“A time is coming when the government will demand that churches accept and promote an understanding of sexuality and gender that directly opposes God’s Word.” – Dr. Jim Garlow, Lead Pastor at Skyline Church, La Mesa, CA
Growing government intrusion into the affairs of the Church is posing a serious threat to church autonomy and our most basic religious freedoms. Pastors are being censored, the proclamation of God’s Truth is being blocked, and churches are being discriminated against and threatened with punishment.
This was not the intention of our Founding Fathers, who established our country on religious freedom and who enshrined this precious God-given right in the U.S. Constitution. And throughout our nation’s history, churches have been recognized as the moral leaders of our society and Christians have enjoyed the freedom to express their religious beliefs.
But all of that is changing very quickly. At the urging of anti-Christian groups seeking to secularize America, courts and government are increasingly treating our churches more as nuisances than as pillars of the community. And some are treated not just as nuisances, but as criminals for exercising their Christian faith!
That’s exactly how Bishop Rick Painter of Christ the King Liturgical Charismatic Church was treated before Alliance Defending Freedom was given the opportunity to defend him. For years, he rang the bells of his church as an expression of praise to God – until the City of Phoenix wrongly determined the bells violated a local noise ordinance. As a result, a judge sentenced Bishop Painter to jail! After Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys filed suit, a federal court ruled the city’s noise ordinance could not be applied to churches. Eventually, the court reversed Bishop Painter’s criminal conviction.
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The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects the God-given right of pastors and churches to speak, act, and minister in accordance with biblical principles. In spite of this, our most fundamental freedoms – freedom to exercise religious beliefs, freedom of speech, and freedom of access – are being stripped away at an alarming rate.
Homosexual Question
(5 CDs by Ken Gentry)
The homosexual movement is one of the leading challenges to the moral stability
of American culture and to our Christian influence in culture.
In this sermon series I tackle the homosexual question head on.
See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com
By perpetuating the myth of the so-called “separation of church and state,” radical anti-Christian groups have been able to persuade public officials to silence religious expression. In a growing number of cases, government officials are seeking to revoke church tax exemptions…seize their land…stop their community outreach ministries…deny them equal access to public buildings…and restrain their pastors from preaching biblical Truth as it relates to “political” issues and candidates. In essence, by using fear, intimidation, and disinformation, the government is determining what your pastor and church can do and say.
Free downloadable legal handbook
Is your church ready? ADF’s “Protecting Your Ministry” legal guide can start you on the right path. Download your FREE copy at http://buff.ly/1xdttc6. — with Julie Merritt.
Available from Alliance Defending Freedom.
Postmillennial Worldview 
I do think we need to be careful about sounds/noises coming from churches/temples/mosques.
Although I do not consider islam a legitimate religion, they presently have the same right of expression that Christian churches do.
My point is that if we allow church bells, then we probably have to allow the very disruptive and aggravating muslim call to prayer from mosques.
I do NOT want to have to listen to that noise while I am inside or out.