First of all, it is best that we define three of the words in the heading of this article. The word ‘symptoms’ as used in the medical field can be described as indicators of an underlying health problem. For example, if someone is experiencing chronic fatigue, this may indicate a serious heart problem. In spiritual matters, a member of the church who is habitually absent from the worship assemblies may indicate that there is a lack of love for the Lord which is a real ‘heart problem’. The word ‘society’ is defined as: “A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations”. The following definition is one of the best that I could find regarding the word ‘secular’ (adjective) but in this case I will use the word ‘secularization’ (noun) to aid in our understanding of the word ‘secular’:
“Secularization refers to the historical process in which
religion loses social and cultural significance. As a
result of secularization the role of religion in modern
societies becomes restricted. In secularized societies
faith lacks cultural authority, religious organizations
have little social power, and public life proceeds without
reference to the supernatural. Secularization captures
a long-term societal change, but it has consequences
for religion itself. In Western countries,
where it has been most pronounced, it has made the
connection to their Christian heritage more tenuous.
Yet secularization is important beyond the formerly
Christian West, given that many of the forces that first
sustained it there affect other societies as well.”
- Frank J. Lechner
It is generally understood that a structure is no stronger than its foundation. This is true of civil governments and nations. When the foundation has been weakened, society is most likely to crumple, decay and implode. In Psalm 11:3 we read, “If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?” The foundation of any civilization is the family unit. Someone has rightly said, “As the home goes, so goes the nation.” In our country, the traditional understanding of marriage and the home is under attack by Satan and our secular society. Biblically speaking, marriage is the joining together of a man and a woman as husband and wife (See Genesis 2:20-25; Matthew 19:4-6 & Ephesians 5:22-33). This is God’s design for marriage and the home and believers in His Holy Word are bound by the will of the Heavenly Father in this important matter.
But decisions are being made by governmental officials and judges as well as citizens in various states in our nation to the contrary of what we refer to as a ‘traditional marriage’. Note the following: “On Tuesday, November 6, 2012, voters in Maine, Maryland and Washington approved the legalization of same-sex marriage in their states. In addition, voters in Minnesota rejected a state constitutional amendment to define marriage as an opposite-sex union. Same-sex marriage is already legal in Massachusetts (2004), Connecticut (2008), Iowa (2009), Vermont (2009), New Hampshire (2010) and Washington, D.C. (2010). In addition, California continues to recognize same-sex marriages that were performed between June 16 and November 4, 2008, the period in which same-sex marriage was legal in California.” The ‘Gay Movement’ is becoming more and more influential in our society. Even some mainline denominations are ordaining ‘gays’ to be bishops and preachers. Some ‘Pastors’ are performing marriages of same-sex couples. The movies and television programs are presenting same-sex marriage as an alternate and acceptable lifestyle. Not a few school systems are using text books to influence our children that ‘two fathers’ or ‘two mothers’ are normal and that parents should not object to such teaching in the classrooms. Biblical passages found in Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Jude 7 clearly condemn such life styles.
We also have learned that married couples are now in the minority. There are more young adults ‘living together’ rather than choosing to go through a marriage ceremony. Again, the movies and television programs are projecting this arrangement as being acceptable in our modern society. The Holy Spirit had the apostle Paul to write in Galatians 5:19-21 that “fornication” (“illicit sexual intercourse) is one sin mentioned among others as being classified as “works of the flesh” and “that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” “Other signs of cultural decay are accepted with little notice. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 40 percent of babies born in America are born to unmarried women.”
In this ‘secular society’, “there have been 53 million abortions performed in the United States since Roe v. Wade was decided back in 1973. While the number of abortions is down, on the average, there have been approximately 1.21 million abortions in America each year.” One may call that which is growing in a pregnant woman’s womb a fetus or whatever; but, the fact is, it is a living being, an unborn child. God’s attitude concerning abortion is found in Proverbs 6:16, 17: “These are six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood…” (Emphasis, mine, RE).
Our teens are being taught in many of our schools (even in lower grades) on how to have ‘safe sex’ while the objections of parents are being rejected. Some liberal-minded professionals, including educators and doctors, believe that teenage girls should have the right to purchase “emergency contraceptive pills, generally sold in the U.S. as Plan B-Step or Next Choice.” “These pills contain a synthetic hormone similar to birth control pills, prevent ovulation – and, therefore pregnancy – about 85 percent of the time when taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex.” John, the apostle of love, was instructed by the Lord to write these word, “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Emphasis, mine, R.E., Revelation 21:8).
Cal Thomas, a well known columnist writes, “There is no longer any cultural corrective because we have abandoned the concept of objective truth. Nothing is right or wrong, because that suggests a standard by which right and wrong might be defined. Personal choice is the new "standard," which is no standard at all. One might as well develop individual weights and measures. This is the age of pluralism, inclusivism and tolerance wherein individuals have the right to believe whatever they choose, morally, doctrinally, etc. But this is not anything new. In Judges 21:25, we read, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
A growing number of people, especially young people, no longer believe in God or religion. “An October poll from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life drew attention to the rise of the religiously unaffiliated—now 1 out of 5 adults and 1 out of 3 adults under 30.” Atheists, the ACLU and other liberal groups are continuing to make impact on our nation’s scene with their objections to anything pertaining to ‘Christianity’. My friends, America is not a ‘Christian nation’. Believers in God, Jesus Christ and the Bible are in for a real battle against the forces of evil that are prevalent in our nation.
There are other ‘symptoms’ we could discuss that are indicators of the deplorable condition in our country but we shall mention only these presently. In closing, please read carefully the following from the Word of God: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). “The wicked shall be turned into hell, And all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17). The passage in 2 Chronicles 7:14 had reference to God’s chosen people at that time which was the nation of Israel; however, the directives, principles and promises can be applied to the present condition in our country today. “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
WORKS CITED
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thomas, Cal, Newspaper Article, Gay Marriages, etc
The National Law Review, Employment and HR: United States: Results of State Voter Referendums On Same-Sex Marriage: Implications for Employee Benefit Plans, McDermott Will & Emery
Christianity Today, December, 2012
Article by Joseph S. Adams, Jacob Mattinson, Todd A. Solomon and Brian J. Tiemann
Merica, Dan, CNN
Yudell, Michael, Article, Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Bible, New King James Version
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