(08-16-2010 05:14 AM)William Wrote: [ -> ] (08-16-2010 01:05 AM)Rick Schworer Wrote: [ -> ]I just finished watching this, it was amazing. To sum up what the documentary historically demonstrates, it starts out with this quote:
"America is like a healthy body and its resistance is threefold: its patriotism, its morality, and its spiritual life. If we can undermine these three areas, America will collapse from within." - Joseph Stalin
Stalin did not undermine America's patriotism, morality, and "spiritual life." Neither did Mao or Fidel or the Supreme Court. The American people did it: and they did it knowingly and intentionally, by the choices they made, although I admit it was a gradual process.
There is no nation on the face of this earth which has rejected and insulted and despised God as much as the United States of America. And I'm not talking about the Obamas or the Kennedys or the Pelosis: I'm talking about the American people themselves.
I admit William you are wiser than me in many areas, and I like you far to much to want to pick a fight with you. I think you have an imbalanced view of America and it doesn't surprise me that you'd say this.
You are ignoring the millions that have been murdered in other countries for preaching the gospel,
countries that at one time were open to it. I think if you were to ask any of those people if the American people have rejected, insulted, and despised God more than any other nation they would disagree with you.
I lived on the mission field for two years in Papua New Guinea. We ran a hotel for missionaries, so I met several. For every one missionary I met from a country other than America I met easily, and probably an understatement, at least twenty-five from America. New Guineans love America because of its missionaries.
I've been to China, and been in one of their "underground" churches. They too love America for the scores of missionaries they send all over the world.
If the PEOPLE of America really have rejected, insulted, and despised God more than any other nation, why is it that every week I can knock on doors and witness to people and they'll smile and take a tract, maybe hear me out, and sometimes someone gets saved. It certainly isn't me.
Based on what you're claiming here, I should be able to get a warmer response in every other nation of the world. Also, based on what you're saying every other nation in the world should be sending out missionaries more than America.
If you want to insist that America is not a "Christian" nation, or that we should focus on Biblical Christianity more than patriotism or politics, you'll get little to no argument from me. If you want to say America today is nothing like the America of 100 years ago, I agree. If you want to say America has its fair share of wickedness and deserves God's judgment, you are right. But America is not the worst nation in the world, and the American people are still open to the gospel. Not to mention there are thousands of good Christians in America that still do what they can for the rest of the world in gospel efforts.
Last time I checked it wasn't Americans that crucified Jesus, it wasn't Americans that after being open to the gospel became completely closed to it, and it wasn't Americans that murdered more Christians in the 20th century than any other century. It was Americans that chose the God of the Bible when this country was founded, and it is Americans that still today send gospel preaching missionaries to nearly every country in the world.