by Rev. Austin Miles
Moscow (8/17/12) America once led the world in Christian leadership. So strong was the presence that one would not even THINK of vandalizing a church. Back then churches kept their doors open 24 hours a day so anyone at anytime could come in to pray.
Pastors were held in high esteem and given respect. Pastors earned that respect by their conduct, devotion to God’s work and lived a life of accountability. That is what gave the church her power.
Atheists kept their peace since nobody in the church hassled them. Plus, they instinctively knew that that the world was a safer, more peaceful place with the church so prominently visible.
To interrupt a church service was unthinkable. Indeed there is a law on the books that make it a felony for anyone to “disrupt a religious service.”
The savage 60’s changed all that, when, led by Communists organizers, the youth began to rebel against the establishment which included the church and all authority. They said it was time for a life of freedom with no restrictions. That included runaway sex, drugs, and alcohol to turn society into one unending party.
Respect for others was trashed, vulgarity took over [the] language and personality of students and those who wanted to feel young who joined in. The loss of human dignity had begun.
The organizers of this orchestrated chaos even infiltrated the church to sideline pastors from preaching the pure Gospel and restating biblical commands, embracing and celebrating the very sins that the church had long forbidden.
The agitators of course were trained and financed by Communist Russia, or, The Soviet Union. There ,and in their satellite countries,all religion had been scrubbed and churches made illegal.
Christians would have to publicly denounce their faith in order to go to university or train for an upscale job. Those who did not were assigned to menial work like cleaning park toilets, street sweeping, garbage pick up and, when sent into military service, were immediately assigned to the front lines.
The Communist Party knows full well that a Christian can never be enslaved. The only way to make them useful is to take away their history and their religion.
The goal to turn America into a Socialist country was implemented long ago and patiently carried out as communists were integrated into every element of American society including the universities, churches, and the government itself.
Nobody knew. America had let down its guard.
Since the homosexual revolution began, attacks upon churches are now, frequent. Who can forget the scene in a San Francisco Cathedral where ‘gays,’ costumed in bizarre clothing and heavy make-up disrupted a mass, a sacred, solemn event in the Catholic Church? Other such assaults occurred with increasing regularity. Nobody did a thing, and nobody would file a charge against the intruders even though that law against disrupting a religious service is clearly still on the books.
In an ironic reversal in time, as America has declared war on the church and Christians, Russians have come back to the church. When the Soviet Union collapsed, churches were able to re-establish their presence and there was a new freedom to worship.
There have even been unsubstantiated reports that Vladimir Putin had become a born-again Christian.
Recently, three punk rockers-all girls-who bill themselves as “Pussy Riot,” a name loved by Madonna who had it emblazoned on her back, just over the black bra that she wore in front of her Moscow audience, to show her support for the punkers who faced prison for defiling a church.
Yes, support for people who defile a church and upset the people there trying to worship. Madonna recently turned 54. Her years have not produced wisdom.
The punk trio, Nedezhda, Maria, and Yekaterina were arrested in March, after they stormed the altar of Russia’s largest Orthodox Church in Moscow, high kicking, and dancing while singing a mock prayer to the Virgin Mary to save Russia from Vladimir Putin, who was elected to a third term as Russia’s president two weeks later.
Russia was quick to take action against an attack on a church while the United States now simply shrugs its shoulders. Russia now rightfully calls it ‘sacrilege’ and ‘blasphemous.” The U.S. calls it, ‘attack on hate.’
This morning the punkers were declared guilty of “committing hooliganism driven by religious hatred,” and sentenced to two years in prison. They could have been jailed for 7 years.
Madonna stood up to show support for those vandals. Other groups are also staging protests, demanding the trio face no prison time. The world has lost its moral compass, exchanging it for a life of vulgarity, rudeness and filth.
While America has allowed itself to be kicked into the gutter, Russia, the former Communist Soviet Union, has picked up the baton, rapped some knuckles and proclaimed sternly: “Do not foul religion or the church.”
Good news sometimes comes in strange and unexpected ways. Then again, that is how God often works.
Our thanks to Helen Trautman, CEO of Results Unlimited, Pittsburgh, who alerted us to the story in Moscow.