Few greater threats exist to faith in America at this moment than the shrinking space of freedom of speech in the public square. Whether it is self imposed censorship by bowing the knee to “political correctness” and the fear of man, or the mischaracterization of Christian conviction as “Hate Speech” or an arrogant overreach of social media imposing it’s political and moral views on its users, the verdict is in. Free Speech is no longer popular in America and much of the West. In fact True Christian FAITH and the expression of it has almost never been popular in secular society once its rebellion against God has reached meltdown … yet both are recognized in our Constitution and so are their source. These “rights” come from God Himself. Christians will soon face the choices set upon many who have gone before us. Will we obey God or man and will we go about the business of the Gospel no matter what persecutions that may bring?

Rev Thomas Littleton

5/23/2021

Freedom of Speech is lodged firmly in the 1st Amendment of the Bill Of Rights along side Freedom of Religion and Freedom of the Press. All three have to do with expression by the individual in the exercise of those God GIVEN inalienable rights which the US Constitution recognizes and affirms . Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion are inseparable and cannot be denied without serious impact on individuals and society.

First Amendment

First Amendment Annotated

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

PROPHETS AND APOSTLES SUFFERED THREATS AGAINST SPEAKING TO AND FOR GOD.

The Name of Jesus Forbidden

Acts 4: ¹³ “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. ¹⁴ And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. ¹⁵ But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, ¹⁶ saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a ^[a]notable miracle has been done through them is evident^[b] to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.”

¹⁸ “So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. ²⁰ For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”

DANIEL IN THE LIONS DEN FOR VIOLATING PRAYER LAW

Daniel 6:

³ “Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. ⁴ At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. ⁵ Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”

⁶ “So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! ⁷ The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. ⁸ Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” ⁹ So King Darius put the decree in writing.”

¹⁰ “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. ¹¹ Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. ¹² So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?”

THREE HEBREWS THROWN IN FIRE FOR REFUSING TO WORSHIP A GOVERNMENT INSTITUTED IDOL.

Daniel 3:⁴ Then a herald cried ^[b]aloud: “To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, ⁵ that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; ⁶ and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”

¹⁴ Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? ¹⁵ Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷ If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND FAITH BREATHE THE SAME AIR.

The TWO and inseparable. 

Todays threats to BOTH include: 

Critical Theories- Identity politics – political correctness -“Civil Society ” # MeToo movement, and Common Good Socialism narratives. Victimhood status of race- gender sexual orientation – oppressed religious minorities . collectivism – secularism- atheism and more.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WORKED TO PROTECT BOTH

Trump admin 2017 passed Executive Order over concerns of Free Speech and Religious Freedom.

https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/presidential-executive-order-promoting-free-speech-religious-liberty/

“in order to guide the executive branch in formulating and implementing policies with implications for the religious liberty of persons and organizations in America, and to further compliance with the Constitution and with applicable statutes and Presidential Directives”

It shall be the policy of the executive branch to vigorously enforce Federal law’s robust protections for religious freedom.  The Founders envisioned a Nation in which religious voices and views were integral to a vibrant public square, and in which religious people and institutions were free to practice their faith without fear of discrimination or retaliation by the Federal Government.  For that reason, the United States Constitution enshrines and protects the fundamental right to religious liberty as Americans’ first freedom.  Federal law protects the freedom of Americans and their organizations to exercise religion and participate fully in civic life without undue interference by the Federal Government. “

“Respecting Religious and Political Speech.  All executive departments and agencies (agencies) shall, to the greatest extent practicable and to the extent permitted by law, respect and protect the freedom of persons and organizations to engage in religious and political speech.  In particular, the Secretary of the Treasury shall ensure, to the extent permitted by law, that the Department of the Treasury does not take any adverse action against any individual, house of worship, or other religious organization on the basis that such individual or organization speaks or has spoken about moral or political issues from a religious perspective, where speech of similar character has, consistent with law, not ordinarily been treated as participation or intervention in a political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) a candidate for public office by the Department of the Treasury. 

“Conscience Protections with Respect to Preventive-Care Mandate.  The Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall consider issuing amended regulations, consistent with applicable law, to address conscience-based objections to the preventive-care mandate promulgated under section 300gg-13(a)(4) of title 42, United States Code.”

