LOOKING into the past is sometimes a disturbing experience. As we survey the past year and see the direction in which Britain has been going, we are dismayed and saddened by the evidences of our tremendous spiritual and moral declension. Truly, it is time, and high time, to seek the Lord. No doubt the godly elsewhere feel similarly about their own countries. As we look at various countries with a Christian heritage, we see in them an ebb tide of Biblical religion, and a rising tide of iniquity and false religions.
It is time to seek the Lord when we are guilty of forsaking our Protestant heritage, and giving still more place to Roman Catholicism and its idolatry. For how much longer, we may ask, will the Protestant nature of the British throne and constitution be maintained intact? For the first time, a Roman Catholic, Lord Camoys, has been appointed recently as the Lord Chamberlain. He not only runs the Queen’s household but also gives advice to the Royal family on all matters, including protocol. Rome has yet another friend at court.
The idolatrous bent of the nation was seen in the events following the death of Princess Diana. After visiting Kensington Palace to view the scene for himself, the editor of Protestant Truth wrote, “I found myself in the midst of a sea of flowery shrines containing mass cards, crucifixes, sacred hearts and prayers for the soul of the deceased, while the aroma of burning candles and incense filled the air. I left the scene vexed and saddened that England could have departed so far from the great truths which the Protestant Reformers upheld and defended even unto death. . . . How much further, one asks, must our country depart from the truth before God’s people take it to heart.”
If we are really concerned about the great decline of our officially Christian and Protestant country we will be saddened by the ecumenical spirit of the age. We will be grieved about the development of an inclusivist and multi-faith approach to religion on the national level, and alarmed about the concessions made to false religions. Shame on us that we have become ashamed of the uniqueness of the Christian faith and have opted for multi-faith religious education in our schools. It is time to seek the Lord and to plead that He would bring our land to prize the truth that Christ alone is “the way to the Father”.
Another cause of deep concern is the normalising of sodomy. The media projects it as natural, and the public increasingly accepts this. A homosexual is given a place in government, and William Hague and his Conservative Party now look favourably on “gays”. Despite the concern expressed about the strong association between homosexuality and paedophilia, and the high incidence of AIDS among homosexuals, it is probable that the age of homosexual consent will be lowered from 18 to 16 when Parliament votes on the issue next spring. Campaigners for this unnatural and exceedingly sinful way of life are vigorously striving to obtain for homosexual couples the rights enjoyed by traditionally married couples. Dare we think that the God of heaven has closed His eyes to our legalising of the sin which brought His righteous indignation upon Sodom? Surely it is time to seek the Lord, and to seek that He would bring us to national repentance for this glaring wickedness.
The legalising of abortion is another great sin that continues to lie at our door. Thirty years ago the Abortion Act was passed, and in that time almost five million abortions have been carried out – a number that is almost equal to the entire population of Scotland! Only a tiny proportion of these abortions were justifiably carried out – to preserve the life of the mother. How barbaric and heartless society has become when it can complacently accept such a situation, especially when The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists now admits that aborted babies may feel pain from the 24th week, and advises doctors to use an anaesthetic before killing unborn babies at that gestational age. Many doctors believe that pain is felt earlier, and at some hospitals an anaesthetic is used on the unborn baby to be killed from 13 weeks gestation. Such horrific slaughter ought to send us to our knees with tears of godly sorrow.
There are many more indications of our rapid downhill course, such as further moves towards legalising euthanasia, devotion to the National Lottery, increase in the crimes of murder, violence and child abuse, and the breakdown of family life. Some people, even in the professing church, may reply that there are signs to the opposite effect – some churches are growing, and more Christian literature is available than ever before. Maybe; but it must be said that some church growth is of a very questionable nature, and many Christian books are worse than useless. The fact remains that the spiritual and moral state of both the nation and the national churches is so low that we ought to humble ourselves before God, beseeching Him, “In wrath, remember mercy.”
God is calling to us: “Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you,” Hosea 10:12. Let us heed His call. □