I was recently reflecting on the issues that need much prayer if Joe Biden is finally confirmed as president, issues for which we need to pray much and in which we need a righteous stand. Here are a few. I call them Bible-based concerns or Torah based concerns.
- The abortion issue is #1. While the greater saving of lives may be more by promotion and witness than by law, a law giving abortion rights to the end of the 9th month can and will bring terrible judgments on the nation. A Biden administration will return to the policy of full funding for abortion re: Planned Parenthood. Biden has said he will try to repeal the Hyde amendment which prevents taxes from direct use for abortion, thus giving a conscience respect to pro-life people. Also, they would want to return to the policies of the Obama era seeking to strong-arm other nations to have abortion rights.
- The LGBTQ agenda which seeks to cancel all who morally opposes this agenda as haters and their views as hate speech. This agenda includes forcing private creative art businesses to give their services to support gay marriages and other celebrations making the believer violate conscience. It also requires biological men to be given access to women’s dressing rooms, or in schools to the shower rooms of the girls. It may destroy women’s sports by allowing biological men to compete with girls. It will require the military to accommodate transgenders as well. There could be pressure for other nations to embrace the full scope of the LGBT agenda.
- Religious freedom. On this, there may be opposition to the non-profit status of organizations that do not do gay weddings and support the gay lifestyle. Also, there may be a return to the Johnson amendment which restricts the free speech of churches. Trump removed this restriction. On other religious freedom, issues see #3 above. We also need to be aware of the freedom of the team at the public school to pray publicly or the coach to pray without it being official. Also, people have been fired for their public profession of their views on marriage, etc. There is boycott and cancel culture pressure.
- Defending persecuted Christians in other countries though American policy pressure may be weakened.
- Censorship by social media and big tech of Christian/Messianic Jewish and conservative views may increase. Paypal, banks, and other services can block accounts for organizations that support traditional values. Tremendous pressure could be brought to bear on those who hold to traditional values.
- The continued oppression of the black community by removing vouchers for private schools is possible. In my view of biblical justice, every person has a right to educate their children in a world view context in which they believe and where they can succeed. One of the keys to elevating the black poor is private vouchers to escape the cycle of failure and poverty.
- Enterprise zones and opportunities for blacks by business incentives are important. This includes apprenticing and training. We need to pray these efforts developed by President Trump, Senator Tim Scott, and HUD Secretary Ben Carson continue.
- The issue of prosecuting those who violated the law in bringing FISA spying applications against Trump officials and taking us through almost 4 years of investigations that were political and unjust may become moot. We as Bible people do want justice.
- Dealing with Antifa and the violent left and their destruction of businesses and cities may be very weak. Will a Biden administration deal with the criminal acts of such people? Biden will not be radical enough for these groups.
- Support for Israel. Will a Biden administration roll back the progress made on recognizing Jewish rights in Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and their rights to the Golan and to settlements in Judea and Samaria? Or will they go so pro-Palestinian that the progress will be lost?
- The Iran situation is a major issue for Bible believers. It is our desire that Israel is protected, and that Iran never gets a nuclear bomb. They even profess that they would drop it on Tel Aviv. Leaving the Iran deal and pushing hard on Iran in sanctions has been a key to the new alliances between Israel and Sunni Arab nations. This is another crucial Israel issue.
Let us pray much on these biblical issues, but first of all that we can share the Gospel with full freedom. That Gospel includes content that some will now say is hate speech since the Gospel is good news in the light of our violation of the Law. The Law includes standards that are rejected by our society and warn people about sin and hell including sexual sin. Without the Law, people do not see that they are in danger of Hell before a holy God. See the book by Ray Comfort, Hell’s best Secret. Do note that the Gospel preached as classically presented will be called hate speech. We cannot stop that, but in the cancel culture, will the government seek to prevent such preaching and presentation?