When the Founding Fathers amended the Constitution they had written, the First Amendment was intended to protect and promote freedom of religion. Today, the "establishment clause" has become a legal tool to restrict religion.
Religious freedom is being threatened by judicial activism, or the idea that the Constitution is a living document that must be interpreted according to changing times, not the Founding Fathers' "original intent." The original intent cannot be discerned anyway, the thought goes.
Romans 1:18-32, as noted in part 1 of this article, is a synopsis of the degradation of societies who deny the existence of God. Their regression from truth and high moral standards spirals them toward the depths of moral depravity in every conceivable arena—sexual immorality, violence, gossip, hatred, disobedience to authority, and a simple lack of loving concern.
Read MoreNovember 6, 2012, is going to be a very special day for me. For the first time in my life, I will be an active part of the election for the President of the United States of America. I was born Italian, from Italian parents, on Italian soil. For 52 years, I have been proud to be an Italian citizen. I was a guest in the United States for three years as a legal resident alien, trying to adapt to American culture. Effective June 2, 2010, I was bestowed the honor and responsibility of American citizenship as defined in the Constitution (Art. 4, Sect. 4).
Read MoreNot in recent political machinations, but way back in 1978, Dr. Harold Voth, then Senior Psychiatrist and Psychoanalyst of the Menninger Foundation, Topeka, Kansas, spoke these words at a National Defense Luncheon:
This is a grave time in the history of our nation. Changes are taking place in our way of life and in our national character which have lowered, and will continue to lower, the vitality of our people, the quality of our institutions, and our basic values. The inevitable result is that we will undergo a progressive disintegration and possibly the eventual collapse of our democracy. When sufficiently disintegrated, forces either within our borders of a revolutionary nature or external forces will overwhelm what is left of America. The American Dream will be over.
Last month’s article presented evolution as a theory that is ‘naked’ of any scientific merit—a bold claim I intend to address in the months to come. Those who put their faith in the seductive draw of its mythology were presented as either seriously uninformed, pretentious intellectuals, or indoctrinated bystanders. In an effort to reduce the apparent conflict between science and theology some have blended the world views of theology and science to create what is often called ‘Theistic Evolution.’ This position once held my interest until I had to admit I was not being honest with the facts.
Read MoreThus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. (Genesis 2:1-2)
The second chapter of Genesis begins with the finality of creation. Although chapter two reveals details, particularly regarding the creation of mankind, the work of creation was finished on that sixth day. Despite efforts to the contrary, there is no way to reconcile the creation week to the doctrine of evolution. In addition to the essential incompatibility of these two competing views, we also wonder as to the long term ramifications of belief.
Pilate’s question to Jesus, “What is truth” (John 18:38) has given men opportunity to define truth. As a consequence, many definitions abound and are often contradictory. How do you define truth? You must. Does the definition matter? Is truth absolute and non-contradictory or can it be ever changing and ever contradictory? Consider:
Read MoreIn 1837 a story written by Hans Christian Anderson was published in a final installment of his first collection of“Fairy Tales Told for Children.” The story was an adaptation of a Spanish collection of similar work written as a tale of moral conscience; Anderson’s work was a twist on that caution and warned of intellectual vanity and the pride of social acceptance. He titled the work, “The Emperor's New Clothes.” The classic fairytale concerns the deceptive business dealings of two supposed weaver’s. They boasted that they were the makers of the finest cloth to an emperor whose vanity in fine clothing knew no limits.
Read MoreThe unanimous Declaration of Independence of the United States of America signed in Congress, July 4, 1776, by fifty-six men, is truly a foundational document of the nation. In his recently published (2012) book, The Founder’s Key-The Divine and Natural Connections Between the Declaration and the Constitution and What We Risk By Losing It, Larry P. Arnn makes a sound case for the fundamental principle upon which the Declaration of Independence, as well as The Constitution of the United States of America, rest. Actually, Professor Arnn, who is President of Hillsdale College, says there is “a set of principles” (122) that result in the integral unity of these two monumental documents. However, make no mistake about it, Arnn believes the highest indication of the greatness of both the Declaration and the Constitution is their foundation in the recognition of the existence of God.
Read MoreIt is not uncommon to hear claims that archaeology is the Bible’s Achilles heel. In 2001, Rabbi David Wolpe of Los Angeles’ Sinai Temple preached a Passover sermon in which he stated that archaeologists had found no evidence in the Sinai to corroborate the story of the exodus. A year later, in his article, “False Testament: Archaeology Refutes the Bible’s Claim to History,” journalist Daniel Lazare wrote that biblical archaeology had failed not only to provide evidence of the exodus, but to provide evidence of the vast majority of the events and persons recorded in Scripture. New atheists such as Richard Dawkins and the late Christopher Hitchens have also made appeals to archaeology in their criticism of Scripture.
