Jeremiah 41
Rebellion of Ishmael verse 1- 3
Now it came to pass in the seventh month that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah
son of Elishama – of the ROYAL SEED
and the princes of the king – even ten men with him
came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah
and there did eat bread together in Mizpah
THEN arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah
and the ten men that were with him
and SMOTE Gedaliah the son of Ahikam
son of Shaphan with the sword – and SLEW him
whom the king of Babylon had made
GOVERNOR over the land
Ishmael also slew all the Jews that were with him
even with Gedaliah – at Mizpah
and the Chaldeans that were found there
and the men of war
Eighty worshipers come to Mizpah verse 4- 6
It came to pass the SECOND DAY after he had slain Gedaliah
AND NO man knew it – that there came certain from
Shechem – Slhiloh – Samaria – even fourscore (80) men
having their beards shaven – and their clothes rent
and having cut themselves
with offerings and incense in their hand
to bring them to the
house of the LORD
And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went forth from Mizpah to meet them
weeping all along as he went
and it came to pass- as he met them – he said unto them
Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam
Seventy worshipers killed by Ishmael verse 7- 8
And it was so – when they came into the midst of the city
that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah slew them
and cast them into the midst of the pit
he – and the men that were with him
BUT ten men were found among them that said unto Ishmael
SLAY us not – for we have treasures in the field
of wheat – barley – oil – honey
So he forbare – and SLEW them not among their brethren
Ishmael takes living with him to head for Ammon verse 9- 10
NOW the pit wherein Ishmael had cast all the dead bodies of the men
whom he had SLAIN because of Gedaliah
was it which Asa the king had made for fear of
Baasha king of Israel
and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah FILLED it
with them that were SLAIN
THEN Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people
that were in Mizpah – even the king’s daughters
and all the people that remained in Mizpah
whom Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard had
committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam
and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive
and departed to go over to the Ammonites
Johanan chases Ishmael verse 11- 12
BUT when Johanan the son of Kareah
AND all the captains of the forces that were with him
heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah
had done
THEN they took all the men
and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah
and found him by the great waters that are in Gibeon
Ishmael escapes with eight men verse 13- 15
NOW it came to pass
that when all the people which were with Ishmael saw
Johanan the son of Kareah
AND all the captains of the forces that were with him
THEN THEY WERE GLAD
So all the people that Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah
cast about and returned
and went unto Johanan –the son of Kareah
BUT Ishmael the son of Nethaniah ESCAPED from Johanan with eight men
and went to the Ammonites
Johanan takes captives with him to Chimham verse 16- 18
THEN took Johanan the son of Kareah
and all the captains of the forces that were with him
all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered
from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah – from Mizpah
after that he had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam
even mighty men of war and the
women – children – eunuchs
whom he had brought again from Gibeon
And they departed – and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham
which is by Bethlehem to go to enter into Egypt
Because of the Chaldeans – for they were afraid of them
because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had slain
Gedaliah the son of Ahikam whom the king of Babylon made
governor in the land
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 8 But ten men were among them that said unto Ishmael, Slay us not: for we have treasures in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey. So he forbare, and slew them not among their brethren. (2308 “forbare” [chadal] means to stop, cease, desist, forego, cease to be, or leave undone).
DEVOTION: In the last chapter Gedaliah was warned that Ishmael was going to kill him. He didn’t believe the warning. This chapter informs us that the warning was real. Ishmael killed him and the people with him. Next he killed those who came to Mizpah to worship the LORD. Of the eighty men who came to worship he killed seventy. What happened to the other ten?
They told Ishmael they would pay a ransom for their lives. His greed got the best of him and he agreed to take the ransom. A true leader would not look at money before honor. The honest thing to do was not to kill the designed leader but to work with the system in place to honor the LORD. We are told to pray for our governmental leaders. Our first prayer should be for their salvation.
Here we find fellow Judeans killing other Judeans in a power struggle. There are power struggles all around us even in the church of Jesus Christ. We need to stay out of the power struggles as best we can.
Money has power over people. Ishmael never did collect any of the money. The ten rich people were rescued. However, they still had to leave the area because of the rebellion that they didn’t want but were a part of anyway.
