Some Shocking News from Nigeria to New Jersey, and Answers to Your Questions

From Nigeria to the United States. to New Jersey. You don't want to miss what's coming next. Um It's time for the line of fire with your host, activist, author, international speaker, and theologian, Dr. Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution.

Michael Brown is the director of the Coalition of Conscience and President of Fire School of Ministry. Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34-TRUTH. That's 866-34-TRUTH. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown.

Well, I hope you had a great weekend. I had an amazing weekend in many ways and want to share something with you that you'll be quite interested in hearing. Welcome to the broadcast. This is Michael Brown. Thanks for joining us today.

If at any point you want to join in the discussion, give me a call at 866-34TRUT. And literally, We'll be covering news of interest to you from New Jersey to Nigeria, or probably the reverse order in terms of the order of the broadcast from Nigeria to New Jersey. And interestingly, there's one word. That unites those two stories, which you'll find out as we share more with you. 866-348-7884.

If at any point you want to join in the discussion, at about the half-hour mark of this first hour, we'll be bringing on an attorney who leads the Thomas Moore Law Center, and he'll be discussing some very disturbing news from New Jersey. In the second hour, we plan to open the phones to take your calls as well on a wide range of subjects as we continue to do our best to make room. Every day we can for you've got questions, we've got answers as we do that on Friday. Try to make room, especially in the second hour of the broadcast, as we have opportunity. Again, the number 866-348-7-884.

Okay. The weekend. There was a conference that took place at Southern Evangelical Seminary, which is a little bit outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, attended by oh, a hundred plus people. on God, sex and gender. Different speakers, Dr.

Richard Land, Dr. Frank Turek, and myself, we tackled different subjects. Mine was Can You Be Gay and Christian? And then we had a debate. It didn't look like we were going to be able to have a debate because we couldn't find anyone willing to debate Dr.

Turek and myself. And then two local reverends stepped forward and said that they would be happy to do it. And they were as cooperative and cordial as could be. We were thrilled to be able to sit down with Reverend April Johnson and Reverend Liddell Benson. And to debate the subject must Love and tolerance equal affirmation.

In other words, can I truly love someone? Can I truly have a tolerant attitude towards them without affirming them at the same time? Let's say, for example, my neighbor was a racist. Could I truly love that person? Could I truly be tolerant of them as a fellow human being while not affirming their racism?

Could I do that? If my neighbor was a Hindu. Could I be loving and tolerant towards my Hindu neighbor while not affirming his or her Hinduism? If my neighbours were a lesbian couple, Could I be loving and tolerant towards them without affirming their lesbianism?

So this is what the debate was on, and obviously it was going to focus on the issue of homosexuality, and it turns out that April Johnson, Reverend Johnson, is identifies as lesbian. This came out in her very first comments, opening comments. But what got very interesting. As the debate went on, Was that it became framed as a black-white issue. that here Frank Turik and I are white.

and the two individuals we were debating were black. and it became framed as a black-white issue. Of course, when we were chatting beforehand, before the debate, I said to Reverend Johnson and Reverend Benson, and just great hangout time, we had probably 45 minutes before the debate. I said the only thing that bothers me about the composition of the panel is you've got two whites versus two blacks. This has nothing to do with white versus black.

It ended up that that was some of the rhetoric that came or some of the arguments that came, I don't want to say it in demeaning way, some of the arguments that came forward. I want to address those on the other side of the break. And then from there we go to Nigeria. Yeah, if you didn't read my latest article, you'll want to. AskDrBrown.org.

That's the place to go. Give us strength to always do what's right. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr.

Michael Brown.

Welcome, welcome to the line of fire, 866-348-7884. We hope to have a professionally edited, professionally shot video of the Saturday debate on our YouTube channel in the days ahead. But right now, you can watch it on my Facebook page, Ask Dr. Brown, A-S-K-D-R-Brown on Facebook. It's already reached.

Over 32. 20,000 people. It's already been viewed. More than 32,000 times there are already well over 1,000 comments. On the thread, there, yeah, so it's getting a lot of attention.

866-348-7. Eight. Eight, four.

So Is the debate about homosexual practice similar to the civil rights debate. Is The dominant class, the majority class, putting down another class of people. And in doing so being oppressive. and misusing the Bible to keep others down. even to drive them to suicide and despair.

That was the line of argument that came out during the debate. In fact, at one point, Dr. Turek and I were accused of just having a white supremacist position.

Now Every black Christian that I know, that I've spent time with, friends, colleagues, and the many who have called in my show. have all been very offended. that gay is now the new black or transgender is now the new black. As one black civil rights leader said, I believe in Houston. He said, I did not march one foot, I did not march one mile.

so that men could have the right to use the women's bathroom. In other words, don't equate Don't equate. the civil rights movement with the plight of LGBT Americans today. I asked April Johnson, and everything I want to say here is just It's just Describing what happened and then my commentary on it.

Okay? I don't want to describe anything in negative terms or in unfair terms because I have the radio show and the ability to talk and do this. I want to describe things as dispassionately. as I can, as fairly as I can, and then give my comment on it. I asked Reverend Johnson, how old she was when she came out as lesbian.

Maybe she said around fourteen. Then I asked her how old she was when she came out as black.

Well, obviously it was lighthearted, but the point I was making is there's a difference. You have to come out and declare yourself gay or lesbian or trans. You don't come out and say, I'm black. Yeah. And uh obviously There is no reputable scientific evidence that can say that skin color.

is the same as sexual desire or romantic attraction. In other words, the innateness of skin color, the immutability of skin color, cannot be rightly compared to one's romantic attractions and sexual desires. And there is no reputable scientific evidence that anyone is born gay or that it's impossible for someone to have a change in their same-sex attractions and desires.

So Obviously, you have one problem there saying gay is the new black. Another problem is to equate the sufferings of gay Americans with those of African Americans. Yes, gay Americans have suffered in our history, and some suffer right to this day. Yes, understood. But you're going to compare that to the Middle Passage when millions of Africans died?

And slave ships being brought over to America? You're going to compare gay suffering today or in our history? With the the selling of African men and women in our country as as slaves, as somebody else's possession?

So so you c you can't compare it on on that level Either. Moreover, there is no behavior associated with skin color. There is no romantic attraction or sexual desire or behavior associated with skin color.

So, if I act out being white, what does that mean? It means nothing. If I act out being black, if I if I act out being of a certain ethnicity, Hispanic or Asian. What does that mean? Nothing.

Because there is no particular behavior associated with skin color or ethnicity. But there is a behavior associated with saying I'm attracted to the same sex or I'm attracted to the opposite sex.

So again, you cannot compare those categories. But here's a point that I made during the debate. It was wonderful to team up with Dr. Turek, as brilliant as he is, and as clear-headed as he is, and as humble as he is, to say, hey, we're not here pointing fingers. I've got my own issues to deal with.

We're just asking what does Scripture say? And that was the point of it. And I kept emphasizing that Jesus reaches out to the Morigans, but he doesn't affirm people on the Morigans, he changes them. He reached out to the tax collectors, he reached out to the prostitutes, he reached out to the others that society wouldn't touch. He hung out with them, he ate and drank with them, but he changed them.

He didn't affirm the prostitutes and say, hey, You know that you're beautiful, even if people say you're not. You're beautiful, and you go out and get yourself some more men today. No, I didn't do that. He didn't say to tax collectors, hey look man, prosperity comes from God.

So you you work hard, you make a living, so what do you extort a little bit? That's okay. No, he didn't affirm them in their sin. He did not practice, as I've said many a time, affirmational inclusion, but transformational inclusion. But as I said during the debate, One of the big issues I had was this.

That if you had Two black leaders debating on our side. If you had, for example, make the names easy to remember, Bishop Harry Jackson and Bishop Larry Jackson. All right, strong conservative followers of Jesus, African American leaders. If you had them debating the issue versus Dr. Turek and me, then what are you going to say?

Because you have all blacks on the panel then. But but here's the irony. of this. And of course I raised this in the debate. This is not a black and white issue.

This is not an issue of blacks side with gays and whites side with straits. No. In point of fact, If you look at national gay leadership, it is disproportionately white. If you look at organizations like the Human Rights Campaign, the world's largest gay activist organization, the Human Rights Campaign in the past has been accused of not being racially diverse enough or not even having enough women working for it, mainly male whites. If you look at gay pride events, there's some cities where black Americans will have their own gay pride event, and they are grossly underrepresented at larger gay pride events.

