We have just had the privilege of keeping the Feast of Tabernacles where the truth of God has been clearly and resolutely expounded. We have not been hounded by the general public because of what we believe because it probably doesn’t particularly concern them as they have their own holidays to enjoy and because they don’t really know about God’s wonderful festival which is held behind closed doors.
So far, so good. But does this allow us to make known all of our beliefs and not suffer persecution? The answer should be obvious.
I was much taken by the honesty of a Conservative MP (an elected Member of the UK Parliament) who, in early September 2017, was asked his views on a couple of controversial subjects. He has been touted as a future leader of his party and most people would have been evasive on these subjects if they had any ambition to be promoted to a more senior political position. But not this gentleman!
He was being interviewed on a television programme and he said that his devout Catholic faith meant he could not support gay marriage. That’s a show stopper to start with. But there was more.
A newspaper report said that he “faced a furious backlash today after saying he ‘morally’ opposes abortion for women who have been raped. There was further fury as he said that he is ‘morally’ opposed to abortion even when women have been victims of rape or incest. He said that “life is sacrosanct and begins at the point of conception and I think it is wrong.”
The newspaper report continued: “Pressed specifically on whether a woman who was raped should have a right to an abortion, he made clear that they would have a ‘right under UK law’ and the ‘law is not going to change’. But he added: ‘My personal opinion is that life begins at the point of conception and abortion is morally indefensible.’”
Here was a man in the public eye, and a man of principle.
You can imagine what the outrage was from those who think that any behaviour is acceptable but he presented his views in a reasoned and professional way. Women’s rights campaigners branded his views “extreme” and “out of touch”. A Labour MP said they were “shocking” and “belonged in the 18th Century”. One young female journalist said that “he and his right-wing followers should accept that, as in almost every other facet of his life, he represents an obscure minority.” Little did any of these opponents realise, and probably wouldn’t even have cared had they known, that in these observations he was following clear biblical instruction and that they were, in essence, setting their face against God.
It was all very, very predictable. Several days later, as one newspaper wrote: The explosion of fury was predictably volcanic, and the waves of the aftershock are still rumbling today. However, he refuses to be ruffled. “It’s a free country and everyone’s entitled to express an opinion. Why should I get flustered?” he asked equably.
It was said that “Downing Street also made clear that the Prime Minister did not share his opinions.” And so we see that the Prime Minister, a Sunday church going Christian, endorses the liberal view even though the Bible is very explicit on these issues. The fact of the matter is that no one would be able to retain high office if they didn’t conform to the requirement of supporting such outrageous behaviour.
I have not seen or heard of any of the other MP’s (there are 650 in the House of Commons) who have had the guts to say the same thing although there were many who opposed abortion and same sex marriage. Have they changed their mind or are they just keeping quiet to keep their jobs?
Why raise this now? Well, for two very pertinent reasons.
First of all, we have seen that this person was, and is, a man of principle. We, too, have to be men and women of principle and the time may not be that far away when we are put into a similar scenario. How will we fare? Will we duck and dive about the way of God that we currently espouse or will we be straightforward and confirm our biblically held views, irrespective of the consequences, which could be more hot air from other politicians and journalists? It is something to think about.
Secondly, as I said at the beginning of the editorial, we have just enjoyed God’s festivals, the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day. We were presented with clear teaching about the way of God and what the future holds in store for us and for mankind. In the not too distant future, when Jesus Christ returns to earth to save man from blowing himself off the face of the planet, the government of God will rule with love, equity and a concern for every individual.
There will be no more nonsense about gender issues, no more killing of any kind (of which abortion is just one of the methods used), no more arguing about governmental positions, and the certainty of completely fair treatment for everyone for an initial 1,000 years, and for eternity after that.
How different will be the Way of the true God for eternity than the way of man at this time, which can be ridiculous in the extreme.
God has all the answers, man has very few. The replacement with true values, for eternity, is well worth waiting for, and it shouldn’t be too long now!