Can we say that money doesn’t influence the way we handle some situations in our lives? Are we friends to people who can finance us to help us get what we want and then forget that friendship? Can people buy our friendship? These are questions that come to mind when we read this chapter.
Are we a friend of God for all we can get from HIM financially? OR are we ones who love HIM and want to give to HIM and HIS work while we are here on this earth? Our checkbook and our treatment of friends tell our motives.
Finances should not influence our relationships with people. Finances should not influence our beliefs regarding what the church should do. Finances should not be the only basis for our stepping out in faith regarding reaching others for the LORD.
Biblical Christians want to be motivated by the love of God and not the love of money. Ishmael was motivated by the love of money and had nothing to do with God. What motivates our actions???
CHALLENGE: Examine your life in relationship to the LOVE of MONEY. We are to be givers and not takers. Be a giver to the work of the LORD.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 11–12 – But when Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces that were with him heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done, they took all the men and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah; and they found him by the great pool that is in Gibeon. The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982).
DEVOTION: In times of crisis and confusion leaders rise up and act to correct or stop wrongs. This is what occurs here in the case of Johanan, a man who reacts to the inhuman acts of Ishmael. Punishment for crimes is expected in society but during times of confusion and anarchy terrible things can happen. Today we see this in the case of chaos and confusion in places such as Syria and in some African countries. Individuals that in peaceful times would not act savagely suddenly commit horrendous acts of violence. It takes individuals of courage and moral strength to stand and bring order and morality back to society.
CHALLENGE: We are living in dangerous times as the world continues to move from principles that have been accepted and standards that have held the fabric of society together. As those principles are rejected and the search for new standards is made disorder is the norm. Pray that the Bible might be read and God’s standards might become the norm for individuals to live by again. Unless a revival breaks out the result could be similar to what happened in Israel after Babylon destroyed Jerusalem. We need men and women who will stand in the gap and uphold godly moral standards! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 13 Now it came to pass, that when all the people which were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, then they were glad. (8055 “glad” [samach] means rejoice, joyful, merry, cheerful, delight in, or be elated.)
DEVOTION: These were troubling times for those who remained in Judah after the invasion of Babylon. The governor that was set over the territory was slain by a man who was from the royal family. The governor had been warned that Ishmael was going to kill him but he didn’t believe Johanan.
However, Ishmael did kill him and others who were with him that had escaped the sword of the soldiers of Babylon to be killed by their fellow Judeans.
Now these who were not killed had been taken captive by Ishmael and his fellow soldiers to be taken from the homes to go to live with the Ammonites. Remember that the Ammonites were the descendants of Lot by one of his daughters. They were a group that had continually given the Israelites a hard time.
While they were being taken to live with the Ammonites, Johanan caught up with them and fought with Ishmael. He won the battle but they had to flee to Chimham which was near Bethlehem on their way to Egypt. So these residents had escaped the Babylonians and the forces of Ishmael only to be headed toward Egypt because now they were afraid of the Babylonians wanting to kill them because of the rebellion of Ishmael.
Life can get confusing. The reaction of those who had been taken by Ishmael was joy. They didn’t want to be with him. They were elated to be rescued.
Many today are followers of men rather than followers of God. Some follow one teacher over another until they find out that they were being led astray by that teacher. We need to watch who we dedicate ourselves to while we are in this world.
The only one we should be dedicated to is the LORD. There are good Bible teachers all around us but we need to always check what they teach by the Word of God.
We are in the LORD’S army to reach those in our world with the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ. It is the only means to salvation for eternity. Any other message is false.
