I imagine that some of my longtime readers have probably noticed that I have not been as prolific of late, and they may have been wondering why. Hopefully this segment will serve as an explanation for that; but first I need to make an apology.

I am sure that some of you recall how I often belittle those whose minds are filled with useless trivia; such as sports statistics, or what is going on in the lives of their favorite celebrities. Well, I’m just as guilty of that as well, and I’ll get to why momentarily. The point is, I have not taken to heart what Christ tells us in Matthew 7:3, “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” I am guilty of criticizing the mote in other people’s eyes, while ignoring the beam that is my own eye; and for that I wish to apologize.

Are you aware that, back in 1960, a Gallup poll survey showed that 93% of America identified as Christian? As recently as 1990 that percentage remained around 90%; at least according to data collected by the PEW Research Center. Then, in 2007, they reported that the number of adults who identified as atheist or agnostic had grown from 16% to 29%, and the number of those who identify as Christian had dropped to 63%.

I have my own thoughts as to why the numbers show a downward trend in those who identify as Christian; with part of that being the fact that the number of those who have succumbed to the wiles of Satan being on the rise. I don’t know if people have given this much thought, but I do know that up until recently I sure didn’t; but if you were to look at the age of the adults who are no longer identifying as Christian you would probably find that the number of Christians began dropping off with the Baby Boomers, and has increased steadily with Generation X and the Millenials.

Think about it, the Baby Boomers would have been coming into adulthood during a time of conflict and societal upheaval in America. There was Vietnam, the Civil Rights Movement, and there was the Hippy, or Peace and Love, Movement. All these things would have been going on right around the time the Boomers were entering into adulthood; and they are now those who make up the oldest segment of society; those in their golden years.

The Boomers were followed by Generation X, a generation that witnessed a boom in scientific advancement, as well as the economic fluctuations of the 1990’s. The number of those from this generation who identify as Christian fell to 70%, and the number of Millenials who identify as Christian has fallen every further; with only 56% of Millenials identifying as Christian. Then there is Generation Z; the least religious generation yet. According to data, 34% of Generation Z have no religious affiliation; with the number of agnostics and atheists being on the rise.

The next generation, Generation Alpha, shows no signs of reversing that trend. Generation Alpha are the children of the Millenials, Generation Alpha is the first generation to grow up not knowing what life was like before the digital age; meaning their lives revolve around connection to social media and the devices that make that connection possible. That is not to say that they are not growing up to be spiritual; it is only that their spirituality is not centered around institutionalized religion; partly due to the fact of their disillusionment with the intolerance and rigid structures found in organized religion.

The point I’m getting at is this; for all intents and purposes, the number of those who identify as being Christian appears to be on the decline in America; a trend that shows no signs of reversing itself. As this trend continues, and the number of those who do not identify as Christian continues to grow, we can expect to see a time when those who do identify as Christian as being anomalies; possibly even facing persecution for their faith. The signs that this could be a distinct possibility are there; with the increased trust in science and political authority being on the rise, and the belief that Yahweh’s (God’s) law is superior to the laws written by man being on the decline.

I was not raised in a church going home. I think I could count the times I went to church with either of my parents on one hand; without having to count my thumb. My faith came to me as the inevitable consequence of my studies on the history of this country, and its system of government.

If you recall the first segment of this essay, I provided you with the analogy of the curious villager who climbed up the mountainside to see what lay beyond the borders of his village. Each time he climbed further up the mountain he was able to see further beyond his village; with the number of people rejecting what he told them he saw increasing the further he got from what mainstream society believed the truth to be.

If you apply that analogy to society today you will find that the majority of those living in this country have faith in the political system; that all it needs is the right people at the helm to make things right again. These are those who fall under the spell of the two party paradigm; the Democrats and Republicans who believe that their party has all the answers to all of the problems this country faces. They are those for whom, faith is the system is absolute; and that any who say anything negative about it are dangers to society.

Climbing up our allegorical mountain, we encounter those who believe that something has gone terribly wrong; that either corruption has infiltrated the system and needs to be purged, or that the system contains flaws that need to be repaired by the amendment process. These are those who believe that some form of man made government is necessary; but that something needs to be done to fix what is wrong with our current system of government.

