From the beginning of America, churches have been the moral compass for the nation so they are the source for what little morality is still extant in the U.S. G. K. Chesterton declared that we don’t need a church “that is right when the world is right, but a church that is right when the world is wrong.” The world of Iowa is wrong and church leaders must not capitulate to evil to save their skin or give them a few more years of questionable existence.

The state of Iowa has said that church people can believe what they want but the state will be the arbiter of what they practice–even to regulating church restrooms! Principled Christians down through the centuries would have yelled, “To the arena, bring on the lions.” But most modern church leaders yawn and appoint a task force to look into the matter.

Iowa’s anti-discrimination law is based on “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” and requires all entities engaged with the public to not discriminate. The state is seeking to give special treatment to homosexuals and trangenders. But then, sane people know that homosexuals are only heterosexuals who choose to do vile, even unspeakable things to each other. Transgenders are people who don’t like the way they were born so they pretend that they are the opposite sex. Such people, if sincere, are deeply disturbed and should not be sexually mutilated or have abnormal hormones pumped into their bodies but need to be taught or convinced that a person with a male organ is identified as a male whatever he may feel like.

Iowa officials state that any place that is “distinctly private by its nature…offers some services, facilities, or goods to the general public…will be treated as a public accommodation for those services.” Since churches are open to the public, the Iowa Civil Rights Commission has determined that they are subject to anti-discrimination laws. There is an exception for churches but not if their services are open to the public! If church members want to pray, preach, and sing without inviting the public then the law does not apply–but few churches do that. But if they have a Christian school, a day care, a softball league, food pantry, homeless ministry, etc., then compliance is required–or else. The state assumes the right to decide what is “a bona fide religious purpose.”

But that bird won’t fly. The Bible does command us in Mark 12:17 to “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” However, the church can never permit “Caesar” to determine what is his and what is God’s. If so, then the whole principle is nullified.

The practical repercussions to a church will be devastating, defeating, and destructive; but then, maybe that’s what the secular crowd wants. That means churches must permit men who refuse to admit that their genitals identify them as male and choose to think they are females must have access to the ladies restroom! Not even if pigs learn to fly! But it gets worse! It also applies to locker rooms and living facilities “without [anyone] being…questioned.”

That means a pastor or deacon must never inquire or question a person about his/her/its sexual identity and guide them to the “proper” restroom nor can a pastor expound Lev. 18 or Romans 1 or ridicule transgender insanity. That would be, according to the commission, “illegal harassment” which could include “repeated remarks of a demeaning nature…demeaning…stories…and intentional use of names and pronouns inconsistent with a person’s presented gender.” That means I could not follow my resolute decision to always refer to Bruce Jenner as Bruce and always use he instead of she. Because he is not a she. He has always been a male, is a male today, and will be a male in the future. Church leaders who don’t conform can spend a long time in the courtroom and/or pay heavy fines.

So the august state officials have decided that they will set the standard for what is modest, decent, safe, normal, acceptable, sane, and biblical! Any pastor who submits to such outrageous, odious, and overreaching demands will prove that he is a pathetic preacher unworthy of his calling and should quickly return his ordination credentials and choose a profession that doesn’t require much character.

Since I am a Baptist and we make much of separation of church (but not God) and state and much of the sovereignty of Christ over His church, I assume that Baptist pastors in Iowa are preparing to resist the state. Maybe they are prepared like Chinese dissidents who keep a small bag handy at all times in event of their arrest. Such pastors had better look at the big picture because they may spend years in jail for defying the state and federal authorities. If they have true convictions, there will be no compromise, no concessions but plenty of confrontation and conflict.

The Bible is full of courageous, consecrated, and committed men who took a stand for principle even risking their lives. The Disciples told the authorities in Acts 5:29, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” We still must do that whatever the price!

Hugh Grotius (1583-1645) of the Netherlands is the “father of modern international law.” He wrote in The Law of War and Peace, Book 1: “Among all good men one principle at any rate is established beyond controversy, that if the authorities issue any order that is contrary to the law of nature or to the commandments of God, the order should not be carried out. For when the Apostles said the obedience should be rendered to God rather than to men they appealed to an infallible rule of action.” That is as true today as it was 400 years ago.

