While channel-jumping during my morning commute recently, I chanced upon an interview segment that intrigued me so much I was driven to track down the podcast and listen to the entire show.
Radio host Glenn Beck interviewed Rabbi Jonathan Cahn,
author of The Return of the Gods. In addition to several other U.S.
Supreme Court decisions, Cahn links the collapse of American morals and values
to a specific date in 1962. That is when the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed prayer
in public schools.
Although I was very young, I do remember that time. Most of
my playmates were public school pupils, while I was attending Catholic school.
I would learn new prayers and songs of praise from my friends.
Below is a prayer public school students said together as a
class:
“Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy
blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our Country.”
That prayer is not from the Bible
or any religious denomination. It was drafted by the New York State Board of Regents. Yes, truth is stranger than fiction.
One song I learned from my friends
I liked so much that I’ve taught the chorus to my grandchildren:
Rise and shine, and give God the glory, glory
Rise and shine, and give God the glory, glory
Rise and shine and (CLAP!) give God the glory, glory
Children of the Lord.
Think of it—that song was taught and
sung in New York City public schools little more than 60 years ago.
But back to The Return of the Gods, which I’ve
already purchased. “The gods” refer to the false pagan gods of Baal, Ishtar,and Molech, who lie in wait for a nation or civilization to banish God; then
they weave their way into the society to inflict ruin. As the first book of Kings shows, it happened in ancient Israel. The old Soviet Union and
the current Chinese Communist Party are perfect examples. After the 1962
removal of public school prayer in the United States, the sexual revolution
followed almost immediately, along with the escalation of the Vietnam War and
the first state legalizations of abortion. Little more than one decade later, the
Roe v. Wade decision by the Supreme Court enshrined abortion nationwide. The
many same-sex, and now transgender, issues that we grapple with today quickly
rose in public consciousness, gaining power as they grew. “The gods” have been
busy.
Our moment in history is replicating may past ages,
including biblical times. There is “nothing new under the sun,” as Ecclesiastes tells us. “Nothing new” includes sexual depravity and decadence, child
sacrifice, wars, idolatry, and even transgenderism. These have all infiltrated
societies many times throughout history.
Consequently, there is nothing remarkable about “woke-ism”
except human pride and arrogance. Human beings are hardwired to believe in
something greater than themselves; when God is missing, there is a huge gap to
fill. Look around at the secular ideologies of our modern world and their impassioned
devotees. If we’re honest with ourselves, it is easy to see how far—and how fast--we have fallen. "The gods" are thrilled by our decline.
The Return of the Gods author Jonathan Cahn interview
