Part One
What would happen if the churches were all closed? Could it happen here?
Imagine one day, a typical Sunday morning, that a family leaves home intending to go to church. "Steve, Sandy, and 2 year old Louis" decide to drive over to the familiar granite-faced building with the gated parking area and notice there are no parked cars in the normally full parking area. Instead, only a dozen or so other vehicles are seen slowly driving through the parking lanes, heads are seen turned, looking at the building.
As they too look at the building, with a shock, they see a large "closed" sign on the door and they wonder "WHAT happened?" They quickly decide to drive over to another "church" in order not to be late.
Upon arrival, the same scene is repeated, only this time a small group of people stand near the boarded up doorway reading a poster and shaking their heads in confusion.
With a growing sense of something strange mixed with thoughts of "we better hurry if we are going to get a service in before lunch", they ignore the cluster of other Christians and zip over to yet another church, one they do not care for all that much, but.... at least it's church.
With a shock, they arrive at church #3 and it too is boarded up, this time with two policemen at the entrance. They notice a police car driving away with someone in the back seat but cannot see who it is. A man and his wife are just getting into their car to leave as Steve and Sandy pull alongside to ask "what is going on?"
The man in the other car whispers, "They just took the pastor away in handcuffs. I guess some of the deacons got in a scuffle with one of the deputies who put the "CLOSED" poster on the door."
At this point, Steve is really alarmed. He takes out his cell phone to call some church-going friends and discovered they are all finding out the same story: ALL of the churches have been closed, locked out, and some of the leaders arrested. They are stunned. "This is the USA, hey, we have a Constitution and Bill of Rights, we're free, MAN!"
Most of the parishoners were unaware of the new "emergency" declared late Saturday night by the President. Some had heard of a possible "bank holiday" being declared (which actually happened the next morning on Monday, just like it did when President Roosevelt declared one back on Sunday, March 05, 1933
"Amidst the Great Depression, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced a four-day "bank holiday" today. All U.S. banks would close effective March 6 to keep Americans from withdrawing their money in panic. "Suiting the deed to the word, the President over the weekend declared a condition of national emergency and invoked war-time powers to bring about a state of financial stability which had been upset by the sporadic closing of banks in many States," -informed the Indiana Evening Gazette on March 6, 1933.
But this was 2012.
Steve and Sandy were vaguely aware of the growing hostility to Christianty and other religions, but they were busy with family, job hunting, Steve's part-time work, nightly television, the latest movies, and of course, SPORTS! They gave little thought to the news sound-bites about some being arrested for violating the strict "Hate-Speech" laws because they mentioned homosexuality in a negative sounding way, or families losing their children to the CPS (Child Protective Services), because they took them to a church service against their will and told a teacher at school.
Nor did they connect the Presidential orders regarding the "present dangers" of "subversives, terrorist hate speech", "anti-government talk spawned by talk radio", religious and Christian patriot elements." The President promised "to do all I can to protect good Americans from these elements."
The President's speech was given in the wake of the latest wave of nationwide "TEA" parties (taxed enough already). The recent takeover by the Federal government of IRA's, Keough's, and 401k private pension retirement accounts had generated massive tax protests as the Feds moved in on the last storehouse of untapped money, in order to pay on the 77 trilion dollar national debt.
Many churches were involved with the Tax protest movement, especially the patriotic "God and country" ones who had seen the loss of church tax deductions, the loss of gun ownership rights, and the shocking arrest of Rush Limbaugh under the "Hate Speech" legislation.
The church they usually attended, Loving Life Fellowship, was very involved with Community Service projects and fund-raisers, the pastor emulated one of the famous television pastors of a "Mega-Church', and the services were "events" consisting of dramaticaly lighted stage performances by professional sounding musicians and singers. A $400,000 sound system rocked the 5,000 seat "sanctuary" with contemporary "gospel" music, the pastor was a polished speaker in an immaculately tailored suit. Television cameras broadcast the services regionally and the parking lot was usually filled with upscale cars and SUV's.