And if you'll remember when President Obama was running for president in 2012, although according to everything we know at this point and to what I understood then, He believed in same-sex, quote, marriage. When he was asked about it, when Rick Warren asked about it, when it came up a couple of other times, he emphatically and clearly said. That as a Christian, this was sacred to him, and marriage was the union of one man and one woman, according to David Axelrob, who was campaign director. Then, he lied about that because he knew. that he couldn't alienate black vote, which is largely conservative.

Black Americans, when it comes to these moral issues, when it comes to homosexuality, are, by and large, more conservative than white Americans. And if you'll go to a country like Nigeria. or you'll go to a country like Uganda. or you'll go to a country like Kenya, where you've got strong Christian population there. in the heart of Africa.

you'll find that their opposition to homosexuality is much, much stronger. than that of American Christians. In fact, I have Christian friends who went over to some of these nations or interacted with leaders there to try to get them to soften their position a little bit, like don't have a death penalty for repeated homosexual offenses. And they would say, hey, we have the same for heterosexual sin. It doesn't matter to us.

Repeated heterosexual offenses, repeated homosexual offenses, it's the same thing. Or abusing a child, it's the same thing. But that's what makes this so interesting.

Now, let's take this one step further in terms of farther, one step farther in terms of the irony here. Are you ready? The radical liberal theology That is pro-gay quote marriage. the radical liberal theology. That Wants to redefine marriage that wants to embrace transgender identity.

And this is who you are and you should celebrate it. That, in terms of the founders, in terms of the main thinkers, is white. Radical liberal theology has been primarily driven by white theologians. Yes, there are black theologians as follows as well. But I'm just making an observation.

So in point of fact, The viewpoint that Dr. Turek and I were holding to, not only is it the clearly scriptural viewpoint that you can love someone without affirming their sin, but when it comes down to these critically important social moral issues, and we were all for loving and we were all for repenting where the church has failed to reach out with love to those who identify as LGBT. But the real irony is that our position is far, far closer to the African position. To the historic position found in other non-white populations. Ours is the one much more in harmony.

with African beliefs and non-white Beliefs. All right, from here we go to Nigeria, 866-348. 7884. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown.

Your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown.

Alright, let's um... Let's talk about Nigeria. for a moment. And what I'm about to share with you is very disturbing. What adds to the pain is that we hardly hear this reported in the West.

For whatever reason, the fact is we hardly hear about these things. received an email This morning detailing just the most recent horror which is someone walking into a church building, a Catholic church building in Nigeria yesterday and going on a shooting rampage, leaving forty seven people. Dead.

Alright, now this is not the main thing I want to focus on. But just Boy. I didn't hear this elsewhere. Maybe it's being reported. Tragedy is gunman kills 47 worshippers in Anambra.

An unknown gunman yesterday invaded St. Philip's Catholic Church located in such and such community, opened fire on the worshippers during the morning mass. At the end of the attack, about forty seven persons lay stone dead? with many others critically injured, Uh The attacker and his motive are yet unknown. just just in absolute horror.

But if you want to hear something even more horrible And I bring these things up because we need to know, we need to be praying and wanting can governments, other governments get involved to help the Nigerian Army? Joanne, who serves faithfully in Nigeria in a dirt-poor region. teaching little children and raising the educational standards, training teachers and she teaches little kids, some are Christian, some are Muslim, some are totally animist and she's made clear, hey, we talk about Jesus in our school. We uh and would you rather that your kid gets a good education here? or goes somewhere else and doesn't get a good education where they don't mention Jesus.

But The army in Nigeria is now appealing to Muslim parents not to donate. their children to Boko Haram. Boko Haram being the radical Muslims wreaking havoc in northern Nigeria. The Nigerian Army wishes to appeal to religious, traditional and community leaders, as well as all well-meaning Nigerians, especially in the northeast of our country, to help dissuade people from donating their daughters or awards to Boko Haram terrorists for indoctrination and suicide bombing missions.

Now are you ready for this? You're ready for this. From January to July.

So the first seven months of this year. Quote Boko Haram terrorists have so far used more than one Hundreds of 45 girls in suicide bombing missions. You said, why aren't we hearing about this? I just did a little search for female. suicide bombers Nigeria.

And then I'd check girl suicide bombers, Nigeria. I found an article from Al Jazeera. dated march 15, 2017. This is the the first ones that came up when I searched. An article from The Guardian So that's British.

dated december ninth, twenty sixteen, an article from the same date on CNN. And an article on BBC from January 23rd, 2017, and an article from The Independent January 1st, 2017.

So there's only one article from a USA-based news service. Only one. All the others Uh six months old except for the one from March. The most current one, almost five months old. We're not hearing anything about it.

You'd think that something happened six, seven months ago. eight months ago. And it's terrible. And it's not happening, it's happening all the time. And the article goes on to list place after place after place where it's taking place.

Some of the girls For example, when when Christian girls were kidnapped a few years ago, remember that we had the big upper over it and Michelle Obama bringing attention to it, but then Kind of forget about it. What happened to the girls? How many were rescued? How many were forced to convert to Islam? How many had been raped?

just kind of out of sight, out of mind. We're not hearing about it. Think of the news talked about these things regularly. What the public outcry would be, how the prayers would be increased, how we'd be asking our administration, can we do something? Can we do something?

Can we help the Nigerian Army? What can we do? Is there a way to help rescue these kids? I mean, our consciousness, our attitude, our mindset would be very, very different, would it not? Surely there's time on the news cycle to talk about these things.

Come on, you get twenty four seven news. A lot of it just sounds like the latest gossip column and who said what? Anonymous source says this, and if you're liberal, you're grilling Trump all the time. If you're conservative, you're defending Trump all the time. We do have time.

We do have time to talk about these issues.

So Some of the girls Kidnapped. And just sent out, didn't even know what they were doing. A vest is put on: just go talk to this man here, or just do this, or just do that. and will hurt your family if you don't, whatever threats are used. I don't know specifically.

Why little girls?

Well maybe less likely to be stopped. Maybe l less Seemed like a likely suspect. And you're going through airport security, you got a seven-year-old girl. Uh are you going to check her as carefully as you you check some angry-looking man, you know, with m Middle Eastern uh features.

So they can be used in that way.

Some actually get radicalized.

Some parents are donating their kids to Boko Ram, hey, we need to train your kids, and this is for the good of Islam, and to fight against the government. Not really knowing what's happening, some might even know what's happening, but this is an unspeakable evil, friends.

So here's what you can do. All right. Go to my website, sdrbrown.org, A-S-K-D-R-Brown. org. Read the article.

Pray for divine intervention and divine mercy. and then share the article with a friend.

Alright, share the article with a friend. and say, hey, would you read this? All I can do here is just raise my voice. You know what I'm saying? If the local Nigerian government can only do so much, if the local if the Nigerian army can only do so much.

Then, what can I do sitting here? What can you do in your sphere of influence? But we can do what we can do. And when Joanne sent me this last night, I immediately thought, I've got to write about this. and shout this out to the world.

I've talked about it here and there. But these figures are absolutely staggering.

So read the article, share the article with others, and let's pray. for divine intervention, for divine mercy. For God to bring judgment on Boko Haram, to God to save Boko Haram members and bring them repentance. for God to miraculously free the kids who have been kidnapped. For God to open the hearts and minds of parents to whatever degree of complicity they have with this, and for the Western media.

To begin to shout this out on a regular basis until there is a world outrage and outcry. leading to more action being. Taken. We come back, we're going to New Jersey, and you're going to be surprised to hear What's happening there? And and listen, if if you're a Muslim Listening to this.

You are likely as sickened by the Boko Haram report as I am. I fully understand that the vast majority of Muslims are not rejoicing in little girls blowing themselves up. And suicide bombs. I want to say that if you are listening, please do keep listening. And I'd be curious to know your take on the story we are about to discuss.

We'll be right back.

Okay. It's the line of fire with your host, activist, author, international speaker, and theologian Dr. Michael Brown.

Your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34TRUTH. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown.

Is this just a clickbait headline? Is this just... One of these extreme headlines with misleading information meant to provoke. anger and hostility? Is this just something that that is leading into rampant Islamophobia in America?