 “Religious Liberty Guidance.  In order to guide all agencies in complying with relevant Federal law, the Attorney General shall, as appropriate, issue guidance interpreting religious liberty protections in Federal law.”

MODERN MARXIST WISH TO CONTROL AND LIMIT FREE SPEECH

Karl Marx followers  on Free Speech

Neo-Marxists … built critical theory as a vehicle for change and began the deconstruction of INDIVIDUAL thought and expression in the West.

 The history of critical theory and its impact on free speech:

“Frankfurt School academics fleeing Adolf Hitler’s Germany transmitted the intellectual virus to the US and set about systematically destroying the culture of the society that gave them sanctuary.”

“America’s freedom of speech was its achilles heel. Critical theorists were given university pulpits and a constitutionally ordained right to preach, grinding its foundation stones to dust. Since 1933 they have been hellbent on destroying the village to save it. the intellectual source of modern identity politics in the United States can be traced to the migration of Critical Theory scholars from Germany to U.S. universities in connection with or after World War II.”

Definition of Critical Theory

“Critical theory, Marxist-inspired movement in social and political  philosophy originally associated with the work of the Frankfurt School . Drawing particularly on the thought of Karl Marx  and  Sigmund Freud , critical theorists maintain that a primary goal of philosophy is to understand and to help overcome the social structures through which people are dominated and oppressed. (The expressed of CT goal is “human emancipation” yet the reality is ultimately oppression and bondage.) Since the 1970s, critical theory has been immensely influential in the study of history, law, literature , and the social sciences.”

TODAY SOME SECULAR PROGRESSIVES CALL CULTURAL MARXISM AND ITS INVASION A “CONSPIRACY THEORY “

versobooks.com/blogs/4285-herbert-marcuse-and-cultural-marxism

(This approach is ,in itself, a tool of progressives to deny their efforts )

IMPORTANT !!! FREE SPEECH BECOMES HATE SPEECH 

An endless narrative of victimhood define who is who culturally – who is victim and who is perpetrator is decided in have their cause advanced and who is guilty of oppression. Follow the talking points OR else you are the problem. You are RACIST- HOMOPHOBE- ISLAMA-PHOBE – XENOPHPOBIC – HATER – If you speak your opposing point of view it is.

WHERE DOES THE GOSPEL FIT INTO THIS CIRCUS OF WORDS?

 Truth -especially Gospel Truth is no longer Free Speech  BUT Hate Speech.

Speaking against sin or false religion or religious  ideology or a cult can be twisted into  and becomes hate speech- and must be silenced  for the common good and “Civil Society”

Civility is the premium currency of Critical Theory and Cultural Marxism. ACLU and other organizations defend speech and freedoms of the “MINORITY” while they most often work against the rights of those who do not agree with them and their political and world views.

SOME NOTABLE VICTIMS OF CANCEL CULTURE AND DISMANTLING FREE SPEECH.

Trump – even THE President was silenced by Social Media  and news outlets for speaking truth. He remains banned by social media Facebook and Twitter.

Mike Lindell of My Pillow has been censored and “cancelled” BUT is coming back strong in opposition to it! . So can others.

Some well known people in their words in Freedom of Speech

“What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.” 

Salman Rushdie

“Everyone is in favor of free speech. Hardly a day passes without its being extolled, but some people’s idea of 

it is that they are free to say what they like, but if anyone else says anything back, that is an outrage.”
― Winston Churchill

“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.”
― Daniel Patrick Moynihan

“Arguing that you don’t care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don’t care about free speech because you have nothing to say.”
― Edward Snowden

“The only security of all is in a free press.”
― Thomas Jefferson

“The framers of the constitution knew human nature as well as we do. They too had lived in dangerous days; they too knew the suffocating influence of orthodoxy and standardized thought. They weighed the compulsions for restrained speech and thought against the abuses of liberty. They chose liberty.”

