Recently a letter was published titled, "Future leaders must be God-fearing" (Feb. 5). All of the writer's points were good; however, there are a couple of things that need to be added.
The basis for our democracy is our Constitution that, during the past few years, has been stomped on in the name of protecting our way of life. Should we expect Iraq or any other country to accept our form of democracy without first accepting a constitution similar to the one our Founding Fathers drew up? That doesn't seem reasonable.
George Washington said, "Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle." John Adams said, "Our Constitution was made only for a religious and moral people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any others."
Mike Evans, in his book The Final Move Beyond Iraq, said, "America, the noble experiment, is under siege. The tidal wave of evil is sweeping over our nation: the self-injuring, spirit-destroying, conscious-searing practices of pornography, abortion, homosexuality, and drug and alcohol abuse are being supported as they never have been before. There is a vicious moral and spiritual war raging in the hearts and minds of Americans."
Should we not win that war in our own country before trying to sell or force our form of democracy on someone in the part of the world where Iraq sits? The desire is noble, but I question if we really have the leaders qualified to lead such a change.
We seem to have problems with many moral issues for which we are unsuccessfully seeking solutions in our own beloved country. Save the United States before attempting to save the part of the world that our leaders say want our saving grace.
Jim Shoffner, Augusta
Comments
I agree with the basic premise of this writer except that it should not be a moral issue. It's just not pratical to try to create a democracy from the outside - our democracy is a success because we created it from the inside. No one protected us as we fought to change our future - we had to protect ourselves. As in most instances, the best things are those that we work for ourselves. Same applies to other countries.
I agree with the letter writer when he says this country has fallen into extreme moral decay, this isn't supposition but fact. But I also believe that we have to stay the course in the war against terrorism. To contemplate the war being fought on our shores is to horrifying to even think about. Our life-style is so open it would seem like partytime to Al Queda-which I believe they are just waiting like wolves to attack. Cultures are different, we should not change that or better said, we cannot change that but we can try to destroy the terrorist before another or perhaps worse 911 occurs.
This country is being led into moral decay by the false prophets of the religious right who have chosen politics and earthly matters, over testimony and divinity.
Our nation was built on Christian prinicples. It will only survive and thrive if we keep them. A free nation can't make it without a strong moral base. We only have to look at what happened to the schools when prayer and Bible reading was removed. The Bible says even the wicked are glad when the rightous are in power.
Everytime we try to lower the Christian influence in any way we have to add more laws and more law enforcement. The Bible say the fool has said there is no God. What does that make those that say we can do just find without a Godly influence in this country? Christians need to be bold, strong and full of Christ's love for your fellow man. Remember you can't hurt those who don't have a relationship without Christ. They are already hopeless. Influence them by your joy and peace.
pureinvestments, that is the same message I would give to these conservative pseudo pious "men of God." They preach politics rather than God. They preach hate rather than love. God should be in the home, and not being taught in a classroom. Students have every right to pray in school, so please explain how God has been taken out? Our public institutions should not adopt any one religion, which it seems you advocate.
I won't get into strife over this issue. I just look at results and look for a reason. The Word says the curse without a cause will not come. Something happened in the schools. There has to be a cause. Evolution is taught; which is certainly more a religion than science. We told kids there are animals and evolved. We now expect perfect behavior from them that can only come from been accountable to a creator. If we evolved there can be no basis for right or wrong. Time will show my view or those of others as either right or wrong.
Purvis, don't you think that the reason we have all of this violence in schools might have something to do with these kids home life and not whether they can pray or not in school? Does not the ease of availability to guns play a role in any of this? Forcing Christianity on students would not have stopped Columbine as they TARGETED openly Christian students. Public schools are not the place to teach religion, just as church is not the place to teach math. Parents need to make their children feel safe and loved at home and limit their exposure to violence and weaponry, then maybe we wouldn't see the violence at schools as much as we do.
Liberal Faith, please name those "conservative, pseudo-pious men of God" who preach politics? I have yet to hear one during this campaign other than Huckabee, who is a former preacher and has not beat anyone over the head with his religion. Same for Romney, Bush has been attacked bty you leftists for his faith,
I agree the homes need work but most of these homes are now headed by those who are a present day public school product. I can't find anyone harmed by school prayer, Bible reading or punishment at school. They celebrate Halloween at school which is all about satan but could get in trouble if they mention Jesus. Time will prove my view right or wrong. No word in our language upsets people more than the name of Jesus. That has to tell us something.
Th politics of Robertson, Falwell (RIP), Roberts et al just to name a few.
Anything anyone says that agrees with the Bible will always upset people and it is supposed to do that. The Word comforts the agitated and agitates the comfortable. The best thing is we live in a free country where we can have these discussions and a God given and protected free-will to be whatever we choose.
amen purvis amen
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