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Most people in the United States have no time for the Christian God. Many simply ignore Him or concoct a cornucopia of beliefs that are a mixture of Christian truth and misunderstood and thus twisted truth. Some deny He even exists. This last group of people are quite firm and content in this state of non-belief. This rejection of and ignorance about the Christian God has had a devastating effect on the culture of the United States. I am sure books have been written about these disastrous effects, but recently, in some ways, my God-denying culture, surprised and annoyed by what they have assisted in creating, is trying to enforce a kind of strict cultural morality, a social legalism in order to correct what they deem immoral behavior.
Strange antics from the sort of people who for a very long time have ridiculed puritanical morality.
Who dismiss Christianity as a myth, an ancient superstition.
A backward, ignorant, desperate clinging to a crutch, a hopeless hope.
A lie, even a dangerous deception.
This is where we find ourselves—in a degenerating, God-denying American wilderness.
This cultural deterioration has not gone unnoticed. Having seen the outrage of sin, the God-deniers now want to stop it—some of it, anyway—the breaking of laws they have chosen. They do not and would never call it sin. Rather, it is a mistake. Hurtful-to-others behavior. Sometimes, outrageous, hateful, enraging behavior. The supreme tragedy—perhaps we should call it tragi-comedy—is that they have no answer, no clue whatsoever, about how to curb the things they find disturbing.
What should we expect? Christianity has been tossed, by the majority, onto the rubbish heap to cheers of success. However, Americans will continue to attempt to find secular answers because the problems we face are real. For example, some school officials now establish dress codes to help curb the students from having sex in the restrooms which is like trying to establish an island of puritanism in the middle of a sea of pornography, fornication, and sexual uncleanness.
Secular leaders attempt to impose speech restrictions to stop language that is judged bigoted, racist, or insulting. Those who find such speech offensive attempt to control speech by shouting, “Stop it! You’re a terrible person! I condemn this!” Sometimes free speech is inhibited by rioting.
Drug programs. Alcohol programs. For some, like pedophiles and rapists, well, there is no help.
Our God-denying culture has no answer for these behaviors and a host of others. All their answers are retreads of an ancient legalism. However, legalism has no power whatsoever to stop sinful behavior. Paul wrote that submitting to the human precepts and teaching which demand that we submit to human regulations “…are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (Colossians 2:23). 1
Crying “Stop it!” means nothing. Trying to force others to stop behavior means nothing.
It is foolish of us, is it not, to expect any other response from folks who deny the existence of a gracious, life-changing God? However, the people of the U.S. can come to know the answer, the answer of liberation from a lie that we can fix ourselves and others through the works of our God-absent hearts and minds. It is possible to possess the will to do good and love others, but a change of the heart must occur, a new person must be created; Christian truths which have been available for two thousand years. May the Lord be merciful and gracious to those who deny Him, as He was gracious to the believers now reading this article. Only one avenue is available out of the American wilderness in which we find ourselves: Him. Him and all His life-changing love.
If we do not come to this gate, this life-saving path, great concern should grip our hearts. We cannot better ourselves. We cannot ourselves reverse the slide into degeneracy, hatred, and immorality. It will not fix itself. There is only One who can.
1All Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles
Gif courtesy giphy.com.