Or is this accurate? I'm looking at a headline on WND.com, an article by Bob Unruh, who I know to be a reliable journalist. U.S. Town Bans Residents from Criticizing Mosque. This is actually just part of a larger story, and we're going to get into it today for the next few minutes here on the line of fire.

I am joined by Richard Thompson, who is the president and chief counsel of the Thomas Moore Law Center. And he's directly involved in the situation. Richard, welcome to The Line of Fire. Thanks for joining us. Thank you for having me, Dr.

Brown. Sir, is there anything inaccurate? In this headline, US Town bans residents from criticizing mosque. not at all. In fact, with the news release that we sent out, we actually linked to the court order that incorporated the proper the settlement agreement, which basically said as a part of a hearing that's also taking place tomorrow evening, in fact.

That anyone speaking on the mosque construction at the proposed site. Cannot make any comments regarding Islam or Muslim. It's a part of the court order, it's a public document. And that's what got us so angry. In this lawsuit, where not only did they override the Zoning Commission's rulings, the Zoning Board ruling Uh but then they added to that certain requirements, one of them being that you cannot mention Islam or Muslim.

All right, so as crazy as this sounds, you would not be involved here with your law center unless this was really happening. And of course, this is similar to what's going on in Canada on a national level, that Islamophobia, public speech against Islam, which is now characterized as Islamophobia, is basically going to be banned as hate speech.

So let's just take a couple of minutes, and then we'll get into this more fully after the break. Just give me the background about what happened here in Bayonne, New Jersey, the zoning issues, and the mosque before we get to the criticism of Islam issue.

Okay. The Planning Board of Bernards Township, New Jersey voted to deny the Mosque application for several zoning issues that were Uh problematic. Uh Three months later, on March 10, 2016, the Islamic Society of Baskin Ridge and its president, Mohammed Ali Shaudri. filed a federal lawsuit against the township. and the planning uh board.

And then on um this past May twenty third, twenty seventeen, The defendants entered into the settlement agreement with uh the Islamic The Society of Baskin Ridge and then send it on to the judge. And the judge incorporated the settlement in agreement in an order that said every term of that settlement agreement will be recognized as an order. uh enforceable by the court so that the settlement agreements, which had in it as a provision in the hearing that's supposed to take place tomorrow, that no resident addressing the board can mention Or make comments on Islam or Muslims, which is a clear violation of the free speech rights. Of every citizen in the United States. But not only that, It's a violation of the Establishment Clause, which, as you know, Dr.

Brown's. Basically, it does not allow a government entity to favor one religion over the other. And in this case, Um there is no prohibition about making comments about Christianity or Judaism or Hinduism, but they specifically say you cannot make comments about Muslims and Islam. And the reason behind that is that you may be critical of that religion.

Now, tell you what, stay right there. We'll continue on the other side of the break. Oh God of burning, cleansing flame. Shit. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr.

Michael Brown.

Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34 TRUTH. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown.

My guest is Richard Thompson. He is President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center. You might have said, I heard his name before. Yeah, you may have seen him on O'Reilly Fact or MSNBC or Fox News, CNN Crossfire. You may remember his name because he prosecuted so-called Dr.

Death, Dr. Jack. Kvorkin. He's argued cases directly at the Supreme Court, and now he is standing with the people. Of Bayonne, New Jersey, over an outrageous ruling that says in a public hearing, which is happening tomorrow night, about the building of a mosque in their township that they cannot.

criticize Islam.

So we were interrupted by a break. Back to you then, I've got a bunch of questions for you. Sure.

So you were saying that the Establishment Clause forbids exactly what's happening here. that that you cannot favor one religion over another. I imagine Muslims will say, no, no, we're the ones that are discriminated against. We're the ones that uh this is just leveling the playing field. I mean there's got to be some kind of argument like that, but obviously it's fatally flawed.

Well, it is flawed. Number one, if you look at the particular federal statute which they are which they filed their lawsuit under The federal government under Obama filed several uh lawsuits supporting Muslim organizations Attempting to build mosques in areas that were zoned residential.

So they have the full power, they had the full power of the federal government. behind them. In fact, in New Jersey, in the case that we're involved with, After the Islamic Society of Baskin Ridge, filed their lawsuit Um several uh months later, uh about seven months later, that federal government, United States of America, represented by the Department of Justice, filed their lawsuit against Bass Ridge, excuse me, against Bernard's Township.

so that the township board and the planning Uh board. Head Cool. Plaintiffs Filing lawsuits against them, and they had to not only overcome the lawyers out of New York representing. The Islamic Society of Baskin Ridge, but then they had to. overcome the United States government with all its vast resources and several attorneys from the Department of Justice who signed on to that second lawsuit So if there is no pl uh level playing field, the playing field is not level against is leveled against The municipality, which was doing nothing more than enforcing its zoning requirements and finding that.

the uh proposed mosque was ill fitted for this particular residential area. In fact, the in fact Bernards Township uh told the mosque uh supporters that there was another piece of land Uh in the township. that would be favorably suited for the mosque.

So that it was not a prohibition against mosques in general, it was a prohibition of putting this mosque. In a very small piece of uh land Right in the middle of a residential area that the township was initially complaining about. But then they totally capitulated in this settlement agreement, which I said was not a settlement agreement at all, but an instrument of surrender, because not only did they agree to the mosque being placed in this inappropriate piece of land, but they agreed to pay the mosque $3.25 million in damages And then, of course, then they trampled on the Constitution by saying anyone that's going to oppose the construction of the mosque at this hearing tomorrow evening cannot mention Islam or Muslim. which is ridiculous in that you're you're really talking about A mosque being put up, and you have to talk about when you're going to talk about the residential area and the zoning laws, you have to talk about the unique features of Islamic worship. You know, it is not a Sunday worship, it is worship that takes place Five times each day at the mosque.

They have, you know, five different prayers. And on Fridays, they have the major prayer that takes place. And this is a small uh street. That cannot be widened. And you're going to have huge traffic problems.

And they've already, the zoning board already heard from traffic experts that said. It is an accident waiting to happen. Secondly, you have some adjoining landowner. who we represent, the Quicks, Christopher and Loretta Quick. the sewer line that's going to go across that is connected to the proposed mocks is going to go right across their front line.

And there's very much concern that the the pipe for the sewer line was designed for a residential area, not a building that's going to house maybe one hundred and fifty or two hundred people at a time during these various prayers that take place daily. Yeah, so on every front, this is shocking. And look, you and I know that every day of the week, Different counties and cities refused permits for church buildings to go up. And you know, because it's just not going to work in this area. And I know friends that for years and years are working with zoning people to try to overcome this hurdle and to try to overcome that hurdle because you just have to figure it out.

It wasn't built for this and so on.

So this is all perfectly legitimate if it could have been demonstrated. that the zoning people were biased against Islam. That that this was a This was completely unfair. And they were Islamophobic, and they were all thinking that all Muslims are suicide bombers. And even though there were no zoning issues, fine, that's not a problem, but we can't let these monsters be in our community.

Then that should be exposed. That's ugly. But it's actually not what happened. These are legitimate zoning issues, but because there were zoning issues against. Muslims at a mosque, now it becomes a bigotry, Islamophobic issue.

So at this hearing, then. Are there people who are going to try to speak up and challenge this ban on not mentioning Islam? Oh Well, we have a lawsuit that is pending, uh, that there is going to be a hearing on tomorrow morning around eleven AM trying to get an injunction, you know, a preliminary court order that uh Then that uh that rescinds The settlement agreement, as far as it goes relating to commentary about Islam. for uh Muslims. Um The problem that we have is that for the last sixty days the township has had on its website In notices of this hearing, that no one can comment about Islam or Muslim, and we're concerned that a lot of people who would want to comment on Islam or Muslim.

Are not going to be able to do that.

Now, you know, it's relevant. to the issues involved. As I indicated, because you're in a residential area. All these homes are residential area are in the residential area. But Islam requires Muslims to pray five times a day.

uh you know the afternoon prayer service is the most important service of the week. And it is also a very busy day as far as traffic goes. Um, all these, you know, all these unique factors to Islam. And I just ask them, yeah, can I just ask. I i are there going to be prayer calls as well going out from the mosque?

Um I don't think so. I'm not positive of that. I know that there was some discussion. I'm not sure. that, that is a part of the settlement agreement.

