Independent and Dependent

A few days ago, America celebrated Independence Day. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was ratified and signed. It declared the 13 US colonies to be free from rule of any other country and govern itself. One of the original intentions of this new nation was to allow freedom of religion, and not to have one belief forcibly put on citizens.

Many of the guides written in the constitution were based on Christian principals and that all people were endowed with certain right by their Creator. One pastor was concerned about a particular Christian denomination would be required, but a letter by the President guaranteed the government would be separate from the church. This worked well for over a century, but it has been changing over the last few decades.

As Darwin helped popularize evolution, the church slowly lost influence in the US and other countries. If life was just random and a lucky accident, it wasn't important and could be done away with. Therefore, the rise of abortion and euthanasia followed as well as no longer following God's rules for marriage. Now, instead of being independent from foreign rule, America wants to be independent from God.

Public education that once included Bible reading, now does not let a divine foot in the door. Instead it teaches the opposite and reinforces that life isn't special and to do whatever makes you happy. Workers that actually work are getting harder to find as young people feel they are just owed an allowance.

Just as the Old and New Testament shows, countries that rejected God were soon rejected by Him. Romans 1 gives an example of what society looks like when this happens and looks very familiar to the modern world. May we remember that it is through God that we live, move, and have our very being. It is due to His grace alone that we have air to breathe and even our next heart beat.

I pray that God will sen His workers out into the world, including the quad life. It is only be remembering or dependence on God that we will be able to stay independent of oppressive rule.