No, it isn't about politics, or the economy, or global warming, or war, or a thousand other things. It is about church and religion.
It should concern us all greatly that a Baptist Minister was shot and killed while in the pulpit Sunday morning. It happened in Maryville, Illinois, at First Baptist Church. Rev. Fred Winters was the victim. He had pastored the church for twenty-two years. He left a wife and two children. Details have not come forth as yet. Whatever the motive, it is alarming when these things happen. Several churches have been victims of such violence in recent years. Back in the late 1800's my grandfather pastored a country church where the former pastor had been shot and killed while in the pulpit. There had been a conflict a few weeks earlier at an outdoor baptizing. The young man, who was chastised from the pulpit because of his actions at that service, came with a weapon and killed the preacher.
The other disturbing news was from AP. A wide-ranging survey has indicated at least 15% of respondents said they have NO religion. This is an increase from 14.2 in 2001, and 8.2 in 1990. Northern New England surpassed the Pacific reporting THIRTY FOUR PERCENT claiming no religion. This comes in a time when more religious broadcasting than ever before is on TV. Could it be those methods are not doing the job? They ARE mainly geared toward people who are already believers, for the most part. Many of them involve pleas for money. The bottom line on religious television is that it appears to be personal, but is not. No one ever enters a home, or visits a hospital, or stands with a family in death and distress. Something is leaving an emptiness in persons across our country. We should be greatly concerned in seeking a reason and a spiritual answer. What do you think?