How the Changing Focus of the “Dream”
Affected American Life

As with almost every human endeavor, the ideals, ambitions, and zeal of a new venture are never better than when they start out. Most changes to an entity—be it a person, company, organization, or country—that cause its eventual destruction, are made because of human depravation. Our forefathers went through a great struggle to establish this nation. It was clear to them that the ideals of freedom and liberty were a gift of God. It was also clear that God’s hand had allowed them to persevere and win their struggle for freedom. In framing the foundation of our new government—the Constitution and Bill of Rights—they sought God’s face in asking for wisdom and protection. Almost every law of our new nation was patterned after the commandments of God found in the Bible. In the beginning of our history there was no “separation of church and state” such as we see today. Religion and government walked hand in hand in the establishment of our country.

The first amendment to the Constitution, known as the first article in the Bill of Rights, did not restrict the role of religion in government, but forbade the suppression of religion, and the establishment of a state controlled religion. In proclaiming that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” it was made clear that individuals were to have complete freedom to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience. It was also made clear that the place of religion in our society was not to be suppressed. What this amendment dictated was that government was not to get involved in matters of religion; but we see just the opposite of that taking place today. The  purpose and meaning of that article has been so perverted by our courts, that we now have numerous laws directly against the individual’s freedom of religion, and the establishment of the philosophy of “freedom from religion”  that so dominates our country. We now have embedded in our government and in our educational system the religion of humanism; and it is a religion that has been established by the laws of our country and the courts of our country. It is a religion that is protected from all opposition, and is supported by the taxes of the American people. Humanism, along with its siblings, “big bang” and “evolution,” now is the official “religion” of America, and dominates every aspect of our national life.

These changes to our country did not come overnight however. The trampling of our liberties by big government would never have been permitted in its early years; and any attempt to thrust God from our country and establish a state religion would have been met with violent actions. We have been the ‘frog slowly cooked to its death’ over the past two hundred years. What began as a sincere effort to have God and His Word be the cornerstone of our nation’s foundation, slowly evolved into what we see today. What happened to America is what happened to ancient Israel. After going through all the struggles to enter the Promised Land; and then conquering all their enemies once they entered the Land; they forgot the God who had led them out of Egyptian bondage and gave them the victory over all their enemies. They soon turned their hearts away from God as they began to enjoy the “land flowing with milk and honey.”

Exodus 3:7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

Judges 2:7 And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel.
8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old.
9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.
10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.
11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:
12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.

Our forefathers also discovered that America was “a land flowing with milk and honey.” In America they not only found freedom and independence from their European oppressors, but that this land was rich in beauty and natural resources. Men cannot be faulted for wanting to make a living and developing the resources that God gives to them—indeed, they are commanded by God to do so. The problem with most men however, is that they turn their hearts away from the Living God, who blesses them with all things, to the gods of materialism and self-reliance. The liberties that men found in America provided the prospect for making great wealth, and along with it, power. This country not only provided the opportunities for the average man to own property and make a living, but for men such as Carnegie, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, and Morgan to exploit these liberties for their own selfish ambitions. Greed and lust for power soon began to replace love for God and brotherly kindness.

Gen 2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

1 Timothy 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

As more and more people abandoned their zeal for God and His Word, so also we see the changing focus of the true American Dream. While America remained “religious” well into the twentieth century, those believers considered to be fundamental[1] soon became a minority. The primary shift in philosophy, from that of honoring the God who gave us liberty to that of materialism and humanism, soon began to erode the foundations laid down by our founding fathers. When men trade the True and Living God for idols of wood, metal, and stone, even so they also become receptive to false teaching and ideas. The measuring stick for many of our laws was no longer the Word of God, but how the obtaining and protection of wealth could be propagated. Those men who had obtained great fortunes soon began to unduly influence our elected leaders by intimidation and bribery. These barons began to introduce into our legal system laws that protected their wealth, and at the same time made it increasingly harder for the average man to obtain it. Foundations, trusts, and legalized tax loopholes provided these men and their descendents with the shelters that protected their fortunes; and the graduated income tax, business taxes, social security taxes, and a myriad of other taxes and regulations made it difficult, not only to start a business,  but to make a living with it.

