In America, we're proud of our independence - we have a day to celebrate it, but we're not only proud of our independence from the British Monarchy, we're proud of our independence from God. Everything we do says "God, we'll pay you lip service but we really don't need you, we're doing just fine, thanks." Major hurricane destroys a city? We got this! No problem. We're Americans! We'll just pull together, help each other and come back better than before. Problem is, we never repent or turn from our wicked ways. No, we embrace them! We celebrate wickedness. We make a constant stream of movies, TV shows and music fixated on wickedness. Oh sure, the good guy wins in the end but we love to watch evil deeds and words. We march down main street parading our debauchery for all to see! we elect wicked leaders. We're proud of the fact that we tolerate wickedness! We resent and slander anyone who disagrees with us. We have marches and rally's to insure our right to murder our own babies, and we spew vitriol and angry speech at anyone who disagrees with us.
Now I know this is a one-sided point of view. I know there are a lot of God fearing people in America who hate wickedness and eschew it. But in far too many instances these people are serving their religion and not God. God's voice is too seldom heard on a national scale. His will, still is not being done. If His words, His judgments, His power will not be displayed by His people - He will bypass them and go directly to the wicked Himself. God's people are meant to be a buffer between Him and the heathen. They are supposed to intercede for the wicked, while at the same time spreading the Gospel seed into wicked hearts wherever they may be found. We are meant to be "carriers of Christ", bringing the Holy Spirit's anointing with us wherever we go. Instead, we become shills for whatever church we're attending - for we cannot invite people to meet a God we don't know ourselves. We cannot obey His will and the pastor's at the same time. Most pastors are dead set against God's will for you, but that's another story. Suffice it to say - the people like it that way. They would much rather surrender their spirituality, and their will, to their pastor than to God. It's much easier that way. On Judgment Day they will testify before God that they obeyed their pastor in all things, and remained in total submission to him their entire lives and He will reply "Depart from Me, I've never known you". How could He not know people who spent their lives doing good in His name? who built grand houses of worship dedicated to Him? Because in all of that they never wanted to know Him, they wanted to live their lives independent of Him, but still go to Heaven when they die. That's the real American dream - to have a paradise on earth of their own making, choosing how to live their lives without Him - but getting to spend Eternity in His paradise too. We want it all! Pleasures in this life and the next. Never mind all the scriptures about denying ourselves in this life, let's deny God our hearts until we get to the Judgment seat - there will be plenty of time to get to know Him in Heaven. As long as we're faithful to our religion because that's how we become good and acceptable to God. Keep all the statutes of our church, all the commandments of our denomination, obey our pastors or priest and we've earned our ticket to Heaven. Not all, not all, but many. Very few, believe me, are willing to obey God if their pastor tells them differently. And that's just the ones who know God, to whatever extent. Most don't know Him enough to recognize His voice if He did speak to them. How horrible to have the first words you ever hear the Lord speak be "Depart from Me". Don't let His first words to you also be your last!