Has Our Nation Gone Mad???

[righteousdude2]

On Monday, 12 people were shot and killed at the Navy Yards in DC. Just now, ABC News reported that 12 people, including a three-year-old girl, were shot on a Chicago basketball court. Last Saturday, a six-year-old girl was gunned down right after exiting her dad's car to go to a family party and get together. In south LA, a 39 year old mother of 5, was shot and killed while closing the convenience store, and all they got for their efforts was two dollars! :tear:

My question is simple....has the country gone totally crazy? And is all of this the direct result of a nation without spiritual direction and leadership?

After all....we've kicked prayer out of public gathering places. We no longer condemn sexual sin as sin, in fact, we glorify it. We've allowed the LGBT Community to have its freedoms at the expense of those who see it as a shameful sin! We have corruption in at every level of government and throughout the corporate ladders of our smallest and largest businesses. We have created a "Nanny-state" environment and perpetuated it at the expense of those who work only to see their earnings sucked into tax coffers to support the chronically unemployed, welfare recipients, and free loaders. We continue to write checks, as a nation, even though there is no money to pay for the checks! We have sat and watched our society completely and totally destroy the institution of the family unit, all in the name to toleration and political correctness. We have allowed millions of people to come to this nation illegally; and then reward them with a "cheap" and quick path to citizenship...and then we wonder why these people won't assimilate or adopt our traditions as a country, while they instill their form of patriotism based on the country they left in order to come here illegally! Oh, and we as a church say that being sympathetic to illegals is the Christian way! I thought Jesus told us to render unto Ceasar what is Ceasar's, which would say a lot about following the laws of Ceasar, whether we like it or not? Still we call it Christian charity, and the more we extend to those here, the more others come to experience our form of charity and kindness. When will it stop? We have quietly built up our citizenship based upon people who do not respect laws...so, how can we expect them to respect the other laws?

Do we deserve what we are getting? I'd hate to admit it, but, maybe, just maybe we are starting to reap what we have sown over the last few generations.

 

[evenifigoalone]

I can't find it at the moment otherwise I'd link to it, but actually according to records violence and crimes have gone down significantly even since the 90s.

I believe they also showed that people's perception of violence and crime has gone up, though--in other words, most people believe we're living in a crime epidemic or something.
24 hour news coverage and crime shows on TV add to this perception.

I'm not making little of these tragedies--they are terrible. But bad stuff happens somewhere in the world--heck, even just one nation, every day and pretty much always has. Such is man's fallen nature.
And the news media thrives on controversy and violent stories--they are there to keep you entertained more than anything else.

What I find maddening about these stories is that politicians always use them to play on people's emotions and advocate gun control.


Mankind is selfish, greedy, and sinful by nature. Not just America but the entire world is reaping what they've sown and has been for at least a great deal, if not most or all, of history if you ask me.
And that's not going to change until Jesus comes back and sets up His kingdom. This is a heart issue. You can't change people's hearts, especially not by government control.

 

[righteousdude2]

Amen....

I can't find it at the moment otherwise I'd link to it, but actually according to records violence and crimes have gone down significantly even since the 90s.

I believe they also showed that people's perception of violence and crime has gone up, though--in other words, most people believe we're living in a crime epidemic or something.
24 hour news coverage and crime shows on TV add to this perception.

I'm not making little of these tragedies--they are terrible. But bad stuff happens somewhere in the world--heck, even just one nation, every day and pretty much always has. Such is man's fallen nature.
And the news media thrives on controversy and violent stories--they are there to keep you entertained more than anything else.

What I find maddening about these stories is that politicians always use them to play on people's emotions and advocate gun control.


Mankind is selfish, greedy, and sinful by nature. Not just America but the entire world is reaping what they've sown and has been for at least a great deal, if not most or all, of history if you ask me.
And that's not going to change until Jesus comes back and sets up His kingdom. This is a heart issue. You can't change people's hearts, especially not by government control.

