Raising Standards Evangelical Manifesto, Part 2

RAISING STANDARDS EVANGELICAL MANIFESTO, PART 2. This week we present three more key issues on which evangelicals must take public stands. Specifically, our nations need to hear what the Spirit is saying on drug policy, corruption, and curriculum.

In Belize evangelicals have agreed on those issues and on abortion, traditional family and gender policy. Every time those issues arise, we can speak on this foundation of agreement.

So encourage your church leaders to get together and do likewise. And find power in agreement to influence and even change the direction of your nation! Because in Belize God has given us grace to defeat major pro-marijuana and pro-LGBT bills. (Also see last week’s prayer alert.) Lord, help us take more ground for You!

4 Drug policy

Children used to grow up in drug-free environments. Now the government allows parents to smoke weed at home. It allows children to smoke and possess up to ten grams of weed with only a minimal penalty. A marijuana habit at a young age damages memory, motivation, problem-solving and critical thinking. And marijuana primes the brain for responding to other drugs. Young people’s futures are going up in smoke. Yet political leaders now aim to legalize this harmful drug.

Therefore we raise the standard of vigilance against drug use in homes and in the streets. Parents, watch your children. Neighbours, report drug use to police. Police, protect informants and prosecute infractions. And politicians, stand up for the good of your constituents and against the evils of drug gang influence.

We pray for God to deliver children and youth from this evil, to free addicts from drug habits, and to expose traffickers before they take more people captive to drugs.

5 Political corruption

Every time a party comes into power, it promises to root out the corruption of the previous party. Yet the longer it stays in power, the more it tends to institutionalize corrupt practices of its own. Brazen land grabs and widely publicized instances of wrongdoing have gone unprosecuted. Too often public funds get squandered on private or partisan purposes. As a result, the nation is growing poorer while politicians are growing richer. Respect for government has fallen far since the days of George Price and Philip Goldson.

Therefore we raise the standard of integrity and accountability for public servants of all parties in Belize. We urge the immediate activation of the Integrity Commission and Public Accounts Committee. And we call for proven progress reports on our UN Commission Against Corruption. For corruption weakens and impoverishes this nation at a time when we need to stand strong against Guatemala’s claims.

We pray, especially for the upcoming elections, that God will establish good and faithful public servants. That He will make them become just and accountable rulers with increasing good influence. And that they will lead this nation in paths of righteousness, security and peace.

6 Curriculum

Belizean schools—the vast majority of which are Christian—used to be free to teach biblical principles. In fact our Constitution guarantees church schools the right of “providing religious instruction.” Yet now, unwise commitments to international treaties violate that constitutional right. Some government officials tell us we can no longer teach from the Bible in any required course. Otherwise, we might be imposing on someone’s desire for freedom from any mention of religion! This trend toward taking God out of schools and allowing foreigners to impose an anti-Christian agenda is producing a generation that considers God irrelevant.

Therefore we raise the standard of freedom of speech and practice of our Christian faith. We must do so not only in our Christian schools, but in all areas of Belizean life. Others have the freedom to reject our faith, but we have a Great Commission from Christ to share it. The more Belize forces God out of public life, the less protection we have from all the ills we presently suffer. And the more our standards will continue to fall. Without God, the next generation will lose freedoms which our Constitution says are “founded upon respect for moral and spiritual values and upon the rule of law.” We cannot let Belize become a lawless, Godless nation.

We pray that God will show us where we have gone wrong. And give us grace to find His solutions to our ills. We ask Him to forgive our trespasses, and help us forgive those who have trespassed against us. And we ask God to teach us, and the next generation, His higher ways and His higher standards. We seek His plans to prosper and not to harm us, ACCORDING TO HIS GRACE AND MERCY.

Conclusion

While we call on elected officials, regardless of party, to cooperate in raising our nation’s standards once again, we recognize the churches’ essential role in showing how to do so. As we hold politicians accountable to their responsibilities, we too want to be accountable to ours.

We therefore pledge to keep speaking out these truths in love—an active love for our nation and God. Love never fails. With His forgiveness and empowering love, all good things are possible for Belize.