Posted on 10/04/2003 11:55:26 AM PDT by Vindiciae Contra TyrannoSCOTUS
After 20 years of ups and downs, it has become evident that the pro-life, pro-family movement has been the biggest single political and social loser in American history. For all of the money, time, and apparent strength of the movement, lost ground is the only thing to show for it all.
Sodmites march in our streets -- with the persistent presence of high-ranking political officials. Homosexual rights are recognized by our highest court. Despite fewer abortionists, surgical abortions continue apace. Protest is so limited by law and court mandate as to be almost wholly ineffectual. Abortuaries and abortionists enjoy a protected status equal to our highest officials.
What could possibly explain all of this? Why is it that those who should have God on their side -- who fight to preserve godly principles in a nation founded on God -- why are their efforts so apparently fruitless?
I believe Achan has the answer.
The story of Achan in the Bible tells of the victorious army of Israel's first incursions into the promised land. Once Israel had crossed over the Jordan River, their first job was to take out the city of Jericho. In God's instructions to Commander-in-Chief Joshua, the Israelite soldiers were not to take any "spoil" or "booty" from the first of the ten-city offensive. Most of us remember the story of Rahab hiding the spies and of the walls which came "tumblin' down," but few remember the story of Achan (Joshua 7).
Achan, it seems, decided to squirrel away just a little booty from Jericho. After the conquest of Jericho, the Israelite generals were pumped. One said, "Joshua, just give me a few guys and well go over and take the city if Ai. It is real small and it shouldn't be any trouble."
The problem was, Ai beat Israel's army -- and beat them badly. Israel had never lost a man in battle until Ai -- where they lost 36.
After seeking God over this awful event, God showed Joshua that the loss was due to "sin in the camp." In short order, Achan's sin was uncovered and he was stoned to death. Only then could God continue to bless the entire nation of Israel with victory.
Something very similar applies to what the Bible calls "spiritual Israel" -- the church. In fact the sin in the American church's camp is far worse and far more widespread than Achan's transgression. While Achan stole what was God's (the booty of one city in ten), the American church has murdered God's heritage.
Ten years ago, many Christians were surprised to read that a survey showed that one in six of the women going for surgical abortions was a self-identified "evangelical" Christian. Recently, the same survey showed an increase to one in five. (These figures could only be higher if the interviewees were completely honest.)
But that is not the worst of it. While Christians have been calling for an end to the slaughter of the unborn and proclaiming that these little ones have a right to life "from the moment of conception," they themselves have been busy killing off their own children with CHEMICAL abortions.
They have been consumers of abortifacient birth control -- pills and intrauterine devices (IUDs) -- at the same rate as their pagan counterparts.
IUDs have only one method of operation. They prevent implantation of an already conceived child. Birth control pills (every variety) have three methods -- two actually prevent conception, but the final back-up is prevention of implantation.
Bo Kuhar, president of Pharmacists for Life estimates between 8 an 13 million abortions per year in the U.S. alone due to these methods.
And Christian women -- even pro-life activists -- use these methods. Many churches counsel the use of birth control. And while many (including me) believe that all birth control is unbiblical, there can surely be no argument that abortifacient methods of birth control are sin.
But we have all sorts of excuses. One pro-life activist couple I am aware of said they had "prayed about it" and that they (presumptuously) believed God would not allow the pills to ever use the third, abortifacient mechanism.
Others simply refuse to believe what is printed right on the patient information -- that the pill prevents implantation -- and find "Christian" doctors who are willing to continue the deception. Churches support the denial and continue to advise newlyweds to use abortifacient birth control.
Thus, millions of Christian babies are aborted by their Christian parents every year in the U.S.
With all that blood on the church's hands, how could we ever expect God to bless our efforts. We've been so busy trying to remove the splinter in the pagans' eyes that we have neglected the beam in our own.
The fact is that blood guilt demands the payment of the blood of the murderer. Fortunately, we have a Substitute who will offer His blood instead of ours -- if we will acknowledge our transgression and repent.
For as long as I can remember, people in the pro-life, pro-family movement have quoted 2 Chronicles 7:14:
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (KJV)
We talked a lot about it, but we never DID it. Yes, we had prayer meetings. Yes, we called on God to forgive "the sins of our Nation." But we never did what the verse says. We didn't repent of our own sins. In fact we were completely blind to our own sins. And those of us (like me) who knew (that we were killing our own babies), were unfaithful watchmen on the wall -- we did not sound the alarm.
