Who Establishes Religion?

An urgent prayer request came by e-mail this week from our beloved Christians in Magadan, Russia. They ask us to pray that the limited religious freedom which non-Orthodox believers have is not taken away. Some group has initiated a draft of a new law regarding the work of foreign missionaries in the Magadan Region. This law will come up for a vote in the Magadan Duma in early Fall of 2004.

If this law passes in its present form, foreign missionary workers will be banned from all religious activity. This includes direct evangelism, such as preaching in an assembly where people are invited to attend, printed messages of any type - including those in any media, as well as electronic messages such as we presently communicate to Christians in Russia. Also included in this proposed law is a ban against indirect evangelism. One example of indirect missionary activity is when a foreign religious worker invited someone to a religious meeting even though the missionary did not conduct the meeting.

The Christians in Magadan already experience hatred, contempt and scorn from government officials. People belonging to religious groups that are not on the government's list of approved religions, are seen by officials, media and the public as fringe cults. Members of so-called "foreign sects" are under constant scrutiny by various security organs. The mere existence of these churches in Russia is seen as some kind of threat to the peace and security of the Russian Federation. Missionary workers are routinely accused of being involved in espionage, even though they are there legally and comply with all immigration laws of Russia. Earlier this year there was a conference on "Issues of Spiritual Security" in one Far East city.

Our brothers and sisters live in the shadow of the great oppression by the Soviet Communist Party. Thousands of people received sentences of 15 years in the Gulag death camps of the Magadan Region (Kolyma), and other regions, simply for gathering with a group of people to sing hymns and pray. A secret agent would attend their meetings and report on who was present. Families were torn apart forever, when parents were dragged away from their children. The children were placed in state run orphanages and never knew what happened to their parents. Orthodox Christians, Jews and Muslims have apparently forgotten that they were also among the persecuted during those bitter years. Many of them are very slow coming to the aid of Russian believers who belong to the so-called sects.

What is the future for believers in Russia who only desire to follow their conscience according to the teachings of Jesus Christ? The present government of Russia has an attitude that they know what religions are best for the people who call Russia their home. In other words, the government is establishing certain religions, and excluding or strictly limiting the activity of all others. Believers fear greater persecutions will certainly be in their future if this law takes force.

Let us all pause and think about our current state of affairs in America. We are familiar with the line from the First Amendment to our Constitution: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. We understand that it would be an intrusion into our freedom of religion if the Congress of the United States passed legislation establishing certain religions, and limited religious activity by other groups. It is my strong conviction that good people in America simply would not put up with government intrusion into church affairs. Why do non-religionists want to see the rights of believers restricted? Any restriction upon a basic human right leads to other restrictions.

There are pseudo-intellectuals in both Russia and America who suggest that all religions exist to satisfy the cravings of weak-minded, emotionally unstable, or ignorant people. We had a Christian family who sailed into Cedar Key and visited our worship services on Sunday. The husband is an Astronaut, and the wife is a pediatrician. Both of these people are knowledgeable in the world of science and medicine, but they know that God establishes religion and they are raising their children to be people of faith.

Our loving and beneficent God established the religion of Christians for people of every nation, tribe and tongue. When Peter acknowledged Jesus Christ as the Son of God, Jesus said: "Upon this rock I will build my church." Later Jesus was about to ascend back to the Father. He gave the apostles and the church our marching orders for evangelism and church planting. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:19-20)

Friends, please do not forget for one moment that it is in your best interest to have a government that is not intruding into our religious or even anti-religious affairs. If one of us loses this freedom, then we all suffer. Freedom of religion recognizes that we are free moral agents and can choose to acknowledge God or not confess God. You have the right to attempt to persuade me to be a non-believer and I have the same right to work to persuade you to accept Jesus Christ as you Savior.

You are invited to attend the services of the Church of Christ at the corner of 3rd and E Streets. Write me with any questions or comments David Binkley, Sr., P.O. Box 186, Cedar Key, FL 32625 or E-mail at dgbinkley@aol.com. You may also request to receive the daily WORD OF THE DAY by e-mail. Check out our web site at www.cedarkeychurchofchrist.com.