Doctor Antonio Cruz - is the winner of the Premier Gold Medallion 2007 and Director of "Desarrollo del Liderazgo". (Mature Leadership) FLET University Miami, Florida. He also holds various doctorates and is a member of a number of international scientific institutions and in his book "El Dios Creador" (God the Creator) he writes -"An important sector of the western world began the 21st century with an attitude of indifference to spiritual questions, as if the centuries long debate about the existence of God had become obsolete and irrelevant - Statistics indicate that many unbelievers no longer consider themselves militant atheists or agnostics, but simply just disinterested people living in a post - Christian world." (My paraphrase from Spanish)
However, while this is true, probable of a majority, especially in Europe, there are militant atheists who wish to marginalize Christianity completely and other religions too although, out of fear, they handle some of them with kid gloves. Melanie Phillips writing in the Daily Mail said this -
"The campaign to "Stamp out Christianity in Britain appears to be gathering pace" - Look at what happened to Dale McAlpine. Preaching to shoppers in Cumbria last month about the sin of homosexuality, he found himself arrested, held for seven hours and charged with a public order
offence. This for simply voicing the principles of his faith in a peaceful manner.
It was shocking enough as a single event, but McAlpine is just one of many people to have fallen foul of the authorities for practising their Christian beliefs. Just last week, judges upheld a case against Gary McFarlane, who was dismissed as a Relate counsellor because he refused to give advice to same-sex couples on sexual relationships.
Giving legal protection to Christian beliefs, opined Lord Justice Laws, was "deeply unprincipled" and "on the way to a theocracy". On the contrary, it is a ruling that is draconian. "It mistakes secularism for neutrality" and ignores the fact that freedom of conscious is a right for all. "The decent impulse to protect the rights of gay people" should not be pursued at the expense of other less fashionable groups."
The growing apostasy of the western world, and the world - wide and growing persecution and marginalisation of the Christian faith, especially that of the Bible believing evangelical section of Christendom, is clearly prophesied in the Scriptures; and points to the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says -
"But mark this. There will terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" - 2 Timothy 3: 1 to 4.
All this we see today as never before, but so many are indifferent to it, and again this is foretold by the apostle Peter - "First of all you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of waters and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.
By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgement and the destruction of ungodly men. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" - 2 Peter 3: 3 to 9
The last days are here and now as the nations arrange themselves for the final holocaust, are you ready to turn your back on indifference and unbelief and embrace the good news of the gospel while there is yet time?
Jesus Christ the Son of God, sent by the Father, died a hideous death for you on the cross so that you might live and not die eternally. Come to him now, ask him to forgive your sins and give you new life, here is his promise - "Whoever comes to me I will never drive away" - John 6: 37b
