Americans Still Believe in God … “But”

Christianity,

Statistical data from the General Social Survey shows that, contrary to what many think, the overwhelming majority of Americans—a whopping 86%—believe in God at some level. For every American that doesn’t believe in God, there are seven who do. 

Of course, just because 4 out of 5 Americans think God exists doesn’t mean they believe in the same God or, for that matter, in the God that actually exists. What we believe about God is a defining aspect of our lives. As A.W. Tozer wrote, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”  

What we believe about God shapes what we believe about the rest of life, including those ultimate, worldview-shaping questions of origin, identity, meaning, morality, and destiny. And the more a group of people is unmoored from the truth about these things together, the more disconnected they are from those essentials of a healthy and functioning society, such as justice, human dignity, and the care and protection of children.

Copyright 2023 by the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. Reprinted from BreakPoint.org with permission.

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Christian Prosecuted in an Arkansas Court for Preaching

Religious Freedom

The following is a press release from the National Association of Christian Lawmakers.

Batesville, Arkansas, June 14, 2023. –Jeremy Anders is a man who has overcome significant challenges and holds great love in his heart. He endured malicious bullying during his childhood and teenage years and sought support and relief from inappropriate sources. As a young adult, he found himself battling addiction and living a LGBTQ lifestyle.

However, Mr. Anders experienced a life-changing transformation when he surrendered his life to the Lord in the Spring of 2010. Through divine intervention, he was delivered from that lifestyle. In 2013, he dedicated himself to the ministry of preaching, starting with a nursing home ministry. In 2015, he felt a calling to reach out to those still trapped in the LGBTQ lifestyle, utilizing Facebook and street preaching as platforms to spread his message. Since then, he has faithfully carried out this ministry.

On June 5, 2022, while driving through Batesville with his mother, Mr. Anders felt compelled to preach on a public sidewalk in downtown Batesville, in front of a closed establishment. During his preaching, he was confronted by an individual who threatened to involve the police if he did not stop. Despite asserting his rights, Mr. Anders was approached later that evening by two officers who warned him against returning  to the same sidewalk location, citing potential charges of harassment and criminal trespass. Despite continuing his ministry while avoiding  confrontations, Mr. Anders was unexpectedly arrested for  harassment on April 20, 2023, during his routine commute to work. He spent over 24 hours in jail solely for preaching.

Mr. Anders’ trial took place in Batesville District Court on Wednesday, June 14th. Bob Ballinger, the Director of Law and Policy for the National Association of Christian Lawmakers (NACL), appeared as Mr. Anders’ defense counsel in court. The objective was to protect Mr. Anders’ individual rights and safeguard the right to preach and speak on sidewalks in Arkansas for all citizens. The judge has yet to rule on Mr. Anders’ guilt or innocence. He has requested the attorneys to submit briefs to him for consideration prior to issuing his final order.

Ballinger, renowned for his advocacy on religious liberty and First Amendment issues during his time as a legislator, expressed his deep concerns regarding the incident. He stated, “This case represents one of the most egregious violations of the First Amendment I have witnessed in Arkansas. Our Constitution upholds religious expression through the Free Exercise and Free Speech Clauses, and our state’s religious freedom protections necessitate strict scrutiny whenever governmental actions impede religious expression.”

He further emphasized, “The Supreme Court, in Curtis Pub. Co. v. Butts, declared that the ‘dissemination of the individual’s opinions on matters of public interest’ is an ‘unalienable right that governments are instituted to secure,’ as articulated in the Declaration of Independence. Governments that fail to protect such rights are not fulfilling their purpose.”

Former Senator Jason Rapert, Founder and President of NACL, expressed his views on the matter, saying, “Freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and the right to peacefully assemble are all enshrined in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution for an important reason – they are critical freedoms in our constitutional republic. Our founding fathers placed them at the top of the Bill of Rights because they wanted these rights to be protected for every individual. Mr. Anders was peacefully standing on a public sidewalk exercising his freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and his right to peacefully assemble in Batesville, Arkansas. He was preaching the Word of God. He should never have been arrested, and I am appalled that he was prosecuted for preaching in the state of Arkansas.”

When asked about his ministry, Mr. Anders summarized, “To put it simply, Jesus Christ can liberate you from the sins and bondage of homosexuality, and if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” He further expressed his unwavering commitment to his faith and that he hopes that his case will set a precedent for the protection of religious expression in public spaces for others.

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Pulaski County Judge Voids 27 Arkansas Laws Restricting Medical Marijuana

Marijuana

On Wednesday, Pulaski County Circuit Judge Morgan “Chip” Welch issued a decision that voids 27 laws the Arkansas Legislature has enacted since 2017 concerning so-called “medical” marijuana in the state.

The ruling came as the result of a lawsuit by Good Day Farms Arkansas and Capital City Medicinals — two members of the “medical” marijuana industry.

In 2016 voters passed the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment legalizing “medical” marijuana in the state. The measure is now Amendment 98 to the Arkansas Constitution.

Section 23 of Amendment 98 lets the Arkansas Legislature make changes or additions to Amendment 98 upon a two-thirds vote of the Arkansas House of Representatives and the Arkansas Senate.

Since then, the legislature has used that authority to enact a number of reasonable restrictions on marijuana. 

For example, in 2019 lawmakers passed good measures like S.B. 440 that prohibits marijuana stores from selling marijuana-infused candy and other foods that are likely to appeal to children and S.B. 442 restricting medical marijuana advertisements in much the same way as tobacco advertisements. Wednesday’s ruling nullifies both of these good laws.

Despite Amendment 98’s wording, Judge Welch ruled that changes to Amendment 98 should have been made as further constitutional amendments referred to the people for a vote.

The decision says in part,

The Court, therefore, FURTHER FINDS AND DECLARES the 27 subsequent Acts of the General Assembly to be UNCONSTITUTIONAL and VOID, and that the ORIGINAL TEXT OF AMENDMENT 98 as adopted by the
people REMAINS IN EFFECT.

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin says his office plans to appeal the case to the Arkansas Supreme Court.

You can read Judge Welch’s ruling here.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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