One Nation Under God - 1

We  are at a crossroad.  As we look at the world around us, we find problems spiraling out of  control.   We  see  a nation paralyzed by drugs, violence, dysfunctional families, sexual assault and child abuse and abductions.  Pornography, abortion  and  divorce  are no longer exceptions.  They have become the rule.
Those who abuse society are protected.  Those  who  try to protect society are abused.
Lord  willing,  during  the  next  few  studies we will be taking a look at the situation in America as it  relates  to the  Bible.  Especially at the beginning, the format will be greatly different from the usual.  There will be few  quotes from  the  Bible  and  many  from  other sources.  Remember, though, that those who are quoted  are  not  being  used  as experts  on  spiritual matters.  The expertise of each is in some other field.  Our single source of religious  authority will  always  remain the Bible...  Please stay with us through the end of the series when this will become more evident.
Can it really be that in 1990  the  number  of  reported rapes  in  the  United  States averaged 275 per day?  Can it really be that rapes are being committed in Watertown, South Dakota?  Can it really be that a person   in  Watertown  can turn  on  a  television  shortly after 9 p.m. on April 11 to find a scene of a woman taking a shower  and  then  stepping out  of  the  shower,  without  even an attempt to cover her body?
Oh, yes.. all of this is happening right here at  home. And this is not even the tip of the iceberg.
Perhaps the saddest thing about the entire situation is that we, as a nation, are not likely to resolve any of these problems.    This   is   not  because  the  solution  is  as complicated as most "experts" would  have  us  believe.   In fact,  the  solution  is  very simple.  That doesn't mean the solution is easy.  It is very hard.  But it is not  complex, either,
The simplest way to discover why something is happening is  to  look at history and see when it started.  It doesn't take  much  of  an  expert  to  recognize   a   cause-effect relationship.
These  problems  which we are facing today started when humanistic secularism began  replacing  christian  values.
Sure,  the  experts  laugh  at  this  as the over-simplified conclusion of an overly-simple mind.  But history  does  not lie.  We can lie about history.  But history does not lie.
When humanism started to gain ground, we started to see people  who  were  more egotistical.  We also began to see a breakdown in moral behavior.
"In  the  area  of  sexuality,"  the   second   humanist manifesto   proclaims  in  section  six,   we  believe  that intolerant attitudes, often cultivated by orthodox religions and puritanical cultures, unduly repress sexual conduct.
This puritanical culture, by the way, is what  we  used to  have.  We are now headed toward what the humanists would like for us to have.  Which do we prefer?
Paul Stuckey of the singing group Peter, Paul and  Mary makes an interesting observation.  The prominent magazine of the  1950s  was  "Life."   In  the  1960s  a magazine called "People" hit the stands.  A magazine named "Us" appeared  in the  1970s.  The newcomer for the 1980s was "Self."  Stuckey proposes  a  magazine  entitled  "Me"  for  the  1990s.   He suggests  that  the  first  20  pages,  or perhaps the whole thing, be made of aluminum foil so the readers can  look  at themselves.
(Edward  Gibbon,  the  author of the historical classic "The Decline and Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire,   gives  five reasons for the decline of that great culture.  The first is a  rapid  increase  of  divorce, with the undermining of the sanctity of the home, the basis of society.  The second  was higher  and  higher taxes, accompanied by large spending for bread and celebrations.  Then there was the  mad  craze  for pleasure.   Sports  became constantly more exciting and more brutal.  There was the building of gigantic armaments.   All the while, the real enemy was within.  And, fifth, there was the  decay  of religion.  Faith faded into mere form, losing touch with life and becoming impotent to guide it.)
It's scary, isn't it.  Our  society  is  beginning  to crumble.   And  what are we doing about it?  We are devoting massive amounts of time, energy and money to things  like  a totally revamped education  system  and  a  war on drugs.
These create the illusion that we are doing something  about the  problems.   But  it  is only an illusion.  We refuse to recognize the cause behind  the  illness.  We're  trying  to treat cancer with a bandaid.
If  it  is  constructive  to  decide where to place the blame, we must begin with the  religious  world.   For  many years now we have been straying farther and farther from the truths  of  the  Bible..  Religious bodies make decisions not based upon what the Bible says but on what society  wants.
Look  at  the organizational structure and the activities of the churches.  Look at the  religious  services.   Reverence for  God's Word has given way to ceremony and entertainment. Anyone who requires a  Thus says The Lord. . " is branded  as "old fashioned" and "narrow minded.
