Perhaps a good definition comes from our Founding Fathers. They believed that religious freedom was most vital to the functioning of a moral free society. Religion was an essential part of everyday life in the United States. The Founding Fathers did not believe in having a national church. These rights are referred to as unalienable rights in the Declaration of Independence, the right to life, the right to liberty, and the right to pursue a course in life that will bring happiness. Our Supreme Court has stated many times that freedom
of religion is the most precious rights next to life itself.
We can believe or worship anybody or anything we want with no one to tell us differently. People have said over the years that there is freedom of religion in China. Yes, only if you are willing to do, say, live and worship exactly as the government instructs to do so. You do know that many thousands of Christians around the world die for true freedom of religion each and every year.
BUT in America--a country established for that very right—for that very reason many will not give God the time of day, much less their lives.
What has happened that made millions now celebrate "Freedom from Religion" instead of the "Freedom of Religion"?
Many have tried and succeeded in getting God kicked out of our schools, sporting events, public places and work places? Almost every week someone is offended by God and tries their best to stop Him. You do notice it is not the god of the Hindu, or the Muslims, it’s not the philosophy of reincarnation or the New Age, it’s not homosexuality or condom distribution they want out: It is Jehovah God that they want out!
As you read and hear people talk we hear the word "Spiritualism" taking the place of Christianity. You especially hear this from Hollywood and others as they pontificate on Talk Shows. Spiritualism puts itself on the throne and religion in general. You can clearly see that Christianity--the founding guide for America--is under attack.
In the April 1994 edition of Reader’s Digest, an article written by former Secretary of Education William Bennett entitled: "What Really Ails America" had this to say....
"Today, much of society ridicules and mocks those who are serious about their faith. America’s only respectable form of bigotry is bigotry against religious people. And the only reason for hatred of religion is that it forces us to confront matters many would prefer to ignore."
Well boys and girls our society has gotten what it always wanted since Genesis 3: A society without God. But my question to you is what good has it done?
Bennett goes on to say in his article...
"Last year I compiled The Index of Leading Cultural Indicators, a statistical portrait of American behavioral trends of the past three decades. Among the findings:
“Since 1960, while the gross domestic product has nearly tripled, violent crime has increased at least 560 percent. Divorces have more than doubled. The percentage of children in single-parent homes has tripled. And by the end of the decade 40 percent of all American births and 80 percent of minority births will occur out of wedlock. These are not good things to get used to. But we have gotten used to them. We have adjusted ourselves to the cultural trends. We have accepted things that were once not bragged about to accepting all
things.”
Do you know that The United States leads the industrialized world in murder, rape and violent crime? At the same time, our elementary-school students rank at or near the bottom in tests of math and science skills. Since 1960, average SAT scores in our high schools has dropped 75 points.
In 1940, teachers identified the top problems in America’s schools as: talking out of turn, chewing gum, making noise and running in the hall.
In 1990, teachers listed the top problems as drugs, alcohol, pregnancy, suicide, rape and assault.
Today we can add abortions for all, mutilation of children’s bodies, drag queens reading to kindergartners in schools and libraries, even mutilation of bodies. We have come a long way, baby!!!!!!!!
What is culture? It is the ways of thinking, living, and behaving that define a people and underlie its achievements. It is a nation’s collective mind, its sense of right and wrong, the way it perceives reality, and its definition of self. Culture is the morals and habits a mother strives to instill in her children. It is the obligations we acknowledge toward our neighbors, our community, and our government. It is the worker’s dedication to craftsmanship and the owner’s acceptance of the responsibilities of stewardship. It is the standards we set and enforce for ourselves and for others: our definitions of duty, honor, and character. It is our collective conscience.
It's kind of depressing to see how our American society has decreased in values and morals, and how this decrease has affected everything in life. Crimes, births, marriage, divorce, education, youth, popular culture, and even religion.
These are not good things to get used to, either. We have become hardened and trained to the cultural rot that is setting in. People are losing their capacity for shock, disgust and outrage. What is the answer?
Today we must carry on a new struggle for the country we love. We must push hard against an age that is
pushing hard against us. If we have full employment and greater economic growth-if we have cities of gold and alabaster -but our children have not learned to walk in goodness, justice and mercy, then the American experiment, no matter how good it looks on paper or on the outside, - it will have failed.
Do not surrender of just get angry, instead, "Get in the fight." This is battle that is not fought with weapons of warfare, but on our knees praying to the One who has all the authority and power. The only One who can help us - the ONE TRUE GOD, JEHOVAH!