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BEWARE THE SIGNS OF SATANISM: From Enter at Your Own Risk by Patty Roth, copyright (c) 1999

Most parents will never have to deal directly with a child involved in Satanism, but you should read this for two reasons: (1) your teen may know someone - or be affected by someone - involved in Satanism, and (2) reading about the extremes to which adolescents sometimes go can help you understand the needs your teen can have.

One teen who practiced Satanism said, "I was a throwaway kid. Nobody wanted me, and I needed a place to belong. I had a lust for power, and I needed to find a place where my violence was acceptable."

Teens need a sense of belonging, significance, and competence as they travel from childhood to adulthood. Limits and structure help contain and direct the process. Their sense of achievement, significance, and competence helps them stay on the path. But curiosity and a need for novelty can lead a teen off the safe journey. If the teen feels isolated, alienated, and detached from his family and peers, Satanism offers the allure of fulfilling these needs along the path to adulthood. It even offers an arena to express anger and rage through revenge, which it promotes.

The stages within the continuum of Satanism or other cult involvement:

• * Stage one: dabbling or experimental use. This may start with a friend at a Halloween party. Often this initial dabbling experience will seriously frighten the  young teen.

• * Stage two: social and recreational use. A fascination is deepening as the teen begins to study and learn magic, rituals, and ceremonies.

• * Stage three: situational use. The teen has now begun to use Satanism as a way to cope with difficult stresses in his life. He may even try to use spells on someone who has hurt him.

• * Stage four: intensified use. At this point in the progression, a formalized initiation will have occurred. One initiation example is the debaptizing of a teen who had earlier been baptized as a Christian. Teens involved to this degree typically will also become involved in thefts, drug abuse, burglary, and vandalism.

• * Stage five: compulsive use. A high degree of secretiveness exists now. Rituals are more bizarre. Drinking blood may occur. The teen's psychosocial development will be noticeably arrested or altered, meaning he will have stopped doing the normal teen-age activities with friends - no football games,
  inline skating, complaining about parents, etc. The prognosis is poor if treatment has not been initiated before this point.

• * Stage six: chronic addiction. Satanism is now a way of life and ingrained into his way of thinking and being. The teen may be called upon to be involved in homicidal or suicidal behavior. The prognosis is poor for a full recovery at this point, although it can occur after a great deal of work.

• * Treatment is difficult and lengthy at the last stages. It is far better to stop the process early and uncover the teen's unmet needs, finding appropriate ways to meet them within the family. Better yet is to understand with empathy the young teen's needs before they risk going unmet.

* Read: Clinical Assessment of Adolescents Involved in Satanism by C. M. Clark.
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Patty Roth, M.S., MFCC, has had a private practice in marriage and family therapy in Southern California for more than 15 years. She is also on the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry at Loma Linda University School of Medicine and has two grown children.

From Enter at Your Own Risk by Patty Roth, copyright (c) 1999. Used by permission of Harold Shaw Publishers, Wheaton, Ill., 1-800-742-9782. 

A Little piece to go along with the picture and theme:

Submitted by Jay and Cynthia Berkshire jberkshire@earthlink.net 02/06/2000 

A Child's Angel: 

Once upon a time there was a child ready to be born. So one day the baby asked God: They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?

Among the many angels, I chose two for you. They will be waiting for you and will take care of you.

But tell me, here in Heaven, I don't do anything else but sing and smile, that's enough for me to be happy.

And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me, if I don't know the language that they talk?

Your angels will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angels will teach you how to speak.

And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?

Your angels will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray.

I've heard that on earth there are bad people. Who will protect me?

Your angels will defend you even if it means risking their own lives.

But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore.

Your angels will always talk to you about me and will teach you the way for you to come back to me, even though I will always be next to you.

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from earth could already be heard, and the child in a hurry asked softly: Oh God, if I am about to leave now, please tell me my angel's names.

Your angel's names are of no importance; you will call your angels Mommy and Daddy. (Author unknown) 

by RON MARSH
sal@Vigo-Examiner.com
Religion Editor for
The Vigo Examiner

"He who defines the terms wins the debate." Biblical Christianity is being officially redefined out of existence by legislation, public policy, treaty and, most ominously, by judicial activism and bureaucratic regulation.

To the truly born-again, Bible-believing Christian, faith and practice are inseparable. The consecrated and conscientious follower of Jesus Christ takes his faith with him into the marketplace, the polling place, his place of employment, the halls of academia -- anywhere and everywhere he goes. Those who understand that the body of the Christian is the earthly temple of God Himself (I Corinthians 6:19) also understand that the Christian takes far more than his beliefs with him wherever he goes; his Lord is his ever-present Companion, Comforter, Counsellor and Guide. The fact that some professing Christians do not act as if that is true does not fundamentally alter the truth any more than the antics of one or more of its occupants fundamentally transforms the edifice at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue from The White House into a whore house.