CHALLENGE: Watch who we are willing to follow. We can be captured by a false leader. It will lead us in the wrong direction.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Offering verse 5
Incense verse 5
House of the LORD verse 5
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD verse 5
House of the LORD verse 5
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
King of Babylon verse 2, 18
Chaldeans verse 3, 18
Gedaliah – son of Ahikam verse 6, 18
Baash a king of Ammon verse 9, 14
Nebuzar-adan – captain of the guard verse 10
Ammonites verse 10, 15
Egypt verse 17
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Killing of Gedaliah verse 2
Killing of seventy men verse 7
Evil verse 11
Speak falsely verse 16
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Glad for deliverance verse 13
Believe the truth regarding others verse 14
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Ishmael – son of Nethaniah verse 1- 3, 6- 10, 14, 11- 13, 15, 16, 18
slew a group of men
didn’t kill those who had treasures
carried people away from Mizpah
escaped from Johanan with eight men
and went to Ammonites
Gedaliah (governor) – son of Ahikam verse 1- 4, 6, 7, 10, 14, 15, 16, 18
killed
Mizpah verse 1, 3, 6, 10, 14, 16
Jews verse 3, 15
Shechem verse 5
Shiloh verse 5
Samaria verse 5
Asa the king verse 9
Baasha – king of Israel verse 9
Johanan – son of Kareah verse 11, 13- 16
fought against Ishmael
great group joined him
Gibeon verse 12, 16
Judah verse 15
Bethlehem verse 17
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
11–15 Johanan, having had prior knowledge of the plot (v.11), was quick to follow Ishmael’s tracks. Now Johanan acted responsibly, not as he had previously wanted to do (40:15). He and those with him overtook the assassin before he had gone far (v.12)—Gibeon is about a mile from Mizpah. Gibeon, the modern el-Jib, was the city of priests in the tribe of Benjamin (cf. Josh 18:25; 21:17). It has been suggested that “the great pool” is the same as “the pool of Gibeon” (cf. 2 Sam 2:13). It may be the large, rock-hewn cistern from the early Iron Age discovered at el-Jib (so Harrison). Ishmael may have taken a circuitous route to confuse his pursuers. Some scholars think v.12 makes Nebi Samwil, southwest of Gibeon, the more likely location of Mizpah rather than Tell en-Nasbeh (so Bright). When the people saw Johanan and his companions, they rejoiced (v.13); for they had followed Ishmael only because they had been compelled to do so (v.14). And because of the popularity of Gedaliah, they were glad to see his murder avenged (so Plumptre). Ishmael lost only two of his men and drops out of the narrative after fleeing to Ammon (v.15). (Feinberg, C. L. (1986). Jeremiah. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (Vol. 6, p. 632). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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The slaughter could not go undetected indefinitely. Someone either happened on the scene or escaped from the group and reported the matter to the other commanders. When Johanan son of Kareah and the other army officers … heard about all the crimes … they mobilized all their men and set off to fight Ishmael. The band of soldiers caught up with the slower group of captives near the great pool in Gibeon (cf. 2 Sam. 2:12–16). Those taken captive were glad when they spotted their rescuers, and in the surprise and confusion they turned away from Ishmael and went over to Johanan. Ishmael along with 8 of his men escaped during the conflict and fled to the Ammonites. Two of Ishmael’s 10 men must have been captured or killed (cf. Jer. 41:1). (Dyer, C. H. (1985). Jeremiah. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1188). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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The deceitful murderer (41:1–18). In the Near East, when people eat together, they’re pledging their friendship and loyalty to one another. Ishmael, however, used the meal as a trap to catch Gedaliah and his men so he could kill them. We don’t know how many men were with the governor, but ten of Ishmael’s men were able to dispatch them quickly.
To his terrible breach of hospitality he added hypocrisy, weeping before the eighty Jewish pilgrims who had come to worship, and then killing seventy of them. His greed was revealed when he spared the other ten in order to find out where their supply of food was hidden. He was a cunning and ruthless man who would stop at nothing to get his own way.
Ishmael climaxed his crimes by kidnapping the helpless Jewish remnant and starting for the land of the Ammonites. At this point, however, Johanan came to the rescue and delivered the remnant from Ishmael’s power, but Ishmael escaped. It was a series of tragedies that probably could have been averted had Gedaliah listened to his friends and acted with more caution.
