Morality in America
When studying the founding of the United States, you can’t help but encounter the faith of the nation’s forefathers. Time and again they recognized God’s hand in the shaping of America. You will find Him repeatedly mentioned in their words and documents. And you will find Him having an active, vibrant role in the country’s early history.
Today, God continues His work in America – but it’s in a nation that has clearly lost its moral compass. Every week, “Morality in America” will address the myriad of moral concerns facing the United States and undermining its Godly heritage:
- Sanctity of life – abortion and euthanasia.
- Sanctity of marriage – same-sex marriage and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues.
- Sanctity of the family – divorce, spousal and child abuse, out-of-wedlock pregnancies and absentee fathers.
- Judicial activism (Supreme and lower court decisions).
- Revisionist education in the public schools.
- The perceived rise of Socialism and one-world government trends.
- Attacks and media bias against Christianity.
- And much more…
After you read, remember to intercede in prayer for America – that this nation will return to the Christian standards that once defined it.
The Messiah and Millstones
Christians respond to child abuse
by Jim Ray
Comparisons are not frequently drawn between Jesus and the Mafia, but on one occasion in Scripture the Lord spoke of a punishment that closely mirrors a favored mob technique for dispensing with enemies.
Organized crime bosses, it’s rumored, have often ordered executions via the application of “cement shoes,” which involves encasing victims in the substance and then tossing them in the water, where they are drowned and their bodies never recovered. For all of his words about love and turning the other cheek, in Matthew 18:6 Jesus essentially described the cement shoes treatment as being the preferred option for certain people. Who on Earth could have drawn such vehement words from the Lord?
The answer: those who harm children. “It would be better,” Jesus said of those who cause little ones to sin, “for him to have a large millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” The abuse and neglect of innocent children is reaching appalling new levels, and it is time that Christians take a more active role in combating this great evil that destroys so many lives.
Last month, many churches across America participated in “Blue Sunday,” an annual event designed to draw the focus, and prayers, of Christians to children who suffer abuse, as well as those who work with these damaged children. The movement began in Texas but is expanding across the United States as Christians have become aware that churches are not typically well-represented in the campaign to stop child abuse.
Sadly, the exploitation of children is rampant, and the Christian community is not immune. In an article entitled “The ‘Monsters’ Among Us,” the current issue of Christianity Today (CT) notes that child sex offenders have been arrested at Christian colleges, churches and other nonprofits. Even one of the magazine’s former employees was recently arrested for sexually assaulting his foster children. “Faith-based institutions can no longer afford to assume that predators are somewhere ‘out there’ over the clean Christian rainbow,” say the CT editors.
And modern technology has made child abuse more widespread – and more difficult to stop – than ever before. Chelsea Schilling, a writer for World Net Daily, filed several reports this month detailing the horrific crimes against children brazenly posted on Facebook pages. With a few clicks of the mouse, Schilling found images of the rape and sexual abuse of children that left her stunned and heartbroken. “Most Facebook users have no idea,” she wrote, that the social network “is home to an enormous collection of unreported child pornography and sexual violence.”
Law enforcement simply cannot keep up with the problem. There were more than 320,000 cases reported last year, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
It is little wonder that Jesus spoke so forcefully about this wickedness, and the visceral reaction of most Americans is that fitting a child molester with a pair of cement shoes might just be too gentle a response. And yet Christians know that even abusers – the most reviled of all criminals – are not beyond the reach of Christ.
There is much you can do in your community to help prevent child abuse and raise awareness so that others will join in the fight to protect “little ones” from evil. At the very least, you can pray persistently.
- Ask God to protect innocent young lives from predators.
- Intercede for foster parents and others who are dedicated to helping those who have been abused.
- Pray that our nation’s legislators may pass effective laws – and that our law enforcement authorities may develop successful strategies – to combat the expanding scourge of child abuse.
- Pray for those who are scarred by exploitation, that they may be healed through the love of Christ.
And remember, always, that no matter how immense the problem may be, you can make a difference. “Satan trembles when he sees the weakest Christian on his knees.” –William Cowper.
Jim Ray is a writer, fundraiser and consultant. He and his wife Stacey have two children and reside in Nashville, TN.
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I, too, am most disgusted with the immense increse in this rampant sin against the most vulnerable in our society. My heart is deeply saddened. However, what keepts me from becoming overwhelmed is the fact that I do pray as you suggested. When I heard about the arrest of a sex trafficking ring a few months ago, I praised God. It was an answer to prayer. I am tremendously happy and excited to read this article concerning your interest in this issue and am glad that you and many ohters who will read your email will pray as well. The word of God speaks about how demons flee when christians pray and I am looking forward to seeing a great response.
I do also pray for the perpetrators of this heinous crime as well, though, not as much as I should.
May God bless you for bringing this issue to light and I pray that because of your faithfulness, millions will begin praying concerning this abomination in the eyes of God.
O God I pray that this nation come back to Thee and be healed PK
God pity the millions of children that are abused by the forces of Satan. I feel sorry for the children that are continually being abused by their parents, the ones that are supposed to protect them. Only praying has saved me from being overwhelmed. O Almighty God, I pray that this nation will be healed from the evil sins it is currently bathing in and come back to the lovingkindness of Thee. Amen.
praying that our nation remains true to the word of God
Thank you very much for taking on this very difficult issue and for highlighting its importance. Because of the very horrific nature of the crimes, many Christians seem reluctant to deal with child abuse or to confront it especially when it rears its ugly head inside the church. Thank you for also pointing out that the abusers are also not “outside the reach of Christ,” as you said. The fact is that some of them are believers.
This is a very complex issue and involves a huge amount of prayer to overcome the power of Satan. One of Satan’s big weapons has been denial. It’s much easier to see abuse as an issue having to do with “other” types of people, like other cultures or other economic classes or some sort of criminal class; but abuse cuts across all economic classes, all cultures, all religions, all types of neighborhoods-it is no respecter of anything just as Satan is no respecter of anything. We need God’s healing in the lives of the children who have been abused but also in their families and in the lives of the abusers as well.