Suggesting, even mandating, that Christians bifurcate faith and practice-- relegating faith to one day per week and confining it within the "church house" walls -- has been one of the grandest frauds of all the ages and one perpetrated upon America's Christians by their very own government. Worst of all, however, this fraud has been accomplished largely by and through the ignorant, compliant "consent of the governed," moving it from the realm of mere fraud, grand or otherwise, into epic tragedy. Whether fraud or tragedy, however, the delineation of "things sacred" and "things secular" is, to and for the Christian, a breach of fundamental Biblical principles and mandates. To the Christian, all aspects of life are sacred because all aspects of life are to be under the control of the Christ Who bought him and Whose he is.

The Christian's faith affects not only his practice, but also his entire world view. The diligent student of the Bible goes much more deeply and broadly into his studies than merely learning how to gain Heaven and escape Hell -- important as those are. He considers everything -- from current events on both the national and international scenes, to social and economic trends, even to phenomena of weather and climate -- in light of Scriptural principles of law (both civil and criminal), social order, economics, prophecy, etc., etc., etc. In short, he views everything through the lenses of the Holy Scriptures.

Texe Marrs is one such diligent student of the Bible, considered by many to be a credible authority on the Scriptural significance of many varied aspects of life as we know it in our world today. Whether you or I agree with that assessment of Texe Marrs is absolutely and totally irrelevant to the issue at hand. Article I of the Bill of Rights to the Constitution for these United States is supposed to secure to him the right to believe and practice his religion -- the entire scope of his religion, not just his doctrines of and for the salvation of his immortal soul -- without governmental interference or regulation.

"Congress (and, by extension, any "legislating" branch of government, including but not limited to bureaucrats and judicial activist judges) shall make NO LAW respecting an establishment of religion, or PROHIBITING THE FREE EXERCISE THEREOF."

Does Texe Marrs' interpretation and application of the Scriptures in relation (yes, as he sees it) to the political, moral, social and economic climate of our nation and our world constitute a "free exercise" of religion? Who's to say? Well, you and I, for two. If we don't agree with what Texe Marrs believes and/or says and/or teaches and/or writes in his books and/or disseminates via the writings or tape recordings (audio and/or video) of others, we have every Right not to follow him or listen to him or read his books or his suggested reading lists of the writings of other authors. Period. He has his Right to his belief and practice, as do we. That's what America is supposed to be about.

Enter the alphabet-soup bureaucratic agencies of the federal government, specifically the IRS, who apparently feel they have the authority to disrupt this allegedly free marketplace of ideas, specifically religious ideas, and define what is "religious" and what is not.

In Part I of this series, we presented for your consideration three "Exhibits" presented by the IRS to Texe Marrs and his "Living Truth Ministries." We'll not rehash those at this time. If you missed them, please go back and read them. They are as important to you -- especially if you, your church or your ministry "enjoys" a 501(c)(3) status -- as they are to Texe Marrs. They definitely are harbingers of things soon to come.

The following is Texe Marrs' analysis of the bureaucratic lunacy of the IRS "Requests for Documents." I say "lunacy" because they were much more than requests for documents, bad as that was in and of itself. Marrs also was asked to justify his beliefs, his opinions and his "dissemination" of the writings of others. In other words, the IRS was obviously setting the stage for either controlling Texe Marrs' right to free speech and/or free exercise of religion OR FOR THE WITHDRAWAL OF HIS 501(c)(3) "PRIVILEGES."

Of course, the real issue here is the fact that Texe Marrs, like so many other pastors and ministry leaders, has opted for the "protections" of the 501(c)(3) status. That is precisely why what he has to say below is so important to so many, for so many others similarly have availed themselves of precisely the same "privileges and protections."

If you think, as, apparently, does the IRS, that Marrs is being "sensationalistic" in what he says below -- If you don't believe that ALL of his "35 things" are true today -- just stop and try to recall the day when not ANY of them was even imaginable. Not all that long ago, was it?

In Part I, I related the profound conclusion and plan of (in)action of one pastor who had "so far" not been bothered by the federal bureaucracies: He just wasn't going to worry about it!

Please note carefully the following, My Friend, because this tyranny is coming to an unregistered church or other 501(c)(3) ministry near you -- perhaps sooner than you even care to imagine.

