Issues Tearing Our Nation's Fabric The Center for Reclaiming America

Restoring the Soul of the Nation
D. James Kennedy, Ph.D.
Introduction

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The role of citizens in a democratic nation can never be passive. When the Founding Fathers cast off the yoke of the British Empire and declared this a free nation, they mutually pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to stand together against tyranny and oppression. Despite the great risks before them and the blood that was to be shed, they submitted their hopes to Almighty God, "the Supreme Judge of the world," in the conviction that their cause was just.

For the past forty years political activists and liberal organizations such as the ACLU, People for the American Way, the National Education Association, the National Organization for Women, and the National Abortion Rights Action League have hoodwinked a lot of Christians into believing they have been evicted from the political process by the "separation of church and state."

But that doctrine exists only in the minds of liberals. The notion of separation is not in the Constitution, First Amendment, the Bill of Rights, or anywhere else for that matter. It appears only as a passing comment in a personal letter from Thomas Jefferson that carries no constitutional weight. The wall of repression erected against religious values through the deliberate misrepresentation of Jefferson’s words, however, has led to a plague of relativism and moral decay that has eroded civic responsibility and moral decency in this country for the past hundred years.

In contrast to this legacy of despair and defeat, Jesus Christ said that we can be "more than conquerors" through the wisdom of His Word and the power of the Holy Spirit. The only thing preventing us from claiming this great victory is lack of commitment. If we only realized what a marvelous opportunity awaits us, we would pour ourselves into the effort to awaken the people of America to the Good News of the Gospel and then, through concerned citizen action, redeem this nation from the darkness that surrounds us.

The secular world is collapsing in its tracks, and people everywhere are dying for truth. The Word of God can break America’s bondage to sin; but too many Christians are reticent. They don’t say the things they could say, or resist corruption when they see it. Then, as one social program after another fails, as taxes skyrocket, as federal spending mushrooms, and as our cities degenerate into gang warfare, crime, and other pathologies, they scratch their heads and wonder what is going on. Something has to change.

Renewing Our Commitment

As you explore the pros and cons of the 25 critical issues discussed in this booklet, I hope you will gain a better understanding of the risks and the responsibilities before this nation today. I hope every reader will gain a new sense of perspective and a renewed commitment to do something about these problems. I pray that you will no longer be part of the "silent majority" of well-meaning but inactive believers, but that you will speak out for the values and beliefs that can preserve this nation from disaster.

First of all, I urge you to share with others the Good News of Jesus Christ, and then to share your views on the important social issues of the day. There is no way this country can be restored without a new commitment to Christ. But we must also return to the principles upon which the nation was built. Too often, in our own timidity, Christians have cowered outside the public arena, leaving the platform to atheists and secular liberals who are only too willing to "redefine" America and trot us down the hoary path to socialism. Too often we have failed to speak up or take a stand for the things that matter most.

But I am more convinced now than ever that if Christians will take a stand, we can see a magnificent rebirth of faith and values and a restoration of what America has always meant to the world. Our hope is that America might once more be that shining city on a hill—a land of character and personal responsibility, and an example to the world of what faith and moral integrity can do.

Time to Break the "Sound Barrier"

We know from Scripture that God can heal our land, but true restoration demands repentance. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God says, "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." But in the very next verse, He adds, "Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place" (2 Chronicles 7:14–15). In other words, how will we respond to His offer?

The important thing from God’s perspective is not merely hiding the truth in our hearts, but sharing it with the world. It is not enough to hide our light under a bushel; we are to reveal the light of truth to a world dying in sin. When it comes to sharing our faith and impacting our culture, silence is far from golden. It may be yellow, but never golden. God expects us to demonstrate our commitment, and He is waiting for us to do it.

This country cannot be changed until men and women come back to the life-changing message of salvation through Jesus Christ. So I urge you to speak out and to be obedient to the Great Commission. Secondly, I urge you to get involved in the cultural and political life of the nation. Politics may be a dirty business, but if you and I do not participate, and if we leave it to those who do not share our values, then we can’t complain when people with very different values enact the laws and shape public values to their own way of thinking.

Now is the time for men and women of conviction to break the silence, to fulfill the Great Commission, to take up the Cultural Mandate, and to reclaim this nation for Christ. Let’s not just break the silence, let’s break the "sound barrier" both in sharing the Good News with others and in applying biblical truths to the pressing issues of our day.

Our Hope of Renewal

If we do these things, I believe there is tremendous hope for renewal. Already there is evidence that many people are awakening from the long slumber of the socialist policies and revisionist ideologies that have dominated the last forty years. Slowly but surely, people of all persuasions are beginning to see that everything is not okay in America today. And more each day are deciding they want to do something about it.

The bad news for secular humanists is good news for the rest of us. For wherever faith in Jesus Christ is found, new life begins, and that is our passionate hope. Sin, hatred, violence, and other self-destructive behaviors disappear when Christ is honored. God has Good News for the world, and we are His emissaries. But, sadly, too many Christians are still sitting on the sidelines.

Are you engaged in the struggle for the soul of America? Are you a part of the solution to America’s problems? Or are you just one of those poor, listless Christians sitting on the sidelines watching the destruction of your hopes and dreams?

With all my heart I pray that you will decide right now to stand with conviction; and—like the Patriots who risked all to defy imperial tyranny more than 220 years ago—that together we may implore the mercy of Almighty God on our just cause. If you will join this growing army of activists, and mobilize with the conservative and Christian leaders who are engaging these issues, you will find there is a lot you can do.

In his letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul ended by saying, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes" (Ephesians 6:10 NIV). That would also be my challenge to you. I hope you will take those words to heart as your own commission, and respond to the call to service with renewed dedication to restoring the soul of the nation.

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