Going further up the mountainside we encounter those who believe that the system is irreparable; that it was designed by a small group of men to serve and benefit their crony friends; the elite, the rich and powerful. While I am not saying that those who believe this are wrong (I agree wholeheartedly with this belief) I am saying that many find themselves trapped on this plateau; refusing to climb even higher up the allegorical mountain to see what they can see.

I, myself, was stuck on that plateau for nearly two decades; focusing all my attention, and efforts, upon trying to awaken people to the inherent flaws in their system of government; how it does not matter who the people put into power, nothing is going to change for the better. However, something began growing inside me; the realization that government itself, (especially this system of government) is inherently evil. I began to realize that, as man is not capable of establishing any fixed standards of morality, what constitutes either good or evil, that we must look to a higher power if we want to know what is good, and what is evil; which leads us to the peak of the allegorical mountain.

As parents, which many of us are, we seek to do that which is best for our children; providing them with the skills and knowledge that they will need as adults if they are to succeed in life. However, as flawed creatures, creatures who may not understand the complex reasons why we face so many problems in this country, we often fall short of fully preparing our children for adulthood.

That cannot be said about our Father in Heaven; He is perfect, and His knowledge and understanding is perfect as well. As a loving Father, He has given us all the knowledge and guidance that we need if we are to succeed in life. The problem with that is that we tend to look at things from an earthly perspective, when Yahweh has told us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

So what does succeed mean; what is our function, or goal, in life? If you look at it from an earthly perspective, then you might think it means to find a good job, establish a family, and be a good law abiding citizen. However, is that the way Yahweh looks at success? As Christians, we have, or we ought to have, two primary goals in life. The first is to share the gospel with those who have not heard it; that is our earthly mission. The second, and this gets to the heart of the matter, is that we should seek to live our lives following Christ; living our lives (to the best of our limited ability) in accordance with Yahweh’s laws, and Christ’s teachings; so that we can be admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven on Judgment Day.

We, and when I say we I mean society in general, have been taught (lied to) that our system of government is a Christian system of government. How so? I have asked that of many who make that claim, and the best they can come up with is the statement that many of those serving in government profess to be Christian. Well gee, Judas Iscariot was a follower of Christ as well; right up until he betrayed him to the Sanhedrin!

A Christian system of government would have Yahweh’s law as the foundation upon which it was established; yet, for all intents and purposes, a wall of separation between church and state was erected when the Constitution went into effect. How can we have a Christian system of government when the function that government serves has nothing to do with upholding Yahweh’s laws? What we have is a government of men, by men, and for men; with our Christian faith being relegated to secondary status; beliefs that we adhere to that are apart from the laws imposed upon us by men.

As Christians, we must choose which of the two we will serve and obey; government, or Yahweh. Most Christians in America take offense at those of us who refuse to recite the Pledge of Allegiance whenever it is required; yet they do not seem to understand what they are doing when them, themselves, recite that pledge. It all boils down to what the word ‘allegiance’ means.

This is how Merriam Webster’s Dictionary defines the word allegiance:

1 a: the obligation of a feudal vassal to his liege lord

b (1): the fidelity owed by a subject or citizen to a sovereign or government

(2): the obligation of an alien to the government under which the alien resides

2: devotion or loyalty to a person, group, or cause.

So, when one pledges allegiance to the flag, and the republic that it represents, they are pledging the devotion, or commitment, to that flag, or republic; placing their faith in, and desire to uphold Yahweh’s law, in a position secondary to that of their devotion to the republic. In essence, government has become the people’s god, and their devotion to it is absolute.

Now that may offend some, and I can certainly understand that; it would have offended me 25 years ago as well. However, think about this; it does not bother most people that there are some who believe that one does not need to go to church, or believe in Yahweh (God) to be a good person. But tell those same people that they do not need government and watch how they react. People find nothing wrong with those who believe that they do not need Yahweh in their life, but ask those same people to live without government and they go into a panic!

What, may I ask, is the function of government if it is not to pass laws? Now some may believe that those laws should serve to benefit society in general, a particular class, or segment, of society, or that they should serve to punish evildoers. Yet why do we need a system that gives men the power to enact laws when Scripture tells us that we have but one lawgiver; Christ, “There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?” (James 4:12)

Yet there are many Christians, including those who serve as shepherds (priests and pastors) over the Lord’s flock, who cite Romans 13 as justification for obedience to man made systems of government. How does one go about reconciling that against what we read in James 4? To do so we have to understand, and accept, that Yahweh’s law is superior to any law enacted by man. If people cannot, or will not, accept that, then there is no point in continuing this discussion.

