Options
Print
17 Comments
Post a Comment
Email
The God Gap
· Tuesday, February 28, 2012
There have been many "gaps" in modern politics. There is the gender gap, the generation gap and now the God gap, which is the gulf between people who take God's instructions seriously and those who don't. Which side of the gap you're on could influence your vote.
The God gap is growing wider.
I asked Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum about this. In a telephone interview with me, Santorum, whose rhetoric is loaded with religious and cultural language, said, "While (such language) may be upsetting to some, there's a hunger out there for talking about what's true."
How, then, would he explain a recent New York Times story that reported for the first time in our history, that "more than half of births to American women under 30 occur outside marriage." Santorum acknowledged, "I'm probably talking to Republican audiences, so it's a little different. I'm not talking to the general audience at this point. Marriage is on the decline. The culture is changing."
The problem for presidential candidates -- and for President Obama, who occasionally appeals to Scripture to justify his policies -- is that fewer people are listening to the voice of God, or to voices claiming to speak for Him.
Not too long ago, a report about growing numbers of out-of-wedlock births would have produced sermons calling for repentance and set revival fires burning in churches across the land. Today, there's only the sound of silence.
The Times story, citing government data compiled by Child Trends, a Washington research group, noted that the shift in the makeup of American families was likely to produce children who face "...elevated risks of falling into poverty, failing in school or suffering emotional and behavioral problems." Yawn.
How is this social virus to be cured when older religious people speak a language and advocate a belief system that either many younger people don't understand, or do not wish to hear?
The failure to communicate across the God gap brings to mind something former president George H.W. Bush said about broccoli. Bush said his mother made him eat broccoli, but he never liked it. When he became president, he said it meant he no longer had to eat it.
So people who might have been taken to religious services as children are now grown up and many feel they no longer have to "stomach" faith, or conform to a standard outside themselves. Some who grew up in a secular household are spiritually deaf, if not biblically illiterate. A general cultural morality is fast disappearing.
The God gap will not be shrunk by politicians, though to rally "the base" they often talk as if it can. The goal of cultural transformation has historically been the work of clergy, whose "hellfire" messages scared people awake from their comfortable and what used to be called "sinful" lives. But this was before having a baby without a husband became an acceptable thing to do.
Too many of today's clergy seem preoccupied with building personal empires and monstrous buildings. They go on costly TV instead of investing in the less visible "work of the church," which is people, not brick and mortar. The first Christians met in homes, not megachurches. They took care of each other and did not rely on government to sustain them. Many pastors today dislike sermons about sin and repentance because it makes people uncomfortable. And so we get instead the discomfort of social decay and an ever-widening God gap.
Materialism and pleasure contribute to social rot. Social rot precedes national decline. These have become our twin false gods; contemporary "golden calves," as unable to produce satisfaction as the idols of biblical times. Most politicians won't urge restraint or personal sacrifice and too many ministers allow the secular world to set their agenda.
And so the God gap widens and the wisdom and understanding of the older generation goes unheard and unheeded.
(c) 2012 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
Third-party content does not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Patriot Post.
Options
Navigation
Subscribe
Accuracy in Media Editor Cliff Kincaid: "Mark Alexander is the recipient of the 2007 AIM Award for Grassroots Journalism. It is an honor to be associated with Mark and PatriotPost.US." It's Right. It's Free. Subscribe now!
