Something interesting happened on Face-Book the other day. I got several enthusiastic responses to an entry that I posted there. What makes this so interesting is that my post was a bit out of character. Most of my posts have to do with spiritual things, whereas this one was about our current political climate.
Many of my Face-Book friends are of the opinion that those who recently signed off on Obama-Care are traitors and saboteurs to the American constitution and our way of life. Historically, government health care has ushered in cascading levels of socialistic government.
The current Health Care legislation isn't really about help for little Johnny and his poor dying mom. Little Johnny - tragic as his circumstance might be - is just a pawn in the game. What this legislation is about is power and control. It is another step toward socialism - and quite a large step at that.
Continuing Faith in the American Way
Many have faith that the American way of government can still do damage control. A shift in the balance of power within congress could lead to a repeal of this legislation. So could judicial action. Lawsuits are already being planned, as this is an infringement on individual freedoms. Never before has the federal government established a law that requires individual citizens to purchase a product or service.
But whether these measures will overthrow the Obama-Care legislation remains to be seen. Many continue to have faith that the American way of government will correct these troubles. But we have had the American way of government all along. And here we are on the verge of socialism.
The Proper focus of our Faith
We can place faith in our constitution - together with our US political and judicial process - if we like. They have served us well and provided a foundation for what is arguably the greatest civilization of human history. But as of right now, they do not seem to be serving us so well. As was said a moment ago, the American constitution and political process have been here all along.
Faith in the constitution and American way continues, among many at least. But faith in the Lord God has - over the past several decades - continued to falter. Those who founded our nation and authored the United States Constitution understood that God is sovereign over the nations. They placed their faith in God, trusting in His blessing. They also feared God, recognizing that He is judge of all nations. They built a nation that was truly founded upon Christian principles.
Back to the Face-Book entry
Yesterday's face-book entry included a link to Solzhenitsyn's 1978 Harvard Address. Even then, Solzhenitsyn - a political exile from the USSR - saw the decay of America's spiritual and moral values. And while condemning socialism, he rebuked the abuses of American freedom that have brought us to our present spiritual laze and moral relativism.
After remarking that, "socialism of any type and shade leads to a total destruction of the human spirit and to a leveling of mankind into death" Solzhenitsyn went on to say this:
"But should someone ask me whether I would indicate the West such as it is today as a model to my country, frankly I would have to answer negatively. No, I could not recommend your society in its present state as an ideal for the transformation of ours. Through intense suffering our country has now achieved a spiritual development of such intensity that the Western system in its present state of spiritual exhaustion does not look attractive."
Solzhenitsyn saw the decay of our nation's spiritual and moral values as an illness - an illness that if not reversed - could be terminal. But from the time of his "World Split Apart" address in 1978 until today, our nation's spirituality continues to wane.
The Real Traitors and Saboteurs
The constitution and American way of government cannot help us unless we have God's blessing as well. But it seems to me that people are a whole lot more interested in restoring the constitution to its proper place than they are in restoring God - and the correct teaching of His word - to their proper places.
Why is it that a face-book entry concerning America receives several enthusiastic comments, while entries concerning spiritual themes normally get just an occasional "Alvin-Likes-This" click? Four fifths of my Face-Book Friends are professing Christians and many are preachers. I understand that our current political climate is important. But why so little "buzz" - by comparison - concerning spiritual things?
I love America - as it has been, as I hope it will be and even as it is today. I also regard the U.S Constitution and Declaration of Independence as being among the finest documents of all human history. But they do not even come close to the importance of the Bible, a fact that those who authored our country's founding documents knew well. Our ultimate loyalty must be to God, not country.
America has been exalted above other nations, not only because of its constitution and work ethic but also (and mainly) because God blessed us. He blessed us - according to His faithfulness - because there was a time that a majority of Americans feared God, revered His word, and worked to live in a way pleasing to Him. But God may also choose to judge, and has judged, nations that refuse to honor Him. Perhaps this judgment has already begun.
We can and should make our voices heard in the political arena but this will accomplish nothing by itself. The thing most needed - the only thing that will truly bring America to its former greatness - is to humble ourselves, repent and pray. And it must begin with those who are already Christian. Those who refuse to honor God are the true traitors and saboteurs, in every bit as real a way as those who would supplant our constitutional government with socialism.
