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I mean't to quote you in my op-ed. But I was getting rushed near the end and forgot. You wrote in Post 8...
in Part 2...
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...Christianity is growing in public schools despite liberal secular humanist indoctrination...i.e. "Meet You At The Pole" over a million (it was reported) students praying at the flagpoles. Many student-led Bible studies and prayer meetings before and after school. All this despite those who would 'forbid the little ones to come unto Him". [There is a 'millstone waiting for their necks]. Home schooling is steadily rising. Christian schools and colleges are increasing, like Patrick Henry, Liberty University, Hilsdale, and Regent University, etc.

Christian / Jesus festivals are on the increase. Promise Keepers is still on the rise. Many leaders and staff in Washington [Representatives, Senators and other Federal Departments and agencies] have regular prayer meetings.

There is evidence of 'judgement beginning in the House of the Lord': first the Evangelicals [Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Baker and others], then the Catholics [the exposure of homosexual priests], and now the Episcopal Church division-split-cleansing.

Dead mainline denominational churches and liberal doctrine churches are becoming empty, while Churches that preach the pure gospel and speak the truth with boldness are growing.

This country still sends the most Bibles, Christian aid workers and other aid from Christians to help ease suffering and spread the gospel of Christ around the world.

In spite of what has been widely reported, it has been documented the in truth and in fact, Christianity is growing faster than Islam or any other religion. This documentation has been laid out by authors such as Philip Jenkins in his book "The Next Chistendom: The Coming of Global Christianity" and by David Aikman in his book "Jesus in Beijing: How Christianity Is Transforming China and Changing the Global Balance of Power." This is due to contributions of Christian materials and media (SW radio & satellite TV) from the United States...
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Very well written. Very detailed. Your entire post was well-written.

Yes, we have good in us and we do good things. But are we good enough? Do we fight and challenge our nation's evils enough? Do we care enough? Do we submit to God enough? I would say, not nearly enough. I believe that God is not pleased with America as it is today. I do not know when His patience will run out. God is very patient. But our civilization's soul is rotting.

[I'll be taking a break tomorrow. Then, I should have time to write the rest during the Thanksgiving vacation. FReegards....]

Those whom God loves, He chastizes when they go astray, for their own good. History suggests that although sometimes He takes precision aim at a flagrant sinner, more usually the innocent suffer along with the guilty. For instance Earl Harald, who betrayed his country to the Danes and committed flagrant blasphemy at Mass, choked to death on a piece of bread. But that sort of targeted justice is uncommon.

The Babylonian Exile was typical. The wicked who stayed in Jerusalem perished, the Ten tribes who had earlier split away from Jerusalem into the Northern Kingdom vanished from history, and the remnant were taken into captivity. That remnant included wise and virtuous men such as Daniel. There the Jews suffered exile for many years, until God was satisfied that they had learned their lesson. At that point, Cyrus overthrew the Babylonians and restored the Jews to Israel.

If God decides to punish the United States, it may be for our own good. But the good and the innocent will inevitably suffer with the ones who provoke this punishment. IF you take the WTC as a divine punishment--and I am by no means saying that that is the case--then it would still be typical, because many or most of the victims were probably innocent. Although it may also be said that an extraordinary number of people escaped the disaster, some almost miraculously. I know two such instances, including one of my children.