Brace the Gates

By: American Decency Staff

By Chris Johnson There is a scene in the movie "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" that reading todays' news reminds me of. In it, King Theoden is holding the small fortress of Helm's Deep, previously thought to be impenetrable, against a horde of tens of thousands of orcs which have broken through the outer wall and now push against the gate of the keep. Inside the keep is the castle and inside the castle hides every civilian woman, child, and old person – all that's left of an entire civilization. A few scenes earlier in the movie, one of the main characters, Aragorn, tells King Theoden that the orc army is "bred for a single purpose – to destroy the race of men." Several times the movie cuts back to show the people inside the castle, listening to the sounds of the battle outside, hearing what seems to be their impending doom. With that image in mind, consider a few of the following new stories. "Do Crosses at Catholic University Violate “Human Rightsâ€Â of Muslims?(Fox News)" The Washington, D.C. Office of Human Rights confirmed that it is investigating allegations that Catholic University violated the human rights of Muslim students by not allowing them to form a Muslim student group and by not providing them rooms without Christian symbols for their daily prayers. The investigation alleges that Muslim students “must perform their prayers surrounded by symbols of Catholicism – e.g., a wooden crucifix, paintings of Jesus, pictures of priests and theologians which many Muslim students find inappropriate.â€Â "Reversal: Girl Scouts to Allow Transgender 7-year-old to Join" "The Girl Scouts have had a change of heart about a transgender boy. They initially rejected a seven-year-old boy who identifies as a girl because he had “boy parts.â€Â "Exec for Nashville's Hutton Hotel confirms that it canceled anti-jihad conference over threats of violence from Islamic supremacists (Jihad Watch)" "Lesbian parents taking 'error to extreme degree' (One News Now)" "A Christian activist laments that a California lesbian couple is defending their decision to allow their young, adopted son to undergo a sex-change operation." It's easy to see the parallel between America and Helm's Deep. Our country was founded on Christian principles and God has blessed us so much that it's hard to imagine America falling to the enemy's hordes. But it is happening. And like the orcs, this army has been bred for a single purpose. You don't see popular culture attacking Muslims or Buddhists. Christianity is the target. Let's look back at the movie. As the monsters hack at the door with axes and bring up a battering ram, Theoden shouts orders to all of his soldiers, "Brace the Gates!" and every time the ram hits, the opposite force of the people pushing against the doors keeps the ram from breaking through the wood. At the same time, a few heroes go outside to push the hordes back from the door. This gives Theoden time to reinforce the gates so that they can withstand the battering ram, and keep the soldiers and citizens safe inside. That is how Helm's Deep was defended. How will we defend our "keep?" Will the church "brace the gates" of morality in our culture? Will we defend our nation from the lies of Jihadists? Or from radical homosexuals who tell us that what the Bible says about gays is "bigoted?" Or what about the folks who say it's ok to steal money from someone who has earned it as long as you call it "taxes" and plan to give to someone to pay off their college loans? There are many religious and political leaders who are fighting off the hordes giving us a chance to shore up our defenses, but are we actually reinforcing our gates? Or are we trying to block out the sounds of the battle raging outside (and often, inside) our church doors? The battle of Helm's Deep is won, by the way, when the King finds the courage to ride out and attack the orcs who outnumber them thousands to one. Will the church ever find that courage? ========================================================== Your support is important to our ability to make a difference. Donate online at: https://secure4.afo.net/ada/donate.php American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. American Decency Association Bill Johnson, President P.O. Box 202 Fremont, MI 49412 ph: 231-924-4050 www.americandecency.org http://www.twitter.com/billwjohnson

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