With the shorthand "OMG" (oh, my God) becoming a huge cliche, it might be worth taking a look at how Americans are seeing the Almighty these days -- that is if they are looking at all. Posted on 03/09/2013 12:57:21 AM PST by Kaslin
With the shorthand "OMG" (oh, my God) becoming a huge cliche, it might be worth taking a look at how Americans are seeing the Almighty these days -- that is if they are looking at all.
A recent Gallup poll indicates that just 31 percent of Americans worship publicly on a weekly basis, while 43 percent rarely go to a church, synagogue or mosque.
Growing up under the heavy hand of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, it was drummed into me that attending weekly Mass was not an option. It was a must to avoid eternal damnation, which was not a prospect filled with many positives. Hellfire was perpetual, and no parole would be offered.
And so I went to Mass and was even an altar boy, memorizing a variety of Latin prayers that basically said Jesus was a good guy and everybody should avoid offending him. Not a bad message, so I really had no beef -- unless I was assigned to the 6:30 a.m. service. Was Jesus even up at that hour?
Today, only 24 percent of American Catholics attend weekly Mass, and so Lucifer must be very busy expanding accommodations. There are many reasons for this, but two stand out.
First, Mass is often deadly dull. Sometimes the priest is from Botswana, and you can't understand him. Other times, you can understand the padre, but 20 minutes on the Corinthians can be challenging, if you know what I mean. It would be great if priests, ministers, rabbis and imams would spice it up a little.
The second reason that churchgoing is in decline is that we are living in a narcissistic time when self-gratification has largely replaced the golden rule of treating others as you want to be treated.
Far be it for the public schools to teach this, but the USA was founded on basic Judeo-Christian principles. Don't take my word for it. Take a trip to Washington, D.C., and tour the Supreme Court building. There you will see a sculpted copy of the Ten Commandments on the wall.
But why? Moses wasn't an American. He didn't cross the Red Sea into Delaware. The reason the commandments are on display is that the Founding Fathers based the American legal system on honesty and on the avoidance of doing harm to others -- the basic tenets of the commandments.
But many secular Americans, including the ACLU, would dismantle the Supreme Court display if they could. We are now in the age of anti-religion, where pious folks are looked upon as odd. Religion is a bad thing to the secular-progressive. It's too judgmental and stands in the way of unfettered abortion, gay marriage and other sacred causes of the S-P movement.
Faith-based organizations such as the Catholic Church should be fighting against secularism, but they rarely do. Instead, they are on the defensive, as scandals and apathy have devastated organized religion. The Gallup poll reflects that.
But for me, a sinner, it is worth an hour a week to think about things of a spiritual nature in order to try to improve my life. I even turn off my cellphone. In pursuit of a higher calling, it is just not needed.
First, Mass is often deadly dull. Sometimes the priest is from Botswana, and you can't understand him. Other times, you can understand the padre, but 20 minutes on the Corinthians can be challenging, if you know what I mean. It would be great if priests, ministers, rabbis and imams would spice it up a little.The Mass isn't about the priest. Maybe if O'Reilly shut off his cellphone more than an hour a week (and took in a few daily Masses), he'd learn why people return and return [to the altar], every single day. He no doubt would become a better host (and listener!!) himself as well.
The overwhelming majority of Americans live as if there is no God. A substantial minority do not even believe in God.
And yet look at the current state of affairs without Him. The new generation has devolved into a selfish, self-absorbed, narcissistic cesspool with almost no morals, decency or respect. God help us all.
If i had voted anti God at the polls i would be ashamed to go to Church.
On the other hand since i voted against Obama i am afraid to go as i might be sitting next to an anti God socialist who did vote for him.
Then we can probably make assumptions about which way these 74% will vote.
But what of the other 26%?
How will THEY pull the lever?
(If at all...)
We've come a LONG way, baby!!
Having undertaken, for the Glory of God, and advancements of the Christian faith and honor of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the Northern parts of Virginia, do by these presents, solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God, and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic; for our better ordering, and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape Cod the 11th of November, in the year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord King James, of England, France, and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth, 1620.
They following doesn't apply to them:
2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, who are called by my name,
shall humble themselves,
and pray, and seek my face,
and turn from their wicked ways; ,then will I hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin,
and will heal their land.
That's called a "sinner." There's only one worse place to sit next to a sinner: outside of church.
Whether you're next to a sinner or alone, the only sinner you really have to worry about is the one in your own pew. You takes your choice, you spends your eternity.
This must mean you voted FOR a deceived person who believes a LOT differently than the BIBLE has taught for centuries.
Don't worry; you can explain it as a vote for the lesser evil.
When the faith was strong and the tenets and rubrics actually meant something.
Let's see what that suspicious line above actually says, since O'Reilly spun it out of all reality.
100-31 = 69: 69 percent of the people might worship publicly on a monthly basis. IOW, 31% + (69X)= worship publicly.
100-43 = 57: 57 percent of the people worship on some kind of regular basis, apparently, and X% of the 43% do go to worship on some kind of irregular basis.
57-31 = 26: 31% worship weekly, 26 regularly, and X(43%) worship irregularly.
31+26 = 57% worship regularly, and many more worship irregularly.
Bill O’Reilly has it wrong on so many points, it’s difficult to use his article as a basis to begin.
1) We are to pray without ceasing. (1st Thes 5:17)
Our worship and fellowship with God, through faith in Christ, isn’t a one hour/week ordeal experienced at mass. It is a continuous spiritual walk in every waking and sleeping moment.
Sad, but true. And people wonder why the USA, the entire world, is in such a mess.......
Translation: What’s all this God stuff? Why can’t we talk about me for a while? All that Mass stuff is OK but I had a bad week too. I’d also like 3 days with nothing to do.
I didn’t vote for the Muslim OR the Mormon.
It’s horrifying that there was no Christian candidate in the last election. We’ve NEVER had a non-Christian run for President on a major party ticket. Last election, we had two.
When you see the sanctuary light lit, the tabernacle in the center of an altar, confessionals in plain site, votive candles front and center and lit, you know you're in the right place. And especially when those entering the sanctuary express reverence knowing full well that something very important is going to happen here.
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