Read MoreUnder the preceding title, the following recently came to our attention. It manifests key insights into the present condition of our nation's culture. The Warren Center is truly "for such a time as this"--an age growing in atheistic and agnostic thought, an age in which theism and Christianity are under renewed assault, an age in which the "founding values" of culture are unraveling, because God, the only objective reference for values, is being denied by an anti-Christian agenda in American culture. We appreciate the following observations written by D. Gene West, Moundsville, WV.
Read MoreMy attention has often been arrested by the many contrasts between the death of the unrighteous and the death of the faithful child of God. The writer of Proverbs presented this contrast when he wrote: “The wicked is banished in his wickedness, but the righteous has a refuge (hath hope, KJV) in his death” (Proverbs 14:32). Many have been the incidents which have illustrated this great truth.
Read MoreRobert Ingersoll was a renowned agnostic who lived during the 19th century. His philosophy was summarized with the words, "The Bible is a Delusion." On November 29, 1896, The New York Journal presented a caricature of Ingersoll and stated, "Ingersoll illustrated the ever increasing boldness and audacity of doubt as to the Christian faith. . ." (qtd. in Sweeting 100).
Read MoreThat which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested to us—that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship, is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you, that your joy may be full. (1 John 1:1-4)
Read MoreI came across some worldling’s definition of New Year’s Eve. He defined it as the ceremonial passage from one year to another that involves a sanctioned party which makes way for another 365 years of drudgery and responsibility. How different this is from the Christian perspective which views things with God as the priority so that one can say “You crown the year with Your goodness . . .” (Psalm 65:11).
Read MoreThe Heresy of Orthodoxy by Andreas Köstenberger and Michael J. Kruger is highly recommended. The 250-page paperback has both a Subject and Scripture Index and 642 footnotes giving valuable insight and showing the depth of scholarship. Crossway sells the book for $17.99. The book is a serious reply to Bart Ehrman’s popularization of Walter Bauer’s thesis that heresy preceded orthodoxy. Some of Ehrman’s writings have made the New York Timesbest-seller list.
Read MorePaul was “set for the defense of the gospel” (Philippians 1:21) which implies the necessity to defend (1) the existence of God, (2) the credibility of the Bible, and (3) the Deity of Christ. We are to “be ready always to give an answer . . . [for] a reason of the hope” in us (1 Peter 3:15) and “know how you ought to answer every man” (Colossians 4:6). These texts imply a ready defense and a serious and studied defense against all opponents.
Read MoreThe root of rationality is a basic fiber that runs through human beings. Doubt may reject it. Disease and decay may ravage it. However, normal human beings seek to be rational. Varghese in his book, The Wonder of the World: A Journey from Modern Science to the Mind of God, shows how an atheistic answer to life’s ultimate questions is both scientifically and philosophically insufficient. Concerning the reality of rationality he wrote:
Read MoreWhen the Pilgrims came to the northern wilderness of America by way of the Mayflower in 1620, they pledged themselves to a mission “for the glory of God, and the advancement of the Christian faith” (Moore 16). When they arrived, they wanted to thank God for His blessings so they set aside a special time of Thanksgiving during that first fall of 1621. It is a great reminder of the rich religious heritage of America! For nearly four centuries, people in this great land have observed Thanksgiving during autumn. The first official national proclamation of the observance of Thanksgiving under the Constitution was in 1789. Following the approval of the Bill of Rights, including the First Amendment, the Congressional Record for September 25, 1789, states that Elias Boudinot, President of Congress during the American Revolution, said he could not allow the congressional session to pass without providing an opportunity for U. S. citizens with one voice to thank God for His many blessings.
Read MoreAll who know me, know exactly what I teach about Christmas. Over the years I have written repeatedly on its historicity and traditions. Who among us does not appreciate this time of the year when joy, giving, receiving, and peace are practiced by so many? If you want to look at the glass as half-empty, it is also a time of haste, waste, expense, sadness, crime, etc. The season causes us to slow down our hectic pace of life, or at least we try, and enjoy our families and friends for a few days. We enjoy the blessings of life—eating, exchanging and receiving gifts, decorating, and in general, enjoying the spirit of good will to all men (cf. Luke 3:10).
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