By Todd Strandberg
Rapture Ready
Just as I was about to publish last week's "Nearing Midnight" article, the International Monetary Fund released a project that showed deficit spending would push the U.S. national debt past the magic 100 percent of GDP by as early as 2012. This level is an important milestone because every single time a nation has amassed a debt equal to its total economic output, it has defaulted.
I didn't stop the presses because the information in my article already made it perfectly clear that we face a very dark economic future. Another reason not to go back and add more evidence is that there is a greater shortfall at work here.
Western civilization is suffering from an ever-expanding moral deficit. We will never be able to fix all the other problems that afflict our nation until we first close this gap. History has shown that a moral or religious code is necessary for the long-term survival of a culture or civilization. The Roman Empire fell because it lost its moral compass.
The European Union framers rejected a biblical approach to its moral code. They made no mention of God or the Christian heritage in their constitution. Because of the absence of divine morality, the EU is now collapsing under the weight of monetary corruption and a public that sees the government as its own sugar daddy.
Nothing tops the greed found in corporate America. As one economist once said, "While Japanese CEOs might commit hari kiri and British CEOs resign, Americans fight over the size of their bonuses when their firms fail."
I see our standards slipping away. For years, I've kept track of the growing acceptance of the gay lifestyle. A new poll by the Gallup organization shows we have now reached a very dubious milestone. By a margin of 52 to 43 percent, most Americans now find homosexuality morally acceptable.
People who defend gays can now rest in the knowledge that they are in the majority. The few remaining folks on the opposing side now run the risk of committing hate crimes. I'm sure gay groups will now make the push to get federal protection for their sexual orientation.
The moral deficit shows in the type of leaders we have in our nation. Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh recently got married. This is the fourth time Rush has tied the knot with a woman. Members of the liberal media were left scratching their heads when it was made known that Elton John did the singing at the Limbaugh wedding. The gay icon was paid a million bucks for his services.
One of the problems of relying on secular leaders for moral leadership is that the term "family values" is constantly being redefined. Men like Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and Bill O'Reilly are helpful in holding back the liberal onslaught, but they are no substitute for biblical morality.
There was once a time when alcohol, divorce, and school truancy were the hot topics for any debate on ethics. Today, if a politician talked about moral issues, he would be labeled as a right-wing extremist. The focus of our political leaders is now almost exclusively on financial or foreign-policy issues.
The problem is no better in our Christian media. I can't recall the last time I heard a preacher talk about something as simple as divorce. There are four major Christian satellite networks in this nation. As I click through them, I quickly notice their most popular subject today is "you." They talk about "getting your miracle," "feeling better about yourself," and "making the best of your life." Yet when I flip though the Bible, and I find a remedy for "sin" to be its most common subject of discussion.
I'm not hopeful that we as nation will ever close the moral deficit. We’re at the point where immorality is feeding on itself. There is still opportunity to rescue people who come to realize that sin comes with a hefty price tag.
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:3-5).
Related Links
Obama's moral clarity deficit - RenewAmerica.com (J. Matt Barber)
Americans' Acceptance of Gay Relations Crosses 50% Threshold - Gallup.com
Apostasy of the Church - SpiritandTruth.org (Andy Woods)
Defending Christianity's Place in U.S. Against 'Anti-Faith' Attacks - The Christian Post
Are You Rapture Ready?: Signs, Prophecies, Warnings, Threats, and Suspicions that the Endtime is Now - Todd Strandberg (Book)