So I don't want to speak on that, but I'll say this. If there isn't, let me tell you, a couple of years down the road, they're going to ask for that. And then they're going to say if anyone denies that, then you're violating you know, religious freedom again. Yeah. So we've just got a minute, sir.

Uh is there anything that we can do? Uh uh most of us listening don't live over there aside for pray for your success or join with your law center. Anything that can be done right now?

Well, I think the the best thing to do is for all of your listeners to be alert to what is going on, not only in New Jersey but across the country. There are several communities that are being challenged now by these Muslim or Islamic organizations. They're using it as a way to g make money. Basically, they'll go in and they'll Pick a residential area and they'll say we want a mosque up there. And then, of course, there will be hearings and they'll be denied.

And then there'll be a lawsuit. The insurance companies will force the the township to settle and they'll walk away as Did the Islamic Society of Baskin Ridge with $3.25 million and the right to. Construct a mosque there. It's happened in Sterling Heights, Michigan. It's happened in several other New Jersey communities.

It's become a way. of it's it you know, it's like the lawyers chasing ambulances then. Mm. In fact, I've got one last question. If you can stay through the break, I've got one last question for you.

We'll be right back.

Change the world. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown.

Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34 Truth. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown.

Thanks for joining us, friends, on the Line of Fire broadcast. Michael Brown, your Voice of moral sanity and spiritual clarity. I'm speaking with. Richard Thompson, he is currently president and chief counsel of the Thomas Moore Law Center, which is a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, dedicated to the defense and promotion of America's Judeo-Christian heritage and moral values, a strong national defense, and an independent and sovereign United States of America.

So, Richard. One other question which I think is important to ask. Are there any concerns in terms of the Islamic organization involved with this case. in New Jersey that they have ties with Islamic organizations that are not friendly to America or that have other goals that would really be very contrary to our goals. It may not directly impact whether a mosque can be built or not that that has Other issues, zoning, et cetera.

But are there other larger connections that concern you? Absolutely. This is one of the paradoxes of this whole lawsuit. Although the lawsuit that they filed against Bernard's Township, said their their zoning was denied because of anti-Islamic uh feelings Chowdhury and the Islamic Society had hidden just before their lawsuit was filed, hid from public view anti Christian and anti Semitic verses on its website They had been in open view for a long time, but as soon as the lawsuit was filed, they removed them. The other thing that was of very deep concern was they also had well-established links to the Islamic Society of North America, so-called ISNA, which was an unindicted co-conspirator in the largest terrorism finance trial in America.

Um it's ISNA is claimed by the Muslim Brotherhood as one of our organizations and our friends. And ISNA is a part of the Muslim Brotherhood's grand scheme to eliminate and destroy Western civilization from within. And one of the stages of that Western civilization is the building of mosques and Islamic centers.

So it's clear to us. That even though Mr. Chowdhury presented himself publicly as a victim, of uh anti uh Muslim uh feelings he in fact Had been promoting anti-Christian and anti-Semitic. doctrine on his website, citing several Quranic verses and also establishing a link to ISNA, which is an un which was an unindicted co conspirator in a terrorism trial.

So that is the background of the plaintiffs that filed the lawsuit, and that is the background of the people that we are trying to defeat now in court. I give an exaggerated analogy. But it's almost like a husband has been beating his wife and on several occasions she has called the police for help and it goes to the court and the court says, yes, our determination now is that the woman is not allowed to call the police for help. It comes the exact opposite way of expected. Here you have a mosque website with ugly verses or verses that are being used specifically in anti-Semitic, anti-Christian ways.

And what comes out of that is not that they're doing something wrong, but that you cannot even bring up Islam in a discussion about the building of a local mosque. Richard, I know these things can be wearing and trying and difficult, so we commend you for your work and pray for ongoing strength and support and for the awakening of the people in this township. Let them take on the Goliath of all the lawsuits that are going to come, because ultimately we've got to stand. Right.

Well, thank you very much, doctor Brown. And let me say one of the things that your listeners can do, and I failed to mention it, is pray for us and pray for our lawyers who are going to be engaged in battle tomorrow in the courtroom in New Jersey. Got it. Absolutely. We will do that, sir.

Thank you so much. Thank you, Dr. Brown. Nice talking to you. All right.

Listen, friends. There there are two things we need to do here. We need to be sober But we also need to have faith. We need to be sober and recognize these things are happening. happening here in America.

as well as the bright. That's the reality. I wrote an article a few days ago of something the exact opposite scenario, but with a similar thread. Where a synagogue in Bondi, Australia. The the Jewish community was going to build a synagogue.

and the town council said no, because we're afraid it may be attacked by Muslims. Uh yeah. What can you say? We need to be sober. I remember in 1987, remember distinctly, I was staying at a pastor's home in Luton, England, about to preach in several different cities in England for two weeks.

I was starting there in Luton. And I hear a prayer call, Islamic prayer call. In looting English, what in the world? And he said, yeah. He said, different churches wanted to build.

And they wanted to build on this property, that property, and the zoning people said no, no, no. And then Muslims came wanting to build a mosque, and they said yes. This is 1987, friends. 1987. Let's be sober.

and recognize what's happening. Let's be sober and recognize that somehow the left and the government often just goes the opposite way of logic when it comes to Islam. That's why you'll have feminists and gay activists marching against uh Israel and with Hamas, whereas if they marched down the street in Gaza Strip, they'd be arrested or put to death. In Israel they'd have no problem. Ironically.

So let's be sober when these things are happening. Let's recognize them. And yes, let us pray for Richard Thompson and the lawyers at Thomas More Law Center that they would have grace on them, that they would have clarity of speech, that there would be justice and fairness in the courts. Hey, if you're a Muslim, if you're a Jew, if you're a Christian, an atheist, certainly we can all agree on that. Let there be justice and fairness and equity in the courts.

Right? But let us also, as followers of Jesus, have Faith. Because Muslims in our neighborhoods, Muslims in our schools, Muslims in our businesses are souls for whom Jesus died that we cannot reach with the gospel. When's the last time you been to Syria, or Iran, or Saudi Arabia? Maybe as many times as me, which is none, zero, never.

Well, here we have Muslims living right here near us. Many of them are nominal, some are very religious, but either way, there are people for whom Jesus died, people that we can reach with the gospel.

So when I talked to my friend Walter Heidenreich in Germany, we were Actually, in Korea July of last year, when I did an interview with him, he's a well-respected German leader. And I said, Man, what's happening in your country? Just thinking, man, it's. Germany's going through a lot of upheaval. And he got all excited.

He goes, Amazing, so many Muslims are coming to faith. This is the greatest harvest of Muslims we've ever seen coming to faith in Jesus.

So let's be sober. Let's recognize the real issues, the real problems, the aggressive expansionist nature of Islam, and how our government can often stand with Muslims in a way that becomes unjust and unfair against others. Let's recognize that. And at the same time, let's recognize this as a great harvest opportunity.

Okay, second hour. I'm opening up the phones. You've got questions. We've got answers. I'll take calls on a wide range of issues and a few more things I want to talk to you about as well.

Have you gone to my website today, askdrbrown.org? Do you get my emails? You still don't get my emails? Sign up for the emails today. When you do, I want to send you a free e-book, Seven Secrets of the Real Messiah.

That's at ask Dr. Brown, A-S-K-D-R-Brown.org. We're going to talk through what seems to be so shocking in the world and the news today, and we're going to take your questions as well. It's time for The Line of Fire with your host, activist, author, international speaker, and theologian, Dr. Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution.

Michael Brown is the director of the Coalition of Conscience and president of Fire School of Ministry. Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34-TRUTH. That's 866-34-TRUTH. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown.

Hey, were you at the debate, since I'm talking to friends all over North Carolina now, among many other places in America and the world, but were you at the debate on Saturday, Dr. Frank Turek and yours truly debating Reverend April Johnson and Reverend Lidale Benson on the question of must. love and tolerance equal affirmation. If you were there. Love to get your take on things.

Give me a call, 866-348-7884. We are opening our phones. You've got questions. We've got answers. I want to talk to you about some things happening in the world around us, some insights I have on some news that I think you'll find profitable and helpful.

And we're going to take your calls on a wide range of subjects. If you want to watch the debate the way we streamed it on our Facebook page, so this is not the with all the different camera angles and the best audio and things like this. This is just what we streamed directly from my assistant's cell phone, actually my cell phone that he was holding sitting on the front row. You can watch it over almost 34,000 folks have watched it so far. It's reached well over 320,000.