Jeremiah 2:11 Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.
12 Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD.
13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

The start of the twentieth century in America also saw the rise of the mega-corporations. Although foreign corporations, such as the British East India Company, had existed for over a hundred years before the American Revolution, early Americans had seen the evils of that form of enterprise, and made these kinds of business arrangements difficult to form. Early settlers practiced the Biblical ideal of family farms, family practices, and family businesses. This economic model gave early America its small town, family orientated, community atmosphere, and provided almost everyone a source of adequate income. However, all of that was to change as New Jersey and then Delaware liberalized their laws to make corporations easier to form—all for the benefit of making those states money. Other states soon followed and corporations began to proliferate. While many small corporations existed in the late nineteen hundreds, that also was to change. The liberalizing of laws also led to corporate consolidation. It is estimated that from 1898 to 1904, 1,800 U.S. corporations were consolidated into 157.[2] Small companies found themselves either making sweetheart deals to sell out, or were the victims of hostile takeovers. The nineteen seventies saw the advent of the corporate raiders. These were companies or groups of individuals who would leverage the purchase of larger, profitable corporations, and then sell or mortgage the valuable assets for profit, leaving the former company to flounder in debt, and many filing for bankruptcy.

What, may we ask are the evils of corporations, and why does the Bible condemn them?

• Corporations are soulless institutions, whose only aim is to make more profit. The driving principles are only those which bolster the stock price. They only benefit American communities when they can use benevolence to bolster their public image.
• Although corporations provide jobs where they are located, they generally have destroyed small town America. Families and small businesses cannot compete against these large behemoths that use their leverage to run smaller companies out of business. Consider what happens when Wal-Mart moves into a community.
   
• The jobs that most corporations provide are mostly menial, low paying occupations for those who are employed by them. Most workers find themselves in repetitious, boring work with no incentive to be productive. Only the top management, who often live like kings, and the rich stockholders are the true beneficiaries.
   
• Corporations live by gobbling up smaller companies and soon find themselves drowning in debt. They become so large that they can no longer be managed, and fall victim to insider fraud and pilfering. In order to present a positive balance sheet to stockholders many use questionable accounting and outright lies about their state of business. The American investment community has been shocked again and again by the likes of WorldCom, Adelphia, and Enron; and we now see the need for large government bailouts to support the likes of General Motors, Chrysler, insurance companies, investment firms, and the large mega-banks.

Isaiah 5:8 Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!

The nineteen hundreds also saw the disappearance of many family farms that were once the basis of rural life in America. Government intrusion into farming practices, regulations, increasing costs, and the lure of “good paying” factory jobs, all led many people to abandon farming and move to the cities. Many of those farms that did remain are either large family owned or corporate farms. This migration from country life to city life had a great impact on America philosophy and culture. The close knit family structure, simple, basic farm life, and the rural communities they supported, were all traded for the material pursuits of life.

Micah 4:4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.

As America turned more and more to the gods of humanism and materialism, it produced an explosion in the number of laws and regulations. When men turn from God, who is the author and sustainer of liberty, and attempt to maintain their own freedom apart from God, they must do so by the enacting of laws—which effectively robs them of their liberties. This is because men who will not be governed by God must be controlled by outward restraints. Contrary to popular beliefs, man is not inherently good; but rather, man is a fallen creature subject to sin; and sin must be restrained. Furthermore, as the evils of materialism and greed began to abound, so did the need for more laws to protect society. By comparison, the number of laws that governed ancient Israel (given to them by God in the Old Testament) was 613[3] ; and many of those are dietary and ceremonial, not moral or ethical laws. The Ten Commandments was the most basic and necessary set of edicts that could, if followed, provide for a peaceful society. The exact number of laws that we live under in the United States is almost incalculable—because of all the different Federal, State, and Local jurisdictions. Some would guess that the number is in the hundred’s of thousands. However, if we include all of the Federal governmental agencies and their regulations (OHSA, EPA, HUD, ATF, etc), plus all the regulations of state and local agencies, the number could well be in the millions. Although some of our laws are patterned after God’s Word, most are the product of our changing philosophy.

1 Timothy 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

Galatians 4:21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

What we now find in America is that almost every aspect of our lives is controlled by external laws and regulations. Americans no longer live in a “free” country, but are in bondage to a restrictive governmental and legal system. America’s legislative bodies, law enforcement personnel, lawyers, judges, and regulatory inspectors are the new “ruling class” in our land. Every American is under the watchful eye of “big brother’s” law enforcement personnel, who are empowered to imprison, fine, and control the citizenry. A person cannot make a living, work on their home, build a fire, or do anything that should be considered as part of their “unalienable Rights … among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,”[4] without being subject to some law or regulation, and under the oversight of some government official. As an example we now have “garage sale police,” who drive around making sure everyone is in compliance by having permits and following regulations. Common sense and inventive thinking are both muffled because we are no longer free to express ourselves, except within the bounds of a complex system of laws.

