Christianity and America

There is currently an ongoing attack against Christianity by intelligent atheists [who are attempting to destroy all religious belief] and Muslims who want to bring the world under sharia law [if they are following their holy book, which I personally do not believe to be holy since it continues to spawn brutality and violence].  The intelligent atheists, many of whom are professors on university campuses who condescendingly portray Christian Faith as ignorant and passe, sway young minds who are unaccustomed to thinking things through deeply and who are impressed or intimidated by the pseudo-intelligence of scientific babble that leads to no conclusive evidence, for instance, of any organism ever changing kind, that is, from a fish to a mammal, etc. Atheism also gives no account of the beginning of the cosmos, and no rational evidence of how non-living matter could generate something as awesome as consciousness. They fight for a philosophy that robs humans of meaning. They misrepresent the Bible. I know this as one who has been a lifelong student of the Bible, and having grown up in a family that was sustained and perpetually liberated by, specifically, the teachings of Christ and the New Testament.When I hear those critics, I am struck with the fact that they are talking about a "bible" that I do not know and a religion that is foreign to me and anyone of faith that I know. I know that there are those who twist the Scripture and use it to abuse and enslave; but such is true of any philosophy on earth. And it is true because of the sinful nature of humans which is exposed in an unparalleled manner in the Bible and by the life and teachings of Christ.
I am alarmed by this attack because it seems evident that our nation has experienced unprecedented prosperity and freedom specifically because of the Christian faith which teaches tolerance and love for ones' enemies [Matthew 5:44]. The Bible teaches us not to return evil for evil, nor to be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good [Romans 12]. It teaches hospitality to foreigners and kindness to strangers. The violent passages in the Old Testament were for a specific time in the evolution of the Faith. They are now spiritualized; and this is clearly evidenced by the fact that there are currently no Jewish or Christian terrorists who are forcing conversion by fear or trying to forcefully conquer any nations or lands. Jews are not evangelistic at all; and Christians try to win the heart, not by fear, but by love. No rational Christians or Jews understand God as giving violent marching orders against any people group. This cannot be said of Islam. The Qu'ran is a different type of book. It's violent commands are clearly contemporary and perennial. Its violent jihadists are acting in accordance with its teachings, and so-called "moderates" are always, therefore, in jeopardy of evolving into "extremists"; or in raising children who choose to follow the Qu'ran more closely than their "moderate" parents.
If we suppress the Christian faith--if it is not upheld and supported by the institutions of learning--then we clear the field for the invasion of Islam, which requires its children to memorize the Qu'ran at an early age, teaches hatred of the Jews, subjugation of infidels and murder of apostates. Already antisemitism is growing in Muslim-invaded nations. Atheism has nothing that can withstand the onslaught of violent religion. Only a religion that teaches compassion and transforms the heart [Christianity] can do so. An example is to recognize the relative safety of a person to live a gay [or atheist] lifestyle in a Christian vs. a Muslim nation. Atheists and homosexuals would be wise to support rather than attack the Christian Faith. The Christian Faith is a barrier between them and the ruthless intolerance of Islam. Christianity has provided a unifying foundation for our nation and made it possible for us to live harmoniously with diversity. I cannot envision any atheistic substitute for this beneficent effect. Islam will, however provide this unifying effect under sharia law, but only after the bloody uprooting of two centuries Christian roots; or perhaps like mold growing on the decay of the once-vital, life-enhancing, freedom of the Christian Faith.

As to whether America was founded upon Christian principles and was birthed in the fertile soil of the Christian faith, the link below is to a scholarly article, complete with numerous footnoted references on the subject. One who is sincerely interested in answering this question would do well to read it; and I recommend it, based upon the current alarming trends, whether conscious or unconscious, to revise Christianity out of American history.

https://www.heritage.org/political-process/report/did-america-have-christian-founding#_ftn10

Christianity's Impact

John S. Dickerson’s latest book is titled Jesus Skeptic: A Journalist Explores the Credibility and Impact of Christianity. As with his other work, Dickerson’s insights are extremely insightful and relevant.

He states that a ten-year investigation led him to conclude: “My generation of Americans—those born in the 1980s and younger—have been largely denied the truth about Christianity’s influence and record on social justice.”

For instance, Dickerson notes that nine of the ten best nations on earth for women’s rights, according to the World Economic Forum, have majority Christian populations. Followers of Jesus such as Isaac Newton, Johannes Kepler, and Blaise Pascal also played an essential role in launching the Scientific Revolution.

