The spiritual state of America

By Patti Garibay, Op-ed Contributor Thursday, May 11, 2023

America’s spiritual future is at risk.

Recent studies conducted by Pew Research Center have concluded that in 2020, 64% of Americans, including children, were Christian. People who are religiously unaffiliated, sometimes called religious “nones,” accounted for 30% of the US population. Other religions accounted for 6%.

If this rate continues, it is projected that by the year 2070, Christians will shrink to just above one-third (35%) while “nones” would rise to between 34 and 52% of the population.

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What is happening to our country founded on Judeo-Christian values? Mission creep.

Undoubtedly, our country has strayed from the mission of the Founding Fathers and authors of our foundational documents. Some of its modern leaders even edit the Declaration of Independence, by leaving the word “life” out of the well-known statement: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Others edit or ignore the official motto of the United States, adopted by the US Congress in 1956: In God We Trust. Prayer has become almost obsolete in the public forum, and recently legislative prayer has been the subject of litigation across the United States despite its institution in 1789. Although it remains as an opening to the US Congress, it too is at risk as the nation continues to stray from its founding principles.

It is easy to throw up one’s arms and cry defeat. But that is not the calling of the Christian. Although the remnant of Christianity in our country may be dwindling, the power of the Holy Spirit in His people is not. Together we can raise up that remnant with the aid of God’s omniscient power to touch future generations.

At American Heritage Girls, tens of thousands of dedicated volunteer mentors have invested into the hearts and minds of hundreds of thousands of girls and their families over the last 27 years. The hope of each of these mentors is for girls and their families to know who they are and whose they are. To understand that joy comes from seeking and standing in the will of God. To realize there is a godly order despite a confusing culture. That truth does exist. That right and wrong is clearly defined in the Holy Scripture and that the Lord has graciously provided us a navigation tool to weather the storms of life through His precious gift of the Bible.

This work is not in vain. It is only through the vision of people who dedicated to restoring the Church back to its former glory that America will be revitalized and return to its Judeo-Christian values. If we are to return to the roots of our nation — the roots that have been blessed by God and once blessed God — we must return to Him. American Heritage Girls stands in the gap for a generation whose worldview does not include a biblical lens. The ministry provides a framework for adulting that is rooted in the timeless truths of a biblical worldview. It is refreshing for today’s youth to know there is a truth and that truth comes from the Creator of the Universe, despite the seemingly never-ending barrage of “personal truth” in today’s culture.

In the face of a spiritual decline in America, we cannot despair. The Lord is true to his promises as articulated in His Holy Word. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, Rahab, Joseph, Deborah, Moses, you and me. He parted the Red Sea, healed the sick, rose from the dead and provides eternal life. And He continues to perform miracles every minute of every day. He is hope. He is sovereign. He alone can heal this land and we are called to be part of the healing.