Why are We Losing our Liberties?

The New York Post broke a story a week ago about presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son’s pay for play behavior with several foreign countries, including China and Ukraine. The intent of this blog isn’t to argue the merits of this apparent scandal (you can decide that on your own), but to call out the fact that Google, Facebook, and Twitter blocked the story. While their rationale is that the story wasn’t substantiated, these are the same organizations that routinely publish things on Donald Trump that are unsubstantiated. The hypocrisy is so rich that it’s sick. Again, you can agree or disagree, which doesn’t change the message of this blog.

The above is an indisputable fact. Here’s the issue though, democrat or republican, what we’re talking about here is censorship. We’re the United States of America, not Russia or China, not Cuba or North Korea. Unlike these communist countries, who have a history of censorship, we don’t behave that way. We’re Americans and the freedom of the press is critical to our democracy.

The First Amendment to the US Constitution reads as follows… Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Understanding that we’re people of faith, notice that the First Amendment includes
“respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”. My fear, based on what we’re seeing happen in our country, is that our freedom of religion is next to go. The same people who are squashing our free speech have no tolerance for our religious liberty, as evidenced by the criticism of Judge Amy Coney Barrett for her (our) Catholic faith.

Why is This Happening?

True to my beliefs, I state often that everything happens for a reason. The question then becomes, “why is this happening now”? Why are we where we are as a country? In praying about it the other morning, I thought of repentance as indicated in Scripture. Referencing the Bible, I found:

• Mark 1:15, Jesus states, “repent and believe in the Gospel”.
• Luke 13:3, Jesus states, “but unless you repent, you too will perish”.

The above are two of over 100 like verses in the Bible. I think it’s clear. As a society, we have dramatically sinned. We have far fewer attending Church today than decades ago. We’ve removed God from our schools. Our society is hostile towards religion. We’re aborting over 800,000 babies a year. Two thirds of our babies are born out of wedlock. Instead of concentrating on character, integrity, and courage, people are busy chasing prominence, possessions, and pleasure. It seems that the richer our country becomes, the more secular and depraved it is.

There are many, although far fewer as a percentage as compared to past generations, who are passionate about our faith. That said, as a collective society our sins are many and grievous. Clearly, we need to repent.

I’ve indicated before in these blogs that all the answers to life can be found in Scripture and are taught by the Church. Maybe what is happening in America is happening because God has had enough of our pettiness, our hedonist ways. Given where our country has come, in this post Christian time, we need to repent…individually, as the Church, and as a nation.

In closing, related but slightly divergent, there’s no moral equivalent between the sanctity of human life, i.e. abortion, and any other issue, the former being intrinsic evil as per our faith.

God Bless America!!! John 14:6, Jesus is the truth, the way, and the light.

As always, please contact me at [email protected] with questions, comments, concerns, challenges, or prayer requests.

God Bless you on your Path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!!!!

Mark Joseph