But today we are still alive. Wickedness has not yet fully enveloped the nation. There is still time to repent. There is still -- in that repentance -- hope that God will heal our land.
God forgive me for not sounding the warning!
Barna's research indicates that, of the 80 million Americans who claim to be born again, roughly only 7 million of them have a biblical perspective. In Think Like Jesus, he examines guidelines for developing a Christian worldview and letting it change one's way of life.Researcher Says Most Christians Lack Biblical Worldview AgapePress ^ | September 15, 2003 | Allie Martin / George Barna is the founder of Barna Research Group
Q. Sir, on May 6th, on the floor of the house you asked the question: "Are the American people determined they still wish to have a Constitutional Republic." How would you answer that question, Sir?
A. A growing number of Americans want it, but a minority, and that is why we are losing this fight in Washington at the moment. That isn't as discouraging as it sounds, because if you had asked me that in 1976 when I first came to Washington, I would have said there were a lot fewer who wanted it then. We have drifted along and, although we have still enjoyed a lot of prosperity in the last twenty-five years, we have further undermined the principles of the Constitution and private property market economy. Therefore, I think we have to continue to do what we are doing to get a larger number. But if we took a vote in this country and told them what it meant to live in a Constitutional Republic and what it would mean if you had a Congress dedicated to the Constitution they would probably reject it. It reminds me of a statement by Walter Williams when he said that if you had two candidates for office, one running on the programs of Stalin and the other running on the programs of Jefferson the American people would probably vote for the candidate who represented the programs of Stalin. If you didn't put the name on it and just looked at the programs, they would say, Oh yeah, we believe in national health care and we believe in free education for everybody and we believe we should have gun control. Therefore, the majority of the people would probably reject Thomas Jefferson. So that describes the difficulty, but then again, we have to look at some of the positive things which means that we just need more people dedicated to the rule of law. Otherwise, there will be nothing left here within a short time. Are the American people determined they still wish to have a Constitutional Republic An Interview With Ron Paul, SierraTimes.com, 05. 23. 03
[W]e have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion....Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. (Source: John Adams, The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States, Charles Francis Adams, editor (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co. 1854), Vol. IX, p. 229, October 11, 1798.)
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After 20 years of ups and downs, it has become evident that the pro-life, pro-family movement has been the biggest single political and social loser in American history.No. That would be the Libertarian Party. Or maybe the Whigs. But the Libertarians are more contemporary.
Thomas Malthus - Malthusianism, Population Control
Charles Darwin - Social Darwinism/Eugenics
Karl Marx/Gramsci - Founders of the Culture Wars
God forgive me for not sounding the warning!Don't be so hard on yourself. We all did our best. These are difficult times etc., etc.
... We win in the end ...Amen. But by the time we get to the end we'll be so transformed that we won't be able to recognize ourselves. New creatures, we will be. Refined by fire. Really, really painful fire. So it won't be us so much as some new community, a new congregation for a New Jerusalem.
I do not presume to set dates. But I am watching and waiting for my Prince to come, whenever that may be.
The sad truth is that you can't legislate morality.
Classify the following as moral, immoral or amoral:
Reply To Judge Richard A. Posner on The Inseparability of Law and ... OR View as HTML
The real miracle is that, almost forty years after Roe v. Wade, the pro-life movement is still very much alive with 40 something million aborted dead.
sincerely like to know what you are doing. "Be ye doers of the word."
Considering not voting for any congressman who refuses to act on the information presented in Congress, the Court, and the Constitution.
If church-folks don't freak out over Barna's findings...I don't know what
would wake them up...
I was about to state, "persecution", but those that dont freak out are most likely to be the persecutors (Ted Kennedy):
Persecution -- that's the name for it. Tolerance might be the highest virtue in our popular culture, but it doesn't often extend to Christians these days.
Christians are increasingly being driven from public life, denied their First Amendment rights, and even actively discriminated against for their beliefs.
In this relentless exposé of political correctness run amok, best-selling author David Limbaugh rips apart the liberal hypocrisy that condones selective mistreatment of Christians in the mainstream media, Hollywood, our schools and universities, and throughout our public life. PERSECUTION, by David Limbaugh.
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