Last month I was privileged to attend a week long Constitutional Law training event with the Alliance Defense Fund and National Litigation Academy in Pasadena, California. The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) is the largest Christian legal defense organization in the United States with focuses on religious freedom, the sanctity of human life and traditional family values. As a graduate of the National Litigation Academy, I am part of an army of Christian attorneys over 1000 strong dedicated to protecting, training and litigating against humanistic philosophies and organizations like the ACLU in the attempt to protect and preserve traditional, biblical and constitutional matters that affect Christians. ADF has won over 34 cases at the U.S. Supreme Court level. For a summary of recent cases won, please visit http://www.alliancedefensefund.org/.
Although the use of the court system should be something to avoid if at all possible, it is sometimes necessary to avail ourselves to the secular judicial system in order to protect ourselves, our families and our rights as Christians. Even the apostle Paul in Acts 22:25, appealed to the laws of his day for protection from the unjust punishment of scourging without a fair trial. When Paul lost at the lower court levels, he appealed to the higher courts—in his case, appealing directly to the courts of Ceasar (Acts 25:21), as was his right as a Roman citizen.
God has placed us in this world for a reason. Though God does not want his people to be conformed by the world (Romans 12:2), he does desire that we be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-14) in the world as to be a witness and in my view, transform our world. God has commissioned his people to go into the ends of the world—not only to preach the gospel, but to also make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). God not only wants individuals to be saved but He also wants the kingdoms and governments of this world to be transformed by the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. One of the ways that kingdoms and governments can be transformed is for its laws to reflect the righteousness of Christ.
There is now current legislation in the United States Senate to make it a hate crime to speak negatively against homosexuals or issues regarding homosexuality. In Sweden, there was a Lutheran pastor who was preaching on the text that mentioned a list of unbibilical lifestyles, with them, homosexuality (Romans 1:21-32). The pastor was brought up on hate crime charges against homosexuals because of the reference to homosexuality as an unacceptable biblical lifestyle. He was actually convicted at all the lower court levels and sentenced to prison. His case was appealed to Sweden’s Supreme Court and thankfully with the help of ADF, the Swedish Supreme Court reversed the conviction, threw out the unjust law and set the pastor free. What happened in Sweden can actually happen in the United States (just a matter of time) if Christians don’t utilize our legal rights to oppose a humanistic agenda that seeks to remove Christ from society.
For too long, secular humanistic organizations like the ACLU have terrorized people of faith (especially Christians) with their lawsuits. God is now raising up Christian organizations like ADF to help Christians everywhere protect values most important to us—that is, the right to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord, to protect the least of us without a voice (the unborn) and to uphold the biblical standards of traditional family values.
Discrimination against Christians rarely happen outright, but often are done through disguised reasons or the implementation of certain laws that restrict. As Vietnamese Christians, please avail yourselves not only to the power of the Holy Spirit but also the laws of the land to protect yourselves, your family and community. If you ever need help against those that seek to restrict your rights to speak out for Christ in any way, please feel free to contact me. As an ADF allied attorney, I can help advise you of your rights and help make available the resources of more than 1000 attorneys across the United States who are willing to battle the agendas of secular humanists for the sake of Christ and His Church.
Showing posts with label Legal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Legal. Show all posts
Monday, July 23, 2007
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Vietnamese Christians and the Law
While I was in seminary, I read two books by John Naisbitt called Megatrends and Megatrends 2000. The books offer predictions of future changes based on trend analysis. One of the points of his book that resonate even years later was his comment on the advantage of specialized knowledge in an ever increasing world of information. Naisbitt reiterated that knowledge continues to be a source of power—increasingly so in an information age. While there are many different types of knowledge that have changed our world and affect our daily lives, the complexities of the law and its application are undoubtedly among some of the top areas that impact us on a secular level, if not also religious.
Vietnamese Americans tend to shy away from the legal arena for a number of reasons, perhaps due to a fear of confrontation and perhaps equally important, due to the potential economic costs. Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, the law affects our lives one way or another. Every day, society’s laws engage and impact our lives, determining how we live with our neighbors (i.e., criminal and injury laws), do business (i.e., contract and tax laws) and even how we live out our faith (i.e., constitutional law).
We as Vietnamese Christians should utilize the law for our protection and advantage. Fear of confrontation or economic costs may in the long run cause us even more loss (without even realizing it), be it financial setbacks to a loss of religious liberty.
Consider legal costs to protect oneself like any other business cost. A successful business person often realizes that it costs money to produce or preserve money. He or she will spend money (often times called “overhead”) to produce more money, or in the case of buying insurance, to preserve money or potential loss. Though no one feels good in spending resources to make or preserve money, it is the reality of doing business and living in most societies.
Beyond the economic impact of the law, the legal system also affects our rights, freedoms and liberties. These intangible factors can be just as important or even more than the economic factors. Consider the value of spending time with loved ones, the right not to be discriminated against, the right to worship God freely or to proclaim the gospel of Christ. The practical application of the law can either allow or hinder, greatly affecting our lives.
