Moreover, it must be understood that one can be critical of the Jews and Israel without being a hater. I hold Jews to the same standard as any other group. Christ was very critical of the Jewish leaders in His day, calling them “vipers,” “liars,” “fools,” “blind,” “hypocrites,” and “ye are of your father, the Devil” in John 8. Those leaders were far from the godly Jews who genuinely loved God and tried to follow His commandants. The two major Jewish leader-groups, Pharisees and Sadducees, were hypocrites and biblical heretics, respectively.

I believe it is time to stop funding Israel but that doesn’t make me a Jew-hater. Biden’s budget even plans to fund the “Palestinians.” That is madness. Since Israel stands for freedom, we should sell weapons to them; but they can stand on their own feet after almost 75 years. To fund Hamas terrorists who have promised to drive Israel into the sea is insensitive, incredible, and insane. The U.S. should only send welfare to nations if it is in our national interest to do so.

Furthermore, decent people can disagree with many of Israel’s policies, such as the Mossad, national politics, vaccinations, etc., without hating Jews. The most prominent critics of the secular Jewish state are orthodox Jews! So, of course, there can be room for disagreement without being a hater.

When Christ declared Himself to be God, the Jewish religious leaders only had one of two choices: they could either bow down and worship Him, or they could kill Him. You know their choice. While it is true that the vile, violent, virulent anti-Jew, anti-Israel hatred is rooted in the Jewish crucifixion of Christ, hatred of Jews has been endemic for thousands of years.

However, the hatred of Jews is more complex than a reaction to Christ’s death since it goes back to their beginning.

Unbelievers and wicked men hate certitude, and the Jews, while not always being right, have always been certain. While the rest of the world worshipped multiple pagan gods, the dedicated Jews demanded faithful and exclusive worship of Jehovah. Well, there goes the pagan vote!

God forbade them to marry into the unbelieving pagan nations, and that suggested Jewish superiority. That refusal to be absorbed into the culture has been a reason for their perpetuity as a people and a cause of universal hatred. Jews seemed to be pretentious, and they still do! Their critics often resented it and still do.

God gave the Jews a code of personal conduct known as the Ten Commandments, and nothing could be more absolute; they were not resolutions or recommendations but requirements. Men still chaff under “Thou shalt not.” Because of such holy demands and their uniqueness, the Jews were usually considered outcasts.

A substantial Jewish rebellion against Rome was prompted in A.D. 66 when a Jew-hater dumped a pot of urine outside a synagogue. Jews were rightly furious at this desecration, and a riot broke out during which some Jews insulted the Roman Governor of Judea. He ordered his soldiers to destroy the market and kill everyone in sight. What had been occasional acts of rebellion became a full-scale national revolt. It was all downhill from there. Josephus reported that 40,000 Jews were killed in Jotapata, a city he was defending as a Jewish leader. He wrote, “From one end of Galilee to the other, there was an orgy of fire and bloodshed.”

Fighting continued, and in A.D. 70, the Roman Army destroyed Jerusalem, including their sacred Temple, killing more than 1 million Jews. About 100,000 Jews were taken into slavery, thousands sent to the mines, and thousands scattered over the known world. All because of a pot of warm urine! A second rebellion in 135 caused by a false Messiah resulted in 500,000 more Jews being killed.

The Roman Empire experienced more opposition when Jews were forbidden to read the Torah, circumcise their sons, and other restrictions. When Emperor Constantine the Great (more appropriately, Constantine the Hypocrite) published his Edict of Milan in 315, providing tolerance to Christians, Jews discovered they lost some rights. With Constantine’s Council of Nicaea, the first worldwide religious conclave in 325, Jews lost the right of Sabbath worship and the right to Roman citizenship. Constantine said, “Let us then have nothing in common with the detestable Jewish crowd.”

Constantine couldn’t make up his mind whether he was a preacher or a potentate, so he was pathetic as both. He was not a Bible believer, trusting in his empty, powerless reasoning, but his legs were not long enough to straddle the chasm between reason and revelation!

