Low Pressure System Hovers Over America
By Chuck Baldwin
April 28, 2006
(This column is archived at:
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/cwarchive_042806.html)
An upcoming birthday reminds me that I have lived to pass the
half-century mark. During those years, I have seen people at their
best and at their worst. I believe I am also witnessing the impact
that a vast cultural revolution is having on people.
There is always an ebb and flow to people's lives and to the life of
a nation, for that matter. However, if I were to report on the
general state of people's lives today in meteorological terms, I
would say a ubiquitous low pressure system envelops the entire
country.
By low pressure I mean the daily emotional, psychological, mental,
and spiritual stress brought to bear upon people. In fact, it seems
that the stress (low pressure) with which people are daily engulfed
these days could be categorized as a hurricane of Category 5
proportions! I've never seen anything like it!
For the most part, family life is as turbulent as ocean waves in the
midst of a storm. In fact, stormy would be a very descriptive word
for most modern families.
Pervasive divorce has alienated children from parents and parents
from children. Children seldom have the luxury of growing up
with biological parents, much less grandparents. Fathers are
seldom the disciplinarians at home. Before the average American
child is a teenager, he or she has become thoroughly spoiled,
selfish, and sinful. Furthermore, the lust for material prosperity
seems to burn far stronger in the average parent's heart than the
desire to teach and train their own offspring!
Add to family stress vocational and economic uncertainty. How
many people across our once great land clocked out on Friday
evening only to return Monday morning to a job site with empty
buildings and locked gates? How many have seen their pensions
and insurance plans disappear overnight? How many have worked
their whole lives for a company only to have the management
abruptly say, "Sorry, we're moving to Mexico. You're on your
own"?
Then, of course, there is the heavy spiritual stress that people of
faith, especially Christians, are currently subjected to as their
country's institutions (at every level and at every turn) are
progressively intolerant and hostile to their values. How many
people have lost jobs or promotions because of a perceived
"politically incorrect" (but Biblically sound) point of view? How
many Christian children in our public schools are ridiculed,
scorned, and humiliated by teachers and professors because they
will not submit their hearts and minds to godless evolution and
other humanistic philosophies? How many churches are staggering
under the burden of restrictive and punitive rules and regulations
which serve only to choke the life out of spiritual service and
commitment?
However, Americans of every generation have faced, fought, and
defeated these kinds of enemies for over 300 years. Yet, it seems to
me that something much different is in the air today. The stress to
which I allude is much deeper, much more sinister, and much more
prevalent than anything this nation has ever faced before.
It seems to me that people of faith in America are now at the same
place that the Pilgrims were at back in Europe in the 1600's. Those
people were enduring such intolerable circumstances that they had
to make drastic decisions: Do we stay and endure increasing
hostility, resentment, and even persecution, or do we move to
another land in search of peace and freedom?
I was speaking to a missionary from Central America recently, and
he told me, "Chuck, you would not believe how many Americans
(especially Christians) are moving to Central America. They have
had it." He further said, "And Chuck, you might be surprised to
learn that for the most part, they are finding more peace and more
freedom than they had in the States."
Has it come to that? Has it come to the time in America when
Christian people must again entertain the idea of becoming
pilgrims? Perhaps it has.
Remember that America was born in the spirit of Christian revival.
The Protestant Reformation in Europe and the Great Awakenings
in America gave birth to this land of liberty. However, America
rejected the faith of our fathers long ago. Multiculturalism is the
new national religion in America. Wealth and power is our new
god. We have lost our Christian culture and our national identity.
Furthermore, America has lost its borders and is fast losing its
language. Politicians from both parties are about as corrupt,
contemptible, and criminal as they can possibly be. And the greed
and corruption within big business staggers the imagination and
strains the conscience. I tell you the truth, it's getting harder and
harder to tell the difference between the good guys and the bad
guys, and that includes our religious leaders!
Remember, the reason the Pilgrims came to America was two-fold:
to find a quiet and peaceful place in which to raise Christian
children and to find a place where they could freely proclaim the
Word of God. Both opportunities are quickly disappearing in
America! And, personally, the only light I see at the end of the
tunnel is the light of an oncoming train!
One thing is certain: God can (and will) accomplish His will in the
world with or without the help of the United States. God doesn't
need America; America needs God! And if God wants to disperse
the Christians of America into a world more eager to receive the
truth of His Word, He is certainly able to do it. After all, England
was once a hot-bed of revival and evangelism, and now it is as
dead as four o'clock in the morning, spiritually. The same thing
could happen here.
Yes, America has certainly changed during my fifty plus years of
living, mostly for the worse. However, it is not up to us to judge
these matters, is it? As John Quincy Adams put it, "Duty is ours;
results are God's." Indeed. It is enough to simply know one's duty.
For the Pilgrims, duty meant leaving Europe and coming to
America. For the colonial patriots, duty meant fighting for
independence. What will duty mean for us? We shall see.
© Chuck Baldwin
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is given and that Chuck's web site address is included.
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Baldwin for permission. Radio or television Talk Show Hosts
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By Chuck Baldwin
April 28, 2006
(This column is archived at:
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/cwarchive_042806.html)
An upcoming birthday reminds me that I have lived to pass the
half-century mark. During those years, I have seen people at their
best and at their worst. I believe I am also witnessing the impact
that a vast cultural revolution is having on people.
There is always an ebb and flow to people's lives and to the life of
a nation, for that matter. However, if I were to report on the
general state of people's lives today in meteorological terms, I
would say a ubiquitous low pressure system envelops the entire
country.
