Replies

The increased church attendance, the drop in divorce actions, the re-emergence of prayer in public places, all are indications of a people who are moving back to God.

I do not think it helps non-believers to a conversion with this type of article, nor the attendant comments. To me, the focus must be on the fact that there is a better, more joyful way to live, and Christ is the answer to this. President Bush is an excellent example of this type of Christian.

While I do not believe in abortion and in fact am strongly pro-life, I do not believe that the repeal of Roe vs. Wade by the Supreme Court would have stopped these terrorist from striking. In fact, I believe that they hate us BECAUSE we are Christians.

At any rate, I do not agree with the premise of the author. It is also offensive to those who lost relatives in the attack.

Miss Marple, you know I respect your opinion a lot. But I keep running into people who have a pretty different view of repentance and relationship between national tragedy and sin than I have and I wonder if that's where we appear to differ.

I have a friend who has a website called "Repentance with Joy." I think it captures what repentance is intended to be. If repentance is turning to God, what could be more joyful than that? And that's not to say that repentance doesn't also and first involve a deep regret for one's sins.

I understand people's strong reactions to talk of the need for repentance if they think that people are saying that God caused the attacks. That is to blaspheme God, in my opinion. But if you see that God has simply withdrawn, at least temporarily, the protection that He's had on our nation because we have continuously gone our way (see Mad Dawg's post #22 above), then it doesn't need to impugn God's character.

The increased church attendance, the drop in divorce actions, the re-emergence of prayer in public places, all are indications of a people who are moving back to God.

It looks that way on the surface. Can you see into these people's hearts? No, that's why you must judge by actions. Let's see if they're actions change.