[Beauharnais v.Illinois, 342 U.S. 250, 287 (1952) (dissenting)]”
― William O. Douglas

William Orville Douglas was an American jurist and politician who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Nominated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt at 40 was one of youngest justices appointed 

“Without Freedom of Thought, there can be no such thing as Wisdom; and no such thing as public liberty, without Freedom of Speech.”
Benjamin Franklin,

“Let us dare to read, think, speak and write.”
John Adams

“Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.” Thomas Jefferson

Quotes on Freedom of Religion

“Let the pulpit resound with the doctrine and sentiments of religious liberty. Let us hear of the dignity of man’s nature, and the noble rank he holds among the works of God…Let it be known that British liberties are not the grants of princes and parliaments.” John Adams

“We hold it for a fundamental and inalienable truth that religion and the manner of discharging it can be directed only by reason and conviction not by force and violence. The religion, then, of every man must be left to the conviction and conscience of every man; and it is the right of every man to exercise it as these may dictate.” James Monroe

“The liberty enjoyed by the people of these States of worshipping Almighty God, agreeable to their consciences, is not only among the choicest of their blessings, but also of their rights.” George Washington

“Religion and morality are the essential pillars of civil society.” George Washington

MORE FROM THE SCRIPTURES ON FREE SPEECH INCLUDING SELF REGULATED MODERATION IN THE EXERCISE OF IT.

(Paul spoke the truth to the Galatians but was aware that people could turn on him for doing so.)

Galatians 4:16 

“Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?”

2 Timothy 2:24-26 

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Matthew 12:36 

I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,

Proverbs 18:21 

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

Colossians 4:6 

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Ephesians 4:29 

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Psalm 141:3 

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!

1 Peter 2:16 

Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.

Ephesians 4:15 

“Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,”

Psalm 19:14 

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

CONCLUSION

Christians who think they are being noble or humble to hold their individual rights with little or no care – do so at the risk of their speech and their faith. Also Christians who do not watch and guard their own words must remember that we are accountable for them. We should choose and place our words well but we should never think it is a small thing when government and society wishes to choose them or silence them for us. Great momentum exist in todays culture to silence opposition to the cultural /political/ and media narratives. Time is short for passive Christians to awaken and arise for the sake of precious freedoms for our children and their faith.

FEW CHANGE AGENTS IN MODERN EVANGELICALISM HAVE BEEN MORE WELL PLACED & HARMFUL THAN THE NOW “FORMER HEAD” OF SOUTHERN BAPTIST ETHICS AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTIES COMMISSION. MANY BAPTIST CELEBRATE HIS DEPARTURE FOR THE ALREADY USELESS PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIANITY TODAY WHERE HE FITS IN WELL.

Rev Thomas Littleton

Tuesday brought the news that activist “theologian” and Democratic operative Russell Moore was leaving the Southern Baptist Ethics post he has owned for years to take a job at Christianity Today. Moore has insulted and laughed in the face of Baptist who paid his salary for his entire ERLC tenure and he should have NEVER held the position. This news comes about eight years late BUT it is welcomed.

Russell Moore and his good friend Beth Moore yuck it up in the face of true biblical conservative Baptist.

Moore needed to go and even declared if there was “no room for Beth Moore in the SBC..(presumably as President of the Convention) …then there was no room for him”. Moore has been caught in repeated lies, openly worked with George Sorors funded Immigration Reform with Open Society funded National Immigration Forum and the leftward Trinity Forum.

He found a cozy home in the Obama administration and yet openly hated the successful policies of Trump. Moore found partners among the leaders of the & Campaign efforts to push “Third Way” political and social issue compromise into conservative evangelicalism funded in part by Paul Singer billionaire “vulture capitalist”.

RUSSELL MOORE’S AND CAMPAIGN POLITICS

Russell Moore ALWAYS chose the wrong side of every progressive issue. He used the ERLC to push RACE and Critical Race Theory launching the current movement to unravel unity among Christians across racial lines with his MLK/50 conference in the Spring of 2018. He drove progressive causes like refugee care, homelessness, social justice (via his empty rhetoric) into the pro life movement at the time it has been making the greatest strides toward ending abortion.

Moore pushed the Same Sex Attracted “non practicing homosexual” movement into the SBC with his 2014 ERLC conference called “The Gospel, Homosexuality, and the Future of Marriage”. He lied to SBC Dallas messengers when he denied knowledge of the radical Revoice LGBTQAI movement in 2018 even though multiple ERLC Fellows endorsed the movement and one of Moore’s key consultants for ERLC remains both a speaker and board member of Revoice.

