The boys in Cincinnati are tearing a page out of professional martyr, Bwana Bob Thiel's strategy book. The big bad meanies out there are persecuting them because they dare to say stupid things at the wrong times. They believe that their incessant flapping of the arms, thrusting their big thick bibles in the air and screaming condemnation is preaching the gospel. It's not.
Here’s what we need to understand. A most disturbing trend has arisen: indiscriminate censorship of online information is underway, including censorship both by national governments and by the Internet companies themselves!
While we in the Church of God fellowship still print and distribute thousands of physical Bible study guides, magazines, booklets and letters, we today conduct much of the Work in this online environment that is now being subjected to capricious censorship.
One of these alarming acts of digital censorship is called “de-platforming.” U.S. and European governments have severely criticized and investigated the tech giants of the Internet, including Amazon, Google, Apple, Facebook and others for both allowing false, misleading, even harmful information to spread like wildfire and to indiscriminately collect and use data.
These companies responded by independently censoring online information. Major figures have since been “de-platformed,” drawing criticism from world leaders in Europe and elsewhere. All companies, to one degree or another—and including the United Church of God—conduct major parts of their work online.
Further, as has been established, these companies have also unilaterally censored or removed information that does not square with their political and social thought.
This censorship has spread to disabling entire websites and social media platforms like Parler and individuals and organizations on Facebook and Twitter. Now, more and more people and organizations are silenced without warning. This includes churches who openly preach what the Bible says about certain sins.
We have seen other evangelical organizations recently have messages “shadow-banned,” particularly on YouTube. The URL of the message remains online, but it is delisted so it cannot be found on search engines. Both being “de-platformed” and “shadow-banned” could happen to us. There are many who would want to silence our voice of “showing my people their sins” (Isaiah 58:1).
Here in America, we have been blessed with the highest degree of protection for religious freedom in history, but it appears to be eroding rapidly. When I looked up a certain biblical phrase online in preparation for this column, I was advised by my browser that this was "content not suited for everyone”!
In addition to Internet censorship, we are seeing new laws being considered in the United States and abroad that could have dramatic and far-reaching negative impacts on the Church of God fellowship.
And what is Kubik all in a twist over? He believes the state is going to turn UCG kids into transexuals.
Current federal legislation called the Equality Act is anything but that. If passed by the Senate and signed into law, it could deliver a stunning blow to religious freedom.
Among other things, the Equality Act offers federal protection to those who would discard the biblical standards of man and woman, male and female. Under this potential law, so-called “gender identity” would be arbitrarily determined by individuals, not by physical genetics. It could throw all current standards into calumnious disarray. For example, boys who “identify” as girls could compete in women’s sports, despite physical differences. More ominously, men who “identify” as women would be legally free to use women's restrooms and other protected areas. This has already resulted in grievous harm.
Further, some legislatures in Australia, Canada and elsewhere have adopted or are considering laws that legally prohibit any attempt to “deprogram” those who have artificially identified as a member of the opposite sex. Incredibly, in some instances, that ostensibly includes even praying for those individuals to recover!
When people—even major figures—object, they are instantly subjected to vile derision and ad hominem attacks, which often follow a destructive pattern of “name, shame, cancel, repeat.”
I ask for your prayers that we as a spiritual fellowship be protected from this kind of legislation and societal trend that we may continue to do the work of the living God, and especially that our children be protected. Personal from the President
Not a single Church of God out there that is preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ is suffering any real persecution. Those that claim they are being persecuted, like Bob Thiel, LCG, and UCG, are preaching messages of condemnation.
Woe is me, everything is wrong in the world and we have to be just as nasty as people in the world we delight in condemning.
Those who are followers of Christ understand his message differently and don't spend every telecast, sermon, or copious amounts of time writing articles in vitriolic fits of condemnation. But since Thiel and the others are Christ deniers and instead Moses followers, they know nothing other than condemnation and damnation.
