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"U.S. leadership no longer has the v1ston, dynamism
and will to ask of the American people the sacrifices needed to maintain our
position in the world."
- Patrick
J.
Buchanan
ican power taken place? Why has
the most powerful single nation in
modern history skidded so far in
only a generation's time? The an–
swer is not difficult to ascertain.
1t
líes within American society as it
exists today. America no longer has
a national purpose. U.S. society is
divided into every possible self–
seeking pressure group imaginable.
America has become soft and
ft abby, unwilling and unable to
stand up to the challenge of sterner
societies.
Yet there is a deeper, more fun–
damental reason for America's in–
ternal malaise and international
travails. Simply put. America ns
have cut themselves adrift of their
own historical moorings. Young
Americans are, as recent polls have
shown, abysmally ignorant of world
affairs. Their knowledge of their
own nation's past is nearly as bad.
After three decades of unprece–
dented prosperity (coupled with a
frightening national
i~debtedness),
Americans as a whole have forgot–
ten their forefathers' humble begin–
nings and long upward struggle
toward nationa l greatness.
Our religious leaders, too, in their
quest of the "social gospel., (or, con–
versely, super-emotional religion),
have left off teaching that the laws
of God are absolute moral prin–
cipies for all men to live by. Knowl–
edge of the God who so richly
blessed the American people has all
but vanished.
Yet this "unknown God" would
say to our nation today: " Hear the
word of the Lord, O people of
Jsrael. The Lord has filed a lawsuit
against you listing the following
charges: There is no faithfulness, no
kindness,
no know/edge of God in
your land.
You swear and líe and
kili and steal and commit adultery.
There is violence everywhere, with
one murder after another."
What better description of Ameri–
can society today, where urban
The
PLAIN TRUTH
January
1978
crime has reached epidemic propor–
tions? God's judgment continues:
"My people are destroyed because
they don't know me, and it is all
your fault, you priests, for you your–
selves refuse to know me; therefore
1 refuse to recognize you as my
priests. Since you have forgotten my
laws,
1
will 'forget' to bless your chil–
dren" (Hosea 4 : 1-2, 6-7,
The Living
Bible).
Warnings Overlooked
America's political and religious
leaders have ignored warnings by
their counterparts in America's
early days. One such warning was
given in a sermon preached at
Plymouth, Massachusetts, Decem–
ber 22, 1773, by a minister named
Charles Turner:
"We trust
in
the God of all grace,
that North America rise unto the
noblest structure the sun has cver
beheld; and which shall be a pattern
and source of instruction and happi–
ness to the rest ofmankind.
" l f God will grant that North
America shall exceed Rome in its
highest perfection, as much as our
ancestry and our advantages exceed
theirs. our highest expectations will
be answered."
Yet, this minister warned, " ls it
impossible that there shou ld once be
a people wise enough to withstand
the temptations of affiuence? ... l f
you are found so immersed in
worldly mindedness and sensuality.
so dead toa sense of the importance
of liberty, and so void of a ll reli–
gious and virtuous principies, as to
be now ripe for squandering away
the inheritance which we procured
for you, we must beg leave to con–
sider it as one of the most astonish–
ing of all events!"
Will this 200-year-old warning
be heeded?
Where Our Greatness Carne From
Early in the year of America's first
centennial celebration, January 5,
1876. a minister in Boston, Massa–
chusetts, told bis parishioners: "Not
by the might of our power, or the
wisdom of our counsel, has this na–
tion been built, or its resources
developed. Has there been wisdom
on our counsels? It was by the
insp ir a ti o n of the Almighty.
Has wealth increased? God gave
us power to get wealth" (Deut.
8: 18).
(Both of the above accounts are
found in the book
Th~
Christian
History of the American Revolution;
Consider and Ponder,
published in
San Francisco in 1976 by the Foun–
da tion for American Christian Edu–
cation.)
How many ministers in America
speak this way today?
Too few.
God has graciously allowed
Americans to enjoy two centuries of
national blessings afforded to few
people in history. Now, it would ap–
pear, is the time of reckoning. God's
message to America now is un–
doubtedly the same as that which He
delivered to ancient Israel: "The
chi ldren 1 raised and cared for so
long a nd tenderly have turned
against me.... They have cut them–
selves off from my help" (Isa. 1:2, 4,
The Living Bible).
The fact is, it is God- because of
mounting national sins-who has
broken the pride of America's
power (Lev. 26: 19). This is the root
ca use why the U.S. stands not tall.
but in timidity, before its adver–
saries both large and small.
Unless there is a massive moral
and spi ritual turnaround and repen–
tance, what will be the end result of
America's skid into oblivion?
' 'Therefore 1 will send you into eJtile
far away because you neither know
nor care that
J
have done so much
for you" (Isa. 5: 13).
The editors of
The Plain Truth
have been trumpeting this warning
for over 40 years.
lt
is time that our
people took greater heed.
O
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