I don't disagree with anything you say! You have a good bead on what is happening. However, the numbers about violence being down are the results of very good spin artists haired by the NRA and even the government [grants to enforce laws on guns are bringing money to municipalities]. Still, I agree, and we will only see this kind of evil going forward until Jesus comes back! Maranatha!!!

 

[evenifigoalone]

I don't know that I could assume it was purposely slanted. That just can't be proven.
Is it possible? Certainly. Even historians can't agree with many conclusions on parts of history, so how can everyone come to an agreement about whether a records or statistics chart is entirely accurate or not.

Anyway, after some trouble, I found what I was talking about: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justic...st-point-in-decades.-Why-America-is-safer-now

 

[evangelist6589]

On Monday, 12 people were shot and killed at the Navy Yards in DC. Just now, ABC News reported that 12 people, including a three-year-old girl, were shot on a Chicago basketball court. Last Saturday, a six-year-old girl was gunned down right after exiting her dad's car to go to a family party and get together. In south LA, a 39 year old mother of 5, was shot and killed while closing the convenience store, and all they got for their efforts was two dollars! :tear:

My question is simple....has the country gone totally crazy? And is all of this the direct result of a nation without spiritual direction and leadership?

After all....we've kicked prayer out of public gathering places. We no longer condemn sexual sin as sin, in fact, we glorify it. We've allowed the LGBT Community to have its freedoms at the expense of those who see it as a shameful sin! We have corruption in at every level of government and throughout the corporate ladders of our smallest and largest businesses. We have created a "Nanny-state" environment and perpetuated it at the expense of those who work only to see their earnings sucked into tax coffers to support the chronically unemployed, welfare recipients, and free loaders. We continue to write checks, as a nation, even though there is no money to pay for the checks! We have sat and watched our society completely and totally destroy the institution of the family unit, all in the name to toleration and political correctness. We have allowed millions of people to come to this nation illegally; and then reward them with a "cheap" and quick path to citizenship...and then we wonder why these people won't assimilate or adopt our traditions as a country, while they instill their form of patriotism based on the country they left in order to come here illegally! Oh, and we as a church say that being sympathetic to illegals is the Christian way! I thought Jesus told us to render unto Ceasar what is Ceasar's, which would say a lot about following the laws of Ceasar, whether we like it or not? Still we call it Christian charity, and the more we extend to those here, the more others come to experience our form of charity and kindness. When will it stop? We have quietly built up our citizenship based upon people who do not respect laws...so, how can we expect them to respect the other laws?

Do we deserve what we are getting? I'd hate to admit it, but, maybe, just maybe we are starting to reap what we have sown over the last few generations.

Yes this all the result of sin. We also condone these violent video games like Grand Theft Auto, violent movies, and the like. I will also add that the workplace in many places is unfair in that we allow employers to lie, and treat people unfairly, etc..

 

[Gina B]

Yes, the world has gone mad, more mad than before with people having much less of a sense of right and wrong and individuals being more callous and lacking a personal conscience.

It's not a matter of perceiving things as such because we have better access to information, imo, though to a point, we certainly do and perhaps that plays a fraction into it, but no, we haven't always had people shooting babies in the face on a regular basis and we haven't always been "open minded" and called criminal lifestyles alternative life styles and given them billions of chances and we haven't always let put people in jail cells for a few months instead of given them hard labor and the bad guys used to actually be afraid of being caught.

What's there to fear now, even if you're a really bad criminal? Here in the states, you can sue to be treated nice.

And if you're a child and a criminal, you get a free pass. It's totally insane to try to help a child who commits a crime get on the right path. Everyone wants to make an excuse for him/her, you're the bad guy if you try to help and their right to privacy is ensured anyhow. You wouldn't believe who is sitting next to your child in public schools. There are plenty of child molesters and violent kids, but even school officials aren't entitled to know because these kids have their right to privacy and more and more chances and they grow up knowing that, learning what to say and how to get away with stuff.

And people act surprised at the level of violence. It really is scary. People are so desensitized and half the time, not even targeting people they're upset with, just random violence.