Furthermore, our spirit of adventure and exploration is severely limited. Everywhere we go we are told to “keep out”, “no hunting”, “no fishing”, “no trespassing”, and “restricted area”. Even our “so-called” National and State Parks have so many restrictions and regulations that people do not have the freedom to explore or enjoy themselves without worrying whether they are breaking some law. Most areas are off limits, and in many parks people are restricted to man-made trails with the threat of fines for stepping off of them. Activities such as camping, fishing, hiking, canoeing and many others are not allowed except by permit. Of course all of these restrictions are done in the name of “environmental” concerns. The only ones free to do as they please are the park personnel, while the tax payers, who funded these areas, are restricted. Even children, who need to be encouraged to explore, exercise, and show imagination, are everywhere told “no skateboarding,” “no ball playing,” “no trail bikes,” “no swimming,” and a myriad of other restrictions.

Along with restricting personal liberties, all of these laws have severely limited American industries ability to compete. Hiring competent workers, firing incompetent workers, advancement of less qualified personal because of race or gender consideration, have forced many companies to struggle with workers who are unqualified or less qualified than others. Civil Rights legislation, American’s With Disabilities legislation, and other social legislation have taken away the freedom of businesses to structure themselves to be productive and profitable. These laws have also been the reason for rising cynicism among those who get passed over, despite their hard work and qualifications. Regulations concerning workplace safety, regulations brought about by environmental concerns, unemployment taxes, social security taxes, and a myriad of other taxes and regulations have all contributed to making it unprofitable for companies to manufacture products in America. These are some of the reasons why we have seen such a vast exodus of companies to other countries to produce their goods. We are not suggesting that all of these laws are without some merit, or that some companies exploited workers and the environment in their quest for greater profits, but many of these “laws” are against common sense and allow no flexibility. A great amount of time and money is wasted just to satisfy these regulations without providing any added benefits. All of these laws and regulations could effectively have been avoided if men acted in the fear of God, and with love and respect for their fellow man.

Along with the burgeoning expansion of our legal system came the necessity for an ever ballooning governmental workforce—to “make sure” everyone is in compliance with all of the laws and regulations. Federal law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, DEA, ATF, EPA, U.S. Marshals, IRS, OSHA, and many other enforcement divisions employ thousands of workers. Along with those who are directly involved in enforcement are the tens of thousands of bureaucrats who must insure that all of the paperwork and processes involved with carrying out government programs and laws is maintained. Along with federal enforcement personnel and bureaucrats, we have similar structures at the state and local levels. It is estimated that there are over 17,000[5]  law enforcement agencies throughout the United States, with many overlapping jurisdictions and duplication of services. Furthermore, we now have an overburdened court system that must handle the cases of those who act contrary to these laws. Judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, court personnel, and other supporting personnel, must channel the millions of defendants through the legal system. At the end of the chain is the prison system and its personnel, who oversee those deemed worthy of incarceration for their misdeeds. While many convicts are violent offenders that society needs to be protected from, some are merely tax evaders, those convicted of petty crimes, smalltime drug users and sellers, and other offenders, who could be dealt with in better ways. The total number of government personnel at all levels is now estimated to be close to twenty million.[6]  Americans now work almost seven months out of the year to pay for the cost of all government; and the Federal government itself consumes forty percent of the gross domestic product.[7]

America has followed ancient Israel by abandoning its faith in God, and we have reaped the consequences. God warned Israel what would happen to them when they wanted an earthly king to rule over them, instead of being ruled by God. (Please note that the cost of Israel’s king was only going to be ten percent of their income, while in America the cost has risen far above that.)

1 Samuel 8:4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.
7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.
9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.
11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.
18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.
19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;
20 That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.
21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD.
22 And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.

Along with the size and cost of big government has come the dependence of many Americans upon the government to support them. When Americans began to abandon their trust in God and in His provisions for their lives, many looked to the government to supply their needs. The excesses of the roaring twenties brought about the great depression of the thirties; but instead of bringing about a national repentance towards God, and seeking His blessing once more, our country was lured into thinking that the great social programs would save us. The first of those programs was the New Deal, brought about by the Franklin Roosevelt administration. Among many programs that were instituted were the Civil Works Administration (CCW), Federal Emergency Relief Act (FERA), Public Works Administration (PWA), Works Progress Administration (WPA), and the biggest “ponzi”[8] scheme of all time—Social Security. Although many liberal minded Americans praised these efforts, they were only the beginning of the great Federal government “money pit” that is now swallowing up all of America’s resources. While many people temporarily benefited from these programs, no one envisioned the ultimate cost that they would exact upon our economy. Though many liberals also attributed these programs with delivering us from the Great Depression, that resulted more from the outcome of our involvement in World War Two.