Another Roman Emperor issued the Edict of Theodosius in 391, declaring that Christianity was the only legal religion in the Roman Empire, bringing more pressure and persecution to Jews, although relief to Christians. Many Jewish synagogues had been destroyed earlier under the fiction that the land was “necessary.” By the end of the sixth century, Jewish children in Spain over seven years old were removed from their parents and educated as “Christians.”

No one, however bigoted, can defend such treatment.

Jewish persecution has been extensive, excessive, and always egregious but never excusable. However, the killing of Christ is not the only cause of such hatred since the persecutors had no real commitment to Christ. In many European nations, Jews were forbidden to own property, so they often became wealthy bankers. They were charged with usury which triggered envy, jealousy, and hatred. They spoke a strange language and usually kept to themselves, resulting in wild accusations followed by additional persecution.

Since Jews were “different,” “strange,” and “reserved,” they were convenient scapegoats to explain bad weather, accidents, wars, and plagues. The fear, envy, and hatred prompted massive persecution, torture, ghettoization, and massacre even from professing Christians. But then, no real Christian would do such a thing—but some Popes did.

During these problems, persecutions, and prosecutions of the Jewish people, it must be remembered that these were done by a state church run by religious tyrants or secular bigoted rulers, not by genuine, committed Christians teaching the truth in love to every man, especially “to the Jew first.”

Martin Luther defended Jews in his early ministry; however, he turned violently against them as he got older. He answered the question, “What shall we Christians do with this rejected and condemned people, the Jews,” and his reply has been used by the haters for centuries. “First, to set fire to their synagogues or schools…This is to be done in honor of our Lord and of Christendom, so that God might see that we are Christians …”

Luther was a brilliant, informed scholar who helped change the world, but his tirade against Jews is proof that Christians are also very human and often do evil. I wonder if he ever repented of his folly.

Luther then suggested Jewish houses be “razed and destroyed.” Their prayer books and Talmudic writings should be taken from them. Moreover, their rabbis should be forbidden to teach “on pain of loss of life and limb …” Luther suggested that safe-conduct on the highways be abolished completely for the Jews “for they have no business in the countryside …” Then all “cash and treasure of silver and gold be taken from them …” Lastly, he suggested they be ejected from the country if there is reason to be fearful of them.

It should be noted that no German or European ruler implemented all of Luther’s suggestions. However, there is no doubt Jew-haters including some German Nazis for centuries used his statements to anger, abuse, and assault Jews,

Luther was a good, great, and even godly man, which only proves that good, great, and godly men can do and say ungodly, stupid things at times.

Often, the Jewish people almost invited persecution by their own actions, and I’ll be criticized for saying that. But then, burning at the stake has gone out of fashion, so I’ll survive.

Jews have financed wars charging kings and ordinary people outrageous interest; moreover, the Talmud (not an inspired book) is full of hatred, filth, and shameful charges against Christians and Gentiles. (But, then, I am not supposed to relate that fact since it will offend some Jews—but not honest Jews.)

The Talmud is a book that Jews have difficulty defending. Talmud normally refers to Babylonian Talmud, although there is also an earlier collection known as the Jerusalem Talmud compiled in the 4th century in Galilee. The popular Babylonian Talmud was compiled about the year A.D. 500.

Even some Jews are critical of the Talmud, as are many others with good cause. There is much anti-Christian and anti-Gentile content, but it was not the Torah that taught the Jews to criticize and hate Gentiles. The Talmud is also accused of absurd, immoral content and distorting Scripture. Orthodox Jews and, to a lesser extent, Conservative Judaism accept the Talmud as authoritative but have difficulty defending its implacable hatred of all non-Jews.

Jews brought much criticism to themselves because of their unusual influence in violent revolutions in France and Russia. Jews in Russia during the early 20th century occupied many leading positions, although they made up only a small percentage of the population.

