Most Americans are unaware of the effect atheism is having on our culture. The atheist denies, not only the existence of the God of the Bible, but any god. Today they have no respect for religion of any kind but they take a special delight in ridiculing Christianity and the Bible. This is contrary to the tolerance Americans have traditionally had toward others. It is noteworthy to observe our brave atheist friends abstain from openly criticizing Allah or the Koran.
The bottom line is, when there is no fear of God, each man does that which is right in his own eyes. Morality is based either on natural or revealed law. American atheists seem to have no respect for either. Yet our American culture is seeped in God's revelation of right and wrong, as found in the Bible. Destroy the fear of God and you destroy man's motivation for doing the right thing. Destroy the Bible and you destroy the foundation of American culture.
Consider how far we have come in our own lifetime. Marriage was between a man and a woman, period. The white wedding gown symbolized purity or virginity. Having a child out of wedlock was considered a reproach and spoken of in whispers. Fathering such a child was followed by a wedding, and if a formal one, even the shotgun was white. Promiscuousness was considered harlotry. Family took care of family, even if it was a shiftless brother-in-law. Family is being replaced by the Government as it was in Germany during the Third Reich.
When Abraham journeyed to Egypt because of a famine, he persuaded Sarah to pose as his sister rather than his wife lest he be killed for her (Gen 12:10-20). He did the same thing upon returning to Palestine where Abimelech was king (Genesis 20:11-14). Here (verse 11) Abraham explains his motive, "Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake." Where there is no fear of God's wrath for sin, every man does that which is right in his own eyes. This is true of the homosexual, the adulterer, the pedophile, the liar, the thief, etc., etc.
Even in the pagan world, the fear of the gods and retribution for wrong doing was the basis of conduct. At the close of the Babylonian empire, the king and his court were partying with the vessels taken from the Temple (Daniel 5:1ff). The hand of God wrote his finish on the wall. The historical text tells us, "Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another" (verse 6). Fear often means "grave yard scared" as it obviously does here.
The Christian's attitude is summed up in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14. "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."
Dale I. Royal, Elk City, OK