Don't be like German pastor Martin Niemoller, also referenced in Part I, who did not stand with and for others for whom the Nazis came and who, when the Nazis came for him, found that there was no one left to stand with and for him.

The time to act is NOW!

If not now, When?

If not you, Who?

--------------------------------------------------

By Texe Marrs

(As reprinted in the November/December, 1998, issue of "The Trumpet," a publication of the Indianapolis Baptist Temple)

Does the IRS hate the Gospel and despise Bible-believing Christians? Has the IRS become a police-state agency that regularly persecutes churches, pastors, and ministries that still believe in old-fashioned patriotism? Listed below are 35 things the IRS contends are prohibited of churches and ministries. A pastor or ministry leader who violates the guidelines of the IRS on these 35 prohibitions can have his church or group's tax exemption revoked and be dealt with harshly by the IRS.

These 35 prohibitions on churches and ministries demonstrate how the IRS and the federal government now control churches and insure politically and religiously "correct" behavior. Liberal Christian churches and false religions such as Hinduism, Witchcraft, and Scientology are not affected by these rules -- only Bible-believing, Christian ministries and churches. Also, keep in mind: These 35 things are not prohibited by law nor by the Constitution. The IRS considers itself above the law and the Constitution.

According to the IRS, Christian churches, ministries, and organizations may not:

• 1. Expose conspiracies.

• 2. Criticize the New World Order.

• 3. Say or publish anything negative about any politician, Republican or Democrat.

• 4. Criticize government agencies and bureaus -- the IRS, FBI, BATF, CIA, EPA, DEA, OSHA, DOJ, etc.

• 5. Criticize an institution of government such as the White House, the Congress, the Federal Reserve Board, or the Supreme Court.

• 6. Encourage citizens to call or write their congressman, senator, governor, mayor, or other public official.

• 7. Criticize any proposed or pending bill or legislation that would take away the rights and freedoms of the people.

• 8. Make disparaging remarks about, or criticize, any other faith group, cult, or religion.

• 9. Expose or criticize the New Age Movement.

• 10. Support or encourage a law-abiding citizen's militia.

• 11. Support or encourage the Second Amendment, the right of the people to keep and bear arms.

• 12. Discourage young women from getting an abortion, or endorse the pro-life movement.

• 13. Teach that abortion, especially partial birth abortion, is murder and is the killing of innocent babies.

• 14. Identify homosexuality as a sin and an abomination to God.

• 15. Express an opinion on any subject or issue.

• 16. Appeal to people's emotions by employing an evangelization method (such as "fire and brimstone" preaching) not considered a "reasoned approach" by the IRS.

• 17. Discuss or identify threats to Christianity.

• 18. Discuss subjects or topics the IRS deems "sensationalist."

• 19. Criticize well-known public figures or institutions the IRS deems "worthy," such as the super-rich elite, international bankers, the Hollywood movie industry, etc.

• 20. Publish or broadcast information on any topic without giving credence to the opposing viewpoints of Christ's enemies.

• 21. Publish and offer books, tapes, or products that expose the elitist plot against humanity and God.

• 22. Criticize the Pope or the Vatican, or contrast the New Catholic Catechism with the truths found in the Holy Bible. (Note: only liberal churches are permitted by the IRS to criticize the Catholic Church.)

• 23. Criticize the United Nations or such globalist groups as the Council on Foreign Relations, the Bilderbergers, and the Trilateral Commission.

• 24. Criticize the Masonic Lodge, the Order of Skull & Bones, or other Secret societies.

• 25. Highlight or otherwise bring attention to immorality of public officials or corruption in government.

• 26. Complain of government wrongdoing or injustice, such as happened at Waco, Ruby Ridge, and elsewhere.

• 27. Criticize the Jewish ADL or other Jewish lobby groups.

• 28. Say anything positive about the "religious right" or the "patriot movement."

• 29. Support home schooling, home churches, or unregistered churches.

• 30. Spend money on missionary projects or charitable causes not approved by the IRS.

• 31. Promote or encourage alternative healthcare (herbs, vitamins, etc.).

• 32. Expose false teachings of any kind by anyone.

• 33. Support or encourage persecuted Christians suffering under anti-Christian regimes in Red Chine, Cuba, Russia, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and elsewhere.

• 34. Ordain a pastor whose training or qualifications are not approved by the IRS.

• 35. Advocate or teach any Bible doctrine that is politically or religiously incorrect, or is inconsistent with any "public policy" (abortion, feminism, gay rights, etc.) currently being enforced by the IRS.

