-Caveat Lector- America, The Apostate by Al Benson, Jr.
Just recently, I read comments from a former television evangelist stating that he felt America was in the midst of the greatest spiritual revival in our lifetime. I fairly cringed as I read his comments. My first gut reaction was "You've got to be kidding, right?" I wondered briefly if he were living in the same America I was, or if there's another one out there somewhere that I'm not aware of. If this man interprets scads of people running up Yankee flags and singing God Bless America as revival, then I'm afraid he and I are not on the same page. Moreover, if this man's thinking is reflective of the church at large, then we have even more troubles than we thought we had! Unless I've missed the boat somewhere, I don't think much has changed spiritually in America. People of all religions can get together and sing God Bless America but what, [and whose] 'god' are they singing to? Frankly, unless the one true God of the universe and His Son, Jesus Christ, are openly acknowledged, all this stuff going on now is in vain. As the old Southerners says, "It ain't worth doodly-squat." Let's face it, in the main, America has a lot of apostate history in her background, all manner of things our history books never bother to touch on. Our 'historians' never bother to mention most of this, and certainly most preachers don't, because not only do they not want to 'offend' anybody today, they just flat-out don't know their history. We've had lots of apostasy in high places in our history. After all, didn't St. Hillary [Klinton] claim to converse with Eleanor Roosevelt [about cattle futures, no doubt?] Didn't Nancy Reagan consult astrologers? And wasn't Mary Todd Lincoln [and possibly her husband] also into 'spiritualism?' And aren't we just awash in Harry Potter today as well? God warned, in Leviticus 19:31, "Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God." And in the same book, in chapter 20, verse 6, He continued, in regard to those taking part in such practices; "I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among the people." Those who have taken the trouble to study our history realize that this country had, by the 1830s and 40s, largely apostacised and rejected the Reformation truths that were our solid bedrock foundation. Only in the South were things moving in a positive direction [which may give you some indication as to the real reason for the War of Northern Aggression.] Mostly apostate Unitarianism had invaded the New England states over a generation earlier, and Unitarian thinking had spread to the Mid-Atlantic and Mid-Western states. It tried to make some inroads into the South, but was not nearly as successful there as in other areas. Along with Unitarianism came the Radical Abolitionist Movement, the Feminist Movement, the Public School Movement, and all manner of similar movements. In 1848, the Spiritualist Movement hit the United States - ironically in the same year that socialist revolts in Europe eventually provided Mr. Lincoln with so many major-generals for the Union Army. The Unitarians, have rejected Scriptural truth and being apostate, were not exempt from the effects of spiritualism. One Unitarian minister, Harvard-trained Herman Snow, published a volume on 'Spirit-intercourse.' He pastored a Unitarian congregation that was aware of his spiritualist leanings, but kept him on anyway. Abolitionist Theodore Parker's Unitarian congregation included a practicing medium amongst its choir members. According to the book Radical Spirits by Ann Braude [Beacon Press, Boston] the spiritualists were completely individualistic [or more properly, completely antinomian--against God's law.] Braude states: "The emphatic individualism that placed spiritualists in opposition to established religion had social and political implications as well. Dependent for spiritual knowledge on the unhindered autonomy of female mediums, believers vigorously applied the principle of individualism to the role of women. As a result, they became ardent advocates of woman's rights." Braude further states: "From this time on, spiritualism and women's rights intertwined repeatedly as both became movements that challenged the existing norms of American life." Braude also observed that the Radical Abolitionists found, in spiritualism, a religion in harmony with their individualistic principles. There is much more that could be dealt with here, but space does not permit. Possibly another article in the future will suffice. The whole point here is that, America, since the late 1700s, has had a history of gradually growing apostasy, and this apostasy is responsible for many of our national problems. Contrary to what some televangelists and other na¨i;ve preachers may say, claim, or even wish for, I see no signs of true spiritual revival in America. In fact, [and I would dearly love to be wrong here] I see some kind of dark age descending upon America before things turn around. This country rejected the Christ of the Bible and the clear teachings of Scripture, and it was started long before any of us living today were even alive - and the downward direction has not changed. We are awash in multiculturalism, 'diversity,' and a whole bunch of other anti-Christian '-isms' with no sign of a change in sight. Maybe the church and some of these preachers had better wake up and s mell the coffee! National repentance is our only hope and, in the main, the churches don't seem to be bothered dealing with that. Until they do, no real improvement will be forthcoming. Copyright ©, Al Benson Jr. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED P.O. Box 1883 Arlington Heights, IL 60006 Al Benson, Jr. is also the Editor of the Copperhead Chronicle, and can be reached at [EMAIL PROTECTED] -end article- ----------------- -THe eXTReMiST "If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator." - George W. Bush, the man who has out-Clintoned Clinton. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! 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