The church? It's getting about as bad as anything else, turning into a social service agency in line with the government, kissing up half the time to agencies and politicians to get what they want, get those tithes in, the go ahead from the fire department, get the building permits and loans, the codes, get that complaint to the police department to disappear, be in good standing, and then people wonder why these other people don't bother listening to the gospel. They see right through the sham. It's ALL a mess, corruption, violence and greed through and through.

 

[JohnnyReb]

Of course it's going mad. But hasn't the world always been mad?? There's been terrible violence and sin since Cain and Abel.

We are just living in our peice of the times. Wasn't long ago women were being burned at the stake and all sorts of terrible things. Every generation has its Demons

The church.....it's been filled with corruption since the beginning. Most of Paul's letters are addressing corruption. Nothing has changed much, just different times.

Point taken about video games and violent movies. But murder and violence far outdated video games and movies. It's easy to blame those....and they certainly don't help. The love of money and power has caused more death and violence than anything in the world. Video games are a speck of dust compared

I've taught myself to worry about spiritual things and let the world do as it does. The world has been crazy since eve ate the apple and Adam followed along. Build treasures in heaven because the world you live in is only temporary

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

Each generation thinks it is seeing the "end of the world" on the horizon. Well, it is coming, but this behavior goes hand in hand with Jesus' warning of "wars and rumors of war." It happens. It always has. It always will. Be on watch for yourself, not the world.

 

[DHK]

Here are some observations to consider:
From:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/20/w...aults-churchs-focus-on-gays-and-abortion.html

Six months into his papacy, Pope Francis sent shock waves through the Roman Catholic church on Thursday with the publication of his remarks that the church had grown “obsessed” with abortion, gay marriage and contraception, and that he had chosen not to talk about those issues despite recriminations from critics.

His surprising comments came in a lengthy interview in which he criticized the church for putting dogma before love, and for prioritizing moral doctrines over serving the poor and marginalized. He articulated his vision of an inclusive church, a “home for all” — which is a striking contrast with his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, the doctrinal defender who envisioned a smaller, purer church.

Putting doctrine (dogma) before love is unbiblical. It is what fundamentalists accused Christians a few years ago of doing which became the "New Evangelical" movement. They preached only on the positive, neglecting sin and anything negative (that would step on the toes of the congregation). Jesus preached more about hell than he did on heaven.

To ignore sin is unbiblical. The Pope still needs to preach against abortion and homosexuality, not ignore them.



Another example:
http://www.worthynews.com/top/breit...13-09-18-School-Textbook-Changes-Constitution

The authors of United States History: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination have taken it upon themselves to change the Constitution of the United States. The high school textbook contains a summary of each Amendment that alters the initial intent in which they were created.

The textbook notes the Second Amendment as, "The people have a right to keep and bear arms in a state militia."


The actual Second Amendment reads, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
Guyer High School and numerous others have assigned the book for an "Advanced Placement History" course. By assigning anti-factual literature, the only advanced placement the school has ensured for their students is in the world of biased academia.
Sadly, parents now have to fact check textbooks to be sure their students are being taught accurate history. High schools and universities should focus on being a marketplace of ideas, not force-feeding leftist theories.
In an effort to remove the textbook from the school's curriculum, the Daily Paul has created a "Call to Action" plan. They are asking parents and concerned members of the community to attend the next school board meeting and demand answers.
Liberal indoctrination has become a serious threat to academic freedom and we must fight to stop it.

Rewriting history is nothing new. Another sign of the times.

 

[Zaac]

On Monday, 12 people were shot and killed at the Navy Yards in DC. Just now, ABC News reported that 12 people, including a three-year-old girl, were shot on a Chicago basketball court. Last Saturday, a six-year-old girl was gunned down right after exiting her dad's car to go to a family party and get together. In south LA, a 39 year old mother of 5, was shot and killed while closing the convenience store, and all they got for their efforts was two dollars! :tear:

My question is simple....has the country gone totally crazy? And is all of this the direct result of a nation without spiritual direction and leadership?

