Ever since sin entered the world, there has been evil. Cain killed Abel. A man killing his brother is about as evil as it gets. A society that tries to rid itself of God and biblical principles suffers. Yes, evil has always been present, and there are societies that have been much worse than ours. Sodom and Gomorrah. Ancient Greece. Hitler's Germany.
Our nation was founded upon biblical principles. The Ten Commandments were posted all over and taught to children. Thou shalt not kill. People knew right from wrong. Yes, slavery was a terrible evil and half of our country fought to do away with it and succeeded.
Biblical principles work, regardless if people believe in God or not. Being taught right from wrong is a good thing for a society, but now, we celebrate homosexuality. We have a president who believes it is acceptable to murder unborn babies. Pornography is rampant.
God will not be mocked. We reap what we sow.
When mankind does what is right in their own eyes: Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. {Isaiah 5:20} Without biblical principles being taught men are left to their own devices and evil will prevail.
Society will only get worse if we do not turn to God. Our nation will be seeing more mass murders and more evil so long as we walk the path we are now walking. We all so desparately need God and His ways. as it is the only antidote to evil. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of then there is great reward. {Psalm 19:9-11}
As God and His ways have systematically been kicked out of schools and society, we suffer the consequences. Left to humanistic ways and values, we become a hardened and bitter people. We who choose to honor God must continue to be salt and light in a world now propelled towards darkness. Pray for our country. Teach your children about God and His ways. Do not fear. Trust in God.
Society will only get worse if we do not turn to God. Our nation will be seeing more mass murders and more evil so long as we walk the path we are now walking. We all so desparately need God and His ways. as it is the only antidote to evil. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of then there is great reward. {Psalm 19:9-11}
As God and His ways have systematically been kicked out of schools and society, we suffer the consequences. Left to humanistic ways and values, we become a hardened and bitter people. We who choose to honor God must continue to be salt and light in a world now propelled towards darkness. Pray for our country. Teach your children about God and His ways. Do not fear. Trust in God.
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Isaiah 41:10
Logging you in...
Lisa · 640 weeks ago
Lisa
Tommie · 640 weeks ago
Tiffany · 640 weeks ago
Paula · 640 weeks ago
Amy · 640 weeks ago
Cheryl · 640 weeks ago
I also want to say that I believe for many families and individuals, mental illness is still stigmatized and therefore kept hidden. Treatment is not sought, or families try to deal with it themselves. Now, probably more than ever, people need to be encouraged to seek assistance.
Lori Alexander 122p · 640 weeks ago
Miriam · 640 weeks ago
I dont know what the answer is as I dont think bringing back mental institutions is the answer. I dont think it is as simple as saying if everyone believed in the Lord this would not happen. I wish it was.
Miriam · 640 weeks ago
Cheryl · 640 weeks ago
Liz · 640 weeks ago
Some people truly do have a mental illness (such as schizophrenia, etc.) that alters their reality and needs to be treated before a correct view of the world can be achieved. But for a lot of people, especially in my generation, the problem isn't inadequate access to mental help or a mental illness but rather the lack of discipline and boundary-setting by parents/caregivers.
The "me, me, me" attitude is so huge lately that it makes legitimate mental disorders seem trivial.
I agree that mental illness can find its way to any religion, nationality or age but I think the prevalence of illness is less-than-realistic.
Honestly, in all of my classes in college people would look at me funny if I didn't agree that everyone who was mean, selfish or sad had a mental illness. That's not any more realistic than saying that no one in the world has ever had mental illness and everyone just needs to snap out of it.
Until we can call people out on bad behavior and not have to cater to people who hide under the umbrella of "disease" the debate will continue.
Lori, please feel free to delete this comment if you find it offensive or off-topic but I just had to speak my mind.
As always, thanks for pure, unadulterated Truth.