Communism, as espoused by Karl Marx (also a Jew who died in 1883), got its impetus when a sealed train left Zurich, Switzerland on April 9, 1917, carrying 32 Russians (including Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin) through wartime Germany. Lenin had lived in Switzerland since 1900 as an exile.

Germany was losing WW I and saw a chance to cause further havoc in Russia by permitting Lenin’s return to Russia following their almost leaderless revolution in March (now sputtering and leaderless). In March, Tsar Nicholas II abdicated, and he and his family were butchered by the revolutionaries. Russia was in turmoil and praying for a strong leader.

He was already on the train.

Lenin’s train included 19 members of his Bolshevik Party and six Jewish members of the Jewish Labor Bund. Almost half the passengers on the train were Jewish. In less than a year, Vladimir Lenin would be running Russia following the bloody revolution in November led by him and Bolshevik revolutionaries.

The train took Lenin to Petrograd (now St. Petersburg), and that train ride is the most critical and relevant one in history. It took 8 days to travel 2,000 miles taking Lenin from relative obscurity in a cheap Zurich apartment to the absolute leader of Russia. His return to Russia turned their sputtering revolt into the world-shattering Russian Revolution. Millions died because of that train trip.

That was when a major train wreck would have been an enormous benefit to the world.

Jews were by far the largest group involved in the Bolshevik (Russian) Revolution. Half of some revolutionary committees in Russia were Jews, and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn declared that half of the secret police were Jews. He confessed, “Without Jews, there never would have been Bolshevism. For a Jew, nothing is more insulting than the truth. The bloodthirsty Jewish terrorists have murdered sixty-six million in Russia from 1918 to 1957.” While a world-renowned hero, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and survivor of the Soviet gulag, Solzhenitsyn received much flack for his revelation about Jewish influence.

In an article in the Illustrated Sunday Herald in 1920, Winston Churchill emphasized the Jewish role in the Russian Revolution, declaring it “probably outweighs [the role] of all others. With the notable exception of Lenin, the majority of the leading figures are Jews.” And Lenin’s grandfather was a Jew.

Thousands of Jews were executed in Stalin’s purges in the 1930s, not because they were Jews but because Stalin was a paranoid killer who mistrusted everyone. Jews multiplied in the Russian leadership, not because they were Jews, but because they showed more enthusiasm and commitment to the cause.

Small-minded men hated Jews and envied their success as they do today, not realizing the foul breath of prejudice, bigotry, and hate are deadly to the soul.

(Dr. Don Boys is a former member of the Indiana House of Representatives who ran a large Christian school in Indianapolis and wrote columns for USA Today for 8 years. Boys authored 18 books, the most recent being Muslim Invasion: The Fuse is Burning! The eBook is available here with the printed edition (and other titles) at www.cstnews.com. Follow him on Facebook at Don Boys, Ph.D.; and visit his blog. Send a request to DBoysphd@aol.com for a free subscription to his articles, and click here to support his work with a donation.)

However, they did not do so, and the great Roman Empire crumbled. Rome was no longer Roman because of lack of assimilation, and America and many of the free nations are doing what Durant warned of Rome’s fall. Struck giddy with feel-goodism, we have opened our gates for tribes of uneducated, uncultured, and often uncouth peoples that are quickly transforming America into another nation. America is no longer American. We are seeing the decline and fall of the American Republic!

Many free nations are making the same mistake as massive hordes of emigrants with alien cultures, languages, religions, etc., are swamping and overwhelming European populations. England is no longer English, France is no longer French, and Germany is no longer German.

Muslim leaders generally have not tried to educate their people in civilized behavior. If they want to live among decent, civilized people, they should discard the Arabian Desert mentality. They should dress normally, lighten up, and realize that most of us are not going to agree with their theology or seek to emulate the sayings and actions of “the prophet.”

We have a culture and theology of our own, thank you.

It is nonsense to promote policies that are dangerous, detrimental, and destructive to one’s homeland. There is no validity in the arguments used by liberals/progressives in this debate. Our primary interest must not be to promote a social policy. Helping relieve the social and economic problems of another nation is not relevant. Nor is it desirable or in our best interest to appease and serve an elite group of U.S. businesspeople. Nor do we make policy decisions to make whiners feel good. What is best for our nation must be the criterion.