Moore has been held in high honor among rebellious younger Baptist intent on pushing back against the conservative politics of their parents who grew up under Carter vs Reagan era policies. Moore fostered and fed their rebellion which put MANY young Baptist on a trajectory of a “theological bi-polar disorder” leaving them as (supposed) theological conservatives while manifesting as possessed social liberals. Confused and abused -this effort left many at the mercy (or in the merciless hands) of an exploitive, progressive and all devouring Cultural Marxist movement seeking to diminish the church and their own influence in every way possible.

BUT ALAS RUSSELL MOORE IS LEAVING

russellmoore.com/2021/05/18/onward

May 18, 2021

“From the time I was a child, the Lord worked in my life through two institutions. One was my Southern Baptist church, which introduced me to Jesus and taught me how to follow him. The other was Christianity Today, through which I found faithful voices of gospel integrity such as Carl Henry, John Stott, J. I. Packer, Charles Colson, John Perkins, and many others. “

“I am excited today to accept the invitation from Christianity Today to join their team as public theologian and as director of a new venture, the Christianity Today Public Theology Project, which is devoted to cultivating a forward-looking, joyful, consistent gospel witness.”

“I’ve struggled with this decision, because my gratitude for the honor of serving the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission is so deep. As I conclude my time serving Southern Baptists as ERLC president, I am filled with gratitude as well as excitement for the future.”

WHY IS MOORE’S DEPARTURE SUCH GOOD NEWS.?

Russell Moore has been insulting, disrespecting and lecturing Baptist for years. He is not a Baptist ethicist but a progressive Democratic Party operative who still harbors, by his own admission, political dreams. Moore has been a leading “Never/Anti Trump” voice to the point that the SBC leadership were forced to put him on a VERY short leash after the 2016 election and again had to address the fact Moore’s political rhetoric was divisive and (at least twice ) caused 100s of SBC churches to withhold millions in funds from the “Cooperative Programs” missions funding organization.

THE LATTE MAFIA

Moore slid in many other change agents into SBC employment on his staff and trained an effeminate brigade of henchmen to do his bidding .This author dubbed his staff as “the Latte Mafia” We can hold a thin hope that the new leadership will be an actual biblical conservative Baptist and he will bring in an entirely new staff.

PERSONAL NOTE TO RUSSELL MOORE

Dear Russell Moore

I heard you are leaving. We only got to speak on a couple of occasions- very briefly thanks to your protective security crew. I for one am glad to see you go but not because of your progressive politics or of your wearisome and determined change agent status for which you were financially well rewarded… but simply because you were NEVER honest with me or with other Baptist about who you are. In the face of the glaringly obvious reality – you determined to make as many Baptist as possible think that you were one of them- one of us-believed like we do -and cared about what we believe ..about the Gospel.

Your leaving the ERLC and hopefully the SBC is a Gospel Issue . It is good for us and BEST for you. Thank you for your decision whether you made it alone or had help from those who have finally held you to some accountability. Russell we will all stand before a higher judge one day .We should all be living in light of that reality and openly/ honestly living in the light of His gaze. 2 Cor. 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” Praying for you. TL

RECENT ARTICELS ON MOORE’S CONTINUED COMPROMISE IN THE SBC

MOST RECENT

RUSSELL MOORE JOINS FACEBOOK FAITH BASED PARTNERSHIP APPROACH TO COVID VACCINES & COMMUNITY BUILDING.

TIME PUFF PIECE FOR BAPTIST RUSSELL MOORE WRITTEN BY AUTHOR OF SIMILAR ARTICLE ON PLANNED PARENTHOOD DEPARTING EXECUTIVE

RUSSELL MOORE’S ERLC FINALLY OWNS REVOICE-PROMOTING IT’S FOUNDER’S BOOK IN “PARENTS GUIDE TO GENDER”.

https://thirtypiecesofsilver.org/2020/12/07/baptist-russell-moore-joins-press-to-push-faith-in-biden-presidency/

MOST CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIANS UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEMS FACEBOOK HAS HELPED PROMOTE BY IT’S CENSORSHIP OF FREE SPEECH AND INFRINGMENT ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOMS DURING THE COVID RESPONSE… EVERYONE EXCEPT THE BAPTIST CHIEF ETHICIST WHO IS WORKING DIRECTLY WITH FACEBOOK FAITH PARTNERSHIP COORDINATOR PUSHING VACCINES TO HESITANT CHRISTIANS .

