Lately it seems that we Americans are being taught lessons in freedom from other countries.
The courage of the Ukrainians as they fight to defend their freedom has inspired the world. Then there are the Hong Kong freedom voices, who are being systematically rounded up by the communist Chinese. And just a few days ago dissident Russian Alexei Navalny, who had courageously returned to Russia to stand for freedom, was murdered in prison.
Perhaps the most poignant freedom lesson from overseas comes from German Pastor Martin Niemöller.
Niemöller was a man of great courage who had been a submarine captain in World War I before he entered the ministry. As a minister, he spoke out against the atrocities of the Nazi regime. On March 2, 1938, he was sent to prison, where he spent the war because of his Christian beliefs.
Nevertheless, this Christian hero apologized for his delay in opposing the Nazis. Here is what he said:
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“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a trade unionist.
“Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.”
You may think Nazi Germany is far removed from today’s America, but you should think again. There are forces in America that no longer believe in individual liberty and democracy. Our freedoms are being diminished day by day, and most Christians remain silent.
First they came for the unborn, pushing abortion through the Supreme Court in 1973. Once legalized, abortion became a “sacred right,” expanding its reach even as science began to show that the unborn were humans after all. In recent years abortion extremists have legalized the murder of babies born alive after a botched abortion. Some have stood against abortion, but most Americans did not speak up, as 60 million American babies have been murdered. That is 10 times the size of the Nazi Holocaust Niemöller spoke against. And now after the Supreme Court sent the issue back to the states, many states are continuing to support abortion.
Then came the push to extend government control by criminalizing nonconformist behavior. Drug laws were stiffened to send minor users to lengthy prison terms in the “War on Drugs,” devastating minority communities. Under the guise of fighting white collar crime, government took vast new powers to seize property without proof of wrongdoing. People have gone to jail for getting lost in a snowstorm on federal land and failing to follow packaging regulations of foreign countries. Legal scholars say there are so many laws on the books today that almost anyone could be charged with a crime. Worse, many so-called crimes do not require criminal intent, so this foundational right in our legal system is eroding. Few speak up for the new class of “criminals.”
Government power has also been unleashed on political opponents. In 2012 the IRS blocked fundraising efforts by conservative organizations. In 2016 the FBI used a false document prepared by political opponents to spy on the Trump campaign and put forth the Russia collusion hoax. Deep State operatives kept the hoax going long enough to influence the 2018 midterm elections and give cover to a politically motivated impeachment. The 2020 Capitol Hill rioters have been stigmatized as “Insurrectionists,” and many are held like political prisoners for protesting the election results. And now the current administration and some allies have filed questionable legal actions against their front-running opponent, Donald Trump. Sadly, members of Big Media are the biggest cheerleaders for these attacks on freedom.
The COVID plague brought in a whole new level of anti-freedom measures. Lockdowns destroyed businesses and kept children out of school despite scientific evidence to the contrary. People were forced to wear ineffective masks as were children, again with no evidence. Millions of Americans have lost their jobs because the government has tried to force everyone to take the experimental vaccines even if they had natural immunity. And the government colluded with Big Tech and Big Media to suppress accurate information about the lockdowns and the vaccines. Now, your body is no longer yours.
On top of it all, they have been after our families and our faith. A decade before the abortion decision they used the Supreme Court to knock prayer out of public schools. For decades they have been trying to turn the schools into indoctrination centers, training a generation to hate America. They used the Supreme Court again to force gay marriage on us, and now the administration is trying to force our girls to shower with sexually confused boys. And the Black Lives Matter movement, widely supported in government and elite circles, states that it will “Disrupt the Western prescribed family structure,” while critical race theory teaches racial division.
You may not have much sympathy for a young drug user or business man who can’t defend himself because the government seized his money. You may not agree with Christians who are persecuted for their opposition to birth control, abortion or gay marriage. You may not understand why anyone would not take the vaccine. You may think that talk of election fraud is a conspiracy theory. You may dislike Trump. and you may be offended that the airways and internet are full of obnoxious political speech.
Just remember the warning of Niemöller: If you are cheering for the government as it moves against the freedom of others, you are only bringing the day of destruction closer to yourself.
Stand up for freedom now, before there is no one left when they come for you.
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Ron Allen is a Christian businessman who is active in ministries spreading a message of reconciliation to God, to men and between believers. He is the founder of American Wake Up Call.
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