This concerns me -- should it?

[Snowden]

This is something that I just found on page 83 of the Pope's book, Jesus of Nazareth. He is referring to Israel, but to me it sounded like now and here.

As time went by, it became increasingly clear that the promise of the land meant this: The land was given as a space for obedience, a realm of openness to God, that was to be freed from the abominations of idolatry. The concept of obedience to God, and so of the right ordering of the earth, is an essential component of the concept of freedom and the concept of the land. From this prospective, the exile, the withdrawal of the land, could also be understood: The land had itself become a zone of idolatry and disobedience, and the possession of the land had therefore become a contradiction.

As I read this, I thought of our founders; those men who, Deist or Christian, dedicated this nation to God. We were to have laws that uphold the Ten Commandments and those laws were to be enforced. We were to be "one nation under God," whether or not they put it into just those words.

What are we as a nation today? We are hedonists, pure and simple. Or rather, impure and simple. Our main entertainments, TV and movies, reflect the life we are promoting, in that our young people watch them and take them as the norm. So they are apt to follow. The law is not enforced evenly; we are not a nation of people who worship any more. Oh, of course many do that. Many go to the church of their choice and worship weekly or even more frequently. But more do not go than do go. More do not take a few minutes a day, let alone an hour, to read the Bible and/or pray. I don't; I worship and pray continually, but I'm just trying now to get back to taking time just for the Lord.

If we did that, would we see a reversal in what's happening in our nation? Because what I see is self-destruction. People don't seem willing to reach out to one another as much as they did during the Great Depression, or during WWII. Our soldiers come home to indifference instead of being welcomed as the heroes they are -- they who are willing to sacrifice themselves for us and for God. What will they think and feel when they are my husband's age of 82? He says he looks at it all and wonders why he bothered. Why did any of our wonderful fighting men bother to fight evil -- just to have it move into our own nation and take over?

Is it possible for us to turn in around and make this the nation it was -- or seemed to be -- when I was growing up? In my lifetime I have see nobility of character disappear from the entertainment media, but it seems to me that it's also draining a lot of "goodness" from our younger people.

I think we've drifted too far from where we are supposed to be, and in great danger of losing our country to indifference, jadedness and lack of principle. Our politicians seem to display this; and we vote for them.

Hopefully there will be something of a discussion about this. I want to be convinced that I'm wrong. Even though I am sure I'm right.. Talk to me; tell me what you see. Is the Pope describing what happened in Israel that brought on the Diaspora -- and also describing what is happening to this rather wonderful country of ours? Are we in danger of losing it all?

[Woodmonkey]

Originally Posted by Snowden

[font=Georgia]What are we as a nation today? We are hedonists, pure and simple. Or rather, impure and simple.

I think that's too general a statement to be correct. "We" are not all hedonists but that is what the media portrays.

[Snowden]

Not all Jews were reverting to paganism, either -- yet most lost their land because of those who were. Very much the same situation is in this country today. The old ways of preserving the land and people looking after others are also much less visible today. We are drifting -- really more like racing, it seems at times -- towards self-destruction, as a people and as a nation.

[Woodmonkey]

I don't see such a negative picture. I also don't believe the bias in the newspapers. The negative and appalling is what sell papers and gets TV viewership. Everyday, quietly and without publicity, people take care of their neighbors and even perfect strangers.

People are actually taking care of the land much better than in times past when pollution was a daily fact. That's the good of environmentalism. People still go to church, have kids, raise good families - and get no publicity.