The Right Opinion
Arnold Ahlert: Catholics vs. Obama
Michael Reagan: White House Website Gone Wild
Ken Blackwell: I'll Have Another
Jeff Jacoby: The Peace Process Battered Israel's Reputation
Victor Davis Hanson: The Bad/Good Idea of Removing Assad
Michael Barone: Cocooned Liberals Are Unprepared for Political Debate
R. Emmett Tyrrell: The Great Debate- Cal Thomas: The Media's Religion Deficit
Larry Elder: Why Jeremiah Wright Matters -- Still
Ben Shapiro: First, They Came for Cory Booker
Ann Coulter: Figures Don't Lie: Democrats Do
Burt Prelutsky: A President Not Fit for Man or Beast
Navigation
Grassroots Commentary
Policy and Analysis
- Heritage Foundation Insider
- Heritage Foundation Research
- American Enterprise Institute
- Center for Strategic and International Studies
- The Cato Institute
- Hoover Institution
- National Rifle Association
- Ludwig von Mises Institute
- Citizens Against Government Waste
- National Center for Policy Analysis
- The Heartland Institute
Our Mission
"The Patriot's mission is to advocate for Essential Liberty, the restoration of constitutional limits on government and the judiciary, and to promote free enterprise, national defense and traditional American values. Our objective is to provide Patriots across our nation with a touchstone of First Principles through brief, informative and entertaining analyses of relevant news, policy and opinion from reputable research, advocacy and media organizations, so they may better support and defend those Principles, and enlist others to join our ranks." —Mark Alexander, Publisher
The Patriot Post is not sustained by any political, special interest or parent organization, and we accept no advertising. Our mission and operations are funded entirely by the voluntary financial support of Patriots like you!
mac
It's the progressives who've been the most avid advocates of 'the separation of church and state'to the point of attacking Christianity relentlessly.
It fits into their twisted agenda replacing God with government as to where all human rights come from.
Once that is accepted the government becomes totalitarian, because, as all good Democrats know, the government knows what's best for all the sheeple.
Posted February 28, 2012 at 9:19:12 AM
rippedchef
Absolutely true,very few churches preaching truth.Too much opinion and stories,too many videos and dramas,too many 20 minute sermons with no bite,too many prosperity pastors with mega churches and huge homes.Hell will be full of people who walked the aisle and said a prayer,many will hear "get away from me I don't know you".The Christian life isn't an easy one,too few willing to fight,too few willing to stand up and be politically incorrect.Truth is truth,ignore it at your peril,I fear our country is quickly slipping into decay with too few men with the courage to do something about it.
Posted February 28, 2012 at 9:25:42 AM
wjmccrindle
Marx and Engels would be proud, the tenents of Communism require the church be replaced by the state, and that is what we are seeing. Out of wedlock birth mean big money for the leaches pumping out babies. Stop the gravy train. It may seem harsh, but stop rewarding sloth and immorality, and that would help stem the tide, and all these welfare idiots continue to vote for their own slavery to master government. No More Payments to support immorality.
Posted February 28, 2012 at 9:41:47 AM
Holmes Simons
Mr. Thomas, you know as much about God as you do about politics. Just SHUT UP!
Posted February 28, 2012 at 10:08:59 AM
Army Officer (Ret)
1 Peter 4:17. Secularized churches ignore it at their peril. I don't envy pastors.
Posted February 28, 2012 at 10:15:03 AM
Robdog1701
Unfortunately, you're observation of a lot of churches and their congregations is very acute. Even in the Methodist church I attend the Lord's Prayer has been edited to make it more palatable, and the sermons are usually a collection of anecdotes describing how sweet God is. This past Sunday, when ask what I thought of the service, I replied that I was not impressed. The world has real problems with real evil and real obstacle to overcome that will not be resolved with Veggie Tale story time.
Posted February 28, 2012 at 11:41:51 AM
Richard Ryan
Holmes Simons; I`m curious. What is it you know about God that Mr. Thomas does not. What makes you an authority on God and politics. Just asking. Mr.Thomas`s comments seem to me to be spot on.
Richard Ryan
Lamar,Missouri - Birthplace of Harry S Truman
Posted February 28, 2012 at 11:57:51 AM
Son of Liberty
The Founders said that our form of government and its Constitution was meant for a Moral people. When the morality is gone then that government will be no more and cannot be resurrected. The Communists/Socialists/Liberals/Progressives have always leaned towards the Godless secular way of life. They've become so entrenched in our schools and other institutions that I don't know if we'll ever get our Moral compass back. So either we start taking back our country now, or give it all up for lost.
Either way we are at the tipping point in our history, and this next election will determine wether the Progressives/Socialists/Liberals/Communists or true God fearing Americans will govern this country. If the left wins, Satan will be laughing with delight as they are accomplishing his work here.
As for me and my house, I will fear the Lord.
