Christians Lowering Standards
We as a Christian nation have relaxed our standards. This country is in serious trouble morally and I wonder how this nation will stand without the hand of God. It seems it is moving closer to a godless country every day.
Children of my generation were not allowed to go into the beer joints that littered the town of Grundy. But now children are taken into fancy restaurants and can enjoy their meal while watching people drink or sit at the nearby bar consuming alcohol. What effect this has on them when they grow up, I don’t know. But I am sure drinking at the bar is acceptable behavior. Approximately 15,000 people die each year from drunk-driving fatalities. Christians all across this country feel eating at these restaurants is acceptable behavior. Again, this is lowering our standards. Christians pay to eat at these restaurants, funneling money into to an industry that aids Satan’s work.
When I was a child it was unheard of to shop at stores on Sunday. It was a foregone conclusion that you worshipped and ate with your family on that day. I personally do not believe you should buy, sell or trade on a day of worship. People argue with me on this point, but their grandfathers were clear on this issue. The stores and restaurants were closed and the families were together. Again, we have lowered our standards.
This country needs a religious leader to rise up, and give us direction, if our nation is to have a chance. I have read in these opinions that the Founding Fathers did not want God in our government. That is a complete and utter lie. The only reason that God was not included in the Constitution was they wanted no arguments among different Christian denominations in the country.
My urgency to the Christian population is to take some of your church dues and buy a National Rifle Association membership, because if they take away our guns the next thing to go is our right to worship freely.
God bless all of you and please God bless America.
Mark Matney
Cleveland, Va.
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Dear Graced!
You better not follow your heart that just may get you in trouble with the upstairs. For the record I know Mr. Matney and he does not own a gun.
Christian society screams about following the 10 commandments but the one about keeping the Sabbath Holy is somehow disregarded! Then Sunday is the day Christians have decided to worship on so why don’t we keep it Holy. Christ told us yea in an emergency don’t be stupid work if you have too.
The bible also warns about the separation of familys and if people are at work or eating at some restaurant on Sunday families are not together.
Every one keeps preaching Christ is love and that is it. A father loves his child but the child gets spanked when it does something wrong.
You forget that love me sometimes be tough love.
Christ is a God who loves us but it says if you don’t believe in him you are condemed already. Lets see how much love is in Condemed?
Christians somewhere in the last 30 years have been making their own rules about what is acceptable with God.
Do you really think Christ wants his children to spend money at an industry that kills 15,000 people a year?
People remember this Christ is a God of Authority. In that is Authority is right no matter what! People ask if it is Christ why did he let this happen.
Whatever happens Gods will will be done in heaven on earth.
Christ is a God of Authority he is the only ruler of this world and for any Christian not to fear him is the beginning of your personal down fall!
Jews in Israel live so righteously that their some elevators have no floor buttons because they won’t press them on Sunday. Who decides what is right and wrong. Mr. Matney may mow his yard on Sunday, which would make my husband nuts, or he may wash his car, and make his neighbor nuts. We should not make up rules for others unless we are perfect. If we had to live in such a way to earn salvation, we would all be in a mess. If Christians are expected to live perfectly, we will fail miserably. My point was that our lives will follow our hearts, but not all will be pleased with our best efforts. I particularly hate guns, which Mr. Matney endorses, but I didn’t say he shouldn’t own one because I don’t agree with him. It is so easy to see the faults of others and ignore our own. Loving those we hate, now that’s a world changing idea.
I agree (EIEIO). You make some really good points! BigM, you also got it right too. Alcohol will forever be defended, but those who smoke will continue to pay higher taxes, & be made to feel like second class citizens. We protect animals, but fight for the right to kill our unborn babies.
Yes, let’s get back to a more moral time. Like when slavery was the norm and women were considered second class.