However, we must also understand that, throughout the Bible we read of instances where the people were given bad government, or carried off into captivity, for their disobedience to Yahweh’s laws and commandments. One has to understand that, for nearly 3,000 years, the Lord’s chosen people had no earthly rulers; that it wasn’t until the people asked Samuel to appoint a king over them that anyone other than Yahweh ruled over them. Even then, the Lord said unto Samuel, “Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.” (1 Samuel 8:7)

The only reason men want earthly government is because their minds are focused upon earthly concerns; fixing the roads, providing for the needy, and all the other things people expect from government. Yet in Colossians 3:2 we read, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

We all come into this world, live our lives, then die; that is inevitable. Yet what we fail to give much thought to is that there is something else that is inevitable; the day when we will stand before Christ and give an accounting of our lives. Do you think our admittance into His Kingdom will be based upon our political ideologies, who we voted for, or which system of man made government best served the needs of the people?

There are those who believe that America would be much better off if the Constitution were to be abolished; that we return to the status we were prior to it’s adoption under the Articles of Confederation. I used to be one who thought along those lines; until I realized that the individual State Governments are not Christian based either; we would merely be splintered into 50 different territories that were subject to the same earthly weaknesses and flaws inherent in all of mankind. If you disagree with me on that, then answer this; How much closer to the Kingdom of Heaven would you be if the Constitution were to be abolished?

Even if the Constitution were all that people make it out to be (which it isn’t) it would not matter; not as long as the virtue and morals of the people it served were wicked and immoral. Samuel Adams understood this and stated it thusly, “[N]either the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt.” (Source: Essay in The Public Advertiser, circa 1749)

Scripture tells us all we need to know about how to fix what ails us as a country, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Now people might say that Yahweh (God) cannot change the hearts of those who govern over His people. Those who say that have not read their Bibles; for how many times did Yahweh harden Pharaoh’s heart before he finally let the Israelites go? Nothing is impossible for Yahweh; He is capable of redeeming the vilest of sinner, and the most stiff necked among us; if we would but profess our faith in Him, and follow His commandments and teachings.

Yet to do that, we must shed our devotion to earthly systems of government. Scripture tells us that; yet we refuse to let that message enter into our hearts. In 1 John 2:15-17 we read, “Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

Then, in Romans 12, we read, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Honestly, if we were to do that, to make Yahweh’s perfect will our own, would government even be necessary; did not James Madison say that if men were angels no form of government would be necessary?

A Christian should not desire to have anything to do with a system of government that did not have Yahweh’s immutable laws as the foundation upon which it was erected; for anything other than that is a government of men, by men, and for men. Under such a system it would not matter whom the people elect; for the system itself serves men, not Yahweh.

I do not claim to have all the answers, or to fully understand Yahweh’s plan for mankind; I can only trust in Him and seek to expand my understanding through study and prayer. I do know that those whose beliefs place man made laws above the laws given to us by our Creator are following the wrong ruler; for as Christ told us, we can only serve one master.

I choose to serve Christ; which is why I no longer concern myself with who runs our current system of government, or whether or not we would be better off abolishing it and establishing another; for unless that system of government is based upon Yahweh’s laws and commandments, it is still a government of men, by men, and for men.

I have reached the pinnacle of the mountain when it comes to what I can learn from history; all my concern is now focused upon increasing my understanding of Yahweh’s holy word. I can only hope, and pray, that my story will help others in forsaking their allegiance to an earthy system of government; one that has a long history of doing things that go against Yahweh’s laws and commandments. If I can free but one soul from the prison that has ensnared their minds, it will be well worth the rejection and condemnation I get from those who remain loyal to this evil system, being run by evil men.

And that is all I have to say about that; have a very blessed day…

January 18, 2025

~ The Author ~
Neal Ross, Student of history, politics, patriot and staunch supporter of the 2nd Amendment. Send all comments to: [email protected].

If you liked Neal’s latest column, maybe you’ll like his book: The Civil War: (The Truth You Have Not Been Told). Life continues to expand for this prolific writer and guardian of TRUE American history.