John Knox agreed: “But thereof be assured that all is not lawful or just that is statute by civil laws, neither yet is everything sin before God which ungodly persons allege to be treason.”

Even Albert Einstein said, “Never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it.” He also said, “Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.” Many Iowa pastors are mentally preparing their justification for compromise and cowardice: “Well, Christians must always obey the law.” Or, “We must be examples to others.” Or, we can never agree on everything the government does.” Or, “I will obey the state until they tell me I can’t preach the Gospel.” (That one is so threadbare that it is embarrassing it is still being used.)

I suggest that Iowa pastors meet to inform their local “Caesars” that they will not obey their intrusive law. They should meet on a week day at the capitol building and form the word NO! with their bodies as they stand silently. No doubt, many laymen will also attend the rally and will help make the exclamation point. No singing, praying, or preaching is necessary but a silent thirty minutes saying, NO! After the rally, there will be no candy wrappers, cigarette butts, water bottles, or beer containers on the street. No one will curse and no one will threaten the cops. No one will break windows, turn over cars, or loot the local stores. No one will light a match to a cigarette or molotov cocktail.

To my pastor/friends in Iowa, it’s time to fish or cut bait. You have preached all your lives about standing for truth. You have often used John Bunyan as an example of courage. Now, it is time to prove that a God-called preacher has a compassionate heart, a working brain, a chest with some hair on it, and a spine in his back.

If, instead of a spine, there is a yellow streak, then it’s time to do the principled thing and leave the ministry.

Boys’ new book Muslim Invasion: The Fuse is Burning! was published recently by Barbwire Books; to get your copy of Muslim Invasion, click here. An eBook edition is also available.

Every U.S. President has the authority, after winning a national election, to appoint people of his choosing to various positions in his administration. That is only fair and proof of the adage, “to the victor go the spoils.” Obama has taken that principle and run with it far into left field. All his main appointees have been to the left of Harry Reed, yet no Democrat or media person (but then I repeat myself) has screamed about balance and fairness. No one has lectured Obama about “reaching out” to conservatives and Christians. But the lectures and interviews, and columns about “reaching out” to Democrats come fast and furious (oops) when a conservative gets elected.

Let’s say that Ted Cruz becomes President Cruz and did the same thing but only appointed conservatives and Christians–you know, normal, competent people. Maybe he could find a place for a couple of professors or graduates of Liberty University and Bob Jones University, Hillsdale, or from one of the smaller schools. I will get to what his administration might look like in a minute.

What does Obama’s list of progressive appointees look like?

Cass Sunstein is a far leftist who was appointed the Regulatory Czar who said, “We ought to ban hunting.” Rushing farther into left field he said, “Animals should be permitted to bring suit…” and he thinks government should regulate the airwaves. But Cass does not stand alone in left field.

John Holdren was appointed Science Czar and recommends compulsory abortion in event of an overpopulation crisis. He advocated government taking of newborn babies, and suggested adding a sterilant to the drinking water! Oh, yes, he wants the government to dictate the size of families! I believe that has been tried before.

Mark Lloyd as Chief Diversity Officer, FCC worked for far leftist George Soros. Lloyd has praised the late Venezuelan Communist dictator Hugo Chavez’s revolution as “incredible…democratic revolution.” He opines that there are too many white people in the media. He wants to “balance” the media by fining conservative radio stations up to $250 million and give the proceeds to National Public Radio. I suggest Mark spend his time, effort, and capital getting rid of all subsidized public communications. Left field is getting crowded.

Eric Holder as Attorney General chose not to prosecute black thugs who intimidated whites at a polling place. During his stint in office, he did what he could to promote Black extremists and denigrate white police officers. He always came to the defense of blacks who resisted police and condemned police officers who did their jobs and protected themselves.

Jeh Johnson, chief of DHS has Communist connections through his grandfather who testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1949 to deny being a member of the Communist Party. Jeh compared the alleged discrimination Muslims are facing today to the 1940s and 1950s when Senator Joseph McCarthy and others charged that communists had infiltrated the U.S. government during the Cold War with the Soviet Union.

I hope Jeh doesn’t mind if I remind all my readers that Joe McCarthy was right! There were Communists in the Federal Government at the time. American Soviet spies were FDR’s closest aid, Harry Hopkins, another aid, Laughlin Currie, and top Treasury official Harry Dexter White, Alger Hiss, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, (both executed for providing atom bomb secrets to Russia), David Greenglass, Harry Gold and other traitors.