You may contact Texe Marrs at:

Living Truth Ministries
1708 Patterson Road
Austin, Texas 78733-6507
(512) 263-9780

You may contact the Indianapolis Baptist Temple at:

19th Judicial District
2711 South East Street
Indianapolis, Indiana
Phone (317) 783-6753
Fax (317) 781-2775
E-mail: gadibt@juno.com 

Please disseminate this material far and wide!

by Pastor RON MARSH
Salt and Light Ministry
mailto:sal@thnet.com
Religion Editor
Vigo Examiner

    Joshua challenged the people: "Choose ye this day whom ye will serve." (Joshua 24:15) Today, government is demanding a similar choice.
    The following is intended merely to provide an overview, an introduction to the whole issue of the Church and incorporation. Many sincere, God-fearing Christians in this land honestly believe that they belong to a "church" that just happens to be "incorporated" under the laws of their particular State and that just happens to enjoy a 501(c)(3) status under federal tax regulations. Unfortunately, they are sincerely wrong! We shall herein endeavor to explore the natures of, and relationship between, churches and corporations. We shall also try to explore how and why churches entered the world of the corporation in the first place.
    The truth is, there is no such entity as an "incorporated church." It is a physical, legal and spiritual impossibility.
    The truth is, any "church" that is "incorporated" has deposed Jesus Christ from His rightful position as Head over His own Body (Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18) and has surrendered that Body to the dominion of the State.
    The truth is, "incorporated churches" are subject to total governmental control -- whom they may hire, what they may and may not teach and preach, etc. A corporation is a creature of the State and, as such, has no constitutionally protected First Amendment Rights. Check your state's corporation "law." The state's creation (corporation) is subject to demands of full disclosure of its membership lists, members' giving records -- anything the State wants.
    The truth is, "incorporated churches" are not, by definition, churches at all. They are merely "not-for-profit enterprises," viewed by government (and, unfortunately, often by themselves) as indistinguishable from Planned Parenthood (whose legacy includes the blood of some fifty million pre-born American babies) -- or a homosexual-rights organization!
    "These were more noble . . . in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so." (Acts 17:11) Brethren, Search the Scriptures! And if these things be so, then seek and OBEY the Mind of Christ!

I. A BRIEF HISTORY AND RATIONALE OF INCORPORATION
    For many centuries, the Church got along just fine without incorporation. She had no "identity crisis," no "self esteem" problem. She knew exactly who she was. She knew precisely Who her Lord and her Bridegroom was. She gladly suffered persecution (II Timothy 3:12), prosecution, imprisonment, torture and martyrdom at the hands of civil tyrants throughout the ages.
    Then she found herself in a unique and euphoric circumstance: She was "at peace" with civil government; in fact, she had even been instrumental in the establishment of that government! If she were not seated upon the throne, she was certainly the power behind that throne. Like no other time in history, it was "in" to be "Christian" in the United States. Unaccustomed to such prominence, she became drunk with her own importance and let down her guard. She yielded to temptation, forsook her Lord and Bridegroom and joined herself, in an adulterous relationship, to another beneficent lover -- the State!
    Soon, she no longer had to say, "Silver and gold have I none." No longer could she say, "Rise and walk." (Both quotes, Acts 3:6) But who needs power when one has status?

A. THE "LURES" (Why incorporate?) 1. Limited Liability.
    In giving her her marching orders, the Bridegroom had promised: "All power is given unto me . . . I am with you alway." (Matthew 28:18, 20) Apparently, this was not enough for her. The State, her adulterous lover, promised to protect her from lawsuits and other attacks from without if only she would incorporate. Turning her back on the promised care of her Bridegroom, she accepted her lover's "protection." (How would you have felt about that if you were her Bridegroom?)

2. Respectability.
    The world knew that the early Church was the Church because of their power (Acts 1:8; 17:6), their love (John 13:35) and their manifestations of the Spirit. Today the world assumes that the church is the church because it is registered with, and defined by, the State. In many cases, this is the only documentation and/or authentication that a church has. How sad! Again, what must the Bridegroom think of the fact that His bride's adulterous lover defines His bride's identity?

3. Continuity, Perpetuity.
    "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." (John 1:1 - 14) "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8) "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13:5) But the bride did not believe that her Lord was able to perform His promise to preserve His bride. So she forsook the omnipotent care of the Bridegroom for the "legal" protections of her lover. And the Bridegroom once again finds Himself standing outside, knocking, seeking entry. (Revelation 3:20)

B. THE "HOOK" (Tax Exemption; Deductibility of Gifts)
    "God loveth a cheerful giver." (II Corinthians 9:7) But the adulterous lover promised, "Incorporate, and I will return to you up to thirty-five percent of your tithes and offerings!"
    And the Bridegroom wept. Now He knew that His bride "purposeth in [her] heart . . . grudgingly, or of necessity." (II Corinthians 9:7)
    Now the bride is discovering, perhaps too late, that favors from Washington, D. C., have strings attached. In this case, the string is a rope that is being used to throttle her once-powerful voice, to squeeze out her very life and, eventually, to hang her by the neck until dead! II. Defining Features

A. THE CHURCH:
1. A living Organism, whose Founder and sole Head is the LORD Jesus, the Christ. (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18)

2. "Invisible" to the judiciary; can neither sue nor be sued.