Laws passed by congress, state government or local municipalities potentially affect millions of lives on a daily basis. The true effects of those laws are often seen when the court system renders its legal decision. In a practical sense, the gatekeeper to our economic system—affecting science, medicine, technology and business is the legal system. Whether we like it or not, we need to learn to understand and utilize the system, to not only protect ourselves and our families but to also advance God’s kingdom.
With the increase in secular humanism within the United States, Christian values appear to be attacked from all sides by way of systemic discrimination to strategic lawsuits from organizations like the ACLU meant to intimidate and silence faithful Christians from exercising their God given and constitutional rights. While such battles are far from the physical sufferings experienced by our brethren in much more oppressive countries, it nevertheless is a battle that we must wage—particularly against the powers and principalities that seek to destroy our rights and liberties. Once those rights and liberties are suppressed, it is not inconceivable to see physical persecution, as is commonly witnessed in many countries where its citizens do not enjoy equal protection of law. A German pastor living during the Nazi regime by the name of Martin Niemoller once said, “When the Nazis came for the communists, I remained silent for I was not a communist. When they locked up the Jews, I remained silent for I was not a Jew. When they came for the trade unionists, I remained silent for I was not a trade unionists. When they came for the Catholics, I did not speak out for I was a Protestant. When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.”
In the coming months, I would like to share how Christian attorneys through organizations like the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) are going face to face and battling Christian discrimination and secular humanist organizations like the ACLU all over the United States in order to preserve religious freedom, the sanctity of human life and traditional family values. In Matthew 5:45, Jesus said that the rain falls on both the righteous and unrighteous. As Vietnamese Christians, we are not immune from the impact of discrimination or the law. The laws of our society have granted us certain inalienable rights and freedom. The tricky part is knowing how to utilize those rights and having the resources to enforce those rights. In the coming months, I hope to share with you further information that could be a resource if you or anyone you know ever find yourselves being discriminated against or persecuted because of your faith in Christ.
Vietnamese Americans tend to shy away from the legal arena for a number of reasons, perhaps due to a fear of confrontation and perhaps equally important, due to the potential economic costs. Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, the law affects our lives one way or another. Every day, society’s laws engage and impact our lives, determining how we live with our neighbors (i.e., criminal and injury laws), do business (i.e., contract and tax laws) and even how we live out our faith (i.e., constitutional law).
We as Vietnamese Christians should utilize the law for our protection and advantage. Fear of confrontation or economic costs may in the long run cause us even more loss (without even realizing it), be it financial setbacks to a loss of religious liberty.
Consider legal costs to protect oneself like any other business cost. A successful business person often realizes that it costs money to produce or preserve money. He or she will spend money (often times called “overhead”) to produce more money, or in the case of buying insurance, to preserve money or potential loss. Though no one feels good in spending resources to make or preserve money, it is the reality of doing business and living in most societies.
Beyond the economic impact of the law, the legal system also affects our rights, freedoms and liberties. These intangible factors can be just as important or even more than the economic factors. Consider the value of spending time with loved ones, the right not to be discriminated against, the right to worship God freely or to proclaim the gospel of Christ. The practical application of the law can either allow or hinder, greatly affecting our lives.
Laws passed by congress, state government or local municipalities potentially affect millions of lives on a daily basis. The true effects of those laws are often seen when the court system renders its legal decision. In a practical sense, the gatekeeper to our economic system—affecting science, medicine, technology and business is the legal system. Whether we like it or not, we need to learn to understand and utilize the system, to not only protect ourselves and our families but to also advance God’s kingdom.
With the increase in secular humanism within the United States, Christian values appear to be attacked from all sides by way of systemic discrimination to strategic lawsuits from organizations like the ACLU meant to intimidate and silence faithful Christians from exercising their God given and constitutional rights. While such battles are far from the physical sufferings experienced by our brethren in much more oppressive countries, it nevertheless is a battle that we must wage—particularly against the powers and principalities that seek to destroy our rights and liberties. Once those rights and liberties are suppressed, it is not inconceivable to see physical persecution, as is commonly witnessed in many countries where its citizens do not enjoy equal protection of law. A German pastor living during the Nazi regime by the name of Martin Niemoller once said, “When the Nazis came for the communists, I remained silent for I was not a communist. When they locked up the Jews, I remained silent for I was not a Jew. When they came for the trade unionists, I remained silent for I was not a trade unionists. When they came for the Catholics, I did not speak out for I was a Protestant. When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.”
In the coming months, I would like to share how Christian attorneys through organizations like the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) are going face to face and battling Christian discrimination and secular humanist organizations like the ACLU all over the United States in order to preserve religious freedom, the sanctity of human life and traditional family values. In Matthew 5:45, Jesus said that the rain falls on both the righteous and unrighteous. As Vietnamese Christians, we are not immune from the impact of discrimination or the law. The laws of our society have granted us certain inalienable rights and freedom. The tricky part is knowing how to utilize those rights and having the resources to enforce those rights. In the coming months, I hope to share with you further information that could be a resource if you or anyone you know ever find yourselves being discriminated against or persecuted because of your faith in Christ.
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