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[Note: <\/strong>This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles<\/strong>\u00a01\u00a0<\/strong>page.]<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Two or three generations ago the vast majority of Americans believed in the one true and living God, Whose existence the universe declares (Psa. 19:1\u20132) and Whose nature and will the Bible reveal (2 Tim. 3:16\u201317). These percentages have steadily changed so that most of our countrymen now seem to give little thought to God in any sincere way.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The bulk of professed believers seem little more than \u201cpractical atheists.\u201d They live\u00a0<\/strong>as though God does not exist, but they want always to keep God handy\u2014just in case they might need Him. Otherwise, they obviously care nothing for His and His Son\u2019s Divine will. They don\u2019t want to be bothered with any of His mandates, laws, commandments, rules, or restrictions, clearly set forth in the Bible. \u201cYes, God and Jesus, I believe in You, but don\u2019t get in the way of my drinking, shooting up drugs, fornicating, lying, stealing, fighting, or anything else I want to do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The most common mention of God nowadays is not in pulpits by preachers. He is now \u201cmemorialized\u201d several million times a day in the irreverent, blasphemous, vulgar exclamation, \u201cOh my God!\u201d Clearly, those who thus mouth God\u2019s name do not do so with any intent to honor or exalt that high and holy appellation. Rather, they seem utterly unaware (and unconcerned) that they are even referring to the Almighty in this exercise in profanity. Such ignoble folk treat the name of Jesus with similar flippancy. These expressions trivialize and dishonor these sacred names, and the Beings they identify.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Many find it convenient to invoke God\u2019s name in order to feign piety, which they do not possess. Some speak of God or Jesus to enhance reputation or career. \u201cI\u2019m praying for you\u201d falls all too easily from the lips of many who don\u2019t know the meaning of prayer and whose lives testify that they care nothing for God, if they even believe in Him. It is disgusting to hear an irreligious, sacrilegious, or downright hedonistic congressman or president piously say, \u201cGod bless you\u201d or \u201cGod bless America.\u201d Such political pandering and posturing might be amusing were it not so nauseating. They thus invoke God\u2019s name as a convenient means to further their vain and selfish ends. These behaviors are but symptoms of the awful moral and spiritual apostasy that characterizes our nation today.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Men will be held accountable for the everlasting principle: \u201cThou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain; for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain\u201d (Exo. 20:7). \u201cUsing\u201d God as a \u201cconvenience\u201d for our selfish ends will be justly, appropriately rewarded.<\/span><\/p>\n [Note:\u00a0<\/strong>I wrote this article for and it appeared in the Denton Record-Chronicle, <\/em>Denton, TX, September 19, 2014.]<\/span><\/p>\n Attribution<\/strong>: From thescripturecache.com<\/em>; Dub McClish, owner and administrator.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Views: 0[Note: This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles\u00a01\u00a0page.] \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Two or three generations ago the vast majority of Americans believed in the one true and living God, Whose existence the universe declares (Psa. 19:1\u20132) and Whose…<\/p>\n