Sermons were well-prepared, oratorical performances, accompanied by sophisticated lighting, sound, and huge simulcast monitors that focused on the speaker. "Our Message" given by Sr. Pastor and Apostle, Phil Abrams, D.D. was one that comforted and uplifted the people with a positive, upbeat theme that always included the pastors motto: "GOD WANTS TO BLESS YOU!!!" (-"now turn to your neighbor and say GOD WANTS TO BLESS YOU!").
But today was different, there would be no "services" held. Not at 9am, not at 11am, not at 6 pm.
Confused and shocked, Steve and Sandy went home and began to make calls to friends and family. They found the same story repeated everywhere; closed churches; some, if not many, arrested, and a growing fear for what had happened to their life. They found out about the mandatory government edict forbidding Christians and other religions assembling, effective as of midnight on Saturday, March 3, 2012.
Steve, being a business man was very concerned. Not only were they on the churches computer membership list from when they had enrolled 5 years earlier, but also there was a concern for the records held by the church in regard to their tithes and offerings during that time. He wondered if there was any danger for himself if the authorities were confiscating church records and computers and looking for "supporters".
He was also worried if his involvement with any of the TEA party events might be a problem.
Months later, his concerns were validated when he received a "visit" from 3 government agents who showed him to the penny how much he had given each year, and even his church attendance records that the deacons had kept. Steve noticed on one of the agents laptops, his address, other data, and his name was on a page with a blue asterisk * next to it.
As Sandy and Steve were now very concerned about "the church situation" as it was referred to in the news, they thought it best to lay low and not go. He had heard stories of vocal Christians losing their jobs, credit, and having property seized. Steve thought it best to get rid of any Christian books, computer bookmarks, and did his best to "sanitize" their home of anything Christian. "I have a family to feed" he reasoned, and besides, it was not all that bad an idea. Those churches mostly existed to serve their own comforts and self-existence.
Steve also thought about those friends they used to know that had invited them to a "home fellowship" group but Steve had scoffed at them saying he would only go to a "REAL CHURCH". He did not stay in touch with them, no one saw them around the mainstream churches, they had seemed to fade away into obscurity.
He did remember a final conversation with "brother Ralph" in 2006. "Brother" Ralph had warned Steve the hour was very late and he should get out of debt, get out of sin, and get into the Word of God for himself. He tried to warn Steve his church was not preparing him or his family for troubled times and his fellow church-goers were spiritualy asleep and not following the Holy Scriptures, even though they had the appearance of "Christian".
Steve and Sandy both knew their lives were not all that "holy", but as they had gotten to be friends with other church members, they saw the liquor, movies, jokes, and normal American lifestyles that gave the impression everything was OK, grace was in, sin was out. Everyone, mostly drove a nice car, borrowed money to finance their desires, and even Pastor Abrams was known for being a "regular" guy with his Rollex watch, black BMW, and his season tickets to the Giants games. He was also involved in local politics holding an official position on the Airport Commission and was the unofficial "City Pastor", as his golf buddy, the Mayor called him.
That Ralph guy was "too overboard" on the Bible, and Steve was very uncomfortable around him. But now, the occasional thought about that"brother Ralph" flickered across his mind and he wondered "What IF he was right about that stuff?" -which made no sense, because if Ralph was right, he would have a big following.
But now he had other things to worry about, those agents, that blue star by his name, and the gnawing questions over what happened to those people who had been picked up by the unmarked, black vehicles?
And one more question regarding recent events; why were some of the closed churches reopening? -some with new pastors, some with name changes?
The more Steve thought about it, the more comfortable he was with the idea of shutting those places down, taxing or confiscating all that untaxed church property, and giving the boot to all the phony showboat pastors he recalled seeing in them and on television. In his mental juggling, Steve would sometimes think it good for the government to clean up the churches, and at other times worry about the loss of liberty.
But Steve also wondered where was God in all of this? Right now, self-preservation for he, Sandy, and little Louis was at the top of his list, he only wished he would never had joined that membership or written those "tax-deductible" tithe and offering checks which now were witnesses of his "faith".
... to be continued
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