A Gideon Stood Up in Texas
The Texas Legislature heard debate last week on Senate Bill 6, a so-called "bathroom bill" requiring people to use the bathroom or shower facility that corresponds to their biological sex at birth. Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick is leading this charge in the state capitol of Austin.
Dan Forest, Lt. Governor of North Carolina, traveled to Austin to testify before the legislature in support of the Texas bill, which is fashioned after North Carolina's House Bill 2 (HB2). You may recall that last July the National Basketball Association pulled its All-Star Game out of Charlotte to aid a growing boycott of North Carolina that began in opposition to HB2.
The secular left has been on a roll for much of the last decade. As a result, they seem to have developed an exaggerated opinion of their clout, which does not correspond with social and electoral reality.
A popular and cool Barack Obama lied at the Saddleback presidential debate in 2008. Pastor Rick Warren: "Define marriage." Obama: "I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman. Now, for me as a Christian—for me—for me as a Christian, it is also a sacred union. God's in the mix."
A democratic republic, where ultimate authority and power is derived from its citizens, remains viable only as long as people can, on the whole, rely on candidates and elected officials to tell the truth.
Once Obama was elected president, in flat-out contradiction to his word, he led the U.S. gay rights revolution globally, even using American embassies around the world to promote same-sex intercourse and marriage. This was all in defiance of U.S. citizens who had voted in state-after-state, supporting traditional marriage with overwhelming majorities. Consider:
- Mississippi—86 percent
- Tennessee—81 percent
- Louisiana—78 percent
- South Carolina—78 percent
- Georgia—76 percent
- Oklahoma—76 percent
- Texas—76 percent
- Arkansas—75 percent
- Kentucky—75 percent
- North Dakota—73 percent
- Missouri—72 percent
- Alabama—71 percent
- Kansas—70 percent
- Nebraska—70 percent
- Montana—67 percent
- Nevada—67 percent
- Utah—66 percent
- Idaho—63 percent
- Florida—62 percent
- Ohio—62 percent
- North Carolina—61 percent
- Michigan—59 percent
- Wisconsin—59 percent
- Oregon—57 percent
- Virginia—57 percent
- Arizona—56 percent
- Colorado—56 percent
- California—52 percent
- South Dakota—52 percent
With President Obama's encouragement of gay pride parades in major cities around the nation, diplomats taking part in parades around the world, embassies flying the rainbow flag beside the Stars and Stripes, and six openly homosexual ambassadors—Obama and the left were large and in charge. It must have seemed like a small matter to bulldoze over the 61 percent of North Carolinians who voted in 2012 to ban same-sex marriage in their state.
Then a Gideon appeared on the public stage. Dan Forest, although up for reelection in November 2016, stood for the unseen against the seen.
First,
the seen: "More than 100 top executives from major companies, including major Charlotte employers like Bank of America, have signed a letter opposing the "anti-LGBT" legislation."
But refusing to be cowed, Forest stated:
What is happening here [in North Carolina] is so much bigger than a basketball game. A sovereign state is being blackmailed by a private business (NBA) who is being threatened by a national LGBT lobbying effort, all to force North Carolina to open female restrooms, showers and locker rooms up to men. All of this was done under the guise of "inclusiveness'" and other politically correct buzzwords. But the reality is that had we not blocked the Charlotte Bathroom Ordinance from going into effect, sex offenders and pedophiles would have had full access to our women and children in bathrooms around the state. I enjoy the NBA and wanted them to hold the All-Star game in Charlotte, but if that game comes with strings attached, strings that would expose women and children to danger, molestation, assault and voyeurism, then no thank you. Take your business elsewhere, and I have no apologies about saying that and never will. The NBA knows the economic hit North Carolina will take from this decision. I wish the NBA would likewise acknowledge the pain, sorrow and devastation a child or woman feels when they are exploited. We will never value a dollar over a woman's or child's safety and security.
It's worth noting that Pat McCrory, the Republican Governor of North Carolina, vacillated on HB2–and that voters did not re-elect him to office in November. In contrast, Lt. Governor Forest "
went on to win his re-election by more votes than any other elected candidate in the state, including President Trump."
Which brings us back around to Texas SB 6.
In a stunning turn of events, the Texas Association of Business and Chambers of Commerce president Chris Wallace, the most influential business lobby in Texas, testified before the legislature last week and argued for transgender bathrooms in Texas. Wallace filled his testimony with fear and misinformation, stating that SB 2 "could cost the state up to $8.5 billion and more than 100,000 jobs, according to a Texas Association of Business report."
But then a Gideon appeared on the public stage, in the form of Texas state Senator Kelly Hancock. Watch the 11-minute video above.
We must reestablish prayer in America's churches, led by the senior pastor, if America is to survive. But that said, prayer is not all that is necessary. We have relinquished public education, higher learning, media, big business, federal courts, the Supreme Court and Hollywood to the godless, secular left. Men and women of Issachar must run for local office and bring biblical values to the public square in 2017-2018.
But there is good news, as Gideons and Rahabs are beginning to stand.
David Lane is the founder of American Renewal Project.
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