Another great government program was the Great Society, instituted by the Lyndon Johnson administration. During that time this country saw the passage of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1968. Although the Bible certainly condemns “respect of persons,”[9] this is a matter of personal morality and not legislated social engineering. The liberalization of the immigration laws, with the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, opened the floodgates to those immigrants who dramatically changed the philosophical landscape of America. Also during this period America’s future was further mortgaged by the institution of Medicare and Medicaid, programs that the government cannot manage nor afford. Liberalization of the welfare system also saw the introduction of Food Stamps and other government “handout” programs that rewarded non-work and immoral lifestyles. America’s Christian heritage was further attacked by the institution of many liberal national endowments for the arts, “sciences,” and education, among these are the Public Broadcasting System (PBS), National Endowments for the Arts, and National Endowments for the Humanities. These programs all drip with socialistic, humanistic, evolutionistic propaganda, and most are blatantly anti-Christian.

What has been the result of all these “social” programs upon the American economy and lifestyle?
 

• We have created a bureaucratic monstrosity in Washington and in our state capitols. There has been added layer upon layer of people who are employed just to administer these programs. We have a significant workforce in our country that do nothing to add to our economy, but rather are leeches upon it. They do not produce anything that adds to our gross domestic product, but rather, through taxation, they and the programs they oversee, are sucking the life’s blood out of America. We now live in an era when almost fifty percent of the population either works for the government or are the recipients of its handouts. Is it any wonder that we see such a surge of liberalism in our country? Liberal proponents have used the hard-working taxpayer’s money to buy elections through these and other humanistic programs. Are we suggesting that every government job is unnecessary?— no, there are legitimate functions of government that should be maintained, but not on the level that we see today.
   
• We have created a philosophy in America that the government owes its people a living, regardless of whether they work for it or not. We have people who do nothing but live off of welfare; people who do jobs that have no material benefits, but are supported through government grants; and people who expect the government to bail them out of every adverse situation, regardless of how they got into it. It is the great demise of democracy that the majority can reward themselves with benefits which they have not justly earned. Our forefathers had it right when they limited those who had the right to vote. Now, we have made it effortless for every derelict, junkie, alcoholic, and deadbeat to vote themselves government assistance by electing socialistic liberals to government office.
   
• We have created a great cynicism in our country among those who believe in working for a living and reaping the rewards of one’s personal achievements. Honest, hardworking Americans have been made to shoulder the burden of big government and the social giveaway programs. There is no greater source of discontent among industrious people than the amount of taxes they are forced to pay, and the wasteful government spending of their tax dollars. We are reaching the point where many people are giving up, and either hide their earnings, or become a part of the problem by accepting the giveaways. It is becoming an accepted norm that it’s ok to cheat or be a deadbeat because everybody is doing it.
   
• Even with the high amount of taxes that are exacted upon those who work, we keep falling farther behind in our efforts to support these programs. America’s national debt is the evidence that we simply cannot afford to sustain these social programs. Furthermore, our industrial base has been eroded because of the high costs of doing business in America, and we have less people, with decent paying jobs, to bare the costs of big government. We have almost reached the point of no return of ever being able to pay off, or even reduce our debt; and because the majority of American’s are benefiting from the government programs, it is becoming politically impossible to make the drastic changes necessary to stop the bleeding.

As America lost its dependence upon God for our provisions, we also lost our dependence upon Him for protection. Our forefathers were keenly aware of their need for God to fight their battles and to protect them. They were a small group of pioneers compared to the armies of their European oppressors; and they were ill-trained and armed to fight for their independence, and to stand among the nations of the world. As God did for ancient Israel, it was He who established them upon this continent and gave them victory over their enemies. However, even as Israel abandoned her faith in God and started to trust in the arm of the flesh (Egypt), even so America has fallen into the same error. Our government now spends close to one trillion dollars annually[10] for all defense related programs. The United States is perhaps the most militarily powerful nation that has ever existed, and yet, following World War II, we have seen either defeat or stalemate in every major confrontation since then. America lost its first war in the jungles of Viet Nam, because we had neither the willingness nor the determination to win. We have the most sophisticated weaponry and intelligence systems ever devised, and yet all that failed us in the terrorist’s attacks of 9/11. We have dazzled the world with our “high tech” missiles, tanks, helicopters, jet fighters, drones, and other “star wars” weaponry, and yet we cannot defeat the likes of Osama bin Laden, Taliban, Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist groups armed with only rifles and roadside bombs. We have become like the once unconquerable Roman Empire, which crumbled from within due to its moral excesses and pagan beliefs. America once stood for God and righteousness, and has been the defender of many just causes throughout the world. Now, we are immoral and corrupt, and use our military power only to protect our commercial interests throughout the world.

