Will America
Ever Come Back?
To witness
first hand the decline of our beloved America over the past 50 years has
been heart-rending. Never a perfect nation, for sure, but certainly the
greatest experiment of human ingenuity and political freedom ever conceived in
the Western world. The Founding Fathers, again mortal men, were wise enough to
base our civilization on Biblical principles. Law and order, representative
government, religious liberty, personal integrity, and moral discipline were
basic tenets.
Despite a
history of struggle and warfare, an honorable nation emerged, sharing its
wealth and good will readily with others in need. Although a semblance of that
quality still exists, we face a horrendous and unprecedented crisis of
anti-American terrorism. Since the “9/11” attack in New York, the tension and threats have
multiplied; there’s a fear and hopelessness setting in among our populace; a
“heart-failure” that has no obvious remedy despite all the political clap-trap,
and advances in medicine and technology. Even the religious community has
failed to quell the coming “storm.”
What’s
going on? The media, for the most part, seems sold-out to the liberal,
left-winged philosophy propagated by the present White House. Even conservative
pundants are hard pressed to offer concrete suggestions to turn our nation
around politically, even with the new Republican majority in Congress. It’s
ironic how “blinded” we are in identifying the real cause for our demise.
Much could
be said here to illustrate the myriad of things and events that have
contributed to our failure. It’s been said that within the establishment of
every organization are the seeds of its corruption. Those “seeds” have really
been germinating in America,
particularly over the past five decades. Growing up in that “doo-wop” era of
the 1950s was an exciting and wholesome experience. The World War II vets had
returned and established good homes, spawning many “baby-boomers.” Regardless of nationality, race, or economic
status, life was basically good. We were proud to be Americans, and there was a
preeminence of morality and personal integrity. But something happened during
the ‘60s.
I remember
when the Beatles took the States by storm! These “mop-headed” fellows opened a
whole new era of music, which was mild when compared to full-bloomed “Rock and
Roll.” Significantly during this time, Madelyn Murray O’Hare, a Texas atheist, was
instrumental in removing prayer and the Bible from our class rooms. The Ten
Commandments” became an ongoing issue with the ACLU, who were (and are still)
determined to obliterate anything Biblical from our public life. We have paid
an awful price in following the “lead” of left-winged, anti-Christ forces in
our beloved country.
As a
ten-year old boy in a Newark,
NJ public school, our teacher
read the Bible and prayed each morning. To this day, I remember Scripture
passages which have served me well to this present day. No, it wasn’t a
“cure-all,” but it gave me insight and direction which supplemented my home
upbringing. It helped to develop conscience and restrain immorality among young
people. Today, this has all been “thrown to the wind,” and we wonder why moral
ignorance, rebellion, and crime are epidemic in our nation!
The
Woodstock Era, the “hippy rebellion” of the late ‘60s in Upper
New York, fostered a tremendous movement of anti-establishment
upheaval. Grievances, many justified, over the Vietnam War, played a great part
in the anti-American sentiment, leading to a “make love, not war” mentality. It
proved to be a demoralizing disaster for our country, from which we’ve yet to
recover.
Add to the
mix the profound “rebel” influence of “heavy-metal” music; the sexual
revolution of the ‘70s and the Disco of the ‘80s; then the seeming total
“freedom” to say anything vulgar and immoral by singing and strumming a guitar.
Uncouth Rap music dominates the air-ways in many forms, influencing millions by
its ungodly lyrics; not to mention the world-wide access to the Internet.
The most
serious of all is the utter sell-out of the liberal religious community that
has set aside the Bible for “pop psychology” and civil rights. The Church, not
government, has the mandate to preach the Gospel of Christ to all people
(sinners), producing changed lives. Communities will never be changed until the
individuals in that community are changed. In reality, “the enemy is us.”
Could it be
that the God of our Fathers has lifted His restraint of protection from our
beloved land? Judgment does not always come as “fire from Heaven;” like a
vacant house, a man left to himself will eventually self-destruct. Facing our
personal and national sins with repentance is paramount. Only a merciful God
can “bring us back” again to “America
the Beautiful.”
