Delaware Gov. Jack Markell just declared Feb. 12 "Charles Darwin Day" in his state—just because a member of the Delaware Atheist Meetup group asked him to.
Nevertheless, no one is persecuting Markell for his godless move. In fact, atheists everywhere are celebrating and at least one is encouraging other governors to make atheistic proclamations in their states.
Atheists love Darwin and his theory of evolution, which claims humans evolved from lower life forms. The problem with that theory, of course, is that it defies Scripture. God created Adam and Eve in His image (see Gen. 2), not Mighty Joe Young and Betsy in the image of the animals Adam named.
Markell proclaimed that "Darwin's Theory of Evolution is the foundation of modern biology, an essential tool in understanding the development of life on earth." I respectfully beg to differ. Darwin's theory of evolution has emerged as a deceptive tool in the hands of determined atheists who spend more time trying to prove God doesn't exist than reading His Word with an open heart.
Crying Out for Revival
Again, no one is persecuting Markell for his godless move. But let former Texas Gov. Rick Perry or Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal pray in the name of Jesus in a public setting and all hell breaks loose. I was at The Response: Baton Rouge this weekend, where thousands of believers from all walks of life and many denominations gathered together to cry out to God on behalf of a nation in crisis.
"Our God is an awesome God, amen!" Jindal declared from a platform inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on the campus of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. "We're going to plea for Him to send his Spirit, His healing Spirit, a Spirit of revival in this place, all across this state, all across this blessed land."
Born and raised in a Hindu family, Jindal also shared the testimony of how he came to know Jesus Christ as a teenager—on the very campus at which he was then crying out to God for a spiritual revival. It was a touching testimony of the power of sowing gospel seeds in the hearts of those with whom we interact and a strong example of how God works all things according to the counsel of His will (see Eph. 1:11).
Crucifying Jindal
Although disappointing, it's not surprising that Jindal received heaps of criticism for his decision to host a Christian prayer rally. Protestors gathered outside the assembly center to voice their opposition. One protestor told CBN, "He shouldn't be doing it on a state campus. If they want to do that, go somewhere else."
But that was mild compared to what would come next. Right Wing Watch verbally crucified the governor, accusing him of "teaming up with anti-gay extremists and Christian-nation advocates" and "giving them credibility they do not deserve." Slate assumed The Response was "part of the rollout for Jindal's inevitable presidential run." And opednews.com claimed: "Jindal's 'Response' a No-Go Zone for Atheists, Gays, and Forms of Intelligent Life."
I could go on an on and some of the backlash is much worse than that—for calling people to come together and pray in the name of Jesus. I'm all for free speech and freedom of religion, but it seems some other religions—or the religion-less, secular humanists and atheists—are threatened by Christians who pray in the name of Jesus. That always surprises me, given they don't believe there's any God listening or answering anyway. Atheists should be glad Jindal is praying. I pray that God will encounter the hearts of atheists in an unprecedented way this year.
I think Jindal said it best when he told CBN: "You've got a group of Christians who say we want to pay money to rent a hall on LSU's campus so we can come together and pray. Do we really live in a society where that's controversial?" Unfortunately, in an age where antichrist spirits are rising, I guess we do.
Jennifer LeClaire is senior editor of Charisma. She is also director of Awakening House of Prayer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and author of several books, including The Making of a Prophet and Satan's Deadly Trio: Defeating the Deceptions of Jezebel, Religion and Witchcraft. You can visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.
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