Posted February 28, 2012 at 12:50:10 PM
Mike McGinn
In the famous words of Vladimir Lenin, "Give me four years to teach the children and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted."
We in the "silent majority" need to start planting seeds, 'cause the progressive left is WAY ahead of us. They're in harvest mode.
Posted February 28, 2012 at 1:27:35 PM
Mike McGinn
A good book for everyone to read, including unwed pregnant women - "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis (a former aethiest)
Posted February 28, 2012 at 1:31:37 PM
NK
The reality is that pastors these days do not many times have sermons that identify with their flock, especially the young. It is the same message time and time again and eventually, those that want to be entertained leave the flock. I am guilty of this. My parents forced me to go. Then when I became old enough to drive found every which way to get away from it even though I attended a Catholic High School, College and Grad School. I have found at various points in my life going back to it and now that I am a parent feel the benefits of religion outweigh the negatives. And yet many times the most important part of the mass (sermon) is boring due to lack of preparation. When you get a good one you are shocked. Yet I don't believe people do not want to hear it. I believe the young would come back to Church if the priests spoke to them in modern terms. We live in an age of Twitter, Facebook, the internet, Ipads, Ipods, etc. The sermons sound like they speak of 57 chevy's.
St. Paul the Apostle near Lincoln Center in NYC when I lived there more than 15 years ago was an amazing place. Sermons that hit you in the face and made you think. They challenged you in a good way. But it made you go back. The masses were spiritual and yes entertaining. When I left that parrish I went back to the same old services. I actually wrote that Pastor to see if there were other Catholic parrishes that he knew of that did mass this way. I wonder if it had to do with being next to a Catholic University.
The problems of today (drugs, children having children, divorce) can all be traced to two things. A lack of the church to reach out and grab the youngsters with spirit and morals vs a message by those that while on earth, get what you can get at any expense. Advance that career, drink, do drugs, sleep with as many as you can, buy as much material items as possible. But at the same time the level of happiness diminishes. People look for the next great thing and when that bores them move on. We actually wonder why divorce rates are so high? Why is teenage pregnancy so high? Because people lack morals. That is the fault of the church. There will always be those that don't want a religious presence in their life but I believe things are so backward would go back if incentivized.
I believe that a politician should push family values. Not necessarily a religion but getting back to basics. The Church needs to do their part. Otherwise the divide you talk of will continue to increase and those that believe in God will be considered extremist.
Posted February 28, 2012 at 2:01:38 PM
Jim in WNC
Holmes Simons- I'm curious as to why you disliked the Thomas article. I reread it and I just don't see anything that would be offensive, except to perhaps the most irreligious or atheistic amongst us. Who is in favor of illegitimacy or the other things mentioned?
Posted February 28, 2012 at 3:47:38 PM
Capt. Call
Holmes Simons: Just SHUT UP!!
Posted February 28, 2012 at 3:57:56 PM
John G
On the mark Mr. Thomas!
Posted February 28, 2012 at 7:00:06 PM
CarolM
No matter what earthly power...no matter what anyone says, God is really in charge. I love the quote: "I can't; God can; I think I'll let Him!". Continue to march on and God will lead us on. We will ultimately see Victory!
Posted February 28, 2012 at 9:57:16 PM
Dave S
@Army Officer (Ret) Absolutely spot on!!! I have been telling folks for years, includung Pastors, that the church needs to get back to preaching the WHOLE Gospel. There are going to be a lot of surprised people who don't make it to Heaven. Or get told "Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity, I know you not!" And that includes a lot of Clergy.
Posted February 29, 2012 at 3:33:50 PM
Holmes Simons
@ So Many Who Want to Know:
I know enough not to evoke His Name in attempting to create a cutesy aphorism as an explanation for individual or group political behavior.
Others may be able to understand this illogical, incoherent article, but I don't.
There is evidence that the gap is widening between those who like chocolate and those who don't, and the more you eat the more likely you will have a fat black baby out of wedlock. Therefore, unless the sugar police can reverse this trend, more people will probably vote for Obama because he not only likes, but also looks like, chocolate. Same argument. And just as stupid!
Posted March 1, 2012 at 8:41:25 AM