Writing at LifeSiteNews.com, Steve Jalsevac has penned what I would call a wake-up call to people regarding the “growing…very real tyranny” of activist homosexuals in America. In particular he centers on how homosexuals are already influencing the Catholic Church while seemingly ignorant or indifferent leaders do nothing.

Jalsevac wonders out loud where Catholic leaders were when Christian business owners were being persecuted through prosecution for simply adhering to a biblical definition of sexuality and marriage. He laments, “All I can recall, from the Catholics and Anglicans at least, was the usual, deadly, shameful soul and spirit killing silence that seems to happen all over the developed world on this issue.”

While Jalsevac directs his concern toward the Catholic Church, and rightly so, I would direct concern to every church in the United States that continues to confess the biblical definition of sexuality and marriage. As recent headlines have proven, the environment is right and activists are poised to seek not just recognition but full acceptance for their lifestyle from society; including the church.

Just days ago a Colorado judge ordered a Christian baker to bake cakes for gay couples even though doing so is a clear violation of his religious freedom and convictions. If a judge feels so emboldened as to demand one Christian violates his religious convictions are we so sure that other judges will not order churches to violate their collective convictions?

Peter LaBarbera recently said “There is a war between homosexual ‘rights’ and Americans’ religious and First Amendment freedoms – and the ‘gay’ activists are winning.” LaBarbera was speaking in an article in which he chronicles several dozen cases showing the high price being paid by Christians as a result of “gay tyranny.” The ones you’ve heard of, a photographer in New Mexico, a baker in Colorado, a florist in Washington, are a minuscule tip to an enormous and growing iceberg.

LaBarbera goes on to correctly identify the answer to the oft-asked question “how did this happen?” Many wonder how the homosexual lobby became so strong so quickly and why our religious rights seem to be disappearing. LaBarbera correctly answers that it happened “due to rapidly escalating homosexual and transgender activist power in the legal, cultural, political and corporate arenas.”

In other words, while most peace-loving people were minding their business, living their lives, and not discriminating against anyone, homosexuals were quietly gaining places of prominence in courts, political roles and business. Once they were in place and had both the influence and the money to make a difference, they acted.

And when they decided to strike it was decisive and powerful. They struck in courts with rulings that are still hard to understand. They struck in state legislatures, such as California, and caused a mass exodus of people fearing prosecution for simply living according to their beliefs. They struck in business and brought formerly neutral corporations into culture wars (think: Boy Scouts). And they continue to push for greater “rights” that would expand the boundaries of sexuality while reducing real and actual liberties and freedoms.

Sadly, the people that should be most concerned about this issue, the Church, have been eerily silent. Somewhere along the way the church bought the lie that the definition of marriage is a political issue rather than a biblical, moral issue. As society continued to tell the church to stay out of the issue because it didn’t concern them, the Church agreed and shut up. Yet the one group that has been and will continue to be most affected by efforts to redefine sexuality and marriage is Christians.

The publication Church Law and Tax reports that one of the main reasons churches are taken to court is for zoning issues. Cases involving RLUIPA (Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons) are growing because laws continue to restrict the freedom of churches to assemble and congregate in public places such as schools. Despite this growing trend churches seem almost indifferent to the dangers lurking behind the precedents set by these cases.

It’s not hard to understand why many of the youth in churches leave their faith by the end of their college years. They grow up hearing about the “stories” found in the Bible then listen to college professors reiterate that they are “just stories.” Not only have churches too often failed to impart a living faith in their student ministries that sees the Bible as a divinely inspired book from God Himself, they have completely ignored the critical issues facing our society. Consequently, when students get to college they are inundated with teachers, professors, and activists telling them what to believe and are unprepared to counter the arguments they are presented with. Without a solid foundation rooted in biblical truth they become easy prey.

It’s not just immediate harm facing the church as a result of the “tyranny” taking place. The danger is that a decade or two from now both the American landscape as well as the Church landscape will be wholly unrecognizable due to what is taking place now. With this in mind it makes no sense for the church to stay silent. As parents we have a duty to “train up a child” according to God’s Word. As pastors we have the sacred duty to “preach the whole counsel of God” in a clear manner. As a church we have the task of spreading the Gospel and making disciples.

The last thing we need right now is a “deadly, shameful soul and spirit killing silence that seems to happen all over the developed world on this issue,” as Jalsevac put it. Now more than ever we need bold witnesses for the Gospel that will be engage people in these difficult conversations; not only for the sake of preserving our religious freedoms and convictions today, but for the sake of preserving our children’s and grand-children’s religious freedoms and convictions.