U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Jordan was a black liberal Democrat who headed the Jordan Commission in 1995. Although a liberal, she said, “Credibility in immigration policy can be summed up in one sentence: those who should get in, get in; those who should be kept out, are kept out; and those who should not be here will be required to leave.” Can any honest, sane person disagree with that?

Evidently, Biden and what’s-her-name Harris and most Democrats disagree since they have installed metaphorical signs at the southern border declaring, “Welcome to America, the land of endless freebies thanks to Democrats and RINOs. Join the line to the left.”

And the line is endless.

America has more immigrants than any other country in the world. Today, “More than 40 million people living in the U.S. were born in another country, accounting for about one-fifth of the world’s migrants.” We are the most concerned, compassionate, and careless nation on earth. All other nations are more careful about who comes and goes and who stays than America is.

Pew Research Center reported, “more than 1 million immigrants arrive in the U.S. each year.” What is shocking in that report is more people came from China (149,000) than any other nation in 2018! Mexico sent us her best 120,000 people. No one knows how many illegal aliens are coming via the Biden Expressway at the southern border.

We accept a million legal immigrates each year—a number that should be reduced to zero for five years. If migrant workers are needed, then temporary worker cards can be awarded using strict supervision. When the time has expired, each case can be evaluated, and if workers are still needed, then the cards can be renewed. Everyone wins since the necessary laborers are found; poor foreign workers have temporary jobs; money is sent home; etc.

We must admit that if large numbers of immigrants, legal or illegal, enter the U.S., it will relieve some of the other nations’ social and economic problems, but what will it do to America’s problems? By what twisted logic are U.S. citizens expected to forfeit their hard-earned money to provide for foreigners, especially those foreigners who are criminals?

Should U.S. taxpayers be expected to finance millions of uneducated, unskilled, and often un-American illegal immigrants? I can defend the position that we should not finance legal immigrants. The Biden administration’s legalization of at least eleven million illegal aliens (some say it is more than 20 million) will destroy a once-great nation. By stopping all immigration for five years and plugging the hole in our borders, we would permit “assimilation [to] catch up with infiltration.”

While many of the aliens are decent, hardworking people, many are not. I think this tragic immigration policy will create political, financial, and cultural anarchy. For sure, it is changing America.

The school system, fire protection, police protection, etc., generate vast expenses that the taxpayers pay; but poorly educated immigrants, legal or illegal, do not pay their share. They are tax consumers receiving in services far more than they pay in taxes. That means other taxpayers must “carry” on their backs the non-payers.

In times past, most immigrants melted into the pot, but not today. They have no desire to assimilate and become Americans. Harvard immigration expert George J. Borjas declared, “In fact, the evidence suggests that there has not been any economic assimilation for the cohorts that entered the country in the 1990s.” Illegal aliens get lost in a massive group of their own kind and don’t need to melt into the pot. They sit, soak, and sour in the salad bowl.

We are told that the U.S. economy depends upon foreign workers; however, Borjas reveals that legal and illegal immigrants in the labor market produce $1.6 trillion per year; however, 97.8% of that money goes to the illegal workers, and only “2.2% accrues to native-born Americans.” Borjas suggests that there is more cost to America than financial benefit.

The pro-immigration people tell us that immigrants don’t take jobs; they make jobs and pay taxes. However, while that is true in some individual cases, it is not true in the aggregate. Borjas estimates that the immigrants’ cash welfare benefits alone cost about $1 billion more than is paid by them in taxes each year.

Illegal immigrants take jobs at lower wages, thereby subsidizing the American businesses that hire them illegally. If laws were enforced against hiring illegals, Americans and legal workers would be the source from which businesses hire their workers, paying them the going wage and benefits. High-paid workers “willing to work hard” are often laid off because illegal immigrants are willing to work just as hard for much less money. Whom do you think a business owner is going to hire under those conditions?

