Rev. Mark H. Creech
The smearing of a state
FacebookTwitter
By Rev. Mark H. Creech
April 18, 2016

To smear someone means to sully, vilify, or soil a good reputation. It carries with it the idea of smudging or blurring the truth.

Since the North Carolina General Assembly passed HB 2, my beloved state has had its name maligned about as bad as calling a virgin a whore. The state has certainly been as innocent.

But who is interested in the truth when a leftist media, celebrities, sports organizations, and various corporate entities are crying out, "bigot," "hater," "homophobe," etc. When you sling mud it sticks. It doesn't have to be true. People move away as fast as a Jew did in Bible times from possible contact with a leper whenever hearing, "unclean, unclean."

Contrary to the gossip and tale-bearing, the new law in North Carolina is not discriminatory. In fact, it established a state-wide anti-discrimination policy every bit as strong as the federal government's. It did nothing to take away existing protections in state law. And it provided that private businesses can still offer reasonable accommodations for transgender people.

What HB 2 did do, however, was overturn an egregious ordinance by the City of Charlotte that exceeded its authority given by the state. The ordinance, barring all common sense, allowed an individual, regardless of his or her biological anatomy, to use any restroom, locker room, shower, or changing room, with whichever gender he or she subjectively identified. Such an ordinance created a loophole that sexual predators could exploit, making women and children vulnerable to situations of danger.

Moreover, Charlotte's ordinance also imposed a regulatory burden that would have unfairly allowed the government to interfere into private businesses and churches by forcing them to promote ideas and participate in events that conflicted with their peacefully expressed beliefs.

In a recent op-ed in the Washington Post, North Carolina's Governor, Pat McCrory, pointed to the culprit behind the malicious maligning of the measure. He wrote:

"Since the North Carolina legislature overturned this far-reaching Charlotte mandate, the Human Rights Campaign has led a coordinated assault and smear campaign. This national special-interest group, which is funded by anonymous donors, is attempting to bully companies, entertainers and anyone else who disagrees with its agenda. Our state has unfairly been used as its political pawn. Simply put, it is seeking to take jobs from hard-working men and women in the interest of self-serving, political theatre and selective outrage.

"However, the HRC remains silent while the same individuals and organizations sell their products, make their products or take entertainment dollars from countries like China, Cuba, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Singapore – countries with deplorable human rights records, especially towards the gay and lesbian community.

"These complex issues deserve real dialogue about common-sense solutions instead of threats and selective outrage from special interests, business elite as well as the media."

Thank you. Well said, Governor. Still, figuratively speaking, don't expect these social terrorists like the HRC to let-up on the pressure. There is no meaningful dialogue with them, only total domination. They are an unbending, immovable, aggressive, insistent force that would have every norm and moral turned on its head – every objection to their way vilified, penalized, fined, and criminalized by law.

Even though some big businesses have come out against the Tar Heel state, threatening to leave or not to bring their companies as promised because of HB 2, in a way they're victims of HRC's totalitarian tactics too.

John Rustin, president of the North Carolina Family Policy Council, has written a well-researched article titled, Business Opposition to HB 2 is 'HRC-Orchestrated,' Not Organic. In the piece, Rustin notes the way HRC has developed something called the Corporate Equality Index, a stringent criteria by which companies are rated and coerced into the LGBT agenda.

Rustin writes, "While I am sure that a handful of Fortune 1000 corporate executives are personally supportive of HRC's agenda, I fully expect others feel pressured and compelled to act in order to avoid getting a black mark beside their company's name in the Corporate Equality Index and being targeted for boycotts and other forms of retaliation...it is not only the omission of internal pro-LGBT corporate policies, benefits and culture that can result in retribution against a business, but it is also a failure by corporate executives and others to demonstrate 'public support for LGBT equality under the law through local, state or federal legislation and initiatives.'"

Nevertheless, there is only so long one can get away with coercing people into submission. Eventually they will rise up and take the whip from the task masters hand. For the present, that appears to be happening in states like Mississippi and my own, North Carolina.

So call us names. Smear our state's character. Listen to the parrots of political correctness. Heed the heavy hand of the HRC, if you will. Eventually, the truth will win out and the fog of a million lies will ebb away in the brightness of God's light.

© Rev. Mark H. Creech

 

The views expressed by RenewAmerica columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of RenewAmerica or its affiliates.
(See RenewAmerica's publishing standards.)

Click to enlarge

Rev. Mark H. Creech

Rev. Mark H. Creech is Executive Director of the Christian Action League of North Carolina, Inc. He was a pastor for twenty years before taking this position, having served five different Southern Baptist churches in North Carolina and one Independent Baptist in upstate New York.

Rev. Creech is a prolific speaker and writer, and has served as a radio commentator for Christians In Action, a daily program featuring Rev. Creech's commentary on social issues from a Christian worldview.

In addition to RenewAmerica.com, his weekly editorials are featured on the Christian Action League website and Agape Press, a national Christian newswire.

Subscribe

Receive future articles by Rev. Mark H. Creech: Click here

More by this author

September 30, 2023
Revelation Chapter 17: Babylon revealed – A warning for today


September 23, 2023
Revelation Chapter 16: A world shaken and pummeled to the ground


September 18, 2023
Revelation Chapter 16: When the great river runs dry


September 10, 2023
Revelation Chapter 16: The antichrist’s throne, darkness and the inevitable downfall


September 2, 2023
The Saga of Eli and the Greed Games


September 1, 2023
The vanishing workforce: Unraveling mysteries behind so many ‘help wanted’ signs


August 28, 2023
Revelation Chapter 16: When it becomes hotter on Earth than ever before


August 19, 2023
Revelation Chapter 16: Death and judgment upon the waters


August 13, 2023
Revelation Chapter 16: Painful sores, the price of denying Christ


August 5, 2023
Revelation Chapter 15: The inexorable culmination of divine retribution approaches


More articles

 

Stephen Stone
The most egregious lies Evan McMullin and the media have told about Sen. Mike Lee

Siena Hoefling
Protect the Children: Update with VIDEO

Stephen Stone
Flashback: Dems' fake claim that Trump and Utah congressional hopeful Burgess Owens want 'renewed nuclear testing' blows up when examined

Rev. Mark H. Creech
Revelation Chapter 17: Babylon revealed – A warning for today

Linda Kimball
Psalm 50: 21-22: Holy God to the depraved: NOW do you see the stupidity, depravity, and evil in your hearts?

Peter Lemiska
The real threat to our Democracy

Jerry Newcombe
And lead us not into temptation

Tom DeWeese
Cancel Culture using the pseudo-ailment 'eco-anxiety' to cure the non-existence of manmade global warming/climate change

Pete Riehm
Finally, a Republican with backbone

Cliff Kincaid
De-Nazification and de-communization in Russia

Marsha West
When Christians tolerate anything and everybody, you cannot guard the flock against wolves

Selwyn Duke
Medical examiner’s office source: “Only 1 to 2%” of “COVID deaths” were really COVID

Michael Bresciani
Canadians stand up for their children – When will America stand?

James Lambert
Why illegal immigration negatively affects our country

Rev. Mark H. Creech
Revelation Chapter 16: A world shaken and pummeled to the ground
  More columns

Cartoons


Click for full cartoon
More cartoons

Columnists

Matt C. Abbott
Chris Adamo
Russ J. Alan
Bonnie Alba
Chuck Baldwin
Kevin J. Banet
J. Matt Barber
Fr. Tom Bartolomeo
. . .
[See more]

Sister sites