This tradition continues with Dr. Francis S. Collins, leader of the Human Genome Project and now head of the National Institutes of Health. He states: “God can be found in the cathedral or in the laboratory. By investigating God’s majestic and awesome creation, science can actually be a means of worship.”

Schools, medicine, and slavery

Dickerson also notes that “nearly every leading university in the world was founded by Christians.” He cites the fact that the first nine colleges in the US were founded by Christians. He also found that each of the top ten universities in the world, according to the Center for World University Rankings, was begun by Christians.

Christians “planted the seeds of modern medicine” as well. Dickerson references Edward Jenner (the father of immunology), Florence Nightingale (the founder of modern nursing), and Johns Hopkins (whose bequest founded one of the most innovative hospitals in modern medicine). He adds that the top ten hospitals in the US, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report, were all founded by Christians.

And Dickerson reports that Christians played an essential role in ending slavery in most parts of the world. In fact, he could not find a single abolitionist in the US who was not a follower of Jesus. And, of course, there is the example of William Wilberforce in the UK.

None of this would have happened without Easter.

Jihad

Some of the old hymns have a renewed meaning for our time. This is true because they are inspired by the Holy Spirit and contain the Living Word drawn out of the Bible itself, which is alive---it grows with the capacity of man's mind to comprehend it. Here are some lyrics from "Onward Christian Soldiers" written by Sabine Baring-Gould in 1865:

1 Onward, Christian soldiers,  marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before!
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle, see his banner go!

Refrain:
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before!

3 Like a mighty army moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod;
We are not divided; all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine, one in charity

If Jihad means spiritual warfare, then Christians are the true jihadists. We are urged in the Bible, to "take up the whole armor of God," "fight the good fight," "take up our cross" wield the "sword of the Word," emulate a good soldier by not becoming entangled in "civilian" affairs, that is, the affairs of the "world" [2Tim. 2:4]. Of course, contrary to the teachings of the Quran, the primary and requisite battle that we fight is against our own doubts, fears and a multitude of sinful nature manifestations; a war that leads us either to defeat [lapsing into denial or shame] or reliance upon the love and grace of God given to us through our Lord Jesus Christ. The latter is our ultimate victory. And it brings us into the warfare depicted by this song and those verses. Contrary to simply meditating to clear the mind so one can sit peacefully amid the desperate needs of the human soul, Christ makes us to be peaceful warriors, shining Light into darkness, facing the evil powers that continue to mutate like a virus striving to invade the collective soul of humanity---to "steal, kill and destroy" as Jesus said. This war that we fight is "not against flesh and blood but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places"  [Eph. 6:12].  We understand, as one theologian said, that the line that separates good from evil goes through the heart of every human. And we only win these battles as we progressively abide in Jesus, Who is the only human Who can say with any validity, "I have overcome the world" and Who has promised to abide within us and with us forever, "even to the end of the world." As the song says, "Christ the Royal Master, leads against the foe." It is His Spirit, abiding in us, that overcomes the world. And He unifies us: "We are not divided; all one body we."
His Spirit in us is calling out to the world with the invitation into Life, abundant and eternal--an invitation to take up your cross and follow Him into the only way of being in this world that has ultimate, eternal meaning---to follow Him out of endless meaningless and darkness into the Light of God's Love, Peace and the only Freedom that exists for the human soul--Freedom from guilt, fear, shame and despair. Freedom that no political system can provide. Our warfare is a manifestation of this Freedom, for it is the Freedom of Christ's Love for those who are still lost in the darkness; those who continue to mock, hate or ignore Him. Our warfare is fueled by our frustrations with the obstinance of evil and the unnecessary suffering that it spawns in the world. Over and over we watch news reports and hear of countless stories of suffering that we know could have been avoided by the Love of Christ. Then we listen to hundreds of useless comments about who is to blame or how more education or more laws will solve the problem. Why can't we hear Him commanding us to Love each other? Our lives are miserable to the degree that we ignore Him and violate His law of Love. And millions on earth are being forbidden to even listen to or read about His divine Truth! [This is a testimony to His liberating power which is a threat to all tyranny. God wants His people free.]
It is strangely comforting to note that this is exactly how the Bible said it would be. And the Bible is ultimately Gospel---Good News! This is a mystery that each must discover for him/herself. Meanwhile, onward Christian soldiers! The evil powers that threaten the Truth of the Bible--the Truth that Christ actually embodies--have always lurked in the human soul, like a virus lying latent in the body, waiting for the immune system to grow weak so that it can overtake and destroy the body that is its very host. Vital Christianity is a nation's immune system. When it wanes, all manner of evil begins to creep in.