Deuteronomy 7:7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:
8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 20:1 When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
2 And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,
3 And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;
4 For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

Psalm 20:6 Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
8 They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.

Psalm 108:12 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.
13 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

Isaiah 31:1 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!

When America turned from God to the idols of humanism and materialism, it also lost many of His benefits. One of the most significant was that of God’s provision for the health of His people. Although the Bible certainly advocates healing and health through proper diet and herbal remedies, the major emphasis is on faith and prayer—concepts that are far from the minds of most people. America now has the largest and most technologically advanced system of medical care in the world. Many of the larger hospital\universities are like small cities in both size and the number of people they employ and service; but we rank among the lowest nations in terms of our actual health—our rate of obesity, diabetes, heart conditions, cancer, and many other diseases are among the highest in the world. Along with this burgeoning health care system has come the tremendous cost of maintaining it. We now have a medical system that is so expensive that the majority of Americans cannot afford it. The cost of medical insurance is so high that individuals cannot pay the premiums; and companies who offer health care benefits to their workers are being dragged down by the cost. All of this has come about because our focus has changed from God, “who healeth all thy diseases,” to trust in our own resources.

Psalm 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

James 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Because of the Federal Government’s “blank check” mentality, we dole out billions of dollars in grants and entitlements, “pork” spending, and support of useless programs that offer no significant payback. Many colleges and universities receive enormous sums of money just to do research on senseless “scientific” study. Long term senators and representatives insure their re-election by a constant flow of federal money toward their states in the form of “project” spending that is wasteful and unnecessary. Many federal programs exist only for the self-sustainment of those who are the administrators and employees of those programs. One of America’s great “white elephants” has been the space program. Untold billions of dollars has been spent, all for the purpose of discovering the “origin of the universe” and finding life outside of our planet. This country could have saved vast sums of money and resources if only we believed what our fore-fathers did—“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”[11]

One of the key instruments that has been used to turn America’s focus from God to that of humanism has been to change the philosophy of America’s education system. While almost all schools started out as being church affiliated early in our countries history, and almost all textbooks based their teachings on the Bible, that has all changed with the advent of the public schools, the infiltration of teachers and professors who are blatantly anti-Christian, and the introduction of the evolutionistic-humanistic textbooks that we see so prominently today. From a system that once molded the character of our children and pointed them to a faith in God, we now witness a deliberate, organized effort to erase the memory of God and morality from the minds of our youth. Many of the prominent colleges in America—Princeton, Yale, Harvard, and many others—all began with God-honoring ideals, but have now digressed into institutions which undermine the faith of their students. Those who masterminded the changing focus of the American Dream saw that the battleground of their attack must be in the arena of higher education. Their aim was to supplant the faith of our fathers by infiltrating the colleges and universities with teachers and professors who promoted the liberal-humanistic doctrines that we see so dominate today. These colleges in turn would turn out school teachers, lawyers, and other professionals that had been indoctrinated in the humanistic philosophy.

Now, through the misinterpretation of the Constitution, and other liberal court decisions, any teachings about God, Creationism, Bible-based morality, or the use of prayer are all deemed illegal in our public schools. Instead, we have the religion of secular humanism practiced, evolution presented as fact without any rebuttal, and sex-education taught to our children. Sex outside of marriage is condoned, contraceptives are passed out, and abortion counseling is provided. Many of our inner-city schools are like war zones, where discipline is non-existent, and the atmosphere needed for learning is far from conducive. When we told God to leave our schools and disregarded the teachings of His Word, the void that resulted has been replaced by a disregard for human life and a return to a hedonistic lifestyle in our youth. In recent years we have witnessed an increasing amount of school violence, drug use, and pre-martial sex, even among grade school children. Despite the fact that we have the best educational facilities that American debt can provide, we rank among the lowest civilized countries in terms of actual learning. We have wasted the minds of our children, and created a generation of youth that is violent and has no fear of God or authority. We have sown to the wind in minds of our youth and we are about to reap the whirlwind.

Psalm 36:1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.

Hosea 8:7 For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.

The majority of Americans have traded their faith in God for trust in other things—government, health care, military might, education, and money. From almost a total reliance upon God in the early years of our country, we have come to the place where every effort is being made to banish the idea of God from our society. Americans have become self-sufficient, no longer needing God or His blessings. Like the church of Laodicea, which prophetically pictures the end of the church age, Americans have become “rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.” Instead of trusting in the God of our Fathers, we now give praise to the gods which we have created—the “America Dream,” democracy, humanism, and materialism. However, we are beginning to discover that we are “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked."