Current Events & Trends: Christianity on the wane in America
Whatever the direction of the nation as a whole, you individually can live a lawful life filled with hope.
R.R. Reno, editor of the journal First Things, concerning religion in public life, said this in a speech given Feb. 20, 2013, as adapted in the Hillsdale College speech digest Imprimis:
"Religious liberty is being redefined in America, or at least many would like it to be. Our secular establishment wants to reduce the autonomy of religious institutions and limit the influence of faith in the public square. The reason is not hard to grasp. In America, 'religion' largely means Christianity, and today our secular culture views orthodox Christian churches as troublesome, retrograde, and reactionary forces" (April 2013).
Traditional Christian morality is under growing attack in the United States. For instance, Reno further stated: "In striking down Texas sodomy laws, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy noted that moral censure of homosexuality has 'been shaped by religious beliefs'"—the biblical basis of moral censure now considered a bad thing. Increasingly only modern secular views are acceptable in law and jurisprudence today. The influence of the Bible and the Christian religion has been consigned to the past.
One author with a bleak outlook on life described the global human condition as being in "a godless world, without hope." The spiritual quality of hope seems to be hardwired into our very beings. Without it our lives soon become empty and virtually meaningless. We lose our moorings. And an America largely devoid of Christian standards will become a hopeless spiritual wasteland.
Reno also declared, as recorded in Imprimis: "America's Founders . . . agreed as a matter of principle that the law of God trumps the law of men. This has obvious political implications: The Declaration of Independence appeals to the unalienable rights given by our Creator that cannot be overridden or taken away . . .
"Put somewhat differently, religion gives us a place to stand outside politics, and without it we're vulnerable to a system in which the state defines everything, which is the essence of tyranny. That is why gay marriage, which is sold as an expansion of freedom, is in fact a profound threat to liberty."
Yet whatever the direction of the nation as a whole, you individually can live a lawful life filled with hope. If you would like some help, read the Bible study aids Making Life Work and The Ten Commandments. (Source: Imprimis.)
An Article from:
Good News Magazine: July - August 2013
Course Content
Jerold Aust
Jerold Aust has served in the ministry for 52 years, as a public speaker for 58 years, a published writer for 38 years, and is employed by UCG’s Media and Communications Services. He is a Senior Writer, interviewer, and editor for Beyond Today Magazine and has taught Speech Communication for UCG’s ministerial online program and the Book of Revelation for ABC.
Jerold holds a BA in theology from Ambassador College, Pasadena (1968), an MA in Communication from California State University, Fullerton (1995), a distance-learning Ph.D (2006), and a Famous Writers School diploma in non-fiction writing (1973). Additionally, he studied post-grad communication at University of Southern California (1995), radio, TV, voice-overs, and Public Relations at Fullerton College (1995-1996), and graduate communication at Wichita State University (1978). Jerold has taught communication at the University of South Alabama (7 years) and ABC (17 years). His published works include, Ronald Reagan’s Rhetoric: Metaphor as Persuasion and EZSpeakers: Public Speaking Made Easy in 7 Steps. Jerold's overarching goal is to share with humankind its incredible destiny!
John Ross Schroeder
John died on March 8, 2014, in Oxford, England, four days after suffering cardiac arrest while returning home from a press event in London. John was 77 and still going strong.
Some of John's work for The Good News appeared under his byline, but much didn't. He wrote more than a thousand articles over the years, but also wrote the Questions and Answers section of the magazine, compiled our Letters From Our Readers, and wrote many of the items in the Current Events and Trends section. He also contributed greatly to a number of our study guides and Bible Study Course lessons. His writing has touched the lives of literally millions of people over the years.
John traveled widely over the years as an accredited journalist, especially in Europe. His knowledge of European and Middle East history added a great deal to his articles on history and Bible prophecy.
In his later years he also pastored congregations in Northern Ireland and East Sussex, and that experience added another dimension to his writing. He and his wife Jan were an effective team in our British Isles office near their home.
John was a humble servant who dedicated his life to sharing the gospel—the good news—of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God to all the world, and his work was known to readers in nearly every country of the world.