Obedience and Rebellion

The Bible teaches the children of the people of God to be obedient to their parents [Ex. 20:12] And it teaches adults to be obedient to rightful earthly authority---the laws of man that are in accordance with the love of people and the common good [1Pet 2:13-14]. Obedience and respect for rightful, loving authority is wise. It preserves peace and prosperity and provides for the greatest happiness. Rebellion against loving authority is described as foolish in the Bible. Anyone who has loved a child knows this.

But respect for tyranny is cowardice. Tyranny must be overthrown because, by definition, it is founded upon and motivated by power, not love; and everything must eventually come to lo love. Tyranny hates and fears freedom because freedom is not under its authority.

Every enemy of this nation wants us to be divided against ourselves. The Russian interference in American affairs has division as its primary aim. Radical Islamists delight to see us railing against each other in hatred and wallowing in the vomit of our debauchery and irresponsible living. Our enemies know that a united democracy is strong, but, as John Adams said, democracies have a tendency to commit “suicide” by carrying freedom into licentiousness and entitlement, making us weak in our division and selfish competition for pleasure and comfort. Jesus said a house divided against itself cannot stand. We must be united in our love for God and in God's love for all. We must remain responsible and strong.

Some Thoughts on Jews, Christians, Joy and America

Jews seem to be a joyful people group. Their celebrations flow in joyful music and their traditional dances are ebullient. The list of Jewish comedians is astounding:
 https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=vetHXKfxMKfHjwSCqr7YCA&q=jewish+comedians&btnK=Google+Search&oq=jewish+comedians&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0i131j0l9.1514.6208..6664...0.0..0.187.1973.2j15....2..0....1..gws-wiz.....0.1ESd3R3ZI60

Their religion, traditions and cultural bonds were strong enough to enable them to maintain their identity for two thousand years without a home land, scattered over the earth. They rank as the most intelligent people on earth.  Though they comprise only .2% of the world's population, they earned 22.5% of the Nobel awards. They have historically been, I believe, one of the most persecuted people groups, yet have consistently enhanced the cultures they have inhabited, bringing humor and advancements in the sciences and arts. Both Christianity and Islam grew from the roots of Judaism; yet Christianity has lived harmoniously and respectfully with it; Islam, obviously, not so much. It's important to note here that the Judaism and Christianity of the Koran have fundamental divergences from those of the Bible.
America's democracy is deeply rooted in Judaeo-Christianity; a fact that cannot be rationally disputed. Our Founders were men who knew and respected the Bible; and the religion that they strove to protect from state regulation and looked to to provide the psycho-spiritual maturity in which democracy could flourish was undoubtedly Christianity in its various denominations and manifestations. It was the predominant or exclusive religion of the early American settlers and colonists. https://wallbuilders.com/the-founders-as-christians/
Anyone who has deeply studied the Bible can attest to its unifying and liberating power--a fact that elucidates its harsh exclusion by all tyrannical governments [something all free people should take note of]. Our Founders recognized that the religion of the Bible could protect a populace from tyranny; even theocratic tyranny. It was the desire of our early ancestors that Americans be acquainted with the Bible that motivated the institution of free public education: so that voters would know when and if the amended laws of our nation were straying from its [the Bible's] principles. [Google "The Old Deluder Satan Act"] All the original American universities were seminaries geared toward ministry training, and many of the Framers were clergymen.
These roots have formed and sustained what many believe to be the greatest nation on earth, providing unprecedented freedom and prosperity. In light of what history reveals about the risings and fallings of nations, and particularly the dreadful suffering associated with  humans trying to govern themselves and maintain some semblance of peace; bloody revolutions that produce nothing better than what was revolted against; it seems foolish for Americans to so lightly regard these roots and this foundation laid by our Founders and to take so lightly their wisdom about the importance of religion as a necessary pillar of democracy. Where and to whom are these important facts of our history being taught? In public schools? In the universities? How far can we drift from the foundation of our Founders--the foundation that has provided unprecedented blessings for humanity--before we begin to experience the societal pathologies that have plagued so many nations before us, and that plague so many cultures on the earth today? Where are children being taught that they have a dark component of their personalities--a "sinful nature"--that must be overcome by the grace and power of their Creator? How many of these children are being taught rather that they should feel good about themselves--have high "self-esteem" --despite the fact that they can be selfish, lazy, or downright mean at times? How much innate human pathology can be dealt with "nicely"? What is going to constrain the innate pathology so obvious in history and in daily life if not a personal, freely chosen devotion to the God Who created us all, loves us all, and commands us to love each other, even our enemies? [Matthew 5:44].
I fear for America because of the secular slide--more like an avalanche--into struggling for rights and ignoring responsibilities; pursuit of more and more pleasure and comfort; feeling entitled to being served and catered to by the State; or simply vegetating in the hypnotic captivity of  entertainment, media and technology--man-made things that obliterate the beauty of nature and drown out the quietness of soul so necessary for enlightenment and life-enhancing human interactions. I pray for ongoing awakening. I hope we don't have to suffer too much before it happens.