3. The Bible her sole Authority for both faith and practice.

4. Members added daily, upon conversion (Acts 2:47) and "gifted" (and empowered to exercise their gifts) by the Holy Spirit. (I Corinthians 12, etc.)

5. Members related to one another, to the LORD Jesus and to the Church, His body, in a unique and wonderful way, analogous in the Scriptures to parts ("members") of the human body. (I Corinthians 6:15, ch. 12; Ephesians 4:25, 5:30; etc.)

6. "Officers" are Pastors and Deacons.

B. A CORPORATION:
1. A lifeless organization, the creator and ultimate authority of which is the State: said powers of creation and oversight usually exercised through the office of the Secretary of State.

2. A "fiction" or "Artificial Person" before the judiciary: capable of suing and of being sued, but bereft of "unalienable rights" as granted by God, set forth in the Declaration of Independence, and protected by the Constitutions, both State and federal. Subject to "compelled-compliance" regulation at the arbitrary whim of the State bureaucrat.

3. Corporation "law" is its rule of practice.

4. Members added pursuant to provisions of corporation "law" and defined as full, associate, active, inactive, voting, non-voting, etc.: again, pursuant to provisions of corporation "law."

5. Officers may include president, vice-president(s), board of directors, board of trustees, chairman, vice-chairman, moderator, vice-moderator, clerk, treasurer, financial secretary, recording secretary, etc., as defined and/or mandated by corporation "law."

6. Business meetings and detailed record-keeping mandated and defined by corporation "law."

III. MUTUAL EXCLUSIVITY

A. YOUR AUTHORITY:
1. At Article III, §2, you say, ". . . the New Testament in particular is the infallible guide of faith and practice for the Church." Again, at Article IV, §1, ". . . [the Scriptures] are of supreme and final authority in faith and life."

2. Corporation "laws" (specifically, those applicable to "not-for-profit" corporations), -- in the name of uniformity, pluralism or the "compelling interest" of the State -- do, indeed, restrict "practice" and "life." We shall look at specific examples below, but the essential message is, "Believe what you may, but do as we say! -- Or risk losing your tax-exempt privileges!" (And, after all, tax-exemption was the reason that churches incorporated in the first place, wasn't it?)
    And forget about First-Amendment Rights. Man, created by God in the image of God, was granted by God certain "unalienable rights" which are constitutionally protected. Corporations, created by the State, are not "real" or "natural" persons and, therefore, have NO constitutional rights!

B. YOUR LEGAL STATUS:
1. At Article I, you set forth the LORD Christ's Church (whether He would want you to or not) as being a "Corporation . . . known in law." A true New Testament Church is NOT "known in law"! It is "invisible" to the eyes of the law and can neither sue nor be sued!

2. By voluntarily assuming corporate status, you are reducing the Lord's Body, a unique Entity in all the universe, to the level of any other "not-for-profit" human organization, AND you are opening the door to lawsuits, both from the government and from private citizens, thereby assuming a degree of liability that did not previously exist.

C. THE LORD'S PROPERTY:
1. As a Church, you enjoy the "unalienable right" of property ownership and are free to buy, to hold, to sell or to give away property, both real and personal, as the Lord leads.

2. As a not-for-profit corporation, you forfeit any rights to property ownership (See Article X, §6, ¶6). The State would force you to give your net worth to Planned Parenthood, or some other godless outfit, before it would allow you to give it to another Bible believing, God fearing, Christ honoring, Gospel preaching Church -- if that Church were not incorporated!

D. YOUR MESSAGE:
1. As a Church, you may preach the Gospel in an effort to convert the world to Christ (Art. II), proclaim the depravity and lost condition of man (Art. IV, §5), assert the exclusivity of the claims of Christ (Art. IV, §7), and pronounce the certainty of the eternal judgment of the lost (Art. IV, §10).

2. As a not-for-profit corporation, you may be restricted to preaching only that which is "politically correct" and that which neither conflicts with "public policy" nor assaults the hearer's sense of mental well-being, self esteem, sexual orientation, etc.
    And don't take this lightly. Just ask Pastor John MacArthur and many, many others who have already found themselves in the courtroom, at unbelievable expense, defending against some psycho-babble wacko or some sexual pervert who has been offended by the Biblical message. And it will get much worse before it even starts to get better! Believe it!

