Unbridling our spiritual overseers

I understood bridles as a youngster because I grew up outside town and my family owned horses. I knew that putting a bit in a horse's mouth allowed me to control him even though he was much bigger than I.

Today the ministers of the gospel are being threatened with a bit in their mouths that will control what they are allowed to preach in the pulpits of America's churches. Pastors in Canada and Sweden have been sued and sentenced to jail for alleged "hate speech against homosexuals" because they quoted the Bible.

In an interview with Swedish reporters, Prime Minister Goran Persson said he "expected" ministers who preached that homosexuality is a sin to be tried under Sweden's 2002 law against hate speech.

A news release from Yale University announced the semi-annual "Sex Week" saying, "This week involves a faculty lecture series with topics such as transgender issues: Where does one gender end and the other begin?"

The Yale Free Press wrote about the 2004 sex week: "The organizers of Sex Week at Yale deemed the viewing and discussion of pornography as essential to an open dialogue."

Princeton University in their "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Student Services" calendar, officially called a "Program of the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students," presented an "Endless Possibilities" conference that addresses bisexuality, polyamory and transgender issues." (Don't try to look up "polyamory" in your Webster's; it's not in mine. I figure it's amour that makes Pollyanna glad.) The group also offered a "religious tour" that had the members visit gay-friendly churches once a month.

How is it that universities that take lots of government money can support the gay agenda, gay groups and gay churches while churches that don't receive a dime from Uncle Sam have to preach in fear of being fined or jailed if they preach that homosexuality is a sin?

I believe the Bible makes it clear that we are to hate the sin but love the sinner. In fact, I'd be sinning if I hated a sinner, but I'd also be sinning if I didn't hate sin. Jesus didn't mince words in Matthew 23:33 when he told the Pharisees that they were headed to hell -- and he's supposed to be our example to follow.

Mark 6:12 says that Jesus sent out his disciples, and "they went out and preached that people should repent." That says to me that they were preaching about sin if they were preaching about repentance. We don't get sorry until we know we're doing wrong.

America is supposed to be a free country. As long as church leaders are free to preach, the people in their churches are free to stay or leave. If I don't agree with the message, I can take my time, money and support elsewhere. I am free to worship where I want.

When the government tells ministers of the gospel what they can and cannot preach and what is sin and not sin, then they are bridling the clergy and controlling the church. The pastors of our churches, America's spiritual overseers, must be free to preach the complete word of God. They are ordained by God to guard our souls -- and that also means the collective soul of our nation. America will lose what little decency she still has if her spiritual leaders no longer can preach against sin.

The Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act (HR235) with 165 co-sponsors has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives to protect the preaching of all members of the clergy. Please call your representatives in the U.S. House and Senate to encourage them to vote for the Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act.

Please call today. You just might be keeping your pastor out of prison.

June Seabaugh is a member of Christ Church of the Heartland in Cape Girardeau.