Lori Alexander 122p · 640 weeks ago
Kate · 640 weeks ago
As much as I would like to agree with you, as I would love to see more people turn to Christ after such a terrible event, here in Australia we sadly dont have God in our schools but we thankfully do not have these mass shootings so I dont think we can conclude that the 2 issues are linked. I do believe that the steady decline of teaching what is right and wrong has a lot to do with it. There are no easy answers but I am praying for all americans it must be terrifying to send your children to school right now where they should be safe!
Another woman wishing you were here in Australia to mentor me!
Ken · 640 weeks ago
Your question is a good and thoughtful one, but one for which the scriptures are not complete. There is so much we all want to ask God when we get to heaven, and yet, like Job was finally silenced, we are likely never to ask God how he could permit such evil, especially if he had foreknowledge of the evil to come.
God is said of the scriptures to be all knowing, and all powerful. With such a resume we have no choice but to wonder why? Why such evil of abortion and of shooting babies, or not much older? Why not stop such evil before it begins? Why not put an end to all evil forever.
The answer is most likely found in a very ironic place… Love. God’s love demands that he gives mankind freewill, and apart from a choice to do evil, we cannot in turn choose to love God. Love demands a choice and it can be forced on no one.
God’s grand experiment in building a family is a story of heart break and unmentionable evil. It is the proof that all apart from God cannot produce anything good, but instead mankind is hopelessly flawed without Christ Jesus. God made mankind and desired to live in an active and wonderful relationship with each and every person, but each one of us has walked away from God, so we needed the ultimate sacrifice. God enters into all of our pain, all of our despair as he watches his ownly and perfect Son be murdered on a cross by mankind. He knows what these poor parents are suffering and the scriptures say he hurts and is angry over mankind’s sin and heinous acts.
So why not stop it all? It is the patience of God that allows you and me to live eternally as his children. If God starts entering into the business of man’s deeds and stops all evil, he has then stopped his wonderful, yet sometimes awful experiment of creating a family. God’s family is built day by day with those who will believe and our God must believe that the suffering of some, no matter how horrible is worth birthing more children into the kingdom. If God stopped it all at Hitler, would you and I be going to heaven?
The day will come, and it may be upon us soon, where Jesus returns with a shout. I believe that the shout heard around world will be the word ENOUGH! God’s patience and love for His children will be overwhelmed by His demands for justice, and quickly and swiftly justice will be done.
Miriam, I would hate to think that on that day of judgment we who have questioned God as to why he has delayed so long in entering to control mankind will instead ask the question. “Oh Lord, why did you not wait just one more month or one year longer so my friend or my family member might have been saved?” We may see clearly then that in the context of eternity, the only thing that counts is how many souls are birthed into God’s family. All evil and evil deeds pales in comparison to even one more soul being saved. Would not have Christ have died for just you or me?
We think it would be so easy if we were God. Intervene on all major evils but let most of freewill happen. I would surmise that when God’s love, patience, kindness and justice are all held perfectly, it demands that he has set an appointed time for his grand experiment to come to an end, and until such time, freewill reigns for mankind. We, not God, are responsible for what happens on earth, for God has set mankind over the earth until such time as Christ returns when all things will be placed back under his sovereign rule. Until such time we, and God, must allow evil to be a part of life on earth, and hope and pray that such evils will drive mankind back to a Savior who we so desperately need to save us from our personal sins, and to save us from this corrupted world.
We, like Job, may question God much while we are on earth, but I believe that we also like Job when we see God’s face will turn silent. To see God face to face will cause all of our questions to disappear for we will know in an instant that God indeed is perfect and His love story for mankind was also perfect. We must leave room to see what glorious rewards are waiting for those who love God and seek to please Him; and for those little ones cut off way too young in life by evil. Faith requires that we trust God completely, even in the things that are hard to understand, recognizing that we live within time and space, and God sees the bigger picture that we are not yet privy yet to see. But some day… all will become clear for those who walk by faith and not by sight.
Paula · 640 weeks ago
Judy · 640 weeks ago
Miriam · 640 weeks ago
Robyn · 640 weeks ago
jbeane6 36p · 640 weeks ago
Anonymous · 640 weeks ago
Lori Alexander 122p · 640 weeks ago