Johanan showed courage in rescuing the Jews, but when he was finally in charge, he revealed his own lack of faith by wanting to take the remnant to Egypt! He didn’t remember the counsel of Gedaliah (Jer. 40:9) or the messages of Jeremiah, both of whom warned the Jews to stay in the land and not go to Egypt. How easy it is for a good man to go astray simply by turning away from the Word of God! (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Decisive (pp. 155–156). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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Ver. 11. But when Johanan the son of Kareah, &c.] The same that is mentioned ch. 11:8, 13, 15 and who had informed Gedaliah of Ishmael’s designs against him, but he would not believe him: and all the captains of the forces that were with him; his brother Jonathan, Seraiah, the sons of Ephai, and Jezaniah, ch. 40:8: heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done; in murdering Gedaliah, and those that were with him, destroying seventy other persons he had decoyed, and carrying captive the rest of the people at Mizpah; for though Ishmael kept all this a secret as much as he could, for fear of these forces, and that he might get off clear to Ammon; yet, by some means or another, these captains came to hear of it, who, probably, were not at a great distance from Mizpah. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 5, p. 631). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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The pit into which the slain had been cast was a subterranean chamber, built by order of Asa, king of Judah, as a hiding-place in case Baasha king of Israel should besiege him during the rebuilding of Mizpah, nearly four centuries earlier (1 Kings 15:22). It now became the tomb for the guileless Gedaliah and his attached followers, as also for the seventy visitors (ver. 9). Having thus disposed of the dead, Ishmael beat a hasty retreat to the land of the Ammonites, carrying with him the king’s daughters and all the people (probably the poor) who dwelt in Mizpah that had not been included in the massacre.
As was to be expected, the awful news of his bloody acts soon got abroad. Johanan and the other captains being apprised thereof, at once pursue the fleeing traitor, and overtake him by “the great waters that are in Gibeon”—the old battlefield where Joab and Abner contended—pitching on either side of the pool (2 Sam. 2:12–17), and near the historic spot where Joshua achieved his great victory over the allied armies of the Canaanites, when he went to the defence of the men of Gibeon. (Ironside, H. A. (1906). Notes on the prophecy and Lamentations of Jeremiah (p. 234). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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I pray that you will see your own circumstances with new eyes; and that you will look within, finding new courage not in your own strength or skills, but in the unlimited resources of Christ, in whom we can do all things. (p. xx)
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Some people believe that when they accept Christ, they will receive a Get out of Stress Free card and live a life of uninterrupted bliss. (p, 4)
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Fifty-seven percent of evangelicals said they believed many religions can lead to eternal life. In other words, nearly half of American evangelicals were left in the category of believing Jesus is not the exclusive way to heaven. (p. 16)
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Have you stopped and considered that the real purpose of your struggles, at a given moment, might be the heart of compassion that God is building within you? Smooth sailing doesn’t develop such a thing, you know. Trials develop our humility, and humility opens our eyes to the needs of others. (p. 27, Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World by Dr. David Jeremiah)
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THE CROSS: FOR US, BY US AND IN US
In many evangelical churches, Easter is relegated to a single Sunday each year. In more liturgically-minded churches, Eastertide is observed as the eight-Sunday season between Easter and Pentecost, which this year falls from March 27 to May 15. Either way, Christ’s death and resurrection is the very heart of our experience of new life in Him. We need to reflect on the absolute centrality of the cross—that it isn’t merely focus, it’s also by us and in us.
GRACE: THE CROSS FOR US
It’s a foundational biblical truth that the cross is for us. In love, Jesus the Christ died and arose on our behalf (Matt. 20:28; 26:26-29; Rom. 8:31-39; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; 1 Pet. 1:18-20). However, there is a danger when this truth stands alone, separate from its biblical setting—we can end up with a triumphalist “it’s all about me” mentality: I’m really something if Jesus did that for me. Such shallow “faith” covers narcissism with the thinnest scriptural veneer. We do absolutely need to understand and believe that God speaks for us in the cross, but there’s more…
GUILT: THE CROSS BY US
We can’t really appreciate how the cross is for us until we contemplate that it’s by us. Jesus died because of our sin, taking our guilt upon himself. He arose to show our guilt was gone, replaced by new life in Him. We were all there when “they” crucified our Lord. They are us. This is another foundational biblical truth (Isa. 53:4-6; Rom. 3:23-26; 5:8-10; 2 Cor. 5:21). However, again, there is danger when this truth stands alone. We can end up with a defeatist “Woe is me!” mentality: I’m so despicable, I made Jesus die. But self-loathing is just as self-centered as the “it’s all about me” mentality. We do need to believe that we are guilty, and that God answers our guilt with His amazing grace, but again, there’s more…
GODLINESS: THE CROSS IN US
We can’t fully appreciate how the cross can be for us yet also by us unless we realize that it also must be in us. Christ’s death and resurrection are the model for our life in Him. We die with Him to all our old vices, and we’re raised with Him to a life of new virtues. Our life of following him is shaped by His life, death, resurrection and Second Coming. This is a third foundational biblical truth (Matt. 16:24-26; Rom. 6:1-14; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 2:1-10; Phil. 2:1-13; 3:7-11; Col. 3:1-17). Our lives as followers of Jesus should take on the character of cruciformity—the daily process of denying self and affirming Christ as we embrace and embody God’s love in Christ through the Spirit’s work in us.