E. YOUR INFLUENCE:
    At Article X, §6, ¶7, you promise, "The Church will have no substantial part in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office." This is strictly corporation "law," with absolutely no foundation in Scriptures. In the days before churches incorporated, pastors used to unashamedly and unabashedly tell their people not only for what principles to vote, but also for whom to vote! Liberals today have reclassified moral issues, calling them "political" issues; then, under the "political neutrality" provisions of corporation "law," they have blackmailed pastors to remain silent under threat of loss of tax-exemption privilege. Shame on the liberals! And more shame on the pastors who yielded to such blatant and tyrannical blackmail!
    Under such restrictions, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Elijah, Elisha, John the Baptist, Peter, Paul, and even the Lord Jesus Himself (to name just a few) never could have conducted their ministries as they did. God's Word commands God's man to "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." (Isaiah 58:1)
    Why shouldn't a pastor endorse and recommend a candidate who stands for righteousness? Why shouldn't a pastor expose a political scoundrel and warn his flock against ravening wolves and raging lions? WHY NOT? Nowhere does God's Word allow for the throttling of God's man OR God's message. By what authority, then, would any Church dare to presume to silence its own pulpit?

F. YOUR FAMILIES:
    At Article II, you declare that one of the purposes of your church will be "the religious training of its youth." As a Church, pursuant to the "free exercise" clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, parents may claim their unalienable right (and fulfill their Biblical responsibility) to train up their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord.
    As a not-for-profit corporation, and especially after the certain eventual ratification of the "United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child," you may be compelled to train your children according to State (or UN) mandates.
    In the 1980s, Pastor Everett Siliven and several of the members of the Faith Baptist Church of Louisville, Nebraska were hauled before a judge to answer the charge of refusing to take a state license for the operation of the Christian school operated by their Church. Having removed their children from the government (public) schools, they certainly did not want the government to exercise control over the curricula, philosophy or administration ("faith and practice") of their Church's educational ministry.
    At the onset of the judicial proceedings, the good pastor and his people challenged the court's jurisdiction, citing the "free exercise" clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
    The judge asked one question: Is your church incorporated?"
    The honest reply: "Yes."
    The judge declared, "Then this court and the State have jurisdiction."
    The ensuing court battle was arduous and expensive. Eventually, pursuant to a court order, a deputy sheriff laced a chain through the handles of the front doors of the Church and affixed a padlock. When a visiting pastor asked the deputy whether he understood what he had done, the deputy replied, "Yes, I have just closed an illegal private school."
    "No," the pastor declared, "you have just padlocked a church in the United States of America!" This was the first church to be padlocked by government agents since the adoption of the U.S. Constitution in 1789!
    YOU FACE A CRITICAL DECISION IN THE FOUNDING OF YOUR CHURCH. CONSIDER IT PRAYERFULLY, CAREFULLY AND WISELY! SO VERY MUCH IS AT STAKE!

by Pastor Matt Trewhella

This pamphlet is available in print form.  Click here to order.

There are many actions parents and pro-family activists can take to protect children from pro-homosexuality propaganda in schools. [For information on how homosexuality is being promoted in schools, see “Top 10 Strategies Used by Homosexual Activists in Schools,” an FRC Insight paper by Peter LaBarbera, 11/23/99, IS99F4HS.]