I am, by God's Grace,
Rich In Christ
Many of my Face-Book friends are of the opinion that those who recently signed off on Obama-Care are traitors and saboteurs to the American constitution and our way of life. Historically, government health care has ushered in cascading levels of socialistic government.
The current Health Care legislation isn't really about help for little Johnny and his poor dying mom. Little Johnny - tragic as his circumstance might be - is just a pawn in the game. What this legislation is about is power and control. It is another step toward socialism - and quite a large step at that.
Continuing Faith in the American Way
Many have faith that the American way of government can still do damage control. A shift in the balance of power within congress could lead to a repeal of this legislation. So could judicial action. Lawsuits are already being planned, as this is an infringement on individual freedoms. Never before has the federal government established a law that requires individual citizens to purchase a product or service.
But whether these measures will overthrow the Obama-Care legislation remains to be seen. Many continue to have faith that the American way of government will correct these troubles. But we have had the American way of government all along. And here we are on the verge of socialism.
The Proper focus of our Faith
We can place faith in our constitution - together with our US political and judicial process - if we like. They have served us well and provided a foundation for what is arguably the greatest civilization of human history. But as of right now, they do not seem to be serving us so well. As was said a moment ago, the American constitution and political process have been here all along.
Faith in the constitution and American way continues, among many at least. But faith in the Lord God has - over the past several decades - continued to falter. Those who founded our nation and authored the United States Constitution understood that God is sovereign over the nations. They placed their faith in God, trusting in His blessing. They also feared God, recognizing that He is judge of all nations. They built a nation that was truly founded upon Christian principles.
Back to the Face-Book entry
Yesterday's face-book entry included a link to Solzhenitsyn's 1978 Harvard Address. Even then, Solzhenitsyn - a political exile from the USSR - saw the decay of America's spiritual and moral values. And while condemning socialism, he rebuked the abuses of American freedom that have brought us to our present spiritual laze and moral relativism.
After remarking that, "socialism of any type and shade leads to a total destruction of the human spirit and to a leveling of mankind into death" Solzhenitsyn went on to say this:
"But should someone ask me whether I would indicate the West such as it is today as a model to my country, frankly I would have to answer negatively. No, I could not recommend your society in its present state as an ideal for the transformation of ours. Through intense suffering our country has now achieved a spiritual development of such intensity that the Western system in its present state of spiritual exhaustion does not look attractive."
Solzhenitsyn saw the decay of our nation's spiritual and moral values as an illness - an illness that if not reversed - could be terminal. But from the time of his "World Split Apart" address in 1978 until today, our nation's spirituality continues to wane.
The Real Traitors and Saboteurs
The constitution and American way of government cannot help us unless we have God's blessing as well. But it seems to me that people are a whole lot more interested in restoring the constitution to its proper place than they are in restoring God - and the correct teaching of His word - to their proper places.
Why is it that a face-book entry concerning America receives several enthusiastic comments, while entries concerning spiritual themes normally get just an occasional "Alvin-Likes-This" click? Four fifths of my Face-Book Friends are professing Christians and many are preachers. I understand that our current political climate is important. But why so little "buzz" - by comparison - concerning spiritual things?
I love America - as it has been, as I hope it will be and even as it is today. I also regard the U.S Constitution and Declaration of Independence as being among the finest documents of all human history. But they do not even come close to the importance of the Bible, a fact that those who authored our country's founding documents knew well. Our ultimate loyalty must be to God, not country.
America has been exalted above other nations, not only because of its constitution and work ethic but also (and mainly) because God blessed us. He blessed us - according to His faithfulness - because there was a time that a majority of Americans feared God, revered His word, and worked to live in a way pleasing to Him. But God may also choose to judge, and has judged, nations that refuse to honor Him. Perhaps this judgment has already begun.
We can and should make our voices heard in the political arena but this will accomplish nothing by itself. The thing most needed - the only thing that will truly bring America to its former greatness - is to humble ourselves, repent and pray. And it must begin with those who are already Christian. Those who refuse to honor God are the true traitors and saboteurs, in every bit as real a way as those who would supplant our constitutional government with socialism.
I am, by God's Grace,
Rich In Christ
1 comment:
I think I'd say that the reason you received such a response was that it places our christian values in a modern connotation. While our concern for the spirital aspect sometimes seems less immediate, our concern for the political upheavals innodate every media saturated moment of our day.
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