Rev Thomas Littleton

5/10/2021

The Facebook for Faith page featured an odd assembly of partners last Friday May 7th to discuss Covid 19 vaccines.

FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2021 AT 2:30 PM CDT – 3 PM CDT

Love thy neighbor: How a faith-based approach to COVID helps protect our loved ones and ourselves.

“The second in a series of conversations between faith leaders and medical professionals to share ideas and information to help community leaders feel empowered with resources their communities need to make a decision about the COVID-19 vaccine”.

(NOTE: The World Economic Forum has a similar campaign based on interfiath efforts.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/religions-covid-19-coronavirus-collaboration

“Faith leaders from Christianity, Judaism and Islam support government efforts to control the coronavirus.”)

PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED :

Rev. DR. Walter Kim new President of the highly compromised and globalist partner the National Association of Evangelicals.

Kim is PCA and obviously on the progressive side due to his working in progressive Christian media. ” He also serves on the board of Christianity Today.”

Moore is also working with NAE leaders in a variety of progressive causes working to persuade the Church that these issues are “gospel issues”. Immigration Reform and the NAE missions art World Relief have cashed in big time on Refugee Settlement during 2009-2016 open door policy and faith based funding.

Dr. Emily Smith is the resident “health expert” in the Love Thy Neighbor ” panel:

Biography

“Emily Smith is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology in the Department of Public Health at the Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences at Baylor University and an adjunct Assistant Professor of Global Health in the Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI) at Duke University. Her research interests include pediatric global surgery, health economics, and health systems strengthening in low-income countries. Before joining the faculty at Baylor, Dr. Smith was a research scholar at DGHI for two years. Dr. Smith received her PhD in epidemiology from the Gillings School of Public Health at UNC-CH and an MSPH from the University of South Carolina.”

Dr Smith operates a facebook page called “Friendly Neighbor Epidemiologist“

https://www.facebook.com/friendlyneighborepidemiologist

MOST INTERESTING AND REVEALING PARTNER IN THE EVENT WAS NONA JONES

Nona Jones is-

Head of Faith-Based Partnerships

Facebook

Aug 2017 – Present3 years 10 months

“Responsible for helping drive the product strategy undergirding Facebook’s mission of giving its 2 billion members the power to build community and bring the world closer together by building strategic partnerships between Facebook and communities of faith, communities of color and youth-development organizations to broaden their reach and deepen their impact across Facebook’s platforms and products as well as offline.”

Nona is described on her website as:

AUTHOR | ENTREPRENEUR | SPEAKER | PASTOR | EXECUTIVE

RUSSELL MOORE’S FACEBOOK PARTNER AND HER HISTORY WITH FB

“Facebook may look shiny and successful on the outside (the company is worth more than $600bn) but its reputation has taken a hit in recent times. There have been ongoing privacy concerns, most notably the Cambridge Analytica scandal. When the evangelist Franklin Graham had his account deactivated in December 2018, there were claims the company was policing speech. Some were even suspicious that Facebook was harbouring anti-Christian sentiments.”

“Hiring the outgoing, personable and relatable Nona Jones was a smart move by Facebook, an organisation that has recently come to understand the importance of its Christian constituency. The story of how this 37-year-old businesswoman and pastor with no previous tech experience became Facebook’s global director of faith-based partnerships is compelling.”

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR CAMPAIGN LEADERSHIP AND FUNDING ?

The Love Your Neighbor campaign looks to be part of the funding from the Biden Administrations $400 billion budget for promoting the vaccines in the recent $1.9 Trillion dollar Covid spending bill.

‘Loving thy neighbor:’ New ads urge conservative men with vaccine doubts to get their COVID shots”

This effort is overseen by the “Ad Council” and the “Covid Collaborative”

ITS GOAL? TO PROMOTE VACCINES TO VACCINE HESITANT CONSERVATIVES.

“WASHINGTON – The federal government and nonprofits are unveiling ad campaigns to counter vaccine hesitancy, emphasizing educational partnerships at the grassroots level.”

