I have several things on my mind as I sit down to write this monthÕs column. WeÕre just a week or so into the month of June now. The cold, rainy weather of Spring seems to have finally given way to summer. The kids will have their last day of school before summer break this week, and our family is busy with summer plans; our son Robbie has already started the summer baseball league, IÕve spent a day in GodÕs great outdoors with my daughter Alley at the Awana Sparky camp, and we were finally able to get a few garden plants in the ground.
But other things are happening too. The world has just commemorated the anniversary of D-Day, where so many young Americans suffered and died to bring freedom once again to that part of the world, and keep the rest of us free. They were just young kids, doing their job, but their job had a profound effect on the history of the world.
Then, this past weekend the news came that President Reagan had passed away at age 93, after he and his family had suffered the past ten years with the long, slow goodbye of AlzheimerÕs disease.
In about three weeks time, America will hand over control of a newly-free nation to a new, sovereign government in Iraq.
Less than a week later, here in America, we will celebrate our own independence, on the 4th of July.
All these things have made me stop and think about how insulated most Americans are in todayÕs world. While our young men and women in Iraq are fighting and dying every day, here in America, life goes on as usual. We go about our daily lives, working, playing, planting our gardens, taking care of our homes and families like usual. We go to little league games, play with our kids and pets, plan our vacations, shop for groceries, clean the house, mow the lawn, watch TV, follow the Packers training camp...
The war in Iraq, for most of us, is little more than one more news story. Our lives go on as usual. It doesnÕt affect us.
How is this possible? Our young men and women are fighting for their lives overseas. In a very real sense, like their counterparts that went before them, they are fighting for OUR lives, and our way of life here in America. And so many of us donÕt care. It doesnÕt affect us.
Our enemy overseas may be different in this war than in previous ones, the battle lines may not be as clearly defined as they once were, but the fight is the same. Why is it that so many of us just donÕt seem to care? WhatÕs happened to our country? WhatÕs happened to our people? Why are we so cynical, sarcastic and superficial?
Why is all the news coming from Iraq bad news? What happened to the patriotic news reports of WWII, when allied victories were actually REPORTED? Yes, things have been difficult in this war, but weÕve also made incredible progress over there in the past year, and youÕll never hear about it from the mainstream media. Talk to any soldier returning from the war, and theyÕll tell you, the vast majority of Iraqis WANT us there, theyÕre glad we did what we did, and they finally have some hope for a better life. How disheartening it must be for these soldiers who have sacrified so much to see the blatant anti-American slant our media puts on EVERY SINGLE REPORT coming from the front lines! Shameful!
America used to be the great melting pot, where immigrants from all over the world could come and find refuge, start a new life, raise their families and achieve the ÒAmerican Dream.Ó I heard a quote from someone awhile back, and I donÕt remember who said it, but it was a good one: Òthe great melting pot has now become the great Ôsalad bowl.ÕÓ In our zeal to be Òtolerant,Ó and politically correct, we canÕt even agree on a common language in America anymore. Anything goes. Nothing is off limits. We endorse and even celebrate all manner of sin. The homosexual agenda is everywhere - you canÕt turn on the television for five minutes (unless youÕre watching Sky Angel) without hearing a reference to the gay lifestyle. You canÕt avoid it. You can be driving in the car, listening to the NEWS on the radio, and a commercial comes on advertising a new gay ÒrealityÓ show coming up on Òmust see TV!Ó
As that guy on 20/20 would say, ÒGive me a break!Ó
And have you noticed that all religious expression and belief is held in the highest regard in America - except Christianity? ThatÕs the one faith in America thatÕs now become alright, yes, even politically correct, to Òbash.Ó ItÕs open season on Christians. Every effort is made to minimize the Christian voice, to portray Christians as intolerant bigots, certainly closed-minded, hypocritical, mean-spirited and hostile. While an American student can be thrown to the wolves for the crime of simply mentioning the name of Christ in a public school today, and where the word ÒChristmasÓ has been removed from public schools, and traditional Christmas carols such as ÔSilent NightÕ have been banned, news has recently come to light that one school in America has actually REQUIRED students to recite Muslim prayers as part of their curriculum! ItÕs called Diversity Training, and yes, it was not only allowed, it was REQUIRED. ThatÕs right...in America, Christian students required to recite Muslim prayers!
