We are in trouble …

I watched fifteen minutes of the “debate” and then stopped. I did not have the courage or mental toughness to finish watching the first round of what amounted to be nothing more than a name calling, disrespectful, insulting, and useless exercise of free speech in presidential debate history.

I stopped watching and thought to myself, “If this is the best that America has to choose from, we are in trouble.” We are in trouble no matter who becomes our next president. America is full of opportunities and, I believe, is the greatest nation ever. But our nation is in trouble.

Our culture is very harsh in reacting and responding to things or people we disagree with. We have the right of the freedom of speech but if one uses that freedom to express his or her opinion, one should be prepared to receive responses filled with hatred, threats, insults, exaggerations, lies or worse.

Sometimes it seems as though those who claim to be Christians are leading and feeding the responses filled with threats, innuendo’s, contempt, and name calling, i.e. Face Book, Twitter, etc. Many Christians take their right of free speech as more important than the responsibility placed upon us by God who said, “Let no communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace to the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29).

Those who express or merely imply their faith in Jesus Christ come under severe judgment and harshness. Consider the recent nominee for the Supreme Court, judge, college professor, wife, mother of seven, and a woman of faith, Amy Coney Barrett.

Judge Barrett has already endured the skepticism, criticism, subtle, and loud critiques simply because of who and what she is. The comment by Democratic Senator Diane Feinstein to Judge Barratt is one of the better examples of being harsh, “The dogma lives loudly within you …” (6 September 2017 during confirmation hearings for Judge Barrett for the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, 2017).

“The dogma lives loudly within you.” “Dogma” is simply the doctrine, teaching, or core values someone espouses or lives by. Everyone has a dogma that enables him or her to live life. I know the comment by Senator Feinstein was meant with disrespect to Judge Barrett and as an attack against her faith, but somehow I think Judge Barrett is strong enough to realize that that comment is one of the more honorable criticisms a person of faith could receive.

Sometime during the last century, it became unacceptable for a person to express his or her faith while in government service. We used to want people governed by a moral compass and standards of personal and public expectations, we no longer have such standards. Now, apparently, the litmus test for judges and politicians is how much distance they can put between their core values and faith from that of upholding the law based upon our Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution that refer to God, and His bringing the circumstances together for our great nation to be created.

Jesus, gives a glimpse into our culture of harshness, Jesus said, “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because of lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold” (Matthew 24:9-12).

When love grows cold; harshness, lawlessness and criticism heats up. Surely, we are in a time of love grown cold and have become a harsh culture and people. We are in trouble.

Clayton P. Adams, West Memphis, AR email: claytonp adamslll@gmail.com.

Clayton Adams