Those of us raised with a concept of American pride,
progress, and exceptionalism were not prepared for her disintegration and
demise. Throughout history, there was a
pervading sense of optimism that, whatever the challenge, the American spirit
would rise to the occasion and prevail.
But things changed.
Instead of an ethic that assumes a man is responsible to provide for
himself and his family, we now pride ourselves in a safety net that
disincentivizes hard work. Instead of
learning to live within our means, we have decided we can have it all today and
pay the bill later. Instead of
recognizing that our Creator has established a moral code, we have decided that
each person can determine truth for himself.
Instead of submitting to God’s mandate of working six days and resting
on the seventh, we have decided that life is too short to waste one day a week
in worship and reflection; eternity will have to take care of itself because
we’re too preoccupied with this world to be too concerned.
The cornerstone of our society was the First Amendment conviction
that all men are free to practice their religion without government interference. As I write, one of the most critical Supreme
Court cases in years is being argued: Can a Christian conduct his business
according to the dictates of his conscience or must he leave his faith at the
doorstep of his church?
Last week I finished reading the biography of a Chinese
dissident who escaped the clutches of that brutal régime and now serves as an
advocate for the religiously oppressed within China. He experienced the torture, imprisonment and
iron-fisted tactics of a government devoted to maintaining its power and
squashing any effort to establish free religious expression.
America is rapidly heading in that direction. The current administration in Washington has
made it plain that it is concerned only about enhancing the ever-growing
influence of government. The Christian’s
right of conscience, whether in Iran, China, or America, is of no apparent
interest to these secularists.
Is there hope? Yes,
but it is not found in the ballot box or in the lessening of Congressional
gridlock. Only as America recognizes
that we have collectively spurned God and His truth and earnestly seeks Him in
repentance and faith will our nation turn from her death spiral.