While I do agree with portions of Mr. Matney’s letter, there are several places that I do not agree with him on, such as using our tithes to support the N.R.A. I also do not agree with several of the comments. I am a Fundamental born-again Bible-believing Christian. I know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. In Mr. Matneys’s letter, he writes that the United States is a Christian nation. I totally disagree with him. America is a nation where Christions live, but it is by no means a Christian nation. How can this be a Christian nation with all of the wickedness that is running rampant today? The U.S.A. of the 1950’s is dead and gone. Morality as a whole has been dead for several decades. We have raised our fists in rebellion against God’s Word, God’s Holiness, And God’s Son, and then we have the audacity to print “In God we Trust” on our money. We suspended God out of our schools in the 1960’s, which led to a whole generation never hearing about the redeeming grace of God through Christ. And then we wonder why our teenagers act the way they do. Look at the so-called “role models” they have today, such as Brittany Spears and Lindsey Lohan. Why is Internet pornography a multi-billion dollar business? Why does 5 out 10 marriages end in divorce? Why is it if you dare speak out against homosexuality that you are branded as being intolerant. Why is it if you declare that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation and eternal life that you are ridiculed as being “narrow-minded?“ Christ Himself said that it was narrow way, and few there be that find it.(Matt 7:13,14) Did’nt He say in John 14:6 that no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. The Comment “Graced” made is one I totally disagree with. It definitely matters how you live. Paul wrote in Titus 2:12 that we should deny ungodliness and worldy lusts and that we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. The reason I want to live right is because I have been made right by Christ. You cannot live holy apart from being made holy by a holy God. The verse in Matt. 7:1, “Judge not, that ye be not judged"is always taken completely out of context. This is a Jewish message. The Jews judged harshly under the law. In this age, while we are not to judge harshly without knowing the facts, everyday we wake up we must make a judgement call. We must judge ouselves and judge the world around us. We must ask ourselves, “Am I going to partake of this when the Bible says it is wrong?“ How about when we see others plainly disregard and deny God’s word? It is wrong to “judge” them? Of course it is not. The problem today is that a majority of people want to portray Christ as a weak, anemic-looking, long-haired hippie who only winks at sin. The Christ pictured today is not the Christ of the Bible. While He came to die for sin and to save sinners (Luke 19:10) , the problem today is that there are not many sinners. Everyone has religion, but not salvation. Are Christian standards lowered today? Maybe the problem is that the standards were not that high for some to begin with.
Everyone will defend alcohol to no end.
Lets not worry about this we have to save our planet. We have to save a tree. We have to save a race horse. We have to save a dog. We shouldn’t kill turkeys at Thanksgiving. We need to make sure slaughter animals have enough room in there pen.
But 15,000 Americans we have the right to go to our fancy restaurants even if many people leave there drunk and kill other people.
If a restaurant was having dog fighting in the establishment we would throw a fit.
But, if someone gets drunk at Apple Bee’s drives and kills it is ok.
I find numerous problems with Mr. Matney’s letter.
First of all, there are vast differences between restaurants that serve alcohol and just plain beer halls. Virginia law tries to curb the all-out beer hall atmosphere by demanding that a certain percentage of food be served. Perhaps the establishments that Mr. Matney has a problem with need a visit from the alcohol board.
But alcohol itself, in moderation is not the culprit. Remember that Jesus’ first miracle at the wedding at Cana was turning water into wine. And nowhere did he ever rail against the evils of wine, unlike the way he strongly objected to the evils of excessive wealth…...
Rather it is the misuse or excess of consumption and then getting behind a motor vehicle wheel that is so harmful - but not a religious issue.
Mr. Matney does have a better point about businesses being open on Sunday. That issue IS covered in the Bible but again, I don’t think it should be changed by religious figures, but by public and political pressure.
Which leads me to the point of Mr. Matney’s that I disagree with the most: Separation of Church and State. Christ was VERY against religious figure being involved in state politics. He overturned the money changers tables in the temple as an expression of his anger againt desecration of a religious center. (ie. not conducting the dirty business of making money in a house of worship - something may of our churches forget today.)
And buy guns with your religious tithe? Don’t you know “Thy Shalt Not Kill?“ is one of the Ten Commandments? You don’t have to worry about shooting Buddists, Jews, Hindus or even Muslims. Whether you believe it or not, the Constitution of this country protects ALL religions. Back when our forefathers wrote it, many people thought of the Catholic Church like some fear Islam today. People were BURNED AT THE STAKE for their differing CHRIATIAN beliefs!
My own ancestors traveled all the way from Scotland to Tazwell County and were scalped by Indians so they could escape the evil ENGLISH CHURCH.
Our forefathers didn’t eliminate the mention of religion from the constitution because they wantd a pure Christian country - they didn’t know any other. They omitted it because they knew of the evils of mixing religion with politics.
I don’t think the writer was trying to judge anyone specificly.
The point Christian or not is that 15,000 people are murdered by drunk drivers and he is simply asking a question do you want to give your money to an industry that is the leading cause of this gennicide.
Also, the bible does discuss the division of families and surely stores being open on Sunday contribute to just that.
You did not claim to be a Christian in your letter. I can only assume you are not as few of your statements reflected scripture. You may not like the way others live, but doubtful God is happy with your encouragement to Christians to go against His instructions. Judge not lest ye be judged. It’s not all about how we live, it’s all about how we love God and our fellow man according to His word. When our hearts are aligned with God’s word, our lives will follow. You sir, are making up your own rules.
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