Fun and Children

I've been thinking about fun and children. Children don't want to just have fun in your presence; they want to have fun with you. They want you to have fun with them.  And fun can not be faked. It can, however be allowed--made space for. Children invite you to enter into their world. We can be so lost in our adult-polluted minds that we lose our ability to enter their world. This is very sad. Jesus said if we are unable to be like children we will not know the Kingdom of God. When a child approaches you, you are either trying to invite him into something or shut him out of something. Both are important and necessary. There are things children must be shut out from. But if we are not careful, we will be shutting them out for selfish reasons--because we don't want to be distracted from our problematic adult mindset. We are lost in our "adult" minds--perhaps worrying about something or planning some activity, or dreading something, or bothered by the responsibility of watching after a child.  So we miss an opportunity to be free and innocent---like a child. We try not to miss too many of these opportunities. Missing them makes aging more difficult. It's hard to look back on missed opportunities to be free and innocent. Better perhaps not to look back, but rather look around---for a child!

Freedom and Responsibility

"Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There was never a democracy yet that did not commit suicide."

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” John Adams, 2^nd President of the U.S.

Freedom without individual responsibility [which is the result of consciously chosen psycho-spiritual maturity] devolves toward tyranny. This is true because immature or unenlightened humans are selfish and feel entitled; conditions that, when prevalent in a society move it toward chaos, division and lawlessness. And when the populace gets frustrated with lawlessness, it longs for a strong hand to take charge and set things right. This is why it can be quite satisfying to see a strong parent sternly take charge of unruly children and sit them in the corner until they come back to a place of civility and respect for their elders. [This is not abuse. It is good parenting.] And the same principle applies in the hearts of citizens who see their culture being overrun by selfish, entitled adults who are primarily concerned with their “rights and privileges.” Indignation can rise to the point of desiring a strong hand of law and government to intervene and make people behave. In the early 1970's I asked a German woman who had married an American soldier and moved to the U.S. “How could a man like Hitler rise to power?” She replied “Oh, he made the streets safe to walk again.” The chaos that arises from immature, immoral, selfish and entitled citizens cries out for a powerful, suppressive government—in other words, tyranny. And we do not get to determine what morality is any more than we determine what is healthy or unhealthy for our physical bodies. We did not create our bodies; and we do not create morality. Just as healthy and unhealthy phenomena are innate to our bodies [and we violate their principles to the detriment of our physical health] so also, principles of morality are innate to humanity. We can discover those principles [the main concern of true religion and the best philosophy] but we cannot determine them any more than we can determine the physical principles by which the universe operates. Man always degenerates when he elevates himself above his Creator or, more secularly, when he begins to believe that he can redefine the eternal principles that generated the possibility of his existence.

Everyone suffers when anyone is irresponsible. Freedom is contingent upon individual responsibility. And freedom is costly, as those in Syria who took a stand for it can dreadfully attest. I think it is generally true that those who have lived entirely in a free society are sorely tempted to undervalue it and fail to appreciate its rarity and fragility—thus the tendency toward societal “suicide” that John Adams wrote about in the quote above. We are privileged in our time with freedom to access information via the internet that would have taken our ancestors a college degree to assimilate. And we can see now, more clearly than ever, what is happening in other nations on this earth; and compare them to our own. Perhaps this can enable us to value and protect what we have in a way that John Adams could not have anticipated.

We are free, but we are not entitled. And if we fail to be individually responsible, we have no right to demand anything of anyone. We are gifted with life, but we don't determine the principles by which it becomes a blessing or a curse. Humility enables us to discover those principles; and maturity manifests as the willingness and ability to submit to them. Jesus is the very embodiment of these eternal principles.