Disease of Godlessness Plaguing America by Ann-Louise
As an older student (old enough to be the mother of the majority of my classmates), returning to college in 2005 certainly had its challenges, but I found that my speech class provided a platform which I prayerfully and carefully used to share truth. 'Disease of Goldlessness Plaguing America' was one of those speeches. It has been shared here exactly as it was originally written and delivered.
There is a deadly disease spreading across America today. It's a disease that is hurting families, infiltrating our education system and attacking our society. This disease is eroding the very foundations of our country. If it is not stopped, this disease will leave in its path a nation completely devoid of truth and morality.
The underlying cause of this disease is that there are some who want to completely remove God from the hearts and minds of the American people. The symptoms of the disease are choking out everything that built this great nation.
While doing research for this speech, I was overwhelmed by the enormity of the evidence that revealed just how far America has deviated from its roots. I need to give warning before I go any further. As a patriotic American who loves liberty and the values that made this country strong, I have very deep convictions about these issues. Some of you may not like what I have to say. I am sorry if you don't, but I am convinced that I have an obligation to speak the truth.
This morning, I am going to speak the truth about how the push to remove God from public life in America has affected education, the family and society. Then, I'm going to ask you to do something about it.
Symptoms of the disease of Godlessness plaguing our land can be seen in education. It began when our instructor's generation was in school and prayer was expelled. By the time I was in school in the 70s and 80s, they were in your face about all the other religions in the world, but if you dared mention the God of the Christians, you were in trouble. It's still that way today, but this removal of God has opened the door for other things to enter the classroom. I have seen the book my friend's daughter uses in her high school "Health and Wellness" class. What business does a school have teaching kids about sexual orientation, lifestyle choices and how to get an abortion? What on earth does this have to do with education? Will it help students get into college? Will it help them get a better job? No, but it will help to undermine national morality.
On this campus and others like it, there are ideas being taught that are in opposition to the values that built this country. Just because someone has a degree and stands before you in a classroom that does not mean that everything they say is true and right. Just because a bunch of psychologists or sociologists got together to make a text book, that does not mean that everything they say is true and right either. You need to use discernment, so you will be able to distinguish what is right and good from those things which belong to the opposite category.
How has this push to remove God affected families? According to the National Center for Health Statistics, half of all marriages end in divorce and 1 in 4 children lives with just one parent. I'm not picking on single moms, or single dads. I am divorced and raising 3 children alone. But is this the best way for kids to grow up? A study done by the Family Research Council found that children who live with only 1 parent are much more likely to have medical, academic, behavioral and addiction problems. So why don't we hear about this in the media? Because they don't want you to accept the Biblical model for families, which is one man married to one woman for a lifetime, nurturing their children together. If you don't know there are problems associated with other family arrangements, then it will be much easier for you to accept them.
How has society been affected by the push to remove God? The battle over the 10 Commandments came here to La Crosse just a couple of years ago. I doubt that any of you are offended if someone tells you that you shouldn't murder or steal, but some say the 10 Commandments are offensive. According to their own web site, last year ACLU attorneys argued that the display in a New York court house was unfair to Jewish people because it came from the Christian Bible, not theirs.
[Held a copy of the Jewish Scriptures - the Torah - for the class to see.]
This is a copy of the Jewish Scriptures, printed in Hebrew and English. The Old Testament portion of our Bible is translated from it. There are some differences. Hebrew is read from right to left, so it appears to us that the title is on the wrong side. Other than the fact that the Old Testament books are arranged in a different order, this is exactly the same as what is in our Bible. The 10 Commandments are exactly the same and so is everything else. Remember that it was the ACLU that made that argument, not the Jewish community, but this is an example of the effort to deceive the American people.
Another example of deception in America is "separation of church and state". It has been screamed so much that a 2002 Gallop poll showed that most Americans believe it is in the Constitution. The class surveys revealed that almost 2/3 of you believe that, too. I spent several hours at the National Archives web site searching the Constitution word by word. Nothing about separation there. I also looked at the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence. Not there, either. I'm sorry to say you have been deceived. Read the First Amendment for yourself and you will find that it protects religious freedom. It does not say that God has no place in public life in America.
If you are not yet fully persuaded that this disease of Godlessness is having a devastating effect on America, check it out for yourself at the web sites of The Heritage Foundation and The American Center for Law and Justice. Right now, let's consider these words written by George Washington,
"Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."
George Washington's words bring us to the point where I ask you to do something about it. I am ashamed to admit that until now, I have done nothing more than vote in presidential elections. But, my research made me realize that if I want America to remain the great nation that it is, and if I want this country to be a good, healthy, safe place for my children and my children's children, then I must do more, much more. You may be thinking, "Why should I care? I'm not a religious person." You should care, because if they can undermine religious freedom, what's next? Will we also lose the rights of free speech, freedom of the press and freedom to assemble? If you love America and you love liberty, then you must take action to preserve it. We need to stop this disease of Godlessness that is destroying everything that made America so great. You must let your voice be heard. You must get out and vote. You must vote for those candidates who will stand up for the values this country was founded on. You must vote for those who will protect your First Amendment rights. Don't allow anyone to take away your freedom. Don't let them tell you how to think or what to believe. Don't let them take away everything that built this great nation, the United States of America.
And, above all, don't let them persuade you that God has no place in America.
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