Tuesday, May 22, 2012

"God" Bless America?

To all who read this, let it be noted that I speak not as one who is perfect nor as one who is superior in any area of life. Those who know me know this full well. However, I do speak as one who has simply observed a few things occurring in this, my country. It is increasingly frustrating to me how we as a nation can be so dumbfounded and blinded by a blatant disregard for “human” decency and honor. I find it appalling that we permit certain things in our government to stand, declaring we allow them in the name of progress. Tell me: what kind of progress are we making when we disavow the standard of marriage being between a man and a woman? How are we so much further forward in our “evolution”, if you will, when we do that? We call ourselves open-minded, when in reality it is only “open” as long as it’s what “we” want. This is not open-mindedness. It is rebellion. This nation was founded on biblical standards (I know I may have lost many of you right there, but I dare you to keep reading). Regardless of how much we may cry out to the contrary, it is indeed true. Our very laws support this. Who said it is illegal to kill someone? Why is it wrong? Could it be because the bible says “You shall not kill?” You may say, “Well, Greg, it’s simply morally wrong to kill someone.” I agree with you. It IS morally wrong. But my question is simply “Where do we get our standard of morality?” What defines it? Someone steals something that doesn’t belong to them and the recourse is they are arrested. Why? Is it wrong to steal? Why is it wrong? Could it be because the bible says “You shall not steal?” The very laws that we use to govern our nation come from the very book we seek to destroy and the very God we seek to deny. We say that the bible is archaic and outdated. We say we need to evolve beyond the standards it possesses. Yet to do so would require us, yes even demand of us, to disavow the laws we use to govern ourselves. It has been preached “You can’t pick and chose the parts of the bible you want to follow.” I find that very applicable here. We basically are saying to God, “I want you in my life, but on MY terms.” “I want you to be a cushion for me as I live, because it’s MY life after all. You had nothing to do with it, really, God. And for you to tell me how to live it is just wrong.” Yet we deny the very fact that our origin begins with Him. It’s wrong for us to be conformed to His image, but it’s ok to require Him to conform to ours? How does that work? We cry out for constitutional rights. Where do we really think those rights come from? We are schizophrenic, for in one breath we want to “defend” the constitution, but in another we want to “amend” the constitution. Why do we call a standard a standard? It is to be erected as a plumb-line by which everything in life is to be measured. What we have done is moved the standard to fit and accommodate our choices. If a choice we make doesn’t align with the standard, WE CHANGE THE STANDARD. How can this be considered forward progress. I watch in disbelief as we have the ten commandments set up in place in front of a government building and people dare to have a problem with it. Really? I am shocked to hear about people who want to use a very popular patriotic song, but desire to reword it simply because it says, “God Bless The USA.” How utterly idiotic! We cry out for “separation of church and state” but tell those in need, “Our prayers are with you.” WHO are we praying to? We hate any mention of God in our government while just a few days ago, our own president ends his speech at a graduation ceremony with “God bless America.” We try our best to have our own pledge of allegiance altered to exclude the mention of God. Again, HOW can this be considered forward progress? I guarantee that if you went to another nation that had a creed upon which it was founded, and you entered that nation with a desire to change it’s foundational creed, YOU would lose that fight. Yet here, in the “free” United Stated of America, we say it is wrong to hold true to the creed WE were founded upon. The more disappointing thing is that our own government agrees with this preposterous idea! We say that not allowing gay and lesbian couples to have the same rights as a married couple is bigotry and is equal to racism against African Americans. How disrespectful to a people group that has fought for RACIAL equality! Not allowing gay and lesbian couples to have the same rights as a married couple is not wrong because it is NOT a racial issue! It is a sexual orientation issue, which has NOTHING to do with marital rights! But we are SO intellectually advanced (I speak sarcastically) that we simply “change” the constitution to fit our ignorant choices and comforts. How wrong! Again, I make no attempt to portray myself as a “holier than thou” type of person. Nothing could be further from the truth. But I see a nation that is being tossed around by the power of public opinion and shaken loose from the foundations that made it a great nation in the beginning! What are we leaving for the next generation? Are we just leaving them to fend for themselves and make due in this chaotic world? We are basically destroying our nation and asking the next generation to fix it. Yet we give them no tools and no foundation to bring about repair! No, we teach them that if the standard doesn’t meet your expectations, change the standard. We are telling them that there is nothing solid, nothing sacred, nothing sure upon which to place their hope. We are teaching them that a successful life depends SOLEY upon how you want to live it. Whatever sounds good to you is totally ok. You should be allowed to live how ever you want. So what happens if I decide that it’s acceptable for me to go into someones house and rob them? It is something that works for me! It’s something that I’m totally ok with (Again, speaking sarcastically) and want to keep doing. Who are YOU to tell me it’s wrong? Why don’t we just amend the law so that it allows me the right to go into any house I see and take whatever I want? Suppose someone decided, “You know, I think it would be great to just go and shoot this guy or that because they upset me on the road and were holding up traffic. It’s not right that I should suffer tardiness because they don’t want to move. Tell you what. Let’s get them to change the law to make it ok to shoot guys like this as long as we follow certain guidelines. Yeah! That’s a GREAT idea (sarcastically)!” Who are you to tell him he’s wrong. WHERE IS THE STANDARD, AMERICA?! Here’s another question: Why is Jesus and the bible SO offensive to people? Why is it so wrong for anyone to live their faith in Jesus out loud? Try going to a foreign nation and proclaim faith in a different god then yours and watch what happens. The entire nation would have your head on a platter! Why? Because their nation was FOUNDED on the tenants of faith the believe in. We were once a strong nation. We were once a prosperous nation. Now we are becoming a byword to the other nations around us. We are being seen as gutless, weak and powerless to those who watch us. We are being seen as people who are selfish and self-centered with no control over ourselves or our people. But we are much more than that. We are much greater than that. God WANTS to bless America, but it MUST be on His terms. He is the “Boss” and we are to do what He requires. We are to conduct ourselves as He dictates because it’s His world. And no matter how much we may not like it, it still remains the truth. But He LOVES this nation deeply. We would do well to call upon Him not only when we’re in trouble, but just to know Him for who He is. It is then that we as a nation will begin our journey back to being the nation we were created to be. Instead of excluding God from our lives, it is time to INCLUDE Him once again. I still believe in my country! I still believe she is a great nation! I still believe she has an incredible destiny! And I still believe she is “One nation UNDER GOD!”

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