So it's going viral on our Facebook page. Go to ask Dr. Brown, A-S-K-D-R-Brown on Facebook. With that, I want to get straight to your calls. I'll take as many as I can, answer some emails, and interact with some news of importance.

So let's start. On the phones in Columbia City, Indiana. Brett, welcome to the line of fire.

Well, thank you for taking my call. I wanted to talk a little bit about the King James only controversy. Yes, sir. I've. I've listened to your last few podcasts.

I listened to the debate with James White and Steve Anderson. I've been to many websites, seeing people argue over there. I just think that the issue both sides are understating the complexity of the argument. Very difficult argument, and I don't think. At least My reservations accept what you teach.

have not been addressed. And before I go on, I just want to say one thing. And I say this sincerely. I love you. I pray for you.

I refuse to You are a very positive influence on my life. And so I don't take it lightly that I just disagree with you on this. I just want to let you know that.

Well first, Brett, thank you for the kind words and thank you for the word. For feeling so positively about me, but not feeling obligated to agree with everything that I say. That means a lot to me.

So, Brett, let me make sure I understand you, all right? The debate about whether you prefer Byzantine manuscript tradition versus Alexandrian. whether you want to follow the New Testament textual tradition that the King James does or say the tradition that the ESV does. Let's put that as one separate debate. Let's all right, just so I can clarify what your issue is.

And let's say that can be complex, etc. or we're going to debate the longer ending of mark or not.

Okay, put that all in that category. And then translation style, translation approach.

something which is a little stiffer but more literal, like the NASB. or something that's a a bit more freer. uh like the NIV. You know, translation And where the King James fits. Let's have that as a separate discussion.

Those are all worthy discussions, worthy debates. To me, what's not debatable Is the idea that all other translations aside from the king james are satanic or demonic or that the King James is a perfect Translation and that the Bible that everyone should use in the English-speaking world is the King James. That is the only truly inspired translation. That to me. It's not debatable.

In other words, To me, there's no possibility. of that having any truth to it whatsoever.

So we come back, I want you to clarify what you feel I'm missing or folks on either side are missing in terms of the debate. I wanna know what part you're thinking. We're oversimplifying. We'll be right back.

It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown.

Yet as much as possible when I have the opportunity in this hour on the radio to take your calls on a wide range of subjects where Opening the phone lines, 866-348-7884. As we do on Friday, you've got questions, we've got answers.

So I want to go back to Brett in Columbia City, Indiana. If you've not yet watched my video about strengths and weaknesses of the King James, and I hope to do that with other versions in the future, just go to askdrbrown.org, ask.org, and just search in the digital library or search for King James.

So Brett, again, I want to go back to you. But if someone says, I think the King James Version is the best translation, I differ with that, but fine. If they say, I believe we should follow the New Testament manuscripts, the King James did, okay. I disagree with that, but that's also fine. If you say The King James is the only truly inspired English version, and it is perfect.

That to me is intellectually impossible. I could no more believe that than I could believe that right now I'm an astronaut circling Mars.

So if you could clarify what you feel that I'm missing. that I'm oversimplifying, then then I can do my best to respond.

Okay. First of all, I just want to tell you, I'm coming in this. Pretty much my experience is the opposite of yours. I was saved using the NIV. And over the years, I've been more and more convinced I should accept one Bible as my absolute.

Yeah. And I would have to to say that would be a King James.

Now, why did I come from?

Well, let me just give you one of the problems that I have. We have to your your position. If I go to pretty much any Church. or even the church that I went to when I was saved. I'm just going to give you a sample.

doctrinal statement, just one line of the statement that says We believe in the Holy Scriptures as a Originally given by God. divinely inspired, infallible, entirely trustworthy. in the supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.

Well, the word there that bothered me was: we believe in the Holy Scripture as originally given by God.

Now, when I read that. To me That is like saying that I believe in something that doesn't exist. that I've never seen and it it's in a language I can't read.

Now, if I give you a doctrinal statement from the Bible, Acts 24, 14. But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, So worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written. in the law and the prophets.

Well, see, to me, these are two completely different doctrinal statements. One, is believing in something that they have in their hands that is actually written down that they can hold on to. And point to And the other is kind of a very vague, sort of, well, I believe what was originally written. But we don't know what was originally written. We don't have that.

No, well, okay, so here's where I would respectfully differ. Number one, How did God give us the Bible? What languages? What I really say Greek and Hebrew and maybe Aramaic.

Okay. So that would mean then, for your statement to stand true, that in every single country There has to be one authorized translation. In other words, if you live in Spain, There has to be the inspired Spanish version. If you live in Germany, there has to be the inspired German version. Because we can't point back for you to the original manuscripts because we don't have the first manuscripts.

So the only way that we can have any authority is that every language has to have the inspired Bible. Is that correct?

Well, not necessarily, but Just to point this out, I came to this understanding in the- No, no, no, no, but hang on, I just want to probe here, all right? I'm going to say no, but I do believe there is a standard authoritative Bible in other languages. I'm not just a. Oh, okay, but but but we know though that in most of the languages The translations done today are a hundred times better than the translations done several hundred years ago. Many of them were based on uh they're they were they're tertiary translations that didn't go back to the original sources, but God has provided us with thousands and thousands and thousands of manuscripts.

Representing the original Hebrew and Greek, and on all essential points, they're all in agreement.

So there's no ambiguity. In other words, when I can say the Bible says this, this, this, this, this, I can say it with the King James as easily as I can say it with the ESV or the NASB or the NIV. or the Hebrew or the Greek, because on all essential points they all agree.

Okay. I I just want to try to get you to understand where I'm coming from. I think that the arguments that are used against the King James Are the exact same arguments that could have been used against the scriptures that Paul was using or Jesus was using? I listened to your podcast the other day or online, and you mentioned how, and I agreed with you. There are mistranslations in the Korean James.

I don't deny it. And the one that you've mentioned was Easter. in the King James. But the reason this doesn't make me doubt the King James because. how many verses in the New Testament were translated differently And from the Old Testament.

Anyone could have come up to the authors of Newton's and said, Well, you translated that wrong. But they weren't errors. They weren't errors. That's the thing. In other words, they were.

They were inspired interpretations, whereas the King James and the NIV they have errors.

So why not use the Geneva Bible? Go back before the King James then. Use the one that the King James translators relied on a lot. Why don't you Geneva Bible?

Well There are answers to that. pretty much because that is not the Bible that God has blessed when I for me to understand to find what is God's word. I have to, there's biblical criteria that I use. God's word. Its purpose is to create faith.

In people. Yes. To win souls.

Well, if I look and compare all these old Bibles, most of these Bibles have gone by wayside. They're not even in print. Nobody uses him. King James has hundreds of years of history with great Yeah. Revivals Yes.

you know awakenings and has won so many people. It just seems to Stand out so much. Let me just go back to that. All right, but that's not the case anymore, though. In other words, if I want to base it on that.

All right. Then there are other translations that are read today much more than the King James, that are getting more circulation around the world than the King James.

So if we raised the same argument in 50 years, then it would be overwhelmingly against the King James.

So would wouldn't you agree, though, sir, that the goal And look, I'm a lover of the Word of God. That's why I've been involved in Bible translation and Bible commentary, as you are a lover of the Word of God. But if I see many errors in the King James, that's one. Number two, that God has given us now, in His providence, better manuscripts that go back further in time that the King James translators didn't have, and that the English language has changed dramatically. And that the spirit of the if the King James translators were alive today, they'd be making a new translation.

They'd be saying, No, no, we want this to be in the language of the people, not antiquated. We want it to be in the language of the people.

So, for all those reasons, why not use a modern translation that God is using, God is blessing, that's based on the latest translation. godly scholarship we have.

Okay. I don't have a problem. Yeah. Or updating the King James or bringing it into modern language. I don't think that that would be wrong at all.

My point that I wanted to bring up to you And The translation of the King James ends to mistakes. And yet I I think you could do the same thing, characterize translations. the Old Testament into the New Testament. In the same way. There are verses that I see in the Old Testament.

that I just have a hard time. believe it. You know what? It's just something like In such and such place is called this unto this day. And it seems to me it's obvious that this was something.

added by a scribe. It was you know inserted Maybe hundreds of years. Years later in the Old Testament. Yeah, like Genesis 12, the Canaanites were then in the land.