We are told that immigrants are needed as agricultural workers—work that Americans will not do. Still, a more accurate statement is that they take jobs that Americans refuse to accept at greatly reduced wages! Furthermore, when an American gets a job, he must be paid the minimum wage with all required benefits. No wonder businessmen prefer to hire illegal aliens. When times get tough, Americans will work at any job to put food on the table. Don’t you feel good knowing that foreigners are working at very low wages to make more profit for those agribusinesses.

There are many negative results from illegal immigration: bankrupt hospitals, burgeoning schools, astronomical welfare funds, soaring crimes, lower wages, fewer jobs for legal Americans, and invasion of violent gangs even into northern cities.

American businessman gets cheap illegal labor; the illegal immigrant gets low wages but far more than possible in Mexico; and he or she often sits, soaks, and sours in America’s salad bowl–while we finance it all!

(Dr. Don Boys is a former member of the Indiana House of Representatives who ran a large Christian school in Indianapolis and wrote columns for USA Today for 8 years. Boys authored 18 books, the most recent Muslim Invasion: The Fuse is Burning! eBook is available here with the printed edition (and other titles) at www.cstnews.com. Follow him on Facebook at Don Boys, Ph.D. ; and visit his blog. Send request to DBoysphd@aol.com for a free subscription to his articles, and click here to support his work with a donation.)

I am a Christian Fundamentalist, one who adheres closely to what the Bible teaches and I don’t find much in other religions and denominations to recommend religiously. Very frankly, I am right and the other religions, even parts of Christianity, are wrong. (What did you expect me to say?) Now that I have settled that, I am willing to admit the historical truth that the Roman Catholic and the Greek Orthodox Churches have made major positive contributions to the world especially in the fourth century forward. I still maintain my right to disagree, even declare they wrote the histories to make them seem to be original Christians, but they made valuable contributions.

For the record, it should be remembered that the Catholic Church was hundreds of years in the making with many godly, dedicated, and true preachers of the Word associated with it during that time. While the Roman Church was forming, there were numerous independent churches growing alongside it. While those independent churches stayed true to the Scripture for the most part, they did not have the clout, the cash, and the crowds of the Roman Catholic Church; consequently, they did not make the social impact on citizens of the Roman Empire as did the larger, better financed Catholic Church.

While the Roman Catholic Church was gaining more and more power as the Empire collapsed, there were unaffiliated independent churches all over the Empire who refused to conform to the growing power of the Roman Church. Each pope became stronger throughout Europe until Leo I (died 461) claimed superiority over all bishops in the West and the East! Leo was met with resistance since all bishops were to be equal. The patriarchs of Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Alexandria “claimed equal authority with the Roman see” so as of 450 there was still no authoritative, supreme pope. That came with Gregory I in the late 500s (died 604) who was the first supreme pope.

The fabled civilization of a thousand years could see the handwriting on the wall as the brutal barbarians were at the gates of Rome and collapse was imminent. In 410 A.D., Rome collapsed as the city of the Caesars fell to uncivilized, uneducated, and uncouth barbarians. With the collapse of Rome, a chill went throughout the civilized world; however, as the Empire fell, the Church of Rome stepped in to fill the gap.

Following the alleged conversion of Constantine in the early fourth century, the churches constructed and maintained hospitals, hospices for strangers, and houses for orphans, widows, and the indigent. As Rome crumbled, the Church remained the one (and only) stable institution that helpless citizens could depend on for help and protection.

As the Empire collapsed because of internal decay, corruption of officials, and the barbarian invasions, the social structure decayed also. The bewildered citizens looked to the only large, powerful entity for succor–the Church. The churches, primarily the Roman Catholic Church as it was gradually forming, basically replaced the failing Empire. As internal confusion and inability to maintain the army in the north accelerated, Rome became a shadow of its former glory. The more the Empire crumbled the more important and powerful the Church became. Although the Church became heretical, it provided fearful citizens with protection, food, health care, etc.

