Some Thoughts on our Divided Country

The recent national election provided another example of how divided our country is.  The margin of victory for President Obama over the Republican candidate, Mitt Romney was only 3 million votes.  Even though the election was lost, 48% of Americans voted for Mr. Romney, in effect voting against the present administration.  Looking at a map of our country, the divide is obvious.  The President gained his support from the northeast and the west coast, while the Republicans remained strong in the south. 

Currently, one of the most divisive issues is that of gay marriage.  Our president supports gay rights.  That stance mirrors almost exactly the election results.  Support for gay marriage is strongest in New England (62%) and the Mid-Atlantic (57%) regions and lowest in the South Central region (35%).  Opposition is the strongest in the south; 56% in the South Central and 48% in the South Atlantic regions.  Public opinion on the president's health care reform package is similar.  The ultimate example of the chasm might be the votes cast by evangelicals.  72% of evangelical Christians voted for the Republican candidate, while only 23% voted Democratic. 

I have heard a lot of "Whoa is us" comments in these post-election days.  There is even a campaign to have The State of Texas, where we live, secede from the union.  I prefer to view our present situation as a challenge.  I would encourage those who share my perspective to do the same.  This is especially important for parents of teens.  If our traditional faith and values are to be past on to the next generation the responsibility lies with us.  We certainly cannot look to the government,or the education system to impart our biblical value system. 

There has never been a more critical time for Christian parents.  We need to not only be teaching faith and values, but living them out.  More importantly, we must be pointing to The Scriptures and helping young people understand what God''s desire is for his people.  And while we are doing that, we need to be praying for our leaders, especially our president and the member of  the congress.  The future of our nation and the souls of our children are at stake.