America's Legacy (Part 1)

     People are often complaining about the state of affairs. They complain about the economy. They complain about healthcare. They complain about Social Security, government spending, crooked politicians, and escalating crime. These are just a few of the complaints. The problem is that they are pointing the finger in the wrong direction. Instead of pointing the finger at politicians and government leaders, they should be pointing the finger at themselves. That’s right. The reason the things are the way they are is because of us, the American people and the Church.
     Both the American people and the Church are responsible for the state of affairs. In 1963 the Supreme Court declared that prayer in school was unconstitutional (which is a lie). The American people did not protest. The church did not protest. Had they done so, there would be prayer in school today. Our country is based on the principle: “Government of the people, by the people, for the people.” This means that the people say what laws are passed and what those laws mean. If there is any question about it, then they have Congress to pass laws that address or remove any ambiguity. When prayer was banned from public schools in 1963, our nation took a turning point.
     Abraham Lincoln is believed to have said: “The philosophy of the classroom in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next.” When prayer and the Bible were banned from public schools, this nation began raising a generation of people who did not know God. These people grew up to become leaders in government and finance. Disaster is inevitable when these godless people made godless decisions based on godless principles.
     Look at our streets. They are filled with children and youth wondering around aimlessly, like sheep without a shepherd. Look in our prisons. They are overcrowded, filled with young men and women, primarily of minority descent, who never stood a chance because they were raised primarily by godless parents who left them to their own devises and the mercies of the streets. Many, if not most, of our young women are pregnant or single parents with no fathers in the picture.
     None of this is what God intended for us. He wanted us to be positive influences on our children and the children around us. Parents, along with teachers, are the greatest influences a child can have. It is no cliché that the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. It is an opportunity to shape a life, an opportunity many parents throw away. Children are a blessing from God, but they are also a responsibility, as well. Unfortunately, too many parents delegate the responsibility of rearing, shaping, and influencing their children to the teacher, the preacher, and the television. Because we have not sown into the lives of our children, we are reaping a lost generation—a generation of godless people who will make more godless decisions based on godless standards.