1. REALIZE THAT YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Pro-homosexuality school administrators may seek to persuade you that “gay”-affirming programs in your child’s school have not caused any controversy. If this is true, it is most likely because few parents are aware of the program. Don’t accept the blandishments of school administrators and teachers who may already be teaching your children wrong lessons about homosexuality.
2. INFORM A NETWORK OF PARENTS ABOUT THE PROBLEM; DON’T SPEND TOO MUCH INITIAL ENERGY LOBBYING EDUCATORS. When pro-“gay” policies are instituted in schools, the last thing educators want is publicity. They often assume they know better than you what is right for your child. Occasionally parents waste valuable time and energy attempting to persuade educators that it is wrong to promote homosexuality as normal. Meanwhile, the offending lesson plan or program goes on. Teachers and school administrators have been trained in liberal academic circles to believe that “tolerance” and “diversity,” including embracing homosexuality, are among the most important values for society. You may never win them over, but many parents will be shocked to learn that their moral and religious beliefs are being undermined by the schools to which they entrust their children. Your first goal must be to inform as many parents as you can about the problem. Later you can all work together on lobbying the school decision-makers.
3. STICK TO WELL-DOCUMENTED FACTS. To inform your parents coalition, you must do your best to convey the problem as accurately as you can. If you exaggerate it, you will lose credibility and hurt your chances of getting rid of the program. Get actual documents used to support the program (e.g., teacher’s manuals for pro-homosexuality lesson plans). If a “gay” activist is scheduled to speak to your child’s school, arrange to have the speech taped. Pro-homosexuality educators can mischaracterize a presentation — after all, it is in their interest to portray it as innocuous — but they cannot dispute firsthand information. If educators seek to keep you as a parent from attending a school event (say, a “diversity” conference for teachers), fight for your right to attend. You hold the responsibility for what your son or daughter is taught. Do not let administrators intimidate you by denying you access to full information, but always treat them with courtesy and respect.
4. HOLD A PARENTS MEETING. An effective way to build your parents’ network is to educate other concerned parents in home meetings. Many will be shocked to see how strongly the education movement has embraced pro-homosexuality programs. Make copies of your documentation of the offending program and pass them out at the initial meeting. Some parents will be less committed than others. It is your job to build a core of parents devoted to eliminating the pro-homosexuality policy. You can educate this group about the tactics of the “gay” education movement. Obtain a copy of American Family Association’s video “Suffer the Children” (www.afa.net; 1 (800) FAMILIES), a critical response to the lesbian-produced film It’s Elementary: Talking about Gay Issues in School. It’s Elementary shows teachers giving pro-homosexuality lessons to young schoolchildren — including first-graders — in six “progressive” elementary and middle schools in San Francisco; New York City; Madison, Wis.; and Cambridge, Mass. You can show AFA’s counter film at a home meeting to demonstrate to your pro-family network that homosexual activists are so serious about making schools pro-homosexuality that they are already propagandizing first- and second-graders. You can also show The Children of Table 34, an FRC-produced video about how the discredited Kinsey studies involving children are the animating principle behind most of today’s sex education (www.frc.org; 1 (800) 225-4008). Realizing the depth of the problem will help motivate your core group of activists and inoculate them against claims by educators that the questionable programs do not “promote homosexuality” but just teach “tolerance.” Of course these programs promote homosexuality: When you take a behavior that has been considered immoral and unhealthy for centuries and start teaching children — even kindergartners — that it is morally acceptable and the basis for a healthy “identity,” that is promotion!
5. USE THE MEDIA TO BUILD OPPOSITION TO THE PROGRAM. When the time is right, you can take your concerns to the media. But be careful! There are many journalists these days who are firmly committed to affirming homosexuality and who regard those who oppose “gay rights” as bigots — the moral equivalent of racists. It is always safer to start with friendly media such as Christian radio, but ultimately you will have to reach the secular journalists, too. Appoint a competent spokesman from your core group of parent-activists, preferably someone experienced in dealing with the media who can articulate your position with clarity and compassion. Don’t allow anyone to “speak for your side” who does not address this issue with a Christlike attitude of love for sinners. Humility will be rewarded. After all, we all have problems to overcome; the “gay” activists are just seeking to have theirs validated by the rest of society and declared normal and good. You must also be vigilant against those in the pro-family movement who overplay the “compassion card.” It is wrong to affirm homosexual behavior or “identity” in any way, especially in the name of Christianity, as some Christian leaders have.¹ Jesus Christ told the adulteress, “Go and sin no more,” not “Go and defend your rights.” Homosexual behavior can be changed, as proven by the many former homosexuals in our society. (Isn’t it telling that you rarely hear of former homosexuals being asked to speak at schools?)
6. HIGHLIGHT THE WORST ABUSES. Even though acceptance of homosexuality has grown in our culture, most people don’t think it should be taught to children and most have no idea how far the homosexual movement has advanced. In Massachusetts, “gay” advocates in the schools are now pushing the “transgendered” cause, taking class time to subject students to discussions by transsexual activists.² Such abuses will mobilize the public and parents to action, and will embarrass school administrators who claim that “gay” school programs are harmless.
7. MEET WITH THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION; ASK FOR A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAM IN WRITING. When you have assembled the facts about the offending pro-homosexuality policy or lesson at your child’s school, you can demand a meeting with the school. If you can get several parents to attend, all the better. That will dissuade school administrators from thinking that they can easily dismiss your concerns. Ask for a description and defense of the program in writing, including all teacher manuals used to implement it. As a parent and a taxpayer, you have a right to this information. If the administration decides to stonewall or declines to provide you with the relevant documents, regroup in another home meeting and plan your response. At this point, you may need to inform the media of the school’s foot-dragging. Remember that “parent’s rights” is a powerful rallying cry that appeals even to many liberal parents who consider themselves “pro-gay.”

