Dictatorships forbid, outlaw, and put the Bible into the flames and shredders. Why is that? Why is the Book banned in so many countries? What's in the Bible that dictators fear? We're so accustomed to the Bible that we don't read it as a Stalin or a Castro would. If we did, then we'd see what's so scary about the Scriptures. We'd see that the Bible is a serious threat to every dictatorship everywhere.
LENIN
The leader of the Russian Revolution of 1917 built a cult-like status for himself: to cite one example, when Russian workers visited him in his office in the Kremlin, they had to go through a disinfectant room before being ushered into his presence.
STALIN
Stalin, Lenin's successor, instigated his own cult: "Propaganda was everywhere, indoctrinating the people, conditioning them to believing that Stalin was infallible and god-like, working to achieve perfect socialism. . .
"An example of how grotesque his propaganda was can be seen with the celebration of his 70th birthday: a gigantic portrait of him was suspended above Red Square from a balloon and the day's copy of "Pravda" devoted every line of its 12 pages except for 2 column inches of women's chess to him.
"Cinemas displayed Soviet documentaries. His images were all around, and there were icons of of him in every home, marches and parades involved giant banners. His image had penetrated society and and bound the people to his constant presence, regardless of their educational background. His cult was visually forced upon them. . .
"At his funeral, the [adoring] crowds were such that many were crushed to death." (From "The York Historian")
HITLER
Adolf Hitler made school children his propaganda priority. A student describes part of what took place in the classroom: "the students were taught to worship Adolf Hitler. As the teacher entered the class, the students would stand and raise their right arms. The teacher would say, For the Führer a triple victory, answered by a chorus of Heil! three times... Every class started with a song. The almighty Führer would be staring at us from his picture on the wall. These uplifting songs were brilliantly written and composed, transporting us into a state of enthusiastic glee." (From "Spartacus Educational")
BUT THE BIBLE SAYS
From a study of dictatorships and dictators, we can see why the Bible is a dangerous Book to them. First, because the words of Jesus drive a stake through the heart of the allegiance all dictators demand: "And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’" (Matt. 22:37)
Thus, the ultimate loyalty is to be to God, not to Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, or Castro. We see this ultimate loyalty to God in Acts 4:12, where Peter and John answer the religious dictators of their day with, "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
Furthermore, the dictators of their day had warned the Apostles with a direct order, as described in Acts 5:28-29. They had said: “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
The Apostles answered: “We must obey God rather than men." Such a declaration is an assault on every dictatorship because it demonstrates that there exists a higher authority than the state.
The dictator must also convince the population of his own infallibility. The Bible has strong words for him: Jeremiah 17:9; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:10; and John 3:19. To the dictator, these words are intolerable.
Wherever the Bible goes, it brings freedom.
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