Putting it all together, even though our guilt put Jesus on the cross, He went there in amazing grace and love, in order to transform us from an empty, self-centered, living death to a full Christ-centered, cross-centered, dying life which is godliness (and “Christliness”). God loves us sinners enough to send Christ to die for us, but He loves us too much to leave us in sin. Today, on Easter Sunday, let’s ask God to help us not only to believe in the cross, but also to behave it and to become it.
AN EASTERTIDE PRAYER
Adapted from “The Book of Common Prayer”
O God, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection. Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit. Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (by Dr. David Turner)
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Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding in Cana to demonstrate His deity to His disciples.
INSIGHT
In John 2:24 we read, “But Jesus did not commit Himself to them.” The word commit is the same word that is translated “faith” or “believe” in other places in the Bible. It gives us additional insight concerning the concept of faith in the Bible.
Faith is more than just intellectual understanding. Once someone understands the Gospel, he must make a personal commitment to it. He must entrust himself to it. In reality, to believe in Jesus Christ is to commit one’s self to Him. (QuietWalk)
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A syndicated columnist says two airports that banned Chick-fil-A from their facilities engaged in “anti-Christian, unconstitutional” behavior – and that it’s a preview of a future where anyone who affirms traditional views on sexuality will be shunned.
A New York government body blocked Chick-fil-A in late March from opening in the Buffalo, N.Y., airport, merely one week after the San Antonio City Council blocked a Chick-fil-A from opening in that city’s airport.
In both instances, government officials expressed concerns about the corporation’s position on LGBT issues. Chick-fil-A is owned by Christians.
Columnist Rich Lowry labeled the actions “McCarthyite.”
“This is about punishing the Georgia-based company for the faith of its leadership,” Lowry wrote. “The official bans are anti-Christian, unconstitutional and a harbinger of a larger effort to hunt down and punish any organization that has uncongenial views on sexual morality.”
The pushback against Chick-fil-A came as a Think Progress report criticized the restaurant’s owners for their donations to the Salvation Army, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Paul Anderson Youth Home.
“Needless to say, a lot of other people are guilty of the same offense, given that the Salvation Army raises about $2 billion a year,” Lowry wrote. “To consider all that the Salvation Army does – its thrift shops, aid for the homeless, disaster relief, anti-trafficking programs, Christmas gifts to needy children, and much, much more – and reduce the organization to an allegedly anti-LGBT group is perverse.
“For its part, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes stands accused of seeking ‘to spread an anti-LGBTQ message to college athletes.’ It’s true that FCA asks its leaders to forswear homosexual acts, but it also wants them to pledge not to engage in heterosexual acts outside of marriage and, for that matter, refuse to use drugs, alcohol, or tobacco.”
Chick-fil-A, Lowry noted, does not refuse “to serve or hire anyone.”
“The latest campaign against Chick-fil-A is based on the idea that it is impermissible for it to associate with any group with a traditional Christian understanding of sex and marriage, for any purpose whatsoever, no matter how unobjectionable or noble,” Lowry wrote.
The government officials, he wrote, need “a remedial lesson in the Constitution,” which “forbids discrimination against private companies on the basis of political or religious viewpoint.”
“It is the enemies of Chick-fil-A who are intolerant and out-of-the-mainstream,” Lowry wrote. They desperately need to abandon their tawdry McCarthyite crusade and ‘Eat Mor Chikin.’” Michael Foust is a freelance writer.
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Christin posts on Facebook (NY): Tip of the Day
If they want to leave, let them.
If they put you away, just go. You weren’t put on this earth
to convince anyone of your worth. You’re here to learn,
create, flourish, spread love.
The ones deserving of you will always
make you feel appreciated.
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