The Church at Rome (that became the seat of the Roman Catholic Church) had over fifty thousand members and supported 1,500 widows, orphans, and the poor according to Gibbon. He adds that the church at Antioch “consisted of one hundred thousand persons, three thousand of whom were supported out of the public oblations [gifts to churches].” Of course, that was long before the formation of the Roman Catholic Church.

After the Council of Nicaea in 325, the bishops were told to go into every Cathedral city (the main city of a diocese where the bishops ruled) and start a hospital–and later universities. Consequently, a number of hospitals were founded by rich Christians in various cities.

About this time, monasteries and convents were organized with many purposes but they became the bastions of scholarship in many fields. Catholic engineers constructed massive and elaborate cathedrals throughout Europe that still amaze visitors with their beauty, size, and symmetry.

Basil of Caesarea (c.329-379) was the Greek bishop in Cappadocia (part of modern Turkey) who supported the Nicene Creed and opposed Arianism and other heresies. He was from a wealthy family and founded the first Christian hospital that ministered to the sick. It was the first hospital that had wards for specific diseases. He organized a soup kitchen and distributed food to the poor during a famine. He gave away his personal family inheritance to benefit the poor of his diocese. He actively worked to help thieves and prostitutes.

An obvious outcome of establishing hospitals was the need to provide workers; therefore, brotherhoods and orders were birthed to serve in hospitals, hospices, orphanages, etc. According to historian Kenneth S. Latourette, “One of the first of which we know began late in the ninth century in Siena. In the eleventh century many cathedrals and parish churches had hospitals…A large proportion, perhaps a majority of monasteries seem to have had hospitals attached to them, several gave training in medicine, and many abbots became expert physicians. Hospitals cared not only for the sick, but also for the orphaned and the poor, and in the cities many of them fed prisoners.”

Many groups organized and formed orders to care for the sick and dying. Catholic religious orders included the Order of Saint Benedict, the Order of Friars Minor, the Carmelites, the Dominican Order, and the Order of Saint Augustine. (All orders did not serve in hospitals or provide for the poor since each order had its own specialty.) Monasteries served as hospitals and places of refuge for the weak and homeless. The monks studied the healing properties of plants and minerals to alleviate the sufferings of the sick.

Historians admit that when the Roman Empire began to crack at its foundations, the Church had not only established hospitals but had also become “the schoolmaster of Western Europe and the tutor of the barbarian of the North.” The origin of many medieval universities can be traced back to the Catholic cathedral schools (monastic schools) which appeared as early as the 6th century.The Catholic Church is to be commended for being the impetus for most of the universities of the Middle Ages.

Catholic scientists that made the world better are Galileo Galilei, Rene Descartes, Nicolas Copernicus, Louis Pasteur, Gregor Mendel, Roger Bacon, and many others. And the popes are to be commended for permitting dissecting of human bodies for medical research.

Moreover, the Cathedral churches and monasteries were the main preservers of literature after many libraries of the ancient world had been destroyed. Dedicated monks protected and copied books making them available for scholars throughout Europe.

Latourette reveals “the [Roman Catholic] Church was the first to accumulate reserves of capital, to begin the system of deposits, credit, and banking, and to advocate a stable coinage. The Templars were famous as bankers….The Church, too, inculcated the theory of the ‘just price.’” Again, much is owed to the Roman Church in the practical area of finance.

While there is much I disagree with in the Roman Church, especially its doctrine and religious ceremonial practices, I recognize their incredible contributions to giving some stability in very difficult, desperate and dangerous times; their production and protection of vast scholarly literature; their generous alleviation of suffering of millions; the construction and maintenance of universities; etc.

For all that, I tip my hat to my theological adversaries.

