Turning Point: June 17,1963
On
June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia moved "that these united
colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent states." The
resolution was adopted on July 2, and the Declaration of Independence
was approved on July 4.
Most
of the signers had seminary degrees and this influence is strongly
reflected in the first two paragraphs of the document in which the
reality of God as Creator is clearly acknowledged. Defying the odds and
beginning with a rag-tag militia, the colonies, with the help of France,
goes on to win its freedom over what was then perhaps the greatest
military power on Earth.
It
was this enduring belief in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
Father of Jesus of Nazareth that I believe made America the greatest
nation in the history of civilization. this is not to say we were
perfect. The injustices perpetrated on North America's original
inhabitants, the perpetuation of the enslavement of other human beings,
the denial of the right to vote for women still taints our history. But
we learned from these mistakes and made moves to correct them - albeit
some are still a work in progress.
Our
willingness to step up and sacrifice ourselves to stop aggression and
totalitarianism abroad have been legendary. The advances in living
standards and technology this country has made has been no less than
spectacular.
Then something went terribly wrong.
On
June 17, 1963 by an 8-1 vote, the Supreme court effectively kicked God
out of our schools. Worse than this outrage was the placidity of most of
the Christians in this country to allow this to stand for almost 50
years with no significant challenge.
Within
five months President Kennedy was gunned down in Dallas. The succeeding
years of this decade were marked by the assassinations of Robert
Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., the deepening and divisive
involvement in Viet Nam, the expansion of the drug culture, "free love,"
and the general loss of the innocence and optimism of our society.
I think it's safe to say that we never really recovered from the 1960's.
On
January 22, 1973, by a vote of 7-2 Roe v. Wade prevented states from
restricting abortions within the first three months of life, or banning
it for the second trimester.
So, let's see where we've ended up since then.
Instead
of the Lord's Prayer, our schools now hand out condoms, have full time
police patrolling the halls, and are increasingly bringing in a
homosexual-friendly agenda into even the earliest grades.
Instead
of families consisting of a mother, father, and children, over half of
them are now single-parent and a growing number of families are composed
of homosexual or lesbian partners.
Even
in "traditional" families, Mom and Dad are schlepping off the
upbringing of their infant children to strangers (day care). Later on
some of these absentee parents express complete surprise that their kid
is using drugs . . . or planning, and sometimes succeeding, to carry out
terrorist acts.
Four
thousand of the unborn who had no voice or choice in their conception
are terminated in what is euphemistically called a "procedure" every
day.
As
I write, America has willingly abandoned our leadership
technologically, economically, and, as we have seen, morally as well.
We
look in confusion at the converging of economic, political, religious,
and even natural events enveloped in a turmoil that seems to be
swallowing up not only the world, but now coming home in earnest to the
United States and wonder why.
Though
the passage below was specifically directed toward the Israelites as
they headed for the Promised Land and the specifics regarding the Jordan
and "graven images" (idolatry) differ, perhaps it still gives insight
into why America has ended up where it is today and what its future will
be if its present course continues to be followed:
When
thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have
remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a
graven image, or the likeness of anything, and shall do evil in the
sight of the Lord thy God to provoke him to anger. I call upon heaven
and Earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall utterly perish
from off the land whereunto ye go over the Jordan to possess it: ye
shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall be utterly destroyed.
Deuteronomy 4:25-26
In
the end we know God will make things right for those who believe and
trust in Jesus. But when we stand before him as we all one day will,
what account will we give of our stewardship and witness of his Word
when it really counted?
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