Reflecting on social issues that the United States is currently facing, an apologist noted that the country is merely reaping the effects of neglecting "biblical truth and morality" for years. With this, he warned against the consequences of the wrong use of free will in people's lives.
In his column on the Christian headlines, Jim Denison, a cultural apologist and co-founder of Denison Forum, declared that the American culture is experiencing "God's permissive judgement" due to the citizens' poor decisions.
He illustrated free will through the result of the recent hostage crisis at a Jewish synagogue in Dallas.
On Jan. 15, Malik Faisal Akram took four hostages, including a rabbi, inside Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville. The victims came out alive but Akram, who called for the release of a Pakistani terrorist, was killed during FBI's rescue operation.
Denison revealed that he prayed for safety of both the victims and attacker during the ordeal. But since the latter refused to surrender, the apologist lamented that his prayer for the hostage taker was not answered.
"This is the nature of free will. God created us to love him and our neighbor. However, love requires freedom to choose not to love. When we misuse our freedom to harm others and ourselves, God allows us the consequences of our decisions," he said, citing Matthew 22:37-39.
He then shared the article by David Brooks that discusses the current crisis of American culture.
In the article, Brooks disclosed that while the Americans' good deeds, such as donating to charities, are declining, their evil practices are rising. Drug deaths and hate crimes have also increased.
"I don't know. I also don't know what's causing the high rates of depression, suicide, and loneliness that dogged Americans even before the pandemic and that are the sad flip side of all the hostility and recklessness I've just described," the columnist reportedly commented about the crisis.
However, Brooks acknowledged that part of the reason is rooted on moral and spiritual concern.
"There must also be some spiritual or moral problem at the core of this. Over the past several years, and over a wide range of different behaviors, Americans have been acting in fewer pro-social and relational ways and in more antisocial and self-destructive ways. But why?" he stated.
But while Brooks concluded that he does not know why the "dire" situation is happening, Denison declared that the American culture is currently facing "permissive" judgment, wherein God allows the consequences of people's decisions, as stated in Romans 1.
The apologist emphasized that the United States "has been rejecting biblical truth and morality for decades," citing statistics of Americans' perception on various forms of immorality.
Further, the apologist cautioned that if the country continues with its evil practices and the people do not repent, it will suffer "punitive judgment," recalling Isaiah's warning in Isaiah 60:12.
"If we still refuse to repent, we will experience God's punitive judgment whereby he initiates punishment for sin. The Exodus, as well as the Assyrian and Babylonian conquests of Israel, are biblical examples," he said.
He urged his readers to gauge themselves if they "are part of the problem or part of the solution" and encouraged them to seek the help of the Holy Spirit to reveal areas of their lives that require repentance and obedience.
The apologist went on to share a statement from St. Theresa of Avila, saying "Let nothing frighten you. Who has God, lacks nothing. God alone is enough." He then challenged the people to be wholly surrendered to God.
"How fully does [H]e have you today?" Denison concluded.