Okay, well but we're not.

Okay, so But we accept it as inspired. But it's part of the Bible. It's not a later translator making a mistake. Or here, let's put it like this, okay? And we'll.

We'll try to come to a meeting of the minds here. My issue. Is with saying that the King James is a perfectly inspired translation, and a radical King James onlyist, when you show them, no, they misunderstood the Hebrew or they used the wrong word there, they'll tell you, no, the Hebrew is an error, or the Greek is an error, because the King James is perfect and it's the only truly inspired one.

So if we agree, let language be updated.

So there are versions like that, you know, that take the King James and update the language, or that take the King James and correct some of their errors. Even if we don't want to call them errors, let's just say, They interpreted it one way, the NIV this way, the ESV this way, and we think that the ESV got it right, or that was the better one.

However, we look at it, I I I I think we can c we can Okay, I Go go ahead. Let you get the last word that we got to break. Go ahead.

Okay, I I agree with you on so much of this, and I do speak Spanish, but I do know there's not just one way to translate words. There are many legitimate ways to translate words. I'm going to have to just go back and say, but practically, Speaking. Even if you are right, even if it isn't the King James. I think it would be better for people to have one authority And not be dabbling into Greek or Hebrew.

I'm not speaking of you. Most people. Pick and choose what they want to bleed and use green their cutters. Got it, yeah, got it. Hey, we're out of time, sir, but sorry to cut you off.

Thank you. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown.

Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34TRUT. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown.

All right, so just one last comment, Brett, and thanks for the conversation. Just need to get to other callers. With all my studies, language studies, background, when I read the Bible in English, I'm reading God's Word. I never think twice when I need to dig deeper to understand better. I go to the original languages.

I try to read the Bible and Hebrew on a regular, ongoing basis along with everything else. But of course, d dig it and there's a lot of good software now. Where you can really get good definitions and it's easy to use.

So, yeah, feel secure with the. good English translation that you use Recognize that when you go through the basics, the bottom line is that all the essentials are still affirmed. in the various good translations. from King James on and immediately before. Rest assured in that, that the manuscripts are in fundamental harmony.

Hey, thank you though for the discussion and again for the spirit in which you presented your differences with me. 866-34TRUT. Let's go to Jennifer in Wisconsin. How do you pronounce your city name? Um, it's Mana to Walk.

Mana to Walk. All right. The way it looks. Yes. Go ahead, please.

I wanted to say, first off, thank you. I actually submitted two questions to you via email. I'm the one who asked about the microchipping and the building of the third temple.

So, thank you very much for answering those questions. You know what? Can I just tell you something? You know, we do get, of course. Lots of questions sent in and my staff tries to reply to most and then some I'll take to answer on the air.

But I told my assistant before the Friday show, I said, There's one gal who keeps persistently raising your questions. Make sure I get to that one.

So I actually had, if it makes you feel special, I had a piece of paper just with your questions. I said, She, because I kept noticing it in different contexts, I said, all right, let's make answer this.

So, persistence pays.

So, go ahead. Thank you very much. This question I have, I've kind of been sitting on it a while, I wasn't sure. you know, how if I would want to contact you about it. But My parents growing up, my mom's from Spain, my dad has a German background, so we were Catholic.

At about age five, they became saved. And several years down the road, as a young child, I became saved as well. Growing up, they kind of bounced around from church to church. Never really seeming satisfied almost. And then a handful of years ago they changed to something um called the Hebrew Roots Movement.

And That kind of scared me. what they were talking to me about. They were very persistent. on what they believed in this newfound information that they found. It's been about three years.

I don't talk to my parents anymore. Their change in belief is only a small part of that reason. But they were very angry almost to the point where I wouldn't conform to what they believed. And I just wasn't sure from what I've read about the Hebrew roots movement. If it's a cult, if it's something that is wrong, because to me it feels like they have fallen away from the faith.

Now, how exactly, when you say Hebrew roots, and I'm terribly sorry to hear this, it doesn't get any closer than your own family. Right.

Hebrew roots can be used very specifically in a way that I would see as cultic and heretical and outside the gospel. It can be used in a general way that intersects with some valid beliefs. For example, When I say the term Messianic Jew, That can mean any Jew who believes in Jesus, or it can mean someone who's a member of a Messianic Jewish congregation, as many of my friends and colleagues are.

So they would meet on a Saturday versus a Sunday. They would refer to Jesus Uh as Yeshua. They would celebrate his death and resurrection within the Passover, and I say, wonderful, that's all biblical and sound, then go for it. Hebrew roots movement, technically, would be different than that.

So. Or did your parents become part of a messianic congregation? Which itself could be seeming to do everything online now. It was kind of weird. They didn't want a computer in the house growing up, and then they got one and they are like on that thing twenty-four-seven.

And they found this online. There is no Actual place and person that they go to.

So everything is done online.

So they they believe that as Torah. Yes, they believe as Gentiles that they're obligated to observe the Torah and that if you're not doing it, that you're in sin. Correct. Right.

Do they believe that they are now somehow Israelites? They have mentioned the word the term grafted in quite a bit when I was talking to them. Right.

So, I mean, grafted in is true, meaning that Gentile believers have been grafted into the larger community of Israel, but they don't become Israelites. But Torah observance is mandatory. You're in sin if, for example, you have pepperoni pizza. that that that even as a Gentile Christian What about forgiveness of sins and salvation? What do they say about that?

They I'm trying to think here. All I know is that they were always condemning me to hell, saying that if I did not follow the If I did not observe this different calendar that they follow, if I did not observe Sabbath, they changed the way that they eat. They said that I would be going to hell. I know that they also, my mom was. visiting my aunt and grandma in Illinois, and there was a Some kind of evangelistic show on TV, and my mom had said something derogatory.

About Jesus, which she doesn't refer to, she says Yahweh or Yeshua or Elohim. Um, but It just really took my other family members aback with how derogatory she was. Towards the name Jesus Christ. Yeah, from what you're describing, they have fully absorbed the the heretical beliefs. And it is a Jewish fixation that then gets them away from the centrality of Jesus.

The Jewishness of Jesus becomes much more important than his person and his saving grace, his death on the cross and resurrection. They're going to preach mandatory Torah far more than they're going to preach salvation through the cross. Right.

And I did bring that up to my dad. I told him, I said, You know, when Christ died on the cross for our sins, I said we don't need to follow the laws of Moses. And he's like, No, no, we do. We do have to do that. Yeah, well, let me let me say say this, Jennifer.

Whatever it is that caused the apostasy, that's really at at the root of the issue. In other words, somehow something took their eyes off the Lord. It's like a guy commits adultery against his wife. It's his sin. Totally, right?

But then you find out what was happening in the marriage, you know, that he was always too busy for his wife, or his wife was too busy for him, or, you know, you find out what opened the door. for him to commit the sin that he committed. Obviously, there's more going on. You know, when someone gets deceived, there's a reason. But listen, stay right there.

Kim is going to come on the phone in a moment. And she is going to get your mailing address. I want to send you my book as a gift, 60 questions. Christians ask about Jewish beliefs and practices.

So, when Kim has a moment, she'll get back on. And then I want to send you this 60 questions Christians ask about Jewish beliefs. and practices. Uh the last section deals with Christians and the law. And it touches on some of this.

It's not directly just about Hebrew roots, but it does touch on some of this. I think you'll find it. helpful. We'll pray for God's mercy, for God's restoration. And for everyone listening, you can embrace the Jewish roots of your faith.

and celebrate Rabbi Yeshua, our Savior and our Lord and our Deliverer without falling into the heresy. of Hebrew roots movement. Friends, we'll be right back with your calls and Some observations on the news. It's the line of fire with your host, activist, author, international speaker, and theologian Dr. Michael Brown.

Your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34TRUTH. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown.

Did you hear this story? from England. It's a sad story. It's a painful story, but it's an eye-opening story. This is Michael Brown.

Welcome to The Line of Fire. I want to share this with you. And then I've opened up the phone lines for what we normally do on Fridays, but trying to do this as many days as I have an opportunity. You've got questions, we've got answers, where I can just respond to your questions and your calls: 866-34TRUTH.

