My nephew Jacob Bentley is conducting a survey for his Senior Government Class and he e-mailed me a link to a survey he'd set up on SurveyMonkey.com.I took his survey, but the open-ended essay question at the end of the survey absorbed me entirely. Jacob asked, "What can the government do to help with problems like teen drinking, smoking, underage sex leading to unwanted pregnancies and STD's?"
You could say the question struck a nerve in me. Because the truth is . . .
There is very little - if anything - the government can do at this point in our country's history to "fix" the issues of teen drinking, smoking, underage sex leading to unwanted pregnancies, STD's, etc.
Each of these issues is a matter of personal responsibility which choices are based entirely upon one's own moral compass.
There is no moral compass provided by the "government." The one and only moral compass provided to us as human beings was removed from the public school system by the "government" decades ago. The willful rejection of the Bible as our source of divine authority is a direct cause of the current state of immorality in our country. In the years that followed -- and continuing to this day -- the Bible and the Gospel of Jesus Christ continues to be persecuted, eliminated, and otherwise rejected by both our government and society as a whole.
In the early public schools of this country, the BIBLE was one of the main textbooks -- if not the only textbook. But on June 17, 1963 in Abington vs. Schempp, the United States Supreme Court removed the BIBLE and it's readings from public education. The matters suggested in Jacob's question are a direct result of this decision.
Data from the Center for Disease Control and Department of Health and Human Resources and Human Services and Statistical/Abstracts of United States PROVE that rape, murder, alcohol abuse, robbery, suicide, gang warfare, assault, absenteeism, pregnancies, burglary, vandalism, abortions, arson, extortion, venereal disease, bombings, and drug abuse have SKYROCKETED since 1963.Not so surprisingly, all of society including media, entertainment, criminal behavior, family trends, etc. (even the behaviors of those claiming to be "Christians") have followed the trend.
When it came to education, Noah Webster (of Webster's Dictionary fame) stated: "Education is useless without the BIBLE . God's word, contained in the BIBLE , has furnished all necessary rules to direct our conduct."The apostle Paul said, "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3) are hid in Christ Jesus. Education without Christ, who is "The Word of God" (Revelation 19:13, & John 1:1-3) will be void of the wealth of wisdom and knowledge that comes only from our Creator.
The ONLY thing government should be doing to fix the issues suggested in Jacob's question is to humble itself before God and return to the fundamental documents on which our country was founded: The Declaration of Independence, The U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Virtually every one of the ten articles contained in the Bill of Rights has Biblical foundation.Even America's constitutional form of government consisting of three co-equal branches, legislative, executive and judicial is taken directly from Isaiah 33:22.
Our current government -- including our lawmakers, our court systems, and the current presidential administration -- is completely ignoring and egregiously violating the laws and principles contained in our founding documents. As such, our lawmakers have destroyed the country. . . .
There is a way that seems right to a man,
but in the end it leads to death.
~Proverbs 16:25
"The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."
~Psalm 14:1
but in the end it leads to death.
~Proverbs 16:25
"The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."
~Psalm 14:1
~ Esthermay V. Bentley-Goossen
© 2009 The Heart of a Pastor's Wife
© 2009 The Heart of a Pastor's Wife
10 comments:
You are absolutely right on every single point. God help us!
Excellent post! Where is the wisdom in removing the only source of wisdom?
Such wise words spoken here sis, bless you.
Sobering.
"The only hope for America is Jesus."
You tell 'em, girl!
Remove the Bible from society and fast forward 45 years and we have a president that calls homosexuality (what the Bible calls an abomination) "admirable." The LORD God is most certainly judging this country and Christians need to be on their knees praying for the salvation and illumination of their loved ones God's word only tells us that it will grow worse. Great post
AMEN! An atheist friend forwarded a 'study' to us. Apparently the vast majority of atheists were raised in a Bible-reading homes. The rejection of it is a given. However, the knowledge is there. While the atheist (along with his 'studies') has a wealth of man-made reasoning to explain the rejection, what he fails to realize is that it is his pride and the exalting of his own intelligence above God’s which is the seed that blooms into rejection.
The United States of America is on the same road as the atheist. We’ve become far too proud.
The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'/Psalm 14:1
Great post! You reminded me of an incident from my college days. A professor asked me to write a paper about what I thought was the most important of the Ten Commandments, and why. I decided on the first one, explaining to the class that it is not one that can be mandated by law, but if people would follow that one, laws wouldn't have to be in place to enforce the other ones.
You're right. No governing body can effect a heart change, and that is what this country needs. Dear Lord, prosper your missionaries and ministers in America. Give them pure hearts and equip them to do Your will!
such a good post and so sobering.
btw, I now have to go look up the word "egregiously"
It’s interesting here in Japan the Christians discuss the moral decline of the U.S. too. Some believe it began in ’72 with Watergate. Some go back to 1963 and point to the assassination of JFK. Those of us with a biblical worldview go back 5 months further to June 17, 1963 and Abington vs. Schempp. You are absolutely correct. And because the culture and commercialism of the U.S. touches and affects the entire world, all of creation is on the downward spiral right along side America. Agreeing with Rachel M. If GOD were preeminent in the lives of His creation, we’d need less government intervention. But we have come too far. We have become too proud. Christ’s return is the blessed next great time-marker. AMEN!
(have missed your blogging)
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