Separation of Self

Have you ever wondered why a world in such obvious trouble would choose to resist good? In the midst of a world which is filled with misery and dysfunction, does it not strike you as odd that we seem to look in all the wrong places for answers to the problems which beset out culture today?

Some years ago I was looking at statistics on our schools to see if there were any correlation between the removal of the Bible and school prayer from our schools. On June 25, 1962 the Supreme Court of the United States decided in Engle versus Vitale that prayer is schools violated the First Amendment by constituting an establishment of religion.

One can simply look at statistics from that time forward on such issues as: teen pregnancy, teen suicide, teen drug use, school violence and a myriad of other issues. Those increases were evident even in the relatively short 10 years immediately following the court’s decision. Since that time we have gone on to attempt to remove God from our Nation’s history, our Nation’s military and in almost every area of our daily lives.

How is it that in a Democracy where supposedly the majority rules, that the voices of those who choose not to worship or honor God (which is certainly their right in a free society) have come to have a larger voice than the vast majority of Americans who choose to worship (not just my God but a god of their choosing)? How is it that we can look at many of the problems facing us today and yet no one seems to ask, “Where have we gone wrong? What is the genesis of this problem?”

Once we remove all moral imperatives from society, what exactly might we expect? We have become a narcissistic society, focused more on self-interests than on the needs and concerns of others. How do we separate our “old” self from our natural ways and become the “new” person that God desires?

I have found two reliable checklists in Scripture that help me in the pursuit of a better version of myself. The first is found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (a list both of what love is and of what it is not). The second is found in Galatians 5:13-23 (two lists – one describing the fruits of the Spirit).

It does not take a genius to recognize the problems we face in the light of these Scriptures. Only a fool or an anarchist chooses to live without law and only a fool chooses to build a society apart from a moral code. Laws are only effective when people choose to obey them, just as locks are meant to keep honest people honest.

John Adams once said, “Our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

We can remove all guns and knives but if we do not deal with the problem of people lacking either a moral foundation or a conscience, those people will still bring death, suffering and misery to a society.