Okay, I'm going to read the headline the way it is: reported. Britain's youngest sex swap patient reveals why she's undergoing surgery to switch gender for the third time. Yeah. Rhea Cooper was born a boy. became the UK's youngest sex squa swap patient at fifteen, but transitioned back To being a man.

At the age of So here you've got a young man. With a troubled past A young man who felt he was actually a woman. Had sex chain surgery the youngest in Britain's history, To become a woman, could not take the pressure of being a woman, realized he was not really ever going to be a woman. then try to transition back to being a man.

Now wants to undergo surgery to go back to being a woman. I do not say this in a mocking tone. I do not say this. in a disparaging tone. I say this with pain in my heart.

This young man who is a man This young man needs prayer, counseling, and a real encounter with the Lord. The surgeries, the hormones, they will not address the real root issues here. And I I I saw this headline today. Trans-teen suicide attempts may have spiked because of Trump's tweets. Donald Trump's tweets calling for a ban on transgender people in the military led to more suicide attempts by trans teens.

That is a report on LGBTQ Nation. And you know what I think when I read that? My heart breaks for those who struggle with gender identity disorder. are now called gender dysphoria. which seeks to downplay it as being disordered condition, the disorder as not being at home with your condition the way it's being presented now.

But when I read that, I think This reminds us of the deep emotional trauma. and the fragile psyche of so many who identify as trans. In other words, Yeah. you had blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Jews, whoever. were not allowed to serve in the military.

And then they are allowed to serve in the military. And after serving in the military for a few years and taking kind of an activist approach to it. New president says, no, it's not going to work for you to serve in the military. I don't think personally. that you would have a spike In suicide attempts, Among those who were black or Hispanic or Asian or Jewish, say teenagers and others.

No, because there is not a fundamental emotional or psychological condition. Associate it with being black or Hispanic or Asian or Jewish, but there is. When it comes to gender identity disorder. I don't say that in a disparaging way. I say it in a way that says, please, please, let's reach out and help people rather than celebrate their confusion.

Let's find ways to help someone from the inside out. That is loving those who identify as trans. It is the opposite of being transphobic. It is saying, let us be like Jesus and reach out to the marginalized, to those who struggle, to those who don't seem to fit. and help them find wholeness in the Lord.

We'll be right back with your calls. Stay there. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr.

Michael Brown.

Thanks for joining us, friends, on the line of fire, 866-348-7884. Earlier you call in, the better chance I have of taking your question. It can be literally on anything that we talk about on the air. And if you differ with me on a certain point, that's great as long as you allow me to answer when you raise your issue. 866-34TRUTH.

Let's start in Shelby, North Carolina. Neil, welcome to the line of fire. Hey, Dr. Brown, can you hear me okay? Yeah, like you're right here in my ear actually, loud and clear.

Fantastic, thank you. Uh yes, that was oh, hang on a second. Yeah. So let that uh let the debate begin and and and first of all I just want to thank you very, very much uh you and Dr. Turek for being brave enough that to tackle that.

that particular topic. I I believe it's going to be Similar to abortion. Several other issues, I think if the church is ever going to decide to actually go out and win the world for the kingdom, I think those are that is certainly an issue that we're going to have to come to grips with. Yeah, and just so folks know, just tuning in, Dr. Turek and I participated in a debate on Saturday at Southern Evangelical Seminary.

You can go to my Facebook page, ask Dr. Brown, ask D.R. Brown, and watch it. It's actually going viral there. But we debated the issue of must love and tolerance equal affirmation?

And our debate opponents were Reverend April Johnson and Reverend Liddale Benson. Taking the the pro-gay activist position. And then it it very interestingly played out about race issues and things like that.

So it's fascinating to watch. By the way, I thought it was very courageous for our debate opponents to come and do the debate at SCS. We were so glad to have them do it. But, yeah, your impression, your comment, back to you. Sure.

And no question, I think, especially when the debaters basically refuse to answer to discussions. Questions that I think one was asked by Turk, and one was asked by you. I think you know that the whether or not you guys won and settled that question of you know does does love equal affirmation, I think is is Beyond doubt.

So, I mean, you know, I guess the I don't know if congratulations. But I mean you guys definitely I think I think proved your point and won the debate. My question, though, is more of: all right, so a church trying to reach out, you know, the church trying to reach out to Folks that would call themselves homosexual. I guess one of the Yeah. I guess something I'm confused at, or just please enlighten me, is it seemed as if From some of the things that I heard from the stage, from you guys' point of view, was that.

It seems As if we are holding homosexuals to a different level of or a different definition. of repentance than we are Say other sins within the church, whether it be divorce, lying, gossiping, adultery. Whatever those things are, which, you know, so, and I guess that was because I guess what I think at least, what I heard from the stage was that. In order to be gay and Christian, you you you have to You have to repent, meaning change your mind and never do it again.

Now here this was the issue. Number one, Is the church hypocritical in saying, well, if you've got a gay couple, then they're going to be excommunicated or they can't be part of your fellowship. But if you have a divorced couple or a racist couple or whatever, it's not a problem. And we said, no, sinful behavior, sinful action should be dealt with the same way.

So if a guy leaves his wife, commits adultery, divorces his wife with no cause, marries the woman he's in adultery with, and wants to be a member of our church, they should be no more accepted as members than a gay couple that wants to be members.

So that was one issue. Another issue, which didn't so much come up in the debate, but comes up all the time, is why are we putting a disproportionate focus on on this issue. And our responses actually were not. This is simply a matter of responding to gay activism which is everywhere in our society. You're not having adultery pride parades.

You're not having adultery and divorce celebrated in kindergarten and in curricula and things like that. That's the other thing, but... April Johnson, who identifies as a lesbian, her point was, look, this is my identity, this is who I am, this is how I think, and I have a great relationship with God in the midst of it. And my point was, you don't base your identity on your sexual desires and romantic attractions. You're basically your identity on being a child of God.

And that if you say, well, the Bible doesn't address homosexuality, well, it addresses behavior and relationships. And that's what we were stressing.

So, in other words, if someone says, well, I'm same-sex attracted, but I love Jesus and I'm following him and I'm living a holy life, I'm not giving into these attractions, okay, great. Fine. God bless you. Will pray with you and stand with you. If you say, Well, I want to practice homosexuality, that's the issue.

So, someone can struggle with same-sex attraction, like a single heterosexual struggles with heterosexual attraction, but they don't yield to it, they don't go to porn sites, they're not sleeping with a girlfriend or something like that, or a boyfriend, they're living a godly life and saying no to the flesh.

Someone that's same-sex attracted can do that as well and find fullness in Jesus.

Okay. So I guess that's and I mean that's typically what I think of as repentance. I mean I think that was a a good description of it.

So is it possible that someone Yes. has a conversion is Repents and then, just like me, and just Like maybe all of us. I mean, we fall back into the, we are tempted again, and we fall back into those same sins. Is that. I guess is it is Is that evidence of a non-conversion or is that just a backslidden Christian?

Well, it all depends. God knows, but there are many believers that struggle for years, that struggle their entire lives in the Lord with, you know, with anger, with lust, or with greed, or something, or prayerlessness, fear of man. And they keep trying to grow, but they struggle. I mean, every one of us has some areas of weakness more than others, right? If it's if someone said, I'm following Jesus, I love Jesus, and a guy sleeping with four different ladies at the same time.

Well, he doesn't love the Lord. If he loved the Lord, he'd keep God's commandments.

So either he was never saved or he's fallen away right now. But the proof of the new birth is found in the new life. What I say is this: because Homosexual desires can be so deeply entrenched in someone Because there is such a positive push on this in society and media today. That some people who come to the Lord and have same-sex attraction really struggle a lot, and they just need friends that love on them, love on them, love on them, love on them, put their arms around them and say, Hey, we're here with you, we're standing with you, we care about you. And that's just lifestyle and help them through.

And others, you know, it's just like any other issue, just discipleship. The big focus should be on holiness rather than trying to make the person straight. Try to help them to walk a holy life. And out of that, many times desires will change. Henyeel, thank you for attending.

Thanks for your comments. 866-34Truth. We go to Greensboro. No, we don't. Let's go instead to, we'll switch right over to Duncanville, Texas.

George, welcome to the line of fire. How you doing, Dr. Brown? Doing very well, thank you.

