July 10, 2019

Can We Save Christian America from Extinction?

by lc-admin in Articles, Pastor Brenda Kunneman

Can We Save Christian America from Extinction?

Five Warning Signs Reveal We Must Do Something Now!
The culture of America is changing everyday. It’s gradually turning away from its Christian roots and through gradual acceptance, many Christian Americans are changing along with it. Can we rescue Christian America from the road toward extinction? 
 
It doesn’t take much research to recognize the Christian heritage of the United States. You only need look at the words etched upon the walls of congress and scripted upon our dollar bills, which say, “In God We Trust.” Both reveal what government and America’s citizens wanted as our foundation.
Today our nation is far from the Christian core that once founded it. Christian expression is under assault on multiple fronts and in many places fading from our culture. If the trend continues at the current pace, what kind of society will be ahead for our children and grandchildren? What will become of our precious Christian liberties?
Consider five alarming warning signs that reveal Christian America, as we know it, is headed toward extinction. We are at risk of losing all we hold dear if Christians everywhere don’t take these signs seriously and stand together to defend our faith now.
1.  The increased indifference and acceptance of sin.
America is accepting things that would have once sparked public outrage. We see growing acceptance toward extreme gay rights. These rights now extend far beyond the basic requirement to treat every person decently. Today, this basic right for everyone has become the front cover to a much more depraved agenda by a liberal culture. Their demands include liberties that erase all sense of biblical morality. Unfortunately, many professing Christians help them by electing political candidates and judges who support these immoralities. While many still oppose, an increasing number are supporting them, turning a deaf ear or refusing to get involved.
Not many years ago, church goers would have stormed out of a church service officiated by a gay individual. Today, more see it as a progressive step for the country and even believe God endorses it.
Additionally, more Christians are indifferent toward abortion. They’ve grown desensitized to the murder of unborn children allowing it to become secondary to other political or economic interests. They don’t seem concerned if Supreme Court justices are appointed who will favor abortion interests.
Those openly opposed to both the gay lifestyle and abortion, are constantly being labeled as “hateful” or “intolerant.”  Therefore, they are becoming fearful to assert their moral voice. Others are simply too distracted by their own problems or personal interests to be concerned about this moral crisis.
These combined scenarios are expanding the sin culture. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death…” If the Christian community continues to accept, tolerate and be silent on moral issues, Christian America as we know it will disappear.
2. The decline in regular church attendance.
Decades ago, most Americans prioritized church attendance. Today our Sundays are filling up with sporting events, chores, work and relaxation. In 2005, a survey showed 34% of American adults were unchurched.[i] In 2010 a poll shows nearly 57% don’t attend church regularly.[ii]
Some consider house churches, cyber churches, and parachurch functions to be their church, which also takes away from church attendance. Many of these modern versions of “church” have often become so informal and non-committal that they don’t offer any sound structure. With all this casual approach to church, we are becoming so casual toward God that our Christian heritage in America is being overtaken and church itself is on the back burner.
Simultaneously, our diminished church attendance has also produced diminished prayer. Prayer is under attack in multiple forums including the military, courtrooms, and athletic events.
In 2012, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga athletics came under fire to ban pre-game prayers. In response to this attempt, Cory Garrett with campus ministries said,
“The body of Christ must come together and defend not our belief – but defend our faith,” Garrett told Fox News.” [iii]
Attempts like these are common, subverting the national Christian expression and it seems fewer are standing against it. Undoubtedly, America’s declining church-oriented focus is reflective of its spirituality and is contributing to this carelessness.
The traditional church setting has helped build the framework of our Christian heritage because it helps us maintain our Christian standards. It creates a sense of respect toward God and family and reminds us to pray. This weekly moment to honor God publicly also helps correct our sin driven tendencies.
The powers of darkness are convincing believers that a dedicated church life is either optional or unnecessary. Hebrews 10:25 tells us not to ignore our assembling together.  By diminishing the priority of church, we will eventually cast off our Christian values.  How soon will statistics report that 75% or more of Americans do not attend church?
3. The decline in work ethic.
I recently heard the story of someone’s grandfather who needed a job as a young adult. He went to a local construction company and asked for a job. The company owner told him they weren’t hiring. However, the man desperate for work showed up the next morning with a shovel and without guarantee for wages, started digging alongside the other workers. He did this several days until the owner asked why. The man said, “I need to work.”   He was immediately hired.
Today a growing number of people today feel they are owed a living, rather than having to work for one.
Eric Chester, CEO of RevivingWorkEthic.com talks about the work ethic of our young people entering the work force. When asked about what is wrong with the work ethic in America he says,
“Technological advances that make life faster, more fun, more entertaining, and easier to navigate are also consuming our time and energy while eliminating avenues for learning vital concepts about work. And pop psychologists have pushed parents to focus on building self-esteem in their children, creating at least two generations of me-centric workers. No wonder so many employers are using terms like entitled, disengaged, unmotivated, and disloyal when describing their current workforce and potential labor pool.” [iv]
 
Regarding which age group is having trouble with their work habits and why, he further continues:
“America’s emerging workforce—those in the sixteen-to-twenty-four age bracket—bring some amazing skill sets and personality traits into the labor pool. The challenge is that Millennials don’t always want to work, and when they do, their terms don’t always line up with those of their employers. All too often, the young worker shows up ten minutes late wearing flip-flops, pajama bottoms, and a T-shirt that says “My inner child is a nasty bast**d.” Then she fidgets through her shift until things slow down enough that she can text her friends or update her Facebook page from her smartphone.
 