Meanwhile, the ACLU and like-minded groups continue to bring lawsuits against more and more communities to have all symbols and references to Christianity purged from public view. Monuments of the Ten Commandments are being torn down all over America, including several here in Wisconsin in just the past few years. ItÕs happening quickly and itÕs a relentless force.
The ACLU is an evil organization, and those that support that entity should be ashamed of themselves. In my opinion, they are nothing more than domestic terrorists, extortionists, searching the vulnerable communities of this country, looking for their next Òhit,Ó their next paycheck, via another lawsuit against an innocent small town. And business is booming for the ACLU, considering the current anti-Christian climate in America. Their goal is nothing short of a systematic erasing of American history as it pertains to Christianity.
And not a single opportunity is missed by the Hollywood elite or the liberal media to bash the conservative values of conservative Presidents, be they recently deceased, or currently fighting a war on terrorism that threatens our very existence. (Do you even remember 9/11?)
It seems that Òall we, like sheep, have gone astray...we have turned - every one of us, to our own way.Ó
I believe the Lord created our country to be a sanctified place to serve as a refuge for persecuted immigrants from around the world. But it was to be more than that. It was to be a place from where the light of God would shine to the rest of the world. And in many ways we have done our job well. More than once our country has liberated persecuted people from oppressive dictators bent on world domination. More than once, we have freed the people of France! How soon they forget!
It was America that brought about the fall of the evil Soviet empire, and in that land today, people are free and hopeful for the future.
How many of our young men and women, in the prime of their lives, have been cut down in the line of duty...not only to keep America free, but also to bring freedom to foreign lands? No other nation on earth has done as much as the United States of America to drive out the forces of evil and keep peace and freedom alive in the world. Indeed, where would the world be without America?
While the zealous followers of Islam live to bring only carnage and terror, Christian missionaries sent out from America have saved countless millions of lives around the world, providing food, clean water, shelter, clothing, medical care, hospitals, schools, and peace.
And yet, it is the Christian faith that is vilified throughout America and the world today. MUSLIM prayers in our schools? No problem. Christian prayers in our schools? DonÕt even think about it...
Soon we will celebrate the 4th of July, AmericaÕs Independence Day. Undoubtedly the day will be filled with picnics, parades, baseball games, trips to the beach, and fireworks.
But letÕs remember this year, exactly WHY we are free here in America. In fact, letÕs remember the fact that we are SO free here in America, that life can go on as usual, and most of us are totally untouched and unaffected while our young men and women in the armed forces fight, every day, in a hostile land, against those who would destroy us. We donÕt face terrorist bombings in our streets. We can carry on our everyday lives largely unconcerned about any threat to our loved ones or ourselves.
Why are we so free here in America? NOT because of the work of the ACLU. No, we did pretty well for a couple hundred years WITHOUT their Òhelp,Ó thank you very much, even WITH the symbols of our Christian heritage proudly displayed in public!
NOT because of the diligent work of the modern mainstream media...I would argue that America was a better place in the days when those who reported the news did not so blatantly display their hatred and disdain for their own country and their own leaders.
Certainly weÕre not free in America today because of the efforts of the Hollywood elite, or the likes of Michael Moore, the Dixie Chicks or Robin Williams.
And despite what they will tell you, America is not going to be more free when the homosexual agenda is pushed down our throats to the point where same sex marriage is accepted nationwide.
WeÕre free in America today because of our Christian forefathers, and those who came after them, faithfully seeking GodÕs will for our land, building our foundation of liberty on the unchanging natural laws of God, the Ten Commandments, and teaching those laws to our children.
In our anything-goes culture today, our Judeo-Christian roots are being systematically erased from history. As this practice continues, we enjoy less and less freedom, day by day. History reminds us that when a nation purges Christ from their land or refuses to accept His guidance and salvation, anarchy and destruction always follow, and the inhabitants lose their freedom. Show me any Muslim nation where the citizens are free. Show me any completely secular nation where the people are happy, free and prosperous...such a land doesnÕt exist.
We are ONE great NATION because we are UNDER GOD. God has richly blessed America. May we never forget that, and turn once again, to our loving Father, our Creator.
If you would like more information on our Christian heritage here in America, I urge you to read the book by Appleton resident Dr. P. Jake Jacobs entitled, ÒThe Gospel, GodÕs Law and Government.Ó It is one of the best books ever written on the subject, and it is available by calling 920-734-1776 or by going online to www.libertypro1776.com.
