On yesterday’s “Washington Watch” program, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins took a call from a listener, Hector, who urged conservative Christians to protest “abortionists,” “homosexual organizations” and the “Muslim-in-chief” for allegedly being under the control of Satan and persecuting Christians.
Perkins, who has previously called gay rights advocates pawns of Satan, agreed with Hector’s claim that conservatives like themselves are engaged in a spiritual war against demonic forces. He then added that President Obama is permitting the violent persecution of Christians outside of the U.S. in places like Iran and North Korea because his domestic social policies show “hostility” to religion.
Rather than cite any specific examples, Perkins brought up the mayor of Atlanta’s decision to terminate the city’s fire chief after he violated employment policies by distributing to coworkers his self-published book that included condemnations of homosexuality. Perkins told Hector that such actions ultimately contribute to violence against Christians.
“Tyrants abroad see an administration that is not only not interested in protecting religious freedom but actually persecuting, like we saw with the mayor there in Atlanta firing the fire chief because he believes in biblical morality and dares speak about it,” he said. “And if you and I tolerate that religious intolerance from the secular left, the rabid secular left, then Christians are going to die abroad.”
Caller: Since this Muslim-in-chief president’s got in office you’ve had a wave of wickedness just open up across our country and other nations, if you hadn’t noticed. It’s demonic, it’s a demonic undertone and overtone with this homosexuality, this abortionist, everybody seems to have a free pass to lawlessness since this president has got into office.
Now, the cure for this — I’ve cast out demons, I’ve been attacked physically myself, long story short, I wasn’t afraid, I kicked them in the rear, I got them off, they tried to choke them out and smother me because I was getting into the rear-end of Satan with my foot and he had to back me up and I’ve backed them up in the name of Jesus — but anyway, the thing is, more Christians have to line up in unity and start standing in front of D.C., getting around this abortionist and where these homosexual organizations around and start binding demons and demonic forces and wickedness and casting out demons in the name of Jesus Christ and then you’re going to get somewhere. All of this talk and going on with meetings, Satan is in these big Christian meetings.
Perkins: Take a breath, Hector. I think we have to realize that as I often quote from Ephesians 6 that we wrestle not with flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of darkness and spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places, so we are in a spiritual battle. They often manifest itself in various realms. We’ve got to be present. The light that is in our lives through Christ Jesus, the truth, causes the darkness to scatter so we have to engage, and I think that is what you are saying, we’ve got to engage, we’ve got to vote, we’ve got to be involved, we’ve got to speak, we’ve got to help, we’ve got to work, we’ve got to minister, we’ve got to do all of those things, everything, not one aspect of the Christian life is going to do it, it has got to be all inclusive.
I do want to comment on something you said and that was under this administration, you’ve talked about the religious persecution and how that was spreading and in fact it is. Because of America’s indifference toward religious freedom, we’re seeing persecution advance globally at a significant level. Tomorrow on this program I’m going to be joined by David Curry who is with Open Doors, he will be tomorrow at the National Press Club, they will be unveiling the 2014 rankings of the fifty countries that are engaged in persecution of Christians. I met with him earlier today so he is going to come on tomorrow and they are going to release this tomorrow listing the top fifty countries where Christians are persecuted. I have said this all along and I will say it again, I believe the reason we are seeing this increase in global persecution of Christians and other religious minorities is because of the indifference to religion here at home and actual growing hostility at the hands of our own government.
Tyrants abroad see an administration that is not only not interested in protecting religious freedom but actually persecuting, like we saw with the mayor there in Atlanta firing the fire chief because he believes in biblical morality and dares speak about it. That’s what we’re talking about. And if you and I tolerate that religious intolerance from the secular left, the rabid secular left, then Christians are going to die abroad. End of story. That’s going to happen because they will see these tyrants, in North Korea, Iran, will see that, hey, Americans don’t care about religious freedom, look at what they’re doing to their own people.