“The Ad Council and COVID Collaborative will unveil a vaccine education campaign specifically targeting conservative and religious Americans, who polls have shown are especially vaccine-hesitant populations. The program is a part of the partnership’s larger effort in educating the public on the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.”

“Conservatives are not a monolithic group,” John Bridgeland, founder of the COVID Collaborative, told USA TODAY. “There is a large moveable middle of those who may get vaccinated if they haven’t gotten it already.”

AD COUNCIL

https://www.adcouncil.org/covid-vaccine

“The Ad Council and COVID Collaborative are leading a massive communications effort to educate the American public and build confidence around the COVID-19 vaccines.”

“Guided by the leading minds in science and medicine and fueled by the best talent in the private sector, the COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative is designed to reach different audiences, including communities of color who have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.”

“Under the umbrella of the “It’s Up to You” campaign, we will ensure that Americans have accurate and timely information to answer their questions and concerns about vaccine side effects, efficacy, and clinical trials. Our goal is to shift the public mindset from vaccine concern to vaccine confidence.”

THE OPPORTUNITY

“Extensive research shows pervasive reluctance around the COVID-19 vaccines among the American public—with many Americans reporting they will not get the vaccine or have significant questions.”

“Overall, 40% of the general public falls into a movable middle – people who are hesitant to get a vaccine but are open to learning more. They want to know the vaccines are safe—and that the benefits outweigh the risk.”

CONCLUSION

Once again Southern Baptist chief ethics guy who heads the ERLC for the Biblically conservative Southern Baptist base proves he is out of touch with the average Baptist and deeply entangled with progressives who wish to dissuade and separate them from their Biblical convictions and conservative politics. Moore is reaching with Facebooks faith Partner for influencing the “Moveable Middle”.

Russell Moore’s job appears to be to manipulate as many Baptist and evangelicals out of the mushy middle and into the collapsing left’s global agenda.

RUSSELL MOORE/ERLC NEW AGE POLITICAL PARTNERS

More past examples of Moore’s associations :

BAPTIST RUSSELL MOORE JOINS PRESS TO PUSH “FAITH IN BIDEN PRESIDENCY “

WITH THE OPENING OF REGISTRATION FOR THE ANNUAL SBC MEETINGS IN NASHVILLE IN JUNE 2021, THE SBC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ROLLED OUT ITS NEW PRESS CREDENTIAL REQUIREMENTS ALLOWING SBC EXECUTIVES VAST CENSORSIP POWERS.

Rev Thomas Littleton

(NOTE: This author is a Southern Baptist and ordained SBC minister who has worked as a reporter for Worldview Weekend reporting LIVE at the SBC annual meetings since 2018. Worldview Weekend (WVW) is a major news outlet founded and led by author researcher and journalist Brannon Howse. WVW Network promotes news with a Christian worldview and historic context. Howse/ WVW also just helped launch FRANKSPEECH.COM with Mike Lindell ( My Pillow CEO and LINDELL TV.COM ) promoting Free Speech in America.

Upon requesting press credentials in early April 2021 for the upcoming June annual meetings in Nashville, this author was informed of the new SBC Executive Committee regulations aimed at controlling and denying media access and the nature of stories media outlets produce in coverage of the Convention meetings. The 3 week long effort of ever increasing requirements for the SBC credential vetting process ended in a rejection of the SBC Press Credentials request with no reason given. The SBC now joins Facebook, Twitter, major television network outlets like CNN and large national mega- publishing conglomerates in censorship of free speech and even the FREE PRESS.)

SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION NEW PRESS REGULATIONS

The April 16th request response for media credentials :

“Hello Mr. Littleton.
Thank you for your interest in covering the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting.

There have been many updates to the credentialing policies and application process this year. You can read those revised polices and apply online (also new this year) at the following link – https://sbcannualmeeting.net/media-registration/ “

—
Jon D. Wilke
Media Relations Director
Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee

THE NEW SBC MEDIA GUIDELINES

“

APPLICATION FOR 2021 SBC ANNUAL MEETING MEDIA CREDENTIALS

June 13-16, 2021 | Nashville, Tenn.