Okay, I was thinking I'm saving this till Thursday, but I'll go ahead and ask you now. Uh loop. wrote the book of Acts. And uh and Acts twenty two. He's given an account of what Paul's defense was.

He says he was speaking. Uh either super an aramaic, quality aramaic. But how did Luke speak Aramaic? Was he familiar with Aramaic? Or how did he get the information?

to write it down. Sure thing.

So when it says that Paul was giving his defense, it says in Hebrew. in the Greek.

Some interpret that to mean the language of the Hebrews. Which is then taken to be Aramaic as the common language that was spoken. Others say it means Hebrew. And there's actually a lively scholarly debate. A generation ago, it was just assumed it meant Hebrew more recently, excuse me, meant Aramaic more recently, debate about that.

But Uh as far as Luke is concerned. First, he was a traveling companion of Paul.

So it's easy, that's why there's a lot of we in the shipwreck and different things and different accounts along the way you get we.

So we take that to mean Luke going as a traveling companion, and we seem to see that as well where Paul speaks of Luke as a fellow worker in Colossians, the fourth chapter.

So as a co-worker with Paul, he just find out for if he wasn't there? Then he would just find out from talking with Paul. And getting the details from him, what happened, and then checking with other witnesses, as he would be prone to do, to check and verify sources and accuracy and information and things like that. That's how he'd get his information. There are some who believe that Luke was Jewish.

And that Colossians 4 should not be read, that Luke was not Jewish, that's how it's only taken, but that Luke himself was Jewish. I've seen arguments for that. I I I won't defend it or argue for it, but I have seen arguments for that. But for him to know Aramaic, As an educated man, They're living in the first century together with Jewish people and in a largely Jewish world. Certainly, that would not have been uncommon.

Aramaic was not just spoken by Jews. Aramaic was a widely spoken Semitic language.

So knowing Hebrew, if he wasn't Jewish, would be less likely. But knowing Aramaic, even as a non-Jew, yeah, it was not only Jews who spoke Aramaic in the ancient world. That's why a large part of the early church is Syriac-speaking, which is a branch of Aramaic. because they were Gentiles, but that was the language they spoke. in their area.

Hey George, thanks for the question. I really appreciate it. We'll be right back.

It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown.

Hmm. Welcome, welcome to the line of fire, 866-348-7884. There's a headline on Drudge Report today. about a professor. It's an article on campusreform.com.

university professor who is allowing students to choose their own grades in his class. if they feel unduly stressed. by the grade they earned. Yeah, uh-huh. I Not making it up.

It's Surreal.

Now look, when I was in high school, Before I got saved, I went on strike with these other students. Remember, it's late 60s, early 70s, we were doing these crazy things and taking campuses hostage and, you know, the student protest movement, all that stuff.

Some of you were part of that back then, that rebellion. And we went on strike in our high school, a number of us who were radical and crazy, and we wanted our own school system, and we didn't want the same hours and the same requirements as the rest of the school.

Somehow the school said fine. And four faculty members said, yeah, we'll teach. And we were on a first name basis with them, which actually took me a little while to get used to, as rebellious as I was. I still respected authority at a certain level. We had no formal classes.

The most radical teacher there said, if your grade is to go in the field and get high, you want an A for that, I'll give you an A for it. We could just request past fail. I mean, it's what it ended up agreement, that you could just request past fail so you didn't have the pressure of specific grades and numerical indications.

So when I went to go to college, we couldn't use my transcripts from the last two years of high school because there was nothing there. My only class where I got a numerical grade was band or orchestra. Which I was required to be there for. And we did have tests and we wrote papers, but you'd show up or not show up. I mean, there wasn't formal attendance.

And so it was crazy. And of course, it lasted a few years and then was shut down. We had a school of maybe 1,200. We had 60 or 70 students in this program called SAFE. Student at faculty education because it was going to be a learning experience for everybody.

So it was called SAFE School. Yeah, West Hampstead High School. Check out the history of SAFE School at West Hampstead High School. 25 years later, at a reunion, the students I talked to that were safe said it was totally destructive in terms of their education. It just hurt them going to college.

And afterwards, I said, oh, it's funny, I ended up with a PhD. Everyone was laughing about it. And some really liked it. They felt it was mentoring and it was positive. And so then the faculty was very sincere in the midst of it.

But I got saved shortly after the fall semester started.

So within a few months of the fall semester starting of '71, I was born again.

Now I had all this time on my hands because we got to school at the same time as everybody, but we had a special bus just with a few people on it that we'd leave the school at noon. Whereas everyone else left at three.

So, I had all this extra time on my hands.

Now, I was a new believer, so I prayed a lot, read the word a lot, went to church a lot, reached out a lot.

So, in that sense, God used our dumb choices and ended up using them in a positive, redemptive way. But all that to say, The idea that a professor doesn't want you unduly stressed by getting bad grades. I understand that not everyone tests well. I do understand that. In fact, our older daughter, we would quiz her before a test, she'd nail it.

She'd go to school and blow the test because somehow sitting there with the paper in front of her, she didn't relate well to it. And her m and sh she'd panic a little or whatever would happen. And then the last couple of years of schools, we just kind of snapped out of that and did fine with it. Our younger daughter always tested it well. I agree that the academic system, the way it's set up, cannot always tell you who's the smartest or who's the sharpest or who's the best.

Yes, I understand that. But when it comes to your grade, when I look at a transcript, let's say I want to hire someone, I'm a professor, right? And leading a school. and I want to hire someone to teach uh the Hebrew Bible, right? And I look and I'm looking at your transcript.

And you've got A, you know, all A's in every single class of Hebrew Bible and Hebrew language and et cetera. It's like, okay, that tells me something.

Well, what if you got f's in all the class and didn't like the f's and asked for a's? There's a reason in my book, Saving a Sick America. I have one whole chapter. one whole chapter that deals with helping us to learn to think. Again.

And And focuses on the issue of revamping our schools. or providing alternatives to our school system. A whole chapter in Saving a Sick America. And then there's a whole other chapter dealing with what we call Generation Me. with the me-centered mentality where the world revolves around me.

It ties in with an entitlement mentality that many of us can have. And sometimes the way the younger generation was raised If there are real problems with millennials. then let's point a finger at how millennials were raised. The parents are going to be responsible for how the kids come out, right?

So if indeed The younger generation has a lot of unique problems. Rather than blaming them, let's look at those who raised them. And that's what we or our kids raising them did wrong. And thank God for the many fine millennials that are out there. But this is.

This is just another reason, friends, why we need a holistic awakening America. By holistic, I mean not just going to church services and getting excited. Not just, hallelujah, praise the Lord, what a great meeting. But what about our families? What about our marriage?

This was a whole chapter in Saving a Sick America that just focuses on marriage and family. There's a whole chapter that deals with developing a multi-generational mentality. Yeah. So That's why we need a holistic revival with that bringing moral and cultural transformation. Can I ask you to pray with me, friends?

Would you do that as listeners and friends and partners? Not asking you for a dime. I'm asking you to pray with me. Obviously, we always use funds for the gospel. Send them whatever you're able to to help with the work, but I'm not asking for that now, I'm asking for your prayer.

Saving a Sick America comes out in less than 50 days. And I didn't write the book for no reason, and I certainly did not write the book to sell books. I wrote the book to impact the nation. Pray with me that God would use it. Pray with me that it would touch people in high places and low places.

Pray with me that it would touch educators and parents, that it would touch students and people on the street. Pray with me that it'll touch political leaders and those in the arts and Pray and believe God. with me. Ask God, Father, use Saving a Sick America to Touch the nation. Would you do that?

If you haven't downloaded for free the intro and first chapter, go right now to savingasickamerica.com. SavingasickAmerica.com. Watch the trailer when you're there too. Also, if you've pre-ordered on Amazon or Barnes ⁇ Noble Christian Book, wherever you pre-order your books or order, if you did pre-order, then just go back to that website, savingasickamerica.com, fill in the info they're requesting, because when you do, we'll send you a free e-book, Five Ways to Pray for America.

So savingasickamerica.com. Believe God with me that God would use the book to touch the nation, to help spark, along with the many other things happening in America. The prayers for awakening, the pastors and churches crying out to God, the young people, old people seeking God and seeking to swim against the grain. Go against the, swim against the tide and go against the grain of our sinful society. Believe God with me that God would use saving a sick America to make a difference.

Comes out in September. Together, friends, we're making a difference.