Elena Kagan was nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court even though she had no judicial experience. As Dean of Harvard Law School her job was to raise money and make students comfortable. The Boston Globe wrote of her: “Some of her initial acts as dean were small-scale improvements, like offering free coffee in classroom buildings and free tampons in women’s bathrooms.” No, not sterling qualifications for a seat on the Supreme Court.

CBS News first reported that Elena Kagan would be the “first openly gay justice” which would please Obama’s liberal base. BAM! The network heard from the White House then CBS officials amended the report: “I have to correct my text here to say that Kagan is apparently still closeted–odd, because her female partner is rather well known in Harvard circles.” That was even worse and CBS finally pulled the report entirely! She is very comfortable in left field with or without her black robe.

Kevin Jennings was appointed Assistant Deputy Secretary at the Department of Education. Jennings founded the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) that is dedicated to making homosexuality acceptable to children as young as five years old! The news reported that Jennings told a boy who confessed to having sex with an older man that he should use a condom!

Susan Rice was appointed Ambassador to the United Nations and is known for her infamous appearance on five network shows explaining that the terrorist attack on Benghazi was really a reaction to a video critical of Mohammed. The crowd in left field is getting larger.

Samantha Power was appointed to the National Security Council and is outspokenly anti-Israel. She ridiculed the possibility of Iran having nuclear weapons! She also favored sending U.S. troops to Israel to force a Palestinian state on them. She is now Ambassador to the UN and married to Cass Sunstein.

Valerie Jarrett is Obama’s Assistant to the President for Public Engagement and Inter-governmental Affairs and is responsible for vetting all the extremists Obama has appointed! She recruited Van Jones as Green Czar knowing his longtime love affair with the Communist Party. That didn’t bother Valerie since her father “had extensive ties to Communist associations and individuals” according to FBI files. Her father-in-law “was also another big-time Chicago Communist.” All in the family.

David Axelrod, political advisor to Obama, has been a leftist all his life promoting socialism at every opportunity.

Admittedly, Obama had legal authority to appoint every leftist above and he was being consistent since he promised us that he was going to fundamentally change America. In that, he has kept his promise. Note that he has accomplished his goal without a peep from the mainstream media. No one pointed out that his appointees were far leftists, abortionists, Muslims, and Muslim sympathizers. No one suggested that he should have a few conservatives, even Christians (gasp), on his team. By Christians I don’t mean simply church members.

Now, transfer yourself into the next administration. Suppose, no let’s pray, that it is a very conservative President, maybe Ted Cruz with Mike Huckabee as Vice President. Moreover, his every appointee supports his basic positions! Do you think the media would remain silent? They would scream about reflecting the real America and he is supposed to be “president of all the people.” But he refuses to listen and appoints the following:

Surgeon General is Ben Carson; Secretary of Defense is Allen West; Attorney General is Trey Gowdy; White House Spokesman is Donald Trump; National Security Advisor is Marco Rubio, Secretary of Treasury is Rand Paul; Head of the Federal Reserve is Ron Paul; Secretary of Interior is Sarah Palin; Secretary of State is Mark Levin; Secretary of Homeland Security, David A. Clarke, Democrat Sheriff of Milwaukee; Secretary of Health and Human Services, Michele Bachmann; Secretary of Agriculture, Senator Rick Santorum; and maybe throw in a few of the conservatives from Bush’s administration.

You get the idea–a great idea! Such appointees would guarantee intelligent counsel, common sense, wisdom, and diversity. Ah, yes, the much demanded diversity. Let’s see, we have a Democrat; two Blacks; two women; a Jew; a Southern Baptist; two evangelical Catholics; at least two non-denominationalists; a lapsed Presbyterian, sometime Episcopalian (at least at Christmas and Easter); and now we need a Fundamentalist to really prove diversity.

I would suggest that he appoint me as Secretary of Education at $1.00 per year and I would dismantle that department in 30 days. Ditto the Department of Energy; ditto the Department of Commerce. I’ll look for more dittos!

After taking care of those matters, back home to Ringgold.

(Boys’ new book, The God Haters was published by Barbwire Books; to get your copy of The God Haters click here. An eBook edition is also available.)