Can you remember when the nation overwhelmingly viewed Christianity as a good thing? In the business world, educational system, and even politics a “person of faith” was admired and respected. Now a Christian can get fired for expressing a Biblical truth in public, displays of Christian faith are forbidden in schools, and people will publicly question your sanity if you express belief in God.  What happened? How did that happen over just a few years?

           Here is a quote attributed to Alexander Fraser Tytler:  “A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through this sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; From spiritual faith to great courage; From courage to liberty; From liberty to abundance; From abundance to selfishness; From selfishness to apathy; From apathy to dependence; From dependence back into bondage.”

              While this quote specifically references money and abundance, I believe it also speaks to the issues of “how did this happen” in regards to the place of Christianity.  I believe that our nation entered into that fourth stage of democracy: “from abundance to selfishness” and the people with money and its accompanying power have discovered that they can use the democratic process to bestow upon themselves the “freedom” to engage in any and all perverse behaviors their carnal souls desire. To do this, though, they must erase any remembrance of that first step: “from bondage to spiritual faith”.  And how can that be accomplished except they belittle and disown any sense of the absolute truths  contained in the Bible and espoused by persons of faith?

              What does this realization mean to Christians? It calls us back to the basics. Our call is to share the Gospel and to do it without fear. Peter and John were called before the governing body and commanded not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus and their response should be ours, “which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you or to Him? As for us we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:19-20

Say good things about your church and about your Savior!

Bro. Tony