From: Nolen P. Cox, President, American Family Association, Network of Georgia

To: Mr. C. E. Carlson, We Hold These TruthsSeptember 22, 1997

Dear Chuck:

I encourage you, as a leader, to thoroughly evaluate the Freedom from Religious Persecution Act of 1997 (HR2431). Please understand that we all agree that religious persecution is wrong and we are obligated to defend and support our Christian brethren. However, upon inspection, I believe you will agree the legislation is seriously flawed.

In our attempt to do good, we need to adhere to proven principles of government. HR2431 is flawed, for example:

* Monitoring religions is not a constitutional function of the federal government.

* By creating an “office” under the President, it increases the size and scope of the federal government, which violates the constitutional principle of a limited federal government.

* It concentrates more power in the executive branch and by legal structure removes the responsibility and authority from Congress where it belongs.

* Its primary weapon is sanctions, which are of questionable value in helping people at the grassroots level in other nations or in America. It empowers the executive office to impose sanctions, embargoes, and punitive actions against other nations and religious groups without congressional approval.

* The bill gives support and credence to the United Nations. An organization with a long history of anti-Christian activities, and which currently ignores religious persecution if it furthers their political agenda of global government (an anti-Christian concept).

* Nothing in this bill prevents “the office” (office of Religious Persecution Monitoring) from monitoring religion in the U.S.

I was quite concerned to read that passing the Freedom from Religious Persecution Act is a top priority of a leading Christian organization. I was even more alarmed to hear Speaker Newt Gingrich say that HR2431 is on his priority list for passage by year-end. He also stated that he had met with and had support of over 30 religious organizations in passing this bill.

I talked to the leader of the Christian organization leading the “push” for passage of the bill and explained the flaws in the Act. His response was “You make some very good points, but we are too far committed to change course now.”

This was my low point in dealing with Christian leadership on any issue.

Repentance is a fundamental element of the Christian faith. There is no point where a Christian can be too far into sin or error that acknowledgment of the error, repenting, and taking the right course is unacceptable.

In fact, just the opposite is true. Faith in the grace of God takes over when we repent and turn from error. This repentant humble attitude must be modeled by our Christian leaders. God gives grace to the humble, but He resists the proud.

If you are supporting this legislation, I encourage you to evaluate the legislation in detail. Then evaluate the constitutional and biblical principles being violated. The constitutional design of the balance of powers among the three branches of government is a principle based on the sin nature of man. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Seek legal counsel or the counsel of constitutional scholars. I believe you will find we can and should find a better way to stop religious persecution. There are current constitutional remedies to deal with religious persecution. Congress appropriates all foreign aid and has the current power to withdraw aid and impose trade sanctions. Congress can set up a Religious Persecution Oversight Committee to supply information to Congress, the President, and the State Department. Numerous other options are available without creating more bureaucracy and transferring power. If we are to rebuild America, we must build on a sure foundation.

Ezekiel 33:6 describes the duty and penalty for those watchman who see the enemy coming and do not blow the trumpet.

“But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman’s hand.”

Please blow the trumpet and let your organization and representatives know the dangers as well as your stand on this most important issue. If this intrusion of government into religion is allowed, it could well be the seed that produces the hemp that makes the rope that Christians in the future are hanged with.

Sincerely, Nolen P. Cox

AFA Network of GA: P.O. Box 3123, Valdosta, Georgia 31604

Phone: 912-244-8493; Fax 912-242-0042, email: afaga@datasys.net