It is no wonder, then, that there is an effort today to discredit the association between the Bible and the founders of  our  country.  Today "free speech" means  no      Bible.."  At the beginning of our country it WAS the Bible.
"Appealing to the Supreme Judge of the  World  for  the rectitude of our intentions," was the hope of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
"For  the  support  of  this  declaration,"  the  final paragraph of the document continued, "with a  firm  reliance on  the  protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other  our  lives,  our  fortunes,  and  our  sacred honor."
In  an  attempt to discredit the impact of the Bible on the  formation  of  our  country,  critics  often  point  to Benjamin Franklin or to Thomas Jefferson as non-believers.
When  the  constitutional  convention  seemed doomed to collapse in the summer of 1787, Benjamin  Franklin,  to  the surprise of all, suggested that the group turn to prayer.
"In   the  beginning  of  the  contest  with  Britain," Franklin reminded the gathering, "when we were  sensible  of danger,  we  had  daily  prayers  in  this  room  for Divine protection.  Our prayers, sir, were  heard,  and  they  were graciously  answered.   All  of  us  who were engaged in the struggle  must  have  observed  frequent  instances   of   a super-intending   Divine   Providence.. .And   have   we  now forgotten this powerful Friend?  Or  do  we  imagine  we  no longer need His assistance?"
"We  have  been  assured, sir, in the Sacred Writings," Franklin is quoted, "that except the Lord build  the  house, they  labor  in  vain  that  build it.  I also believe that, without  His  concurring  aid,  we  shall  succeed  in  this political building no better than the builders of Babel."
The  mood  of  the  convention  changed and the rest is history.
"God who gave  us  life  gave  us  liberty,"  Jefferson observed in a statement preserved on the Jefferson Memorial
"Can  the  liberties  of  a  nation  be  secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are  the  gift  of God?
"Indeed,"  Jefferson  added,  "I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just,  that  his  justice  cannot sleep forever."
When  Jefferson  was  on  the  committee  to  design  a national seal, he proposed a scene of the  Israelites  being led by God through the wilderness.
"Our  Constitution  was  designed  only for a moral and religious people,"  John  Adams  observed.   "It  is  wholly inadequate for the government of any other."
"We have staked the whole of our political institutions upon     the     capacity     of     mankind    to    govern themselves., according to the.. commandments of God,"  James Madison commented.
"No  people  can  be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand which conducts the affairs of men  more  than the  people  of the United States," George Washington stated in his inaugural address.  "Every step by  which  they  have advanced  to the character of an independent nation seems to have  been  distinguished  by  some  token  of  providential agency."
"We ought to be no less persuaded," the first president continued,  "that  the propitious smiles of heaven cannot be expected on a nation that disregards the  eternal  rules  of order and right , which heaven it se I f has ordained.
"Whereas  it  is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God," Washington expressed in the opening of the proclamation establishing  Thanksgiving,  "to obey  his  will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly implore His protect ton and favor.
"The first  and  almost  the  only  Book  deserving  of universal attention is the Bible," John Quincy Adams stated.
"Let   the   religious   element  in  man's  nature  be neglected," Daniel Webster observed, "let him be  influenced by  no  higher motives than low self-interest, and subjected to no stronger restraint than the limits of civil authority, and he becomes the creature  of  selfish  passion  or  blind fanaticism."
"The religion which has introduced civil liberty is the religion of  Christ and His apostles,"  Noah Webster noted.
"To this we owe our free constitutions of government."
"The moral principles and  precepts  contained  in  the Scriptures  ought  to  form  the  basis  of  all  our  civil constitutions and laws,"  the  same  man  wrote.    "All  the miseries  and  evils  which  men  suffer  from  vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery, and  war,  proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible."
"It is the duty of nations, as well as of men," Abraham Lincoln   commented,  "to  own  their  dependence  upon  the overruling power of God and to recognize the  sublime  truth announced  in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord."
"All  the  good  from  the  Saviour  of  the  world  is communicated  through this Book," Lincoln says of the Bible; "but for the Book we could not know right from  wrong.   All the things desirable to man are contained in it."
Our  founding  fathers and great leaders understood it, didn't they?  When we set the Bible aside we are  doomed  to travel the wrong pathway.  Only when we follow the truth can we be free.

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission."