In Their Sights

"Slippery slope fallacy!" they cry. The slippery slope claims that if A occurs, B necessarily follows, that if something happens there will be certain inevitable results. It is a fallacy because they say you don't have evidence for the inevitable. The fallacy is a little vague because it is only a fallacy if it doesn't happen. That is, it's no fallacy if the "inevitable results" actually follow.

We've been saying for some time now "If you give away the freedom of religion on this point, more erosion of that freedom will necessarily follow." "You're just being paranoid," they tell us. "Slippery slope fallacy." Like what? We warned that if you redefine marriage to exclude "man and woman" as part of the up-until-now-always-understood definition, then "only two" will also be excluded. They're working on it. Groups in both Canada and the United States have launched lawsuits that say, essentially, "If they can do it, why can't we?" And the response has been, in the end, "Because we say so." How long will that stand? We warned that if you force "gay mirage" as the law of the land, then it won't be long until pastors and clergy could be forced to perform such ceremonies. "Don't be ridiculous," they assured us. "There will always be a religious exemption." Really? In 2014 the city of Coeur d’Alene threatened to arrest a minister who refused to perform a same-sex wedding. In 2015, the Barna group reported that a growing number of people think that religious institutions should be forced to perform them. Some states tried to pass religious freedom legislation like Georgia's bill which simply "allowed faith-based organizations to deny services that violate such faith-based organization's sincerely held religious beliefs", but they're getting vetoed. Now California is aiming directly at private religious colleges. SB 1146 seeks to "limit the religious exemption from the Equity in Higher Education Act to certain educational programs and activities of a postsecondary educational institution that is controlled by a religious organization." (That's a quote from the bill.) The Supreme Court upheld the ruling that Christian pharmacists must sell abortion-inducing drugs against their faith. Slippery slope fallacy? Not when it happens.

Christians, since the beginning of this country, have believed themselves safe to practice their faith because the Bill of Rights guaranteed it. The tide of public opinion has turned. It isn't a matter of harm done for practicing faith. The Christians who declined to provide services for same-sex "weddings" didn't have any impact on those events. People wishing to retain their faith are not the only option. Schools that wish to maintain religious standards are not the only schools. Churches that wish to maintain biblical positions are not the only churches. Harm is not in view. No, it is your faith in their sights. You must "affirm who they are", as if that's a right. They won't stop at florists, bakers, photographers, or innkeepers. They won't stop at private Christian schools. They won't stop at religious leaders or churches. As the tide of public opinion rolls over against God and His Word, it will necessarily engulf you wherever you are. It's not a slippery slope argument if it's already in the works.

Am I urging you to action? No. Am I hoping to incite outrage? No. Am I complaining? No. I'm urging you to trust in God. I'm urging you to pay attention to God's Word. He says it will happen. He says to rejoice.

Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (2 Tim 3:12)

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. (1 Peter 4:12-13)