>I'm sorry, but I'm having trouble with the statement "I think Barton's point
>was that a nation which honors God will prosper while one which shoves Him
>out of sight (as we continue to do through the court decisions of liberal
judges) will suffer the consequences for breaking spiritual laws."
This may have been the case with old Testament Israel, but I fail to see
where the relationship between "prospering" (i.e. increasing GNP) and
"honoring God" is operational in this day and age.
Consider Western Europe. My impression is that "honoring God" comes at
best a distant second to "worshipping Mammon." At least, church
attendance is 'way down. Yet, Germany, France, the Scandinavian
countries prosper. So why would the US be any different, unless, of
course, one considers it the new "chosen land?"
Consider Japan. Nary a Christian church in sight and yet, the Japanese
prosper (or have been prospering until recently).
I don't deny that there is an apparent cause and effect relationship
between a falling away from the faith and a rise in lawlessness but I'm
not so sure it's a direct cause and effect. Maybe the root cause lies
somewhere else and the decision to ban Bible reading is just another
effect of the same root cause.
I'm making these comments not to be "difficult" but because I think the
type of reasoning attributed to David Barton (and I have no idea who he
is) tends to get us into trouble both within and outside the scientific
community.
Shalom!
Chuck Vandergraaf
Pinawa, MB
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