A Sad Valentine’s Day
by Daniel Boyce
Once again, we’ve heard the tragic news about another school shooting. This time from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where as of today (2/15/18), 17 people have lost their life. We have witnessed shootings at schools, colleges, clubs, and concerts. Also, people driving trucks into crowds, or blowing up bombs in crowded areas.
The two reoccurring questions that I hear are why is this happening? or, what is wrong with people today? I do not want to bring politics or prevention into this discussion, I will leave that to the politicians and law enforcement. But being a Christian, and a pastor I would like to discuss the spiritual side of this.
We must understand that people are wicked sinners apart from the grace and salvation of God (see Romans 3:10-11, 23; I John 5:19). Since the Fall of Man recorded in Genesis 3, humans have been born with a sin nature (see Psalm 51:5). This is proven in Genesis 4 where we see Cain kill his brother Abel. American culture and society is drifting farther and farther away from God (see Romans 1:18-32).
Why is this? How did we get here? Can I suggest that we are reaping what we have sown (see Galatians 6:7-8)? We have expelled God from our public schools. In 1925, a court case in Tennessee brought nation-wide attention to the teaching of evolution in The State of Tennessee verses John Thomas Scopes. Even though Scopes was convicted of teaching evolution, and fined, the wide-spread publicity galvanized proponents of evolution. Because of this, intelligent design is not taught, but evolution is. Therefore, school children are being taught that there is no Creator, but we are all here today because of random chance. Since there is no Creator, there is no creation. Since there is no creation, there is no Fall. Since there is no Fall, there is no sin. Since there is no sin, there is no need of a Savior. We have reaped what we have sown.
A second way in which God was expelled from the public school is that the Bible and prayer were removed from the public school in 1963 because of two trials, Abington School verses Schempp, and Murray verses Curlett. It is now against the law for a teacher to read the Bible or pray in the public school. Again, we are reaping what we have sown.
So today in the public school system, a child will not learn that they were created by a loving God, and they will not hear His precious Word being read or hear someone pray to Him.
From 1764, the year of the first school massacre, to today there have been 467 school shootings/massacres, with 575 school children and teachers being killed (Wikipedia, School shootings in the United States). Prior to 1963, when God’s Word was removed from the public-school, there was 102 school shootings/massacres, but after 1963 there have been 365. Is that just a coincidence, or is it related?
Friends, we are in the midst of great spiritual warfare (see Ephesians 6:10-12). Satan has been successful in removing God and His Word from the public school. He has replaced Him with evolution, and the result is we now live in a secular, anti-God, humanistic society. What we see on the television is the harvest of what we have sown (see Galatians 5:19-21).
So, how do we combat this? Why not bring back what we removed? Why not teach children they were created by a loving Creator? Why not let them hear His precious Word? Why not let them beseech Him to keep them safe? Since we are engaged in spiritual warfare, human weapons won’t work, the only thing that will defeat our foe is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and prayer (see Ephesians 6:13-18). But we can’t use those effective weapons; they have been expelled.
America, please wake up and see the answer is right in front of us. Let’s invite God back into the school, so He can protect our beloved children.
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