By L.A. Williams
Christian Action League
June 14, 2019
Few people think of freedom as a “dead-end street,” but when divorced from truth it can lead nowhere. That was the main point of a speech given Sunday by the Rev. Mark Creech at the NC GOP Prayer Breakfast.
“Rev. Creech challenged our hearts by reminding us that, while we may not see the results of our labor this side of eternity, we are responsible to speak out for Biblical values,” said Jason Williams, executive director of the Faith and Freedom Coalition. “As Rev. Creech charged us as believers, now, more than ever, we must continue to firmly stand for hope.”
Founded by Ralph Reed, the coalition hosts the annual event and has invited the executive director of the Christian Action League to speak for three years in a row.
“What an honor and blessing to share the Word of God with so many influential people attending the Convention,” Dr. Creech said.
Taking his audience back to the 1960s and the heart of New York City’s sex industry, Creech described how a Franciscan priest opened a crisis center for teens, many of whom had left home to escape discipline and authority only to find themselves enslaved to drugs, alcohol and sex trafficking. To them, Father Bruce Ritter’s Covenant House came to represent “hope on a dead-end street called Freedom.” Creech said the biblical story of the prodigal son portrayed a similar theme of seeking a state of “no moral restraint or moral judgment – no religious responsibility” only to be totally disgraced.
“The prodigal son realized that freedom isn’t merely a matter of rights, but also a matter of being right. He learned that to indulge freedom at the expense of what is right, or to act as though right was something relative and not absolute, is not liberty,” the Rev. Creech said. “It just turns out to be another form of tyranny.”
He pointed his audience to the true freedom offered by Christ, who urged the religious leaders of his day to hold to his teachings so that they would know the truth, which would set them free.
Broadening his message to apply to our nation, Creech said that generally speaking, its founders embraced Christ’s definition of freedom, while today those God-given rights that formed the basis of American government have been replaced by human rights totally unconnected to our creator. This approach subjugates religious rights and leaves no room to define what is right through Judeo-Christian tradition.
“Despite any claim to the contrary, such (human) rights are not inalienable – because they may shift and change with the winds of the times – with the opinions of men,” Creech said. He cited Richard John Neuhaus’ assertion that, “The result, quite literally, is the outlawing of the basis of the law.”
Pausing several times as the audience applauded, Creech wrapped up his talk by admitting that the nation’s downward trajectory often leaves him discouraged.
“Nevertheless, one thing I do know, each of us here, who claims to know the resurrected Christ, must be willing, in a day when we have become the minority, to bravely welcome the unpopularity and sacrifice that comes with a true profession of faith,” he said. “Each one must commit himself to seize every opportunity to bring true freedom and hope to the countless casualties of a false freedom with no God and with no recognition of the limits he has set for our peace, protection, and prosperity.”
Pearl Burris-Floyd, former Republican representative for Gaston and Cleveland counties who now serves as associate pastor at First Baptist Church of Dallas, North Carolina, called Creech a “stalwart Christian warrior on a mission to preach the gospel.”
Rep. Mark Brody (R-Anson) said the speech was one of the best he has ever heard.
“Rev. Creech has the unique ability to relate common experiences throughout history to their connection in scriptures. He reminds us that our time, place and experiences in history are not unique but are a continuing process of forgetting the past and then having to relearn it again,” Brody said, “I always look forward to his presentations when the opportunity arises.”
North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Paul Newby said, “By using examples from our culture, history, and scripture, Dr. Creech reminded us that a view of ‘freedom’ unattached to morality leads to self-indulgence and self-destruction. Society says ‘freedom’ means ‘if it feels good, do it,’ and that following this path leads to happiness. Yet our society exposes that lie, showing that unbridled freedom leads to hopelessness. Just like in the parable of the prodigal son, our culture finds itself in a mess of our own creation. The only answer is Jesus Christ.”
Melissa Harrison, president of the Lincoln County Republican Women and past chair of the Lincoln County Republican Party said Creech’s speech made her re-examine the moral downfall of the country, all in the name of freedom.
“Freedom is a good thing but has been taken to the extreme and now we have a society that has cast aside Biblical guidance and the laws of God,” Harrison said. “Christians need to wake up and take our country back! Our founding fathers wanted America to be the land of the free, but they never intended it to be the land of the immoral.”
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To read Rev. Creech’s speech, go to: Hope on a Dead-End Street Called Freedom
If you, your church or organization would like to secure Rev. Creech for a speaking engagement, find out how to do it by going here.