Duped
Published in the Times 9-Mar-12
America, I’m afraid we’ve been duped. Now something rather ominous is at hand. Consider if a giant sinkhole was forming under your house and was about to swallow it. I’m sure you’d like to know about it in advance, but would you be able to see any signs of pending danger? If you were paying attention, you might be able to see cracks forming in your foundation and walls or perhaps feel an occasional tremor. Likewise, there are some disheartening signs in our culture that something dangerous is looming.
Have you noticed the numerous political controversies over moral issues in recent years? Morality is generally defined as a system of right and wrong behavior. In essence, what you believe to be right and wrong determines what you do. When certain moral beliefs are organized, you end up with religions. While most are familiar with recognized theistic religions (relating to God), belief groups can certainly take non-theistic forms (secular). Even individuals who aren’t “religious” in a church-going sense, have personal moral beliefs which govern their decisions. This is the reason America’s Founders thought it necessary to have the First Amendment include the free exercise of religion while forbidding the government’s establishment of one. In Europe, they saw that if people weren’t free to believe what they wanted, they didn’t have freedom to do what they wanted.
Historically, Americans have been free to submit to the moral beliefs of their choosing. Inherent in such religious freedom is the potential for people to believe differently –you’ll like what some do and dislike what others do, while having the free speech to say so. And people will like and dislike what you do –that’s how freedom works. But of late, Americans have had moral beliefs forced on them.
There’s a non-theistic religion called humanism which has many religious beliefs of its own and its followers are as zealous as any. Because it doesn’t look like your conventional religion, it creeps into places unnoticed. One dangerous place it slips into is government. When this has occurred in other times and regions of the world, freedom has been usurped and citizens oppressed. America is on that brink.
The modern denomination of “progressive” humanism usually dresses up its ideological beliefs as various societal “needs” or “rights” which interestingly are usually opposed to the beliefs of other known religions. While its believers boldly preach its doctrine, it’s their practice to force it upon others. And there’s no better place to do this than government. And in America, there’s no better way than to legislate it. What results is nothing less than the gradual establishment of religion. All too easy when it doesn’t look like the theology of competing religions that so many are already indifferent towards.
So what do we see today? Humanists on a mission to expand their influence through government and preach your need for it. Their beliefs are coming out in “hate crimes” legislation telling us what is considered hateful, the desecration of holy matrimony, ungodly spending habits and now healthcare mandates threatening the consciences of their religious competition. Thus the saying, “Beware of the sound of one hand clapping”. If multitudes of religious individuals and organizations are morally opposed to certain legislation, it’s only because there’s another religious view lurking within. Americans should be free to live according to their beliefs, not the beliefs of government authorities.
Regardless of what you believe about various issues, realize that this very freedom to believe freely is at stake and the establishment of humanistic religion is at hand. If the Constitution has already been violated, don’t think our form of government is immune to further threats. Beware of legislation expanding government influence, especially in the moral realm. Before supporting politicians, listen carefully to what they say, then critically examine how they’ve voted and what agendas they support. I will tell you that one political party is more given to progressive humanism than the other. America, you should be alarmed. But if you don’t take my word for it; feel free to look into it yourself. And while you’re at it, look into what you believe and why you believe it. You may have to decide if it’s worth fighting for.
Below is supplementary information that was not included in the published article.
Historically, Americans have been free to submit to the moral beliefs of their choosing. Inherent in such religious freedom is the potential for people to believe differently –you’ll like what some do and dislike what others do, while having the free speech to say so. And people will like and dislike what you do –that’s how freedom works. But of late, Americans have had moral beliefs forced on them.
There’s a non-theistic religion called humanism which has many religious beliefs of its own and its followers are as zealous as any. Because it doesn’t look like your conventional religion, it creeps into places unnoticed. One dangerous place it slips into is government. When this has occurred in other times and regions of the world, freedom has been usurped and citizens oppressed. America is on that brink.
The modern denomination of “progressive” humanism usually dresses up its ideological beliefs as various societal “needs” or “rights” which interestingly are usually opposed to the beliefs of other known religions. While its believers boldly preach its doctrine, it’s their practice to force it upon others. And there’s no better place to do this than government. And in America, there’s no better way than to legislate it. What results is nothing less than the gradual establishment of religion. All too easy when it doesn’t look like the theology of competing religions that so many are already indifferent towards.