There is no single strategy guaranteed to stop pro-homosexuality programs in schools. Different groups employ different methods. The following are some suggestions for preventative actions and counter strategies that have been used with success:

1. FIND OUT ABOUT FACULTY TRAINING. Before the school year even begins, write a letter to your principal asking him if he or any other school administrator, or any teacher, has attended “diversity” or “tolerance” seminars dealing with “sexual orientation.” If so, which programs did they attend? Also, ask if the school has ever in the past implemented, or plans in the future to implement, any type of “gay”-oriented program for teachers or students. (Use the terms gay-oriented or sexual orientation-related, since the educators may deny that such programs promote or affirm homosexuality.) In the letter, you can mention the two leading homosexual groups dealing with education issues: the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN: www.glsen.org) and Parents, Friends, and Families of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG: www.pflag.org). Has the school ever worked with these groups or sent teachers to their seminars?
2. OPT OUT. Write a letter to your school principal and your child’s teacher explaining your wish that your child not be exposed to pro-homosexuality messages (obviously, this could also be part of the first letter above). If any such lessons are planned, ask that your child be “opted out” of such programs. This is also an opportunity to inquire about the teacher’s training on this issue, and his or her philosophy regarding the appropriateness of teaching children about homosexuality. Of course, it is also an opportunity to share your thinking and even your faith, if that guides your approach. You can politely assure the teacher that you do not wish to focus solely on this issue, but that you have been compelled to write due to news reports about pro-homosexuality programs in schools. (Cite the showing of the film It’s Elementary on public television in June 1999.) Be kind and courteous, but always remember that you are responsible for guiding your child’s education and moral training — not the teacher! If you develop a well-worded letter, show it to your friends, so they can write one, too. (However, it’s best that they not simply copy yours.)
3. PROTEST PREEMPTIVELY. Ralph Ovadal, a Christian pro-family activist with a group called Wisconsin Christians United (WCU), believes parents often lose if they wait to get answers from school administrators until after the pro-homosexuality program has taken place. In 1997, WCU learned (through a letter sent home to parents) of a pro-homosexuality “Multicultural Day” workshop against “homophobia” for eighth-graders at a middle school in Oregon, Wisconsin, outside liberal Madison.³ Ovadal organized a parents picket in front of the school to protest the event. The school received much unwanted media publicity, and several parents arriving to drop their children off at the school were outraged to learn of the pro-homosexuality session.⁴ (Remember, children often forget to give their parents notices.)
4. DEMAND FAIRNESS. If you cannot stop a pro-homosexuality event in your child’s school, or pro-“gay” tolerance sessions for the school’s teachers, a fallback strategy is to demand that both sides of the homosexuality issue be presented. It is hard for school administrators to say that they are not promoting homosexuality if they refuse to allow teachers or students to hear the other side of the issue. Some pro-family advocates have used this approach successfully.
5. TEACH STUDENTS HOW TO RESPOND TO IN-SCHOOL “GAY” ACTIVISM. Unfortunately, many children these days don’t listen to parents or authority figures. In fact, many heterosexual students (even self-identified Christians) have joined “Gay-Straight Alliance” (GSA) clubs out of a sense that homosexual students are being persecuted by other students and adult decision-makers. One way around this is to work with and educate a group of student-leaders who can correctly apply Christian principles on this issue. They may be far more effective than you in reaching their peers with the truth about homosexuality, and at the very least, they can demand that school administrators not subject students to just one side of this controversial issue. Many students have never heard of former homosexuals, and their eyes are opened when they hear this message, which runs directly counter to myths about “gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender” identity.

— Peter LaBarbera

ENDNOTES

1. Letter from Peggy Campolo, wife of noted Christian speaker Tony Campolo, to Christianity Today, May 3, 1994. Mrs. Campolo, who has assisted the homosexual activist group PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), defended homosexual “relationships” in the letter.

2. Jason Shapiro, “Transgender panel discusses identity issues,” The Newtonite, the student newspaper of Newton North High School in Newton, Massachusetts (hometown of openly homosexual U.S. Rep. Barney Frank), April 16, 1999, www.tiac.net/users/newtonit.

3. Flier from Oregon Middle School announcing program on March 27, 1997, obtained from a parent by WCU ((608) 328-4841; e-mail: newsdigest@juno.com).

4. Interview with Ovadal by author; Gwen Carleton, “Anti-gay protest at Oregon school,” The (Madison, Wisc.) Capital Times, March 27, 1997.