“The Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting is open to members of the working news media or those on assignment for news publications, programs, websites, or other news media that are generally recognized, and regularly updated, distributed or disseminated, where the primary purpose of registration and attendance is for legitimate news coverage of the Southern Baptist Convention.”

“Apply for media credentials by agreeing to the following guidelines, policies and ground rules along with filling out the form below.”

THE GUIDELINES RESTRICT THOSE MEDIA DEEMED PROBLEMATIC

“Press accreditation will NOT be granted to anyone whose principal purpose in attending this event is, in the judgment of SBC Executive Committee Communications staff, for reasons other than gathering details, interviews, and/or photos for a news report or feature. The SBC Executive Committee Communications staff also reserves the right, at its discretion, to reject the application of anyone who, in their judgement, may be attending the event under false pretenses or with ulterior motives or malicious intent.”

…”Misconduct or misrepresentation of position and/or publication/media organization will bar you and your organization from future SBC events.”

“Media representatives who violate guidelines or ground rules for coverage of the SBC Annual Meeting, whether written or oral, may have their credentials withdrawn and asked to leave the event location.”

(NOTE : The arbitrary nature of the guidelines provide the SBC executives virtually complete control over the message they wish to be presented by the press by putting restrictions on the nature of the stories to be published. The SBC is not satisfied with having it’s own Baptist Press operation for approved media and stories but feels the need to control all press.)

THIS AUTHOR WAS OPEN ABOUT THE NATURE OF PAST WRITINGS

(Email response to the newly appointed Credential/ Media Relations head.

Jon
“My work covers the evangelical community as a whole. I broke the story
exposing the Revoice LGBTQ movement and do some follow up on that.
The audience is not merely SBC but I am an ordained SBC minister
working in medical missions and evangelism  so that brings perspective
to the stories as well. I do Conferences , Radio and Television with WVW
Network and work as a reporter. Those stories go behind a paywall
after two weeks or so.

In follow up to Revoice I did this story which also appears on my website
about the Revoice founder and the ERLC “Parents Guide to Talking About  Gender”

RUSSELL MOORE’S ERLC FINALLY OWNS REVOICE-PROMOTING IT’S FOUNDER’S BOOK IN “PARENTS GUIDE TO GENDER”.

Revoice greatly impacted the PCA and my coverage goes beyond the SBC on it
of course.”

Thanks
Hope this helps.

Thomas Littleton”

A BIT OF HISTORY

The SBC Executive Committee does have a history of removing at least one reporter (this author) from the annual Convention meetings.

Excerpt from article linked below after the 2018 SBC credentialed press removal to prevent exposure of the origins and supporters of the Revoice pro LGBTQ movement at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and the Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission.

” LIVING LIKE A REFUGEE IN THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CHURCH: Why SBC Leaders Turned to Lying and Abuse Over Revoice in Dallas SBC 2018″

By Rev Thomas Littleton                                                                                         6/17/2018

“By now word has spread that a member of the press was kicked out of the SBC annual meetings in Dallas last week. I am that person and make no mistake about the cause. I came to the SBC convention to follow up and seek to interview the SBC leaders whose institutions have disturbing ties to the upcoming Revoice conference in St Louis. At the same time leaders in the Presbyterian Church of America were doing the same in their annual General Assembly in Atlanta. I went to Dallas at my own expense and out of deep concern that the last two remaining conservative denominations have clearly been infiltrated and are on the verge of accepting EXTREME and Radically pro-LGBT+ language into the heart of their congregations. No denomination has ever returned from this abyss and all who fall into it remain in steep decline. This compromise always leaves the Gospel and those who need it harmed. A new younger President was elected who subscribes to a primary source (a Regent University Psychologist Mark Yarhouse) of the radical language. J.D. Greear.  His campaign press coverage promised that the make-over of the SBC has only begun as change agents a plenty strutted through the halls of the Dallas SBC 2018 meetings.”

Living Like A Refugee in The SBC .

THE FINAL RESPONSE AND DENIAL

This response comes with no reason for the denial in keeping with the arbitrary powers over the press which the Executive Committee of the SBC have decided to grant themselves.

Hi Rev. Littleton,
“Thank you so much for your application. I appreciate you taking the time to send over additional information.

We are not going to be able to approve your application for media credentials for the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting.

