I disagree and believe we do get the “leaders” we deserve.
Did the united States "deserve" Reagan after Carter and then Clinton? What sort of fickle wind determines what we "deserve"? Subjective Platitudes don't make for good theology.
As for the blasphemy part, the poster claimed that the act of repentance is for determining one's worthiness of receiving good government. That lie will send a person to Hell. Repentance is a response to spiritual regeneration and is required for salvation which brings glory to God.
You think God is happy with the United States of America?
Another absurd proposition based in subjective anthropocentric platitudes. Define "happy" in a theological context, please site examples of what makes God "happy", as if an omniscient God outside time can somehow have mood swings.
Sodom and Gomorrah were pretty wretched places, yet for the sake of a handful of righteous men, God would stay His hand of judgment. Contrast that real example with the poster's (and your) baseless hypothetical.
What you are suggesting is that God is "happy" with slavery because the American Revolution occurred after several centuries of slavery, and we ended up with the likes of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, both men who are still considered our greatest leaders who also had slaves. Do you recommend that we chain up blacks and resume whipping them into productivity in order to force God to be "happy" again and bless us with another George Washington?
Since the person I was responding to thinks the united States is an extension of and therefore receives the exact same relationship with God as did OT Israel, perhaps you can explain how Israel/Judea managed to "deserve" King David and Solomon. Then explain how, out of the blue, they got the righteous Josiah after generations of some of the most wicked rulers. When Josiah came to power, Israel was arguably at its most wicked state of existence.
Sorry to let facts and reason interfere in a good old-fashioned Hate America First fest. I jumped in because it offends my sensibilities to think that some would say God is "happy" with certain levels of sin, but then turns "unhappy" at another level. God's Holiness is not for negotiation. A&E got punted out of the Garden for eating fruit from the wrong tree, yet just NOW you think God has swung from "happy" to "unhappy" ? Really?
Furthermore, the whole idea that God sends down random lightening bolts of judgment on nations denies the fundamental doctrines of Redemption, where God's wrath is stored up until the Last Day. I know people like you want to see all American suffer for someone else sins, but don't project that dysfunction on to a Holy God, especially if you are also going to wander around saying "God is Love" and "Jesus loves You" to even the most hardened reprobate.
Believe as you wish and I will also.
Good points Theophilus, I see where your coming from now. I wish I had the whole thread before my first response to you and some to El Cid. But I’ve got to admit though that El Cid has made some good points later on., Never the less short responses are like Arminianists that keep reducing the gospel to short statements to they eventually get it down to bumper sticker theology “be good, Jesus Saves, just believe” which is full of errors. Last point I don’t think any body is going to Hell over what they stated theological on FR, if that was the case we would all probably be going to Hell, as you well know salvation is by grace and not by any thing we say or don’t say. Well I’ve uses up my three posts for the day that I said I would only allow my self every day, so take care and God bless. And God bless you to El Cid
Er... I think you have your sequence messed up there....
I appreciate your informed replies to the previous poster. One of my pet peeves is when people quote 2 Chronicles 7:14 and apply it the United States, when it was a text directly related to God’s Sinaitic Covenant with Israel, a Covenant that has been set aside and replaced in Jesus Christ.
I don’t think we get leaders “we deserve”, but such “leaders” are the mere result of the fickle wishes of uninformed peoples.