R.R. Reno, editor of the journal First Things, concerning religion in public life, said this in a speech given Feb. 20, 2013, as adapted in the Hillsdale College speech digest Imprimis:

"Religious liberty is being redefined in America, or at least many would like it to be. Our secular establishment wants to reduce the autonomy of religious institutions and limit the influence of faith in the public square. The reason is not hard to grasp. In America, 'religion' largely means Christianity, and today our secular culture views orthodox Christian churches as troublesome, retrograde, and reactionary forces" (April 2013).

Traditional Christian morality is under growing attack in the United States. For instance, Reno further stated: "In striking down Texas sodomy laws, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy noted that moral censure of homosexuality has 'been shaped by religious beliefs'"—the biblical basis of moral censure now considered a bad thing. Increasingly only modern secular views are acceptable in law and jurisprudence today. The influence of the Bible and the Christian religion has been consigned to the past.

One author with a bleak outlook on life described the global human condition as being in "a godless world, without hope." The spiritual quality of hope seems to be hardwired into our very beings. Without it our lives soon become empty and virtually meaningless. We lose our moorings. And an America largely devoid of Christian standards will become a hopeless spiritual wasteland.

Reno also declared, as recorded in Imprimis: "America's Founders . . . agreed as a matter of principle that the law of God trumps the law of men. This has obvious political implications: The Declaration of Independence appeals to the unalienable rights given by our Creator that cannot be overridden or taken away . . .

"Put somewhat differently, religion gives us a place to stand outside politics, and without it we're vulnerable to a system in which the state defines everything, which is the essence of tyranny. That is why gay marriage, which is sold as an expansion of freedom, is in fact a profound threat to liberty."

Yet whatever the direction of the nation as a whole, you individually can live a lawful life filled with hope. If you would like some help, read the Bible study aids Making Life Work and The Ten Commandments. (Source: Imprimis.)