Give Me That Old Time ReligionMay 9, 2022The clergy and the faithful must challenge cultural norms and conventional standards, and speak out in defiance of the left's morally corrupt agenda. “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” John Adams, 2nd President of the United States. Over the years I have sat through countless homilies (another word for "sermons") while attending church services. For those who may be unfamiliar, in the Christian faith, a homily will usually follow the Old and New Testament readings, and the Gospel. Usually, the priest, minister, or deacon would discuss the readings in a homily, its message and its meaning, and how the faithful should live their lives accordingly. Aside from occasional pronouncements and commentary on matters of faith from the hierarchy of the church, it has been too long since I have heard a homily from the pulpit that speaks to controversial issues that affect not only the church, but all of society in general. Issues such as abortion, immigration, and the LGBTQ agenda, especially same-sex marriage - it seems these issues have become verboten from the pulpit. Things have indeed changed; there was a time when the celebrant would have no hesitation unleashing fire and brimstone on the congregation when dealing with parish matters, like donations and tardiness when attending services, but also those pertaining to cultural and social issues that might be antithetical with the doctrine and teachings of the church. This begs the question, has the institution of the church been subdued, a victim of the culture war, and intimidated, in some cases stricken with fear of losing government largess, its tax-exempt status, if it should teach the word of God and defy present-day cultural mores and conventional standards. I think so, and if I’m correct, it may be one of the reasons why religious observance in America and attendance at services has, with the advent of the sexual revolution in the 1960s, declined over the years. According to Pew Research, the U.S. is steadily becoming less Christian and religious observant, as the number of adults who are not Christian grows. As of 2009, 77% of the population ascribed to being Christian, today that number stands at approximately 65%. Christians who say they attend religious services at least once or twice a month is about 43%, down from 47% in 2009, and 27% say they never attend services, an increase from 17%. Pew Research goes on to say “The nation's overall rate of religious attendance is declining not because Christians are attending church less often, but because now there are fewer Christians as a share of the population.” Non-Christian faiths have held steady or slightly increased in their numbers; these include Jewish 1%, Muslims 1%, Buddhists 1%, and Hindus 3%. Christianity is the glue that has held this nation fast and secure since its inception; her Judeo-Christian heritage laid the foundation upon which our democratic system of laws and government were created by the Founding Fathers. Is this to say that should Christianity continue to decline, and other religions grow in number, America will change in character, governance, and spirit? What am I saying here? It’s simple - now is not the time for the Christian faithful, especially the clergy, whatever their religious affiliation, to passively acquiesce to the morally corrupt enemies of traditional values, principles, and institutions; these enemies must be defeated in their mission to claim victory for the soul of America. And Christianity is the prime target for destruction by the godless ruling class in politics, media, entertainment, big business, and big tech. The clergy of every religion must cast aside any fear of retribution, stand up and shout out from the pulpit, and take to task every demagogue and false prophet that spews defiance in the face of God by promoting the destruction of innocent life in the womb, the debasement of nature and nature's God, and all forms of cultural turpitude. This is especially true today; the Biden administration is the most anti-religion, anti-life, and pro-LGBTQ agenda in memory, and has unleashed its attack dogs and declared war on Christianity. The godless who have already surrendered their souls to the Father of Lies must be defeated.
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Visit Bob Pascarella's website at www.ShortStoriesInVerse.com
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