While belief in "god" is fundamental to religion, there is a corollary that is even more important, from a practical standpoint. That corollary is that There is an ultimate dictator of Good and Evil.
The most important aspect of the Ten Commandments is not what they are, actually, but that they COME FROM GOD. These are not Moses' beliefs about Good and Evil, or the consensus of Jewish people on Good and Evil, they are God's dictates on Good and Evil. And as such, they are UNASSAILABLE.
If you don't believe that, then you cannot be a "believer" in any rational sense.
But Millennials have been taught in our American public schools that THEY are the ultimate decision-maker when it comes to what is Good and what is Evil. There is no "objective" Good and Evil; YOU decide.
And theologically, if YOU decide what is Good and/or Evil, then you are "god." And while they would dispute that characterization, it is true. If you are the decider of what is Good and/or Evil then you are, in effect, "god."
If you have come to believe it is within your power to make this Good/Evil assessment, then how can you be religious? Even if you are "religious," you are a fraud. (NOTE: Obviously, there are unique circumstances in each new generation that Biblical teachings do not DIRECTLY or OBVIOUSLY cover, for example, the morality of using a cell phone while driving, but that's why we have an intellect - to infer the proper conclusions from Biblical teachings).
And nowhere is this phenomenon more evident than in the debate over the moral characterization of homosexual sodomy. If you believe in GOD, then you believe/know that the distinction between Good and Evil is not man-made...that it is not a matter of opinion...that it is not YOUR DECISION TO MAKE. Hence, if you believe in God, the Bible, and "natural law," then you CANNOT accept an institution like "gay marriage, which in effect renders God's assessment about homosexual sodomy moot - or worse, renders it FALSE and ERRONEOUS!
And when you ask a Millennial about "gay marriage," or related topics, s/he will ultimately inform you that YOU are a BIGOT and a "HATER" because you have judged their life-choices as Evil. Typically, they would consider the act of rendering judgment on that behavior ITSELF to be "immoral"!
Which is preposterous, I, as a believer, have not made any judgment about that behavior; I have merely read, understood, and accepted the judgment of GOD on the subject, which is not mine to dispute.
Within my lifetime, Pennsylvania public schools proudly and conspicuously displayed the Ten Commandments, and started their day with The Lord's Prayer. (Historical Note: I only attended shop classes in public school; for everything else I went to Sacred Heart School, Pittsburgh).
But don't let anyone tell you that there has been a conspiracy to erase this country's Judeo-Christian heritage; that would be positively paranoid.
Bottom Line: Millennials and younger have been taught to reject "god" and have accepted those atheistic teachings. Within a few short generations, we will be like Europe, with churches that are in effect historical curiosities, having little other significance.
The most important aspect of the Ten Commandments is not what they are, actually, but that they COME FROM GOD. These are not Moses' beliefs about Good and Evil, or the consensus of Jewish people on Good and Evil, they are God's dictates on Good and Evil. And as such, they are UNASSAILABLE.
If you don't believe that, then you cannot be a "believer" in any rational sense.
But Millennials have been taught in our American public schools that THEY are the ultimate decision-maker when it comes to what is Good and what is Evil. There is no "objective" Good and Evil; YOU decide.
And theologically, if YOU decide what is Good and/or Evil, then you are "god." And while they would dispute that characterization, it is true. If you are the decider of what is Good and/or Evil then you are, in effect, "god."
If you have come to believe it is within your power to make this Good/Evil assessment, then how can you be religious? Even if you are "religious," you are a fraud. (NOTE: Obviously, there are unique circumstances in each new generation that Biblical teachings do not DIRECTLY or OBVIOUSLY cover, for example, the morality of using a cell phone while driving, but that's why we have an