As you know there are other ways to attend the SBC Annual Meeting, as a messenger or as an invited guest. Pre-registration information for messengers and invited guests can be found online at https://sbcannualmeeting.net/messengers/messenger-pre-registration.”

—
Jon D. Wilke
Media Relations Director
Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee

REQUEST FOR PUBLICATION OF A LIST OF “APPROVED MEDIA” GIVEN ACCESS FOR UPCOMING ANNUAL MEETINGS FOR 2021

No response so far to this reasonable request for public disclosure .

Jon
“Thanks for getting back to me. In the public interest can you provide /make public a list of which news outlets you have and will approve for media credentials?

Will CNN for example be there? NY Times?
Is RNS- Religion News Service approved ? As you may know it is funded in part by ARCUS Foundation which is an LGBTQ led foundation for promotion of LGBTQ in the evangelical community.So is RNS going to be allowed in?   What about Baptist News Global?  Also is Jonathan Merritt going to have SBC media credentials ?

I look forward to seeing the “approved list”.”
Thanks
Thomas Littleton

DO SOUTHERN BAPTIST LEADERS HAVE SOMETHING TO HIDE?

The Southern Baptist Convention IS IN FACT in trouble. The ongoing legal issues with the Lawsuit against the SBC North American Mission Board which is pushing for transparency forcing open books, disclosing financial, housing, other perks and hiring practices is just one of those issues. This lawsuit which is hoping to force transparency was ignored by Baptist Press but finally hit the headlines when the Baptist ERLC presented knowingly and admittedly false information to the courts in an amicus brief in defense of the SBC North American Missions Board. This situation is ONGOING.

The SBC is in steep decline with church plants, conversions, baptisms, and membership in general, ALL in decline. Controversies have arisen in recent years due to the promotion and tolerance of Critical Theories in race, gender, and even sexual minority theories in Baptist seminaries. Revoice in 2018 ,originating from SBTS, included the bold assertions of “Queer (LGBTQ) Theories” and even Feminist Theology redefining family. This perverted application of Feminist Theology stems from the early 1990s ad Drew Divinity School feminine activist. The ERLC and it’s chief Ethicist Russell Moore used the same theories ideology to promote his book and conference to redefine the nuclear family as ones “Church”.

In the Birmingham Alabama 2019 annual meetings a Resolution (#9) has caused great division in the Baptist ranks after a resolution condemning Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality was altered by the Resolutions Committee to affirm them “as useful analytical tools”. Those Committee members were employed by Baptist seminaries and other entities and were educated at SBTS and other Baptist institutions. Walter Strickland of SEBTS , who was on the 2019 Resolutions Committee which twisted “Resolution 9”, recently created even more broad controversy in the Christian Education when his new “Unified” organization announced its new partnership with the ACSI education organization. Strickland has yet to to called out by SBC or SEBTS leaders for his ongoing divisive activities in “Diversity and Inclusion.

Sexual Abuse charges which had been covered up for decades finally caught up with the SBC in a series of Houston Chronicle stories exposing the sorted history and the abuse and massive cover ups.

CONCLUSION

Where is the SBC headed? What is the future for a Christian movement whose leaders fell they have to protect themselves from a FREE PRESS – even Christian Press -and free speech? You can safely put away your shades. That future is no too bright.

The press are not always saints and are certainly not prophets but the press does play a vital role in speaking the truth….if it is allowed to, and does it’s job. The Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention is acting more like King Jehoiakim in Jeremiah 36 who burned the scrolls of the prophet Jeremiah in an effort to silence him. The king’s paranoia and egotistical actions were because Jeremiah’s writings spoke against his kingdom, proclaimed truth, and warned the people of Judah of their idolatry and pending Divine Judgement. In the end Jeremiah’s words went even further and reached more people. God saw to that.

Jeremiah Rewrites the Scroll (Chapter 36)

²⁷ Now after the king had burned the scroll with the words which Baruch had written ^[f]at the instruction of Jeremiah, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying: ²⁸ “Take yet another scroll, and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned. ²⁹ And you shall say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, ‘Thus says the Lord: “You have burned this scroll, saying, ‘Why have you written in it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and cause man and beast to cease from here?’ ” ³⁰ Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: “He shall have no one to sit on the throne of David