Then again, I can understand, and strongly empathize with, the following:
He begins to leave who begins to love.Make of these lines what you will. They are not directly "scriptural." Nonetheless, I find them quite stirring, and profoundly true.
Many the leaving who know it not,
for the feet of those leaving are affections of the heart:
and yet, they are leaving Babylon. — St. Augustine, Ennarrationes in Psalmos, 64.2
In a certain way, I have made my spiritual exodus from the current insanity of the degraded, utterly corrupt and ultimately suicidal course of what passes for "American society" these days. But as long as I exist in mortal body, I can't just "sit it out" and wait for the End Times.
As long as I'm "here" on Earth, my Christian duty is to live in the Lord, to honor and witness to His Truth; and to as much as possible radiate that truth outwards, into the greater society. I say this with the full understanding that, to do so, is to put a target on one's back that the psychopathic, "new atheist" screaming-meemies out there will always be trying to "draw a bead on."
To me, the practical question here is: Is America worth saving? Or have you entirely given up on American exceptionalism?
Understand here that the historical self-understanding of We the People of the United States of America is that, although we are constitutionally organized as a secular government, we are nonetheless, finally, ultimately a free people "under God." For our freedom, our inalienable liberties, come from God. The Declaration of Independence makes this crystal clear. And the First Amendment guarantees it. [Not to mention the Second, if push comes to shove.]
It seems to me it's time, even past time, for the "saving remnant" — that is, faithful Christians — to step up and shoulder the responsibilities they bear as sons of Christ in this world.
Don't speak so much about what you want. Think about what you should be doing.
I have HOPE that God has not given up on We the People. I have HOPE that a spiritual renewal can heal America. Thus we Christians must pray for such renewal — personal, cultural, societal — which amounts to a plea for divine intercession.
Which I find perfectly reasonable.
For our Lord will hear our prayers!
It is not hope I've given up on, dear Sister, but on the republican establishment. I've always found it interesting that the early Christian writers, themselves Jews, referred to the leaders of the anti-Jesus movement as "the Jews." They knew what they meant....the establishment....and others had to put 2 and 2 together.
So, I don't trust Republicans. At other times I might call you republican, and most of this ping list also, and I am more than occasionally a supporter of republicans. But, there are times when the word is profanity.
I could call them RINO, but I sort of agree with Goldberg, that I just might be the one who actually is the republican in name only, because I sure don't fit with the establishment. Up is down and down is up, and the establishment calls the shots, makes the rules, spends the money, and sets the direction. They might just own the name and they can have it. Reagan, too, would have been the RINO in this sense.
I'm the conservative. They are the Republican.
And optimism nor pessimism is the issue, but honesty about what one sees. How does that old hymn go... "My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' blood and righteousness."
Jeepers, you seem to be such a pessimist, dear brother in Christ! I wonder why you feel justified in this line of thinking, in that we Christians are called upon at all times to demonstrate the seminal Christian virtues: Faith, HOPE, and Love.
Then again, I can understand, and strongly empathize with, the following:
Make of these lines what you will. They are not directly "scriptural." Nonetheless, I find them quite stirring, and profoundly true.
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Me trying to add value: Dreams, Love, Wisdom....