Whose responsibility is it to provide spiritual direction and leadership? The love of many, including those in the church, is growing cold. You can't provide spiritual leadership and direction when folks think you don't give a flying flip about them.

The church has positioned herself to care about issues and not about people and thus everything imaginable has atempted to fill the void of spiritual direction and leadership.

As Scripture seems to point to by what it says in the Tribulation period, the Holy Spirit works through Christians to restrain wickedness.

When we're being obedient and Christ honoring, the Holy Spirit keeps evil from reigning. But the more the church disobeys and dabbles in wickedness while trying to justify it as Godliness, the less restraint there remains to thwart wickedness.

PREACH the Gospel.

 

[Crabtownboy]

Shows how safe our guns make us.

 

[Zaac]

Here are some observations to consider:
From:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/20/w...aults-churchs-focus-on-gays-and-abortion.html

Putting doctrine (dogma) before love is unbiblical. It is what fundamentalists accused Christians a few years ago of doing which became the "New Evangelical" movement. They preached only on the positive, neglecting sin and anything negative (that would step on the toes of the congregation). Jesus preached more about hell than he did on heaven.

To ignore sin is unbiblical. The Pope still needs to preach against abortion and homosexuality, not ignore them.

AMEN!!! But I think we do need to stop preaching as though there are no worse sins or that this is all we're concerned with and not people's eternity.

 

[Zaac]

Shows how safe our guns make us.

I don't know that anyone thinks guns make them safe. They just want to have a fighting chance when the crazy people with guns come. And they will come.

 

[evenifigoalone]

Yeah. I want a gun, and I want it for self protection. Teach people gun safety so they know how to handle a gun. They used to teach it in school. The laws in many states and anti-gun stigma probably make many too afraid to learn how to use one, I think.

 

[Yeshua1]

On Monday, 12 people were shot and killed at the Navy Yards in DC. Just now, ABC News reported that 12 people, including a three-year-old girl, were shot on a Chicago basketball court. Last Saturday, a six-year-old girl was gunned down right after exiting her dad's car to go to a family party and get together. In south LA, a 39 year old mother of 5, was shot and killed while closing the convenience store, and all they got for their efforts was two dollars! :tear:

My question is simple....has the country gone totally crazy? And is all of this the direct result of a nation without spiritual direction and leadership?

After all....we've kicked prayer out of public gathering places. We no longer condemn sexual sin as sin, in fact, we glorify it. We've allowed the LGBT Community to have its freedoms at the expense of those who see it as a shameful sin! We have corruption in at every level of government and throughout the corporate ladders of our smallest and largest businesses. We have created a "Nanny-state" environment and perpetuated it at the expense of those who work only to see their earnings sucked into tax coffers to support the chronically unemployed, welfare recipients, and free loaders. We continue to write checks, as a nation, even though there is no money to pay for the checks! We have sat and watched our society completely and totally destroy the institution of the family unit, all in the name to toleration and political correctness. We have allowed millions of people to come to this nation illegally; and then reward them with a "cheap" and quick path to citizenship...and then we wonder why these people won't assimilate or adopt our traditions as a country, while they instill their form of patriotism based on the country they left in order to come here illegally! Oh, and we as a church say that being sympathetic to illegals is the Christian way! I thought Jesus told us to render unto Ceasar what is Ceasar's, which would say a lot about following the laws of Ceasar, whether we like it or not? Still we call it Christian charity, and the more we extend to those here, the more others come to experience our form of charity and kindness. When will it stop? We have quietly built up our citizenship based upon people who do not respect laws...so, how can we expect them to respect the other laws?

Do we deserve what we are getting? I'd hate to admit it, but, maybe, just maybe we are starting to reap what we have sown over the last few generations.

We had a 24 year old in Detroit yesterday try to rob a 75 Grandmother at knife point, as she was caught, said that the woman obviously sserved to be stolen from, as she was in line at macdonalds, and must have had some money!

