Gross Ignorance About God In America (God Is Not Amused)

The gross ignorance about God in America is more and more apparent everyday. A Television Show host recently asked people on the street some very simple questions about God and the Bible. Hardy anyone young or middle aged could answer the simple questions asked. There was a older man who was asked, after his grandson and son had failed to answered a simple question, and he did know the answer. This told me that we have lost two generations to ignorance about God and His word. Why has this happened?

We can blame, in part, the never ending barrage of mental programming by the Television. If the Television says anything about God, it is usually misleading or false. Those with any Biblical principles at all are usually made the object of the joke or scorn. Even the so-called religious programming of the big TV preachers teach false doctrines and a God that is foreign to the Bible. The TV is there to “amuse” us . We seem to want to be amused. “Muse” means to think. “Amuse” is to not think. When we are constantly being amused, we are becoming dumber and dumber. No, we do not have to be serious all the time, but there needs to be some balance, there is a time to think. People chose to watch their favorite TV show instead of any Bible Study or Prayer Time and God is not amused.

We can blame it , in part, on popular music, regardless whether it is Country or Rock. Most of the lyrics are about self, sex, drugs, alcohol or unfaithfulness and so on. The few that do mention God at all seem to have an unbiblical idea of Him. Some songs seem to think that God is to busy to answer our prayers. Some songs honor getting drunk on Friday and Saturday night and then attending church on Sunday. Some songs tell about a young girl running away from home as soon as she can. The general theme seems to be that whatever you do is alright, if you work hard and treat your neighbor ok. According to the songs heard, a person can do whatever they want and call themselves Christian, without ever making a commitment to Christ or serving Him. God is not amused.

We can blame it, in part, on sports. People can get so excited about a ball game or a race. Many know the names of the teams and the players and how good they are compared to each other. Many people travel great distances and spend lots of money to see a ball game or race. The word fan comes from the word fanatic. The American Heritage Dictionary defines fanatic as “n. A person marked or motivated by an extreme, unreasoning enthusiasm, as for a cause.” Many are big fans (or very fanatical) about sports. Sports are very entertaining. An online definition of “entertaining” is something that is “being very amusing”. As we learned earlier, “amuse” is to not think. All some people can think about is Sports. As far as what is important is concerned, Sports fans are amused. God is not amused.

Sadly enough, the gross ignorance about God and the Bible is not just with the man on the street, or confined to popular music and sports. There is gross ignorance in our Churches and Christianity as a whole. Some of the same simple questions that were missed by the man on the street would also be missed by the average pew sitter. Many people in our churches can not tell you the names of the twelve apostles or the names of the books of the Bible, but can tell you the names of their popular music singers, the names of their favorite ball players, or race car drivers. A European professor was asked to comment on American life after visiting here. His comment, "The Americans worship their work, work at their play, and play at their worship." While people, that do go to church, are playing church, their neighbors, community, State and Nation are going to Hell. Too many in the Church are caught up in the traditions of the church and in the social functions of the church, and have no idea how God wants them to live for Him. God is not amused. In fact God has warned us many times. One example is found in Hosea 4:6.

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” (Hosea 4:6 KJV)

God was not concerned that people did not know which team won the ball game, or which driver won the race, or who sang the latest song. The verse explains what knowledge it is that He is referring to. “thou hast forgotten the law of thy God”. God has provide us with knowledge in His word and we have failed to know it. Most fail to even read it and many even reject it. If we did not reject it, if we read it, if we knew it, our lives would show it. The lives of our children show our rejection of God’s Word and they as well as us suffer – “I will also forget thy children”.

Many wonder what is happening to our children. Many children, influenced by the things of the world, run away from home, or just take up looking and acting like the world. The signs of it are clear. The body piercing, multiple ear and nose rings, black eye make up. and other pagan signs and symbols. Satanic and witchcraft jewelry All are just signs of our own failure and “lack of knowledge” or rejecting and forgetting God’s law. How can we expect our children to do right and be blessed by God if we fail?

Just as there are warnings and consequences in Hosea 4:6, the opposite of that verse can also be true. Christians should not be lacking in knowledge, should not be rejecting knowledge that He has provided. They then would not be rejected as priest to God, will not forget His law and He will not forget their children. Just as we can not give someone a present that is walking away from us, God will not bless us while we are walking away from Him. If we want His blessings, we need to put ourselves in a position to receive them. God wants to bless us, let us place ourselves close to Him and follow His instructions.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV)

Let it start in the church and the change will spread to our neighbors, our community, our State, and our Nation. It is time to wipe out the gross ignorance in America.