The New Year Poses Grave Challenges for Tennessee

I have discovered that many people do something similar to what I do before each New Year holiday. It is not appropriate to for me to merely say, “I am making New Year’s resolutions.” As I get older, I have a tendency to analyze my own lifestyle, my habits, my goals, and my dreams in life. I am at the age now, when after such an evaluation, I tend to say, “If I am ever going to do this, I need to start doing it now!” You know the drill. Like what many of my friends say, I want to lose weight, exercise more, get more rest, spend more quality time with my wife, etc. The New Year holiday time gives me point and place each year to start over, especially when it comes to asking God to help me form habits that will be more pleasing to Him. However, I am convinced that such an exercise of evaluating and strategizing to revamp and do better is something that not only individuals need to do, but also churches, communities, and organizations.

I have just received a letter from the Family Action Council of Tennessee (FACT) that there are a number of dangerous situations that have surfaced for our fair state. Consider these following outrageously immoral arrangements: (1) Adult strip clubs have begun funding a lobbyist for their interests before Tennessee legislature. (2) The Attorney General has moved favorably toward allowing the adoption of children by unmarried couples, heterosexual, homosexual, or even “transgendered.” (3) Abortion in Tennessee is now unregulated because our State Supreme Court has determined there is an “absolute right” to abortion in our state constitution. (4) Certain measures have been taken to erode and possibly do away with abstinence as the foundation for sex education, and to take control of sex education away from local schools. (5) Abortion clinics in Tennessee have demonstrably violated the FDA approved arrangements for the use of the “abortion pill,” RU 486, yet, despite knowledge of that fact, the Tennessee Medical Association has done nothing to stop it. (6) Forces are hard at work to push the Tennessee legislature into legalizing home-grown marijuana for the purpose of being smoked for “medicinal usage” without the study and approval of FDA research. It is unbelievable to me that such atrocities have such money and backing that they can brazenly tout their agendas at the very doors of the Tennessee capitol, but that is exactly what is taking place.

Why do such things happen? Is it because most people in our state want these wicked vices as a part of our lifestyles? Is it because the majority of people in Tennessee want to smoke marijuana? Do most individuals attend or even desire to attend adult strip clubs? Do we believe it is perfectly alright for unmarried couples, or homosexual couples to adopt orphaned children? Does the majority of our state really feel good about flagrant misuse of RU 486 which not only murders innocent unborn babies, but can do severe damage to the women who take it? Do we really believe that the Constitution of the State of Tennessee affords no protection to the unborn human being, as the Supreme Court of our state has asserted? I am convinced, beyond a shadow of a doubt that the answer to these questions is an unequivocal “No!” There is no way the vast majority of the people of Tennessee would believe in subscribing to such immoral ideas. Then how could it be that we have such outrageous evil influence lurking on the steps of the Tennessee state government?

I believe there is one word that describes the problem: apathy. The fact is, we either don’t care, or we don’t care enough, to do something about it. Obviously there is a small minority of people, for each of these evils, who want to see such immorality granted. I am also sad to say that I think there are some people who would be so calloused, that they would admit they don’t really care whether such measures pass or not, even though they don’t think they would personally participate in such evil. However, I don’t believe that either of these two categories, or even both combined, fit the majority of people in the State of Tennessee. I believe most of us are simply so busy that we don’t make the effort to really know or keep up with what is going on, and even when we know about it, we have a tendency to say, “Well, I hope somebody else does something about it” and they never get involved.

Dear reader, I want to encourage you, and even challenge you, to resolve that in the year 2008 you will keep better informed on the public arena of the wicked influences in our state, and that you will find at least one way to stand up and make a strong effort to fight against the evil that threatens our homes and our families. Do you love your state? Do you love your community? Do you love your children and your grandchildren? Whether or not you answer “yes” to the first two questions, you will certainly answer “yes” on the last one. The time has come to become vocal and aggressive, and to make a strong stand against the evil around us. If we don’t fight to keep what is right in our communities, our children and grandchildren will suffer grave consequences for our failures. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7)

 

James Sanders

Pastor, First Baptist Church Decaturville

sandersjc@yahoo.com