Weep With Me

In ancient Middle-Eastern times, certain cultures invoked the practice of sacrificing their children to the god Molech. The statue of Molech took many forms, depending on the culture, but a common configuration was to construct a red-hot brazier in the front of an idol, where the live child could be placed. While holding the screaming child down, and after making motions of an offering, the priests would release the child to roll down the sloped brazier and through a hole into the flaming interior of the bronze statue. Other priests would beat drums, partially to prevent the parents of the child from having a change of heart after hearing the screams of their own child. One Greek historian tells us that relatives were forbidden to weep during the process. The purpose for this horrific procedure was to satisfy the cravings of the god, and to restore blessings on the nation.

This is not fantasy. It really happened. Countless archaeological excavations confirm it, as do historical writings. The Bible makes mention of it in several places, most notably in Leviticus 18:21 – “Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God.” It seems a terrifying practice to us today – and would certainly be condemned by any rational group of people. And yet…

Our nation continues this practice. The procedure we call abortion is today’s equivalent of the sacrifice to Molech. Oh, there will be those who say they are not the same. They are wrong. Our nation is condoning, and even encouraging, the sacrifice of our own children at the altar of convenience. If a child in the womb is thought to be an inconvenience, or if the parents become fearful of any ailments the child may have, or even if there is no reason behind it, we are allowing parents to kill their own children. Politicians hide behind excuses involving the health of the mother, but ignore the fact that the vast majority of abortions are performed for other reasons. And far from prosecuting those who would go through with such an abomination, many in our nation advertise and rally for it. Government-funded clinics provide counseling in an effort to encourage mothers to terminate their children, and then government funds are made ready to pay for the procedure. My tax dollars are being used to fund a practice I find morally reprehensible – and there is nothing I can do to prevent it. Put simply – a part of my paycheck funds abortions. I cry out in protest.

Our new president made the claim that decisions regarding abortion were really “above his pay grade” during the election run-up. And yet, three days into his presidency, he signed back into law the funding of abortions in other countries, using American tax dollars. Forget the fact that this is an unconstitutional use of taxpayer money. Forget that we are already in the largest deficit spending situation in history. The bottom line is this – more babies will die because he put his signature on that piece of paper. And that is nothing short of an abomination. God told us in Leviticus – it profanes the name of God. And guess what? We are told that we should not weep over the process – it’s just a mass of cells. Is this sounding familiar?

My initial reaction was anger. That has passed, and all I’m left with is profound sorrow. We should be weeping over the murder of our children, and the pagan sacrifice that is being made in every city of our nation – every day. It is estimated that over 50 million babies have been killed in the United States alone since 1926. And over 950 million babies have lost their lives globally during that period. God save us! What is happening to our children?

The time to act is now. What can we do in the face of legalized practice and precedent in one of the most “civilized” nations on earth? I would suggest three things. First, drop to your knees right now, weep, and ask God for forgiveness and clarity of purpose for our nation and our world. Don’t wait – our first step should be toward God, because only He holds the future and has promised that righteous prayers are effective. Second, find the local pro-life pregnancy counseling center in your town and volunteer time and money to help with the fight. And third, do not ever cast another vote for an elected official who does not wholeheartedly support the reversal of the practice of abortion. One by one, we need to install leaders who understand the everlasting curse that is abortion – and the abiding blessing that children provide us. And by God’s grace, we will return to a world that sees the truth of this concept.

We can read ancient history, and be incensed at the pagan practices we see there. The parallels between sacrifices to Molech and our nation’s own abortion practices are striking. And none is more startling to me than the one that tells parents that they should not feel remorse over the loss. Weep with me over the lost children…and help change the world.

Maybe There Is a Reason Behind All of the Financial Turmoil?

The recent stock market decline has a lot of people nervous about their future. With multi-hundred-point swings and an overall steady decline, there is genuine fear in people’s eyes about the uncertainty ahead. It is clear that the foundation upon which many people were relying – their financial position – has quickly been eroded.

Our culture in America has certainly gravitated toward one of wealth. But, the history of our nation shows a move from ownership of property towards one of debt and borrowing. As long as debt can be freely extended with a decent chance of being repaid, the whole model hangs together. But when one piece of the puzzle begins to fall apart, the entire system reacts out of fear. The mortgage crisis displays this phenomenon, where consumers were given loans which they were not able to maintain. These high-risk loans were bundled and sold to investment banks, which attracted investors by offering better-than-average returns. But as people gradually reached the point where they could not make their mortgage payments, and balloon payments began to hit, they walked away from their obligations. The whole shell game came tumbling down, and no one went unaffected. Even if you did the right thing and refused to buy that expensive house that your lender assured you that you could afford, you will now find your tax dollars going to fund those who could not resist the temptation.

One might think that this would lead people to step back and re-evaluate what they can truly afford, and make changes to accommodate their financial position. But we continue to be bombarded by advertisements and government officials who tell us we should not give up the American dream – even if we reached out for it much earlier than we were able to pay for it. Giving up our possessions in favor of something more affordable rails against everything that the media and the advertisers tell us.

There is a trend in our culture to sacrifice long-term security for short-term satisfaction. The “investment” in material things is often seen as a kind of competition between individuals. I had the opportunity to work for a fast-paced, high-tech company a few years ago. I was about ten years older than most of the people I worked with, and was one of the few who was married - let alone one of the only ones who had children. I was amazed at the intense competition that was in play among the younger individuals for acquiring new “toys”. At the beginning of each new work-week, there was much sharing of what was purchased on the weekend. I have to admit, I never really connected with my fellow employees when I shared my own account of a successful child potty training moment!

The focus on acquiring wealth has affected America in one very important way. It has taken our eyes off our God and His plan for our lives. I genuinely believe that families in the United States 250 years ago spent more time together in simple ways. They may have sat around the fire at night in conversation with each other, reading books, or furthering their education. The time that we spend shopping, watching television, and worrying about finances was likely spent in more productive pursuits. When viewed from a spiritual perspective, the constant pursuit of financial gain distracts us from godly pursuits. Have we turned into a nation of selfish, godless individuals?

I admit that part of me thinks it would do us some good to lapse into another period of financial depression. When money is scarce, it makes us turn to things other than the pursuit of wealth. Perhaps God has a plan to revive our nation though a lesson of this nature. Perhaps He wants us to stop focusing on the new cars, the cable television shows, and the emails piling up on our Blackberries. Instead, we would be better served to recapture that time, get down on our knees, and ask for God’s blessing on our nation and families. My favorite book of all time, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, harkens back to a time when families had nothing, where farms and possessions were wiped out, and where families had to bond together to scratch out a simple existence. Yet while reading that book, I can’t help but get a sense that people were closer and more focused on what was truly important. While the Joad family in that book suffered heartache after heartache, it seems that they were closer to God in many respects. And isn’t that the ultimate long-term investment?