by Larry Fife
A mother and child returned from worship and
were subjected by the husband and father to verbal abuse and mental cruelty. He
does this regularly because he is of a different belief. His attitude is to
make them so miserable in their devotion to Christ and the church, that they
will set aside their convictions and attend a man-made church with him. What is
happening here? It is an example of forced religion, a religion as worthless as
the paper it is written on.
A companion tells her spouse that she will not
live with him if he is going to be an active member of the church of Christ. Do
you want to guess why this is? You are right! It is an example of a person
using the threat of separation to force their religious beliefs. A teenager
attends a gospel meeting and obeys the gospel. When she returned to her home,
she was happy now that she was a Christian. Her parents, who were not
Christians, told her that she would have to leave home because of what she had
done. Were the parents right? Absolutely not! Even parents have no right to
force their religious beliefs and practices upon their children if those
beliefs do not align with the Bible. The apostle John wrote of those who were
forced to deny Christ, lest they should be put out of the synagogue (John
9:22).
Some
religions are forced at the point of gun, others by social, political or
economic considerations. In contrast, true Christianity is a taught religion.
It is taught by word and deed. To try and force Christ and His teachings upon
another is an exercise in futility.
Saul of Tarsus was very zealous for his own
religion and very bitter against Christ and His church. He used physical force,
even murder to advance his beliefs. He later admitted his error (Acts 26:4-31).
If your religion is valid, it can be defended
with the Bible. If what you believe and practice cannot be defended with the
Word of God, it is not of God. Think about it.
Larry’s Bio:
Larry is the pulpit minister for the Fayette Church of Christ in Fayette, AL.
He is also the director and host of the television program Bible Talk. He is a
veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. Larry attended the University of Tennessee at
Martin majoring in wildlife biology. Larry is also a graduate of the Memphis
School of Preaching.
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