Elijah and all the kings men... 

2 Kings 1.1-18 

"Is it because there is no God in Israel...?" Could it be asked, 'Is it because there is no God in America...?' The question, of course, was rhetorical in Elijah's usage and is rhetorical today.

Yes, there was and is a God in Israel. Yes, there is a God in America. However, the king and others in Israel during the days of Elijah were acting as though there was no God to be consulted, nor feared, in Israel.

It seems that the majority of our fellow citizens are acting as though there is no God to be consulted, nor feared, in America. Political correctness has consumed even the courts and legislatures.

Core values with classic ethical and philosophical  basis are in steep decline. Indeed, rarely can one even find someone who has read Aristotle, or Thomas Aquinas, or Bonhoeffer, or Bultmann.

Pop culture is driven by shallow minds...celebrities with opinions. There is no attribution of honor being given in the media to those great minds in America who have spent their lives in pursuit of understanding of historical, intellectually derived public policy and philosophy.

We are about to reach the depth of the lowest common denominator in the ultimate unraveling of a great democracy as was mused as a possibility by Alexis de Toqueville.  His concern was based upon the American tradition of public policy being derived by the masses (he saw it as akin to mob rule even c.1820-1840) while the independent thought of the individual was being held as the supreme ideal by the populace.

In keeping with Toqueville's musing, it is ludicrous to assume independent thought will be maintained or appreciated when conformity to the masses is placed as the real supreme value in public policy formation. Hence, we have arrived at an era where public policy is formulated in 'sound-bites' based upon the latest figures from polls.

In our world of high tech capabilities and instant media saturation, public policy can be shifted as quickly as public opinion shifts. This leaves public policy without any semblance of stability because the foundation isn't based on historical ethics and philosophy.

Unfortunately, this has permeated the 'church' in America with 'current' social values (whatever they might be in any given situation) determining the values, philosophy, policies, and even the doctrine and liturgical practices of the institutional church. What has happened to the Body of Christ?

Where is the "salt" and "light" Jesus spoke of in His Sermon on the Mount? Where are the Solid Rock principles - truths upon which the church was built and against which the 'gates of hell shall not prevail'?

They are alive and well in Third World Countries where the gospel is bringing life and hope to millions! Why are the great revivals currently happening in developing nations? Why are virtually all indices of civilized behavior tanking in the United States? 'Is it because there is no God in America...?'

Oh God, move us past the shallow idiocy of pop celebrity opinion. Bring us real leaders with brains and values, a sense of historicity, a solemn view of the future, and the knowledge of eternal accountability. Bring us leaders who are more concerned about the Divine opinion than the philosophy of the masses.