Over the last ten years or so I have taken notice of the speech of some saints in America.  Particularly, when they raise their cry in the political arena, the public square and radio waves along with others.  The cry which causes me wonder?  Christians crying out for their right to defend their lifestyle.  Whuh?

Where these brethren in Christ find solace and support is not in what they profess as the authoritative word of God.  No, the source of their boldness and rally cries comes more from those whom Jesus said live and die by the sword rather than the word of God.

Is anyone reminded of those who feared and were prepared to do whatever it took to prevent the loss of their position, their lifestyle, to the Romans (John 11:48) even unto the ultimate:  The crucifixion of Jesus?

An example where some find the spirit and source of moral support:  A song of freedom.  Some of you may recall the song by Paul McCartney shortly after 911 called, "Freedom".  There's a line from the song heard in radio programs as the breakaway to and return from commercial pauses:  "This is my right, a right given by God
To live a free life, to live in Freedom".  It plays well.  It may (though I remember better from L&M songs) sound true.  It may be heartily embraced by those who know not God, but where is the biblical footing on this for Christians?  Understand I am not asking for book, chapter and verse, but will somebody articulate according to the Spirit this stance, this embrace by Christians?  Is there anybody who thinks "fight" is a euphemism for something other than the shedding of blood when the lyricist states:

"Anyone, who wants to take it away
Will have to answer,
Cause this is my right"

No, this is not a call to ignite community CD bonfires, a bash on the songwriter or the song, but rather a call to Christians to pause and reflect on the ideologies they embrace as being of God.

Certainly, I expect somebody is thinking; Would you like to live in slavery, bondage or any form of captivity?
It's not where or whether we like where God puts us in life, but whether we will remember to honor and give glory to Him at all times.  One of the matters on which atheists distort and malign the faith is on what they perceive as an approval and command for enslavement.  We know by reading Philemon among other texts none of the New Testament writers ever approved or commanded enslavement.  They did write to our slave brethren in the first century if they could obtain their freedom that would be great, but certainly never through the shedding of their master's blood.  Similarly, Paul and James exhort and plea with slave masters in Christ to treat their slaves with mercy and love particularly those who shared the common bond of love as brothers in Christ.

Our liberties and all manner of blessings are from God, but James reminds us should we confuse or deceive ourselves into believing the shedding of blood as being of God in order to preserve our lifestyle and our riches:

4:1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don’t they come from your pleasures that war in your members? 4:2 You lust, and don’t have. You kill, covet, and can’t obtain. You fight and make war. You don’t have, because you don’t ask. 4:3 You ask, and don’t receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it for your pleasures. 4:4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don’t you know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 4:5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously”?

I have deliberately made every effort to avoid party labels and alignment on the political spectrum in an effort to keep a focus on what is nothing less than an ideology embraced by some Christians to fight for the preservation of their lifestyle.  Do you know what you would do (Do you/we know what Jesus did in order to make us free) if someone came to take away your "right to live in freedom" and your lifestyle?