By low pressure I mean the daily emotional, psychological, mental,
and spiritual stress brought to bear upon people. In fact, it seems
that the stress (low pressure) with which people are daily engulfed
these days could be categorized as a hurricane of Category 5
proportions! I've never seen anything like it!
For the most part, family life is as turbulent as ocean waves in the
midst of a storm. In fact, stormy would be a very descriptive word
for most modern families.
Pervasive divorce has alienated children from parents and parents
from children. Children seldom have the luxury of growing up
with biological parents, much less grandparents. Fathers are
seldom the disciplinarians at home. Before the average American
child is a teenager, he or she has become thoroughly spoiled,
selfish, and sinful. Furthermore, the lust for material prosperity
seems to burn far stronger in the average parent's heart than the
desire to teach and train their own offspring!
Add to family stress vocational and economic uncertainty. How
many people across our once great land clocked out on Friday
evening only to return Monday morning to a job site with empty
buildings and locked gates? How many have seen their pensions
and insurance plans disappear overnight? How many have worked
their whole lives for a company only to have the management
abruptly say, "Sorry, we're moving to Mexico. You're on your
own"?
Then, of course, there is the heavy spiritual stress that people of
faith, especially Christians, are currently subjected to as their
country's institutions (at every level and at every turn) are
progressively intolerant and hostile to their values. How many
people have lost jobs or promotions because of a perceived
"politically incorrect" (but Biblically sound) point of view? How
many Christian children in our public schools are ridiculed,
scorned, and humiliated by teachers and professors because they
will not submit their hearts and minds to godless evolution and
other humanistic philosophies? How many churches are staggering
under the burden of restrictive and punitive rules and regulations
which serve only to choke the life out of spiritual service and
commitment?
However, Americans of every generation have faced, fought, and
defeated these kinds of enemies for over 300 years. Yet, it seems to
me that something much different is in the air today. The stress to
which I allude is much deeper, much more sinister, and much more
prevalent than anything this nation has ever faced before.
It seems to me that people of faith in America are now at the same
place that the Pilgrims were at back in Europe in the 1600's. Those
people were enduring such intolerable circumstances that they had
to make drastic decisions: Do we stay and endure increasing
hostility, resentment, and even persecution, or do we move to
another land in search of peace and freedom?
I was speaking to a missionary from Central America recently, and
he told me, "Chuck, you would not believe how many Americans
(especially Christians) are moving to Central America. They have
had it." He further said, "And Chuck, you might be surprised to
learn that for the most part, they are finding more peace and more
freedom than they had in the States."
Has it come to that? Has it come to the time in America when
Christian people must again entertain the idea of becoming
pilgrims? Perhaps it has.
Remember that America was born in the spirit of Christian revival.
The Protestant Reformation in Europe and the Great Awakenings
in America gave birth to this land of liberty. However, America
rejected the faith of our fathers long ago. Multiculturalism is the
new national religion in America. Wealth and power is our new
god. We have lost our Christian culture and our national identity.
Furthermore, America has lost its borders and is fast losing its
language. Politicians from both parties are about as corrupt,
contemptible, and criminal as they can possibly be. And the greed
and corruption within big business staggers the imagination and
strains the conscience. I tell you the truth, it's getting harder and
harder to tell the difference between the good guys and the bad
guys, and that includes our religious leaders!
Remember, the reason the Pilgrims came to America was two-fold:
to find a quiet and peaceful place in which to raise Christian
children and to find a place where they could freely proclaim the
Word of God. Both opportunities are quickly disappearing in
America! And, personally, the only light I see at the end of the
tunnel is the light of an oncoming train!
One thing is certain: God can (and will) accomplish His will in the
world with or without the help of the United States. God doesn't
need America; America needs God! And if God wants to disperse
the Christians of America into a world more eager to receive the
truth of His Word, He is certainly able to do it. After all, England
was once a hot-bed of revival and evangelism, and now it is as
dead as four o'clock in the morning, spiritually. The same thing
could happen here.
Yes, America has certainly changed during my fifty plus years of
living, mostly for the worse. However, it is not up to us to judge
these matters, is it? As John Quincy Adams put it, "Duty is ours;
results are God's." Indeed. It is enough to simply know one's duty.
For the Pilgrims, duty meant leaving Europe and coming to
America. For the colonial patriots, duty meant fighting for
independence. What will duty mean for us? We shall see.
© Chuck Baldwin
NOTE TO THE READER:
This email editorial cannot be considered Spam as long as the
sender includes contact information and a method of removal. To
be removed, see instructions below.
To subscribe to these columns, send a message to
majordomo@chuckbaldwinlive.com with the words subscribe
chuck-wagon in the body of the message. To unsubscribe put
the words unsubscribe chuck-wagon in the body of the
message.
Chuck Baldwin's commentaries are copyrighted and may be
republished, reposted, or emailed providing the person or
organization doing so does not charge for subscriptions or
advertising and that the column is copied intact and that full credit
is given and that Chuck's web site address is included.
Editors or Publishers of publications charging for subscriptions or
advertising who want to run these columns must contact Chuck
Baldwin for permission. Radio or television Talk Show Hosts
interested in scheduling an interview with Chuck should contact
chuck@chuckbaldwinlive.com.
When responding, please include your name, city and state. And,
unless otherwise requested, all respondents will be added to the
Chuck Wagon address list.
Please visit Chuck's web site at http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com.
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