So what do we see today? Humanists on a mission to expand their influence through government and preach your need for it. Their beliefs are coming out in “hate crimes” legislation telling us what is considered hateful, the desecration of holy matrimony, ungodly spending habits and now healthcare mandates threatening the consciences of their religious competition. Thus the saying, “Beware of the sound of one hand clapping”. If multitudes of religious individuals and organizations are morally opposed to certain legislation, it’s only because there’s another religious view lurking within. Americans should be free to live according to their beliefs, not the beliefs of government authorities.
Regardless of what you believe about various issues, realize that this very freedom to believe freely is at stake and the establishment of humanistic religion is at hand. If the Constitution has already been violated, don’t think our form of government is immune to further threats. Beware of legislation expanding government influence, especially in the moral realm. Before supporting politicians, listen carefully to what they say, then critically examine how they’ve voted and what agendas they support. I will tell you that one political party is more given to progressive humanism than the other. America, you should be alarmed. But if you don’t take my word for it; feel free to look into it yourself. And while you’re at it, look into what you believe and why you believe it. You may have to decide if it’s worth fighting for.
Below is supplementary information that was not included in the published article.
Just to clarify, I in no way wish to deify the Founding Fathers, nor do I think they were perfect. While most of them were Christian, I don’t believe they sought to establish Christianity as America’s “religion”, but rather acknowledged the truths revealed in the Bible which correctly guided their thinking about the role of government. These dependable, unchanging truths regarding all mankind entailed the reality of right & wrong (absolute morality) & that men have the high potential to do the latter (sin nature). They also observed that when the government dabbled in the realm of religion, oppression of some fashion resulted. They understood that when individuals accept God’s truth about morality & act on it, they reap the benefits; when those truths are rejected, they reap the detriments (Gal 6.7-8). Historically, oppression came about because an unaccountable, over-powered government got right & wrong mixed up, making the risk of citizens highly centralized. When such decision making is centralized in a socialized belief system, the rejection of moral truth means mass injustice, not to mention violation of conscience.
Thus, the Founders realized the importance of personal moral beliefs & put a stake in the ground with the First Amendment affording individual religious freedom to each citizen. This unleashed freedom in general because Americans were free to act on what they believed to be right & wrong – a free-market belief system. Therefore religious freedom implies personal responsibility on the part of all citizens (self-governed). And while not in U.S. law, God’s law declares personal accountability to God, but you must decide to accept that truth on your own (Heb 9.27-28, 1 Pt 4.5).
Thus, the Founders realized the importance of personal moral beliefs & put a stake in the ground with the First Amendment affording individual religious freedom to each citizen. This unleashed freedom in general because Americans were free to act on what they believed to be right & wrong – a free-market belief system. Therefore religious freedom implies personal responsibility on the part of all citizens (self-governed). And while not in U.S. law, God’s law declares personal accountability to God, but you must decide to accept that truth on your own (Heb 9.27-28, 1 Pt 4.5).
Jesus, Son of God - Creator, Sustainer and Judge of Mankind and Savior of Some
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." - Matthew 7.24-27
“As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it." - John 12.47-49
“As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it." - John 12.47-49
Joshua, Son of Nun - Leader of Israel and Commander of the Israelite Army
“Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”- Joshua 24.14-15
James Madison - Father of the Bill of Rights, Chief Architect of the Constitution and Fourth President of the United States
"Whilst we assert for ourselves a freedom to embrace, to profess, and to observe the Religion which we believe to be of divine origin, we cannot deny an equal freedom to those whose minds have not yet yielded to the evidence which has convinced us. If this freedom be abused, it is an offense against God, not against man: To God, therefore, not to man, must an account of it be rendered."
"We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government; upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God."
"We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government; upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God."
George Washington - Signer of the Constitution and First President of the United States
"While just government protects all in their religious rights, true religion affords to government its surest support."
"Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of man and citizens."
"Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of man and citizens."
Naturally speaking, sinkholes occur most commonly when underground layers of rock, such as limestone, are dissolved by groundwater or by seepage from surface water sources and form large caves that eventually collapse. Interestingly, this is a good analogy of what happens when individuals or societies abandon Truth. When you build your life or society on what is contrary to God's solid truth, you are on shaky ground.
When the foundations are being destroyed,
what can the righteous do? - Ps 11.3 |
Related Pages
Unclear & Present Danger: Humanism
Size Matters (over-sized government)
Establishment (evidence of lost truth)
Half-Baked (evidence of lost freedom)
Just Maybe... (evidence of competitive atheistic religion)
Poem: -isms
Size Matters (over-sized government)
Establishment (evidence of lost truth)
Half-Baked (evidence of lost freedom)
Just Maybe... (evidence of competitive atheistic religion)
Poem: -isms