right to keep and bear arms is rooted deep in American history. I
remind readers that it was the attempted gun confiscation of the
colonists' arms, which had been cached at Concord, Massachusetts, that
directly precipitated the beginning of America's fight for
independence.
America's founders were clear on this subject. Our first President,
George Washington, called our firearms "the people's liberty teeth."
Our third President and author of the Declaration of Independence,
Thomas Jefferson, said, "No free man shall ever be de-barred the use
of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain their right to
keep and bear arms is as a last resort to protect themselves against
tyranny in government."
America's founders spoke unanimously on the subject. Patrick Henry
said, "The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is
able may have a gun." Samuel Adams said, "The said Constitution shall
never be construed to authorize Congress to prevent the people of the
United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms."
And what did the Lord Jesus Christ tell His followers on this subject?
Jesus said in Luke 11:21, "When a strong man armed keepeth his palace,
his goods are in peace." Did you see that? Jesus said that in order
for a man's goods to be "in peace" it was necessary that he be ARMED.
Now, I don't know about you, but I will take the word of Jesus over
the word of a DHS official anytime.
Furthermore, Jesus told his disciples in Luke 22:36, "[H]e that hath
no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one."
Upon hearing the words of Jesus, Simon Peter responded by saying,
"Lord, behold, here are two swords." (vs. 38) That means at least two
of Jesus' disciples were armed with swords (the 1st Century equivalent
of a modern handgun, something used for personal protection), and
Jesus did not rebuke them or ask them to surrender their swords. He
merely said, "It is enough."
I realize that after Simon Peter used his sword to cut off the ear of
the man as soldiers came to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane,
Jesus told him to "put up thy sword." But notice, He did not tell him
to "give up" his sword; he merely told him it was not time to use it,
because it was in the plan and providence of God that Jesus be taken
to Pilate, that He might be crucified for our sins.
Don't tell me that the Bible teaches pacifism, because it doesn't. I
am a Christian, and I am a pastor. And I agree with Charlton Heston
who said that they could have his guns "over my cold, dead hands." If
DHS believes that I will ask my congregation to give up their
firearms, they are grossly mistaken.
It also needs to be pointed out that, apparently, DHS must already be
planning to declare martial law in the United States or else this kind
of advanced strategy would not even be necessary. Why would they
already be asking pastors to be prepared to request their church
members give up their guns if they did not intend to declare martial
law?
Now, what every single church-going Christian in America should
immediately find out for themselves is, What does my pastor intend to
do? Will he ask me to surrender my guns, or not? I highly encourage
every reader who currently attends church to ask your pastor this
question RIGHT NOW.
Of course, the next question Christians need to ask themselves is,
What will I do if my pastor says he would ask me to surrender my guns
to the government? I suggest that every church member in America
settle this matter right now. And if you discover that your pastor
would indeed ask you to surrender your guns (or equivocate by saying
he would have to "pray about it") if asked to do so, you should
immediately leave that church and find a pastor who believes the Bible
and supports the U.S. Constitution. Furthermore, if you do not
currently own a firearm, you might want to heed the words of Jesus and
go buy one.
So, once again, the burden of responsibility to help maintain
America's liberty rests upon the shoulders of the men in the pulpits.
Will we be preachers of truth or promoters of tyranny?
(c) Chuck Baldwin
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