{"id":438,"date":"2011-04-06T14:05:02","date_gmt":"2011-04-06T18:05:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/on_the_front_lines_of_the_culture_wars\/?p=438"},"modified":"2011-04-08T13:58:08","modified_gmt":"2011-04-08T17:58:08","slug":"why-do-they-want-to-censor-jesus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/on_the_front_lines_of_the_culture_wars\/2011\/04\/why-do-they-want-to-censor-jesus.html","title":{"rendered":"Why do they want to censor Jesus?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Prayer: Not politically correct!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Perhaps you remember Nevada high school valedictorian Brittany McComb, who last year delivered her commencement address to over 400 fellow students, families and staff. She had been warned by officials not to utter the name of Jesus in her speech.<\/p>\n

\u00a0However, believing that the district\u2019s censorship of her speech amounted to a violation of her right to free speech, she delivered the banned version of her remarks in which she shared her personal beliefs about the role that her Christian beliefs played in her success.<\/p>\n

When school officials found her to be straying from the approved text, they unplugged her microphone, ending her address. Despite loud and angry jeers from the audience over school officials\u2019 actions, McComb was not permitted to finish giving her valedictory speech.<\/p>\n

In another such incident at about the same time, the Rev. Danny Harvey was fired by a Florida hospital for including the word \u2018Jesus\u2019 at the end of his prayers.<\/p>\n

The hospital said it was worried about what it called \u201cSecondhand Jesus,\u201d meaning that non-believers who might overhear his prayers should not have Jesus forced upon them.<\/p>\n

Harvey, who worked for the Leesburg Regional Center for more than seven years, said the hospital staff forced him to resign from his post.<\/p>\n

Louis H. Bremer Jr., the hospital\u2019s president and chief executive officer, said in a statement: \u201cThe interpretation many Christians are getting is that prayer is completely banned from the hospital, which couldn\u2019t be further from the truth.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be very appropriate to say Jesus\u2019 name in the presence of a Christian family. That\u2019s no problem. What must be understood is knowing the audience and what is appropriate for that particular situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

In other words, anyone mentioning Jesus within listening distance of someone who doesn\u2019t want to hear about Jesus will be punished.<\/p>\n

Harvey insists that he didn\u2019t force Jesus on anyone. \u201cI would approach a family and offer them the chance for me to pray for them, but they have the option to say no,\u201d Harvey said. \u201cI have never imposed my beliefs on others.\u201d<\/p>\n

And why the double standard?<\/p>\n

\u201cImagine if a Hindu were fired for invoking lord Vishnu\u2019s name,\u201d observes columnist Matthew Archbold, \u201cor a Buddhist for invoking Buddha\u2019s name, or even a Muslim for invoking Allah\u2019s name.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ACLU would be screaming bloody murder. But, for Christians to invoke the name of their namesake, Jesus Christ … well, it is tantamount to a hate crime!\u201d<\/p>\n

Is this sort of treatment inevitable? Should Christians just accept it. After all, in Matthew 24:9, Jesus did warn us, \u201cThen shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name\u2019s sake.\u201d<\/p>\n

Navy Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt earned the ire of his commanders with his prayers \u201cin Jesus\u2019 name.\u201d His 16-year career ended abruptly when he refused a superior\u2019s order that he quit praying in Jesus\u2019 name.<\/p>\n

Klingenschmitt today says the costs of his battle were high but worthwhile, because it prompted Congress to instruct the Navy that the policy be rescinded. As a result, other chaplains have the freedom that Klingenschmitt sought.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy sacrifice purchased their freedom. My conscience is clear, the fight was worth it, and I\u2019d do it all again,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Want to read more? CLICK HERE<\/strong> <\/a>to read whether faith in Jesus is just too shocking for the news media to handle.
\nCLICK HERE<\/a><\/strong> to consider more about why the media is offended by people of faith
\nCLICK HERE<\/a><\/strong> to consider whether we are headed for a God-free society
\nIs Jesus an illegal word that cannot be uttered in public anymore? CLICK HERE<\/a><\/strong>
\nCLICK HERE<\/a><\/strong> to read about recent legal efforts\u00a0to ban\u00a0church bells
\nAnd CLICK HERE<\/strong> <\/a>to consider a British journalist’s concern that Christianity is becoming criminalized in Western society.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Perhaps you remember Nevada high school valedictorian Brittany McComb, who last year delivered her commencement address to over 400 fellow students, families and staff. She had been warned by officials not to utter the name of Jesus in her speech. \u00a0However, believing that the district\u2019s censorship of her speech amounted to a violation of her…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":270,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,101,83,107,12,102],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-438","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible","category-history","category-inspirational","category-political-correctness","category-prayer","category-u-s-constitution"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy do they want to censor Jesus? - On the Front Lines of the Culture Wars<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/on_the_front_lines_of_the_culture_wars\/2011\/04\/why-do-they-want-to-censor-jesus.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why do they want to censor Jesus? - On the Front Lines of the Culture Wars\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Perhaps you remember Nevada high school valedictorian Brittany McComb, who last year delivered her commencement address to over 400 fellow students, families and staff. 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