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

Rome was an empire of legions, law, luxury, and license where Christians were hated because of their creed, conduct, and character; however, what generated massive persecution was their refusal to accept emperor-worship or adhere to laws that conflicted with the Bible. Diocletian was considered a god and was addressed as “Most Sacred Lord” and visitors to his court had to kneel and kiss the hem of his garment. Of course, many high-minded Romans smiled at the pretentious emperors but the Roman elite could live with the regal pretentions since it did not conflict with their convictions–-and it was safer. Christians were offended and many refused to recognize his deity. The fact is that Christians have always been hated even while they were respected for their courage, character, and commitment!

Christians could be and often were taken into court as violators of standing legislation against “treason, sacrilege, membership in a foreign cult, and the practice of forbidden magic, or for belonging to an unauthorized association.” Many of the charges against them were bogus such as the practice of magic but often the spurious charges turned into convictions with penalties that often resulted in the death penalty.

In 250, Emperor Decius tried to restore pagan religion by requiring sacrifice to the pagan gods and those who complied were given certificates confirming their obedience to the government. Some Christians who did not sacrifice purchased certificates attesting that they had done so. Those certificates, or libelli, were required of all inhabitants of the Empire, citizens and non-citizens. Tertullian declared that some churches bought themselves off en masse! Still other Christians sent their servants to sacrifice for them. So, Christians have not always taken a principled position but then no one says they did. Christians are not perfect, only born again, and when we sin, we must recognize it, repent of it and refuse to do it again.

During the days in which Christianity was spreading, the Roman Empire abounded with voluntary associations, collegia. Many of them were organized for the public good and all were associated with some pagan god and they met in a pagan temple. Some associations provided their members with funeral services; some were business related while others were for athletics. Often members shared a common meal. One historian wrote, “Some were recognized by the government, collegia licita. Some, collegia illicita, were not so licensed.” Most churches refused official approval and were hated as trouble makers, atheists, and outlaws.

In 257, under Emperor Valerian, Christians were threatened with death if they met in their church assemblies or if they even entered Christian cemeteries! Moreover, specific action was taken against the associations of Christians. The churches had been among the collegia illicita, which meant that they were not officially licensed and could be prosecuted at the whim of the sitting dictator.

Some churches formed funeral associations to provide some semblance of legitimacy but that did not guarantee official acceptance or deceive anyone. One historian wrote, “Now by the edict, Christian assemblies were singled out for proscription and the loophole of meeting as burial clubs was stopped up.” Roman officials were not deceived by the “funeral clubs,” since they were obviously churches.

When many independent churches became “the Church” approved by the government, there was a change from simple preachers to secularized priests, from organism to organization. It was now Church, not Christ. There were some Church Fathers but no Great Missionaries. Education replaced evangelism. The Cross had been the symbol of shame and ignominy but by the time of Constantine it became the sign of privilege and prestige and power. The clergy were exempt from military service and taxes, so of course, many wealthy people became priests. The church leaders were worldly, wealthy, but not wise. With these changes in morals and mores there came a change in motives and methods. No longer was godly living preferred, preached, and practiced but the church leaders planned to set up a kingdom “here and now.” Religion and politics were now intermingled. Like today, the church was worldly and the government used the church for its own purposes.

As the Roman Empire crumbled it was only natural for fearful citizens to look for safety, stability, and security and they chose the Christian religion to meet their needs. Troubled officials hugged the church and the church, liking the embrace, hugged back. Thus began an illicit affair that destroyed churches, families, even nations. That illicit affair between church and state is going on today.

Genuine Christians are still hated because of creed, conduct, and character. We demand that the abortion holocaust cease; that marriage has always been, is now, and will always be between a man and a woman; that government butt out of our homes and permit parents to rear decent, loving, and obedient children; and that all governments stay out of our churches and Christian schools.

Most modern churches are willing to follow government requirements to keep them in good relationship with the authorities. It is evident that many modern churches are far from the New Testament church model. No one wants to be hated and considered as the Apostle Paul wrote, “the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.”

The world still hates genuine Christians as it always has and it also despises the sing-song hypocrites among us.

http://bit.ly/1iMLVfY Watch these 8 minute videos of my lecture at the University of North Dakota: “A Christian Challenges New Atheists to Put Up or Shut Up!”