All too often, these bright and ambitious recruits see work as something to avoid or as a necessary evil to endure prior to winning the lottery, landing a spot on a reality television show, or getting a cushy, high-paying job with a corner office and an expense account.”
 
Today’s society focuses upon benefits and entitlements, many paid for by tax-payer dollars, instead of working to earn these things.
2 Thessalonians 3:10 says, “that if any would not work, neither should he eat.” This simply means that everyone must contribute to create a prosperous society. While some do need supplemental assistance, the number is far smaller than the percentage of non-contributors who are taking an unfair advantage of resources.
Our society is relying on handouts and even well meaning believers are accepting the mindset of “What’s in it for me?” It would be foolish not to acknowledge that part of the reason 1 in 5 Americans are dependant on government[v] is due to a declined work ethic. A dedicated work ethic, is among the most basic Christian principles that in order to receive, one must contribute (see Luke 6:38). Side stepping this principle is opening America to rebellion, selfishness, laziness and most of all, godlessness.
4. The Increased Acceptance of Multiple Religions.
The anti-christ culture is putting pressure on the Christian community of America to soften their stance that there is no other God but Jesus Christ.  Fearing a firestorm of controversy, more are intimidated to say “Jesus is the only way” (see John 10:9 and Acts 4:12). Instead, more are saying, “there are many ways to God.”
The politically correct say that American liberties include freedom for all religions.  While this is legally true, these groups ignore that our constitution was written specifically to protect Christian interests, not those of other religions.  The Christian beliefs of those who wrote our original constitution reveal this purpose.
William J. Federer’s Encyclopedia of Quotations called “America’s God and Country” sites the following regarding the writers of our constitution:
 
“Of note is the fact that virtually all 55 writers and signers of the United States Constitution of 1878, were members of Christian denominations: 29 were Anglicans, 16 to 18 were Calvinists, 2 were Methodists, 2 were Lutheran, 2 were Roman Catholic, 1 lapsed Quaker and sometimes Anglican, and 1 open Deist—Dr. Franklin who attended every kind of Christian worship, called for public prayer, and contributed to all denominations.” [vi]
 None of these writers were of non-Christian religions, and nothing indicates that they intended to include all religions. Their intent was to highlight Christianity as our foundation and enable Christians to worship Jesus Christ freely with the government’s backing .
 Yet in today’s America, Christian symbols and monuments are being removed from textbooks, schools, various public places and media, while other religions are being defended and celebrated. Our Christian heritage is being watered down.
If Christians allow the infiltration of multiple religions, they diminish the Supreme Deity of Jesus Christ. In the days of ancient Israel, when the Egyptians attempted to place their god next to Almighty God (see 1 Samuel 5:1-4), the false idol fell down in pieces. We cannot expect to remain a bona-fide Christian nation with Christianity being equalized with other religions.
5. The decline of the family structure.
The family unit is God’s avenue for procreation. The procreative rule of nature cannot be denied. God designed one man married to one woman, to produce offspring. Statistics show this biblical example of family is the ideal foundation for creating a strong, healthy society. The healthiest environment for a child is with both his or her married and responsible parents that create a stable and godly environment.
Studies from Familyfacts.org show that a strong family structure is the backbone to a healthy society.
“Youths who experience higher levels of parental involvement and a closer relationship with their parents are less likely to exhibit behavioral problems and to engage in risk behaviors. In addition, they tend to achieve better grades and higher levels of education and to experience better emotional health.” [vii]
 
Their studies here also reveal the positive effect parents have on children’s morality and sexuality. [viii]
  • Teenage girls are less likely to be sexually active if their parents were married at the time of their birth.
  • Teenagers who feel their parents strongly disapprove of their being sexually active are less likely to contract a sexually transmitted infection.
  • The likelihood that teenaged girls will become pregnant increases with each change in family structure that they experience.
  • Adolescents in single-parent households are more likely to be sexually active than peers in two-parent families.
  • On average, adolescents whose mothers divorced tend to have more sexual partners than peers who did not experience parental divorce.
  • Adolescents whose parents talk with them about standards of sexual behavior are more likely to be abstinent.
Due to the lack of a proper and godly family, more young people today are entering adulthood with a high risk of disease, emotional issues and the inability to develop healthy relationships.  Many don’t possess basic life skills to become stable parents and householders. Therefore, the Christian community is seeing more people within its walls who aren’t creating the godly family environment, resulting in increased divorce, teen rebellion, abuse and godless households.
Cultural efforts to redefine family, an increased number without a stable upbringing, and more families omitting God from their homes, have all diminished the existence of the Christian family.  If it diminishes any further, where will that leave Christian America?

It’s time for Christians to become energized to save Christian America from the road to extinction. It begins by looking first within and choosing not to contribute to these factors stealing our Christian heritage. It means we must examine our own values and personal priorities. Secondly, we must exemplify a godly Christian lifestyle that is opposite of what these warning signs reveal many Christians are buying into.   Finally, every believer must be a voice in our communities whenever and wherever the opportunity is available. Ask yourself, “What can I do to defend Christian America?” The early apostles boldly said, “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (See Acts 4:20) Let’s be a voice and with that we pray, “Lord, let Christian America be saved!”


[vi] William J Federer, America’s God And Country, Encyclopedia of Quotations, (St. Louis, MO: Amerisearch, INC, 2000), p. 180