 

[righteousdude2]

Thanks....

Yes this all the result of sin. We also condone these violent video games like Grand Theft Auto, violent movies, and the like. I will also add that the workplace in many places is unfair in that we allow employers to lie, and treat people unfairly, etc..

....I totally omitted the games! They are violent, and are one more reason a life is no longer valuable. After all, if you kill the guy in the game, they will always pop back up in the next game. Killing has been desensitized to the point of making life cheap! :tear: :tear: :tear:

 

[righteousdude2]

As a Detroit Born Native...

We had a 24 year old in Detroit yesterday try to rob a 75 Grandmother at knife point, as she was caught, said that the woman obviously sserved to be stolen from, as she was in line at macdonalds, and must have had some money!

....who left with his parents [had to, or I'd have been living on the streets of Gratiot and Seven-Mile Road] at age 9, and returned, once at age 12 for my oldest sisters wedding, I would be horrified with the changes that have taken place in one of the countries best cities [at least in my mind].

I want to hold on to my memories of Detroit as they were 56 years ago! To see what has happened would only sadden my heart! :tear:

 

[Zaac]

....I totally omitted the games! They are violent, and are one more reason a life is no longer valuable. After all, if you kill the guy in the game, they will always pop back up in the next game. Killing has been desensitized to the point of making life cheap! :tear: :tear: :tear:

Back in 2007, but I'm sure still just as relevant to OUR habits today:

Christian Parents Are Not Comfortable With Media But Buy Them for Their Kids Anyway

November 19, 2007 – Billions of dollars will be spent this Christmas season on gifts for children.

A new national study by The Barna Group among Christian parents shows that even though most Christian parents are not always comfortable with the content of the media-related products, they purchase some of those items as presents for their children. The born again Christian population of the U.S. is likely to spend more than $1 billion on media products such as CDs, DVDs, video games and magazines for children under the age of 18 despite parental misgivings about the moral content or developmental affects of those resources.

...
The outcomes struck the study’s lead researcher, George Barna, as reflective of the challenge Christians face in today’s culture.

"Millions of Christian parents want to appear to be relevant in their children’s eyes, and to provide gifts that fit within the mainstream of postmodern society," Barna noted. "The problem is that many of the entertainment products that meet those criteria conflict with the moral precepts of the Christian faith. Parents have to make a choice as to what is more important: pleasing their kids’ taste and sensibilities, or satisfying God’s standards as defined in the Bible. When the decision made is to keep their children happy, the Christian parent is often left with a pit in their stomach.

"The process of selecting appropriate Christmas presents for children is a microcosm of the spiritual tension millions of Christian adults wrestle with," the California-based researcher explained. "Many Christian parents are striving to serve two conflicting masters: society and God. They refuse to believe that they cannot satisfy both. Sadly, this Christmas season will produce enormous stress for numerous Christian parents who don’t want to disappoint either God or their children, but whose ultimate choices will disappoint both God and themselves, while providing gifts that are not be in the best interests of their children. For Christians, the Christmas season should be a time of celebration and appreciation of the life of Jesus Christ. Instead, that joy is being minimized by the pressure and confusion introduced by our focus on material consumption and fulfillment."

https://www.barna.org/barna-update/...t-buy-them-for-their-kids-anyway#.Uj0n2Yakp9V

The church's habits don't seem to be much different. Perhaps if we would pursue holiness and preach the Gospel, we'd have a greater impact on society for the Kingdom of God.

 

[righteousdude2]

???

Back in 2007, but I'm sure still just as relevant to OUR habits today:
.

Huh??? :wavey:

 

[HankD]

I believe this prophecy is soon to be fulfilled:​

2 Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.​

NKJV:
2 Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.​

My opinion: Soon the Man of Sin will appear - traditional dispensationalism says we will not be here when that happens, I am beginning to wonder.​

Rather than the self-flagellation of the church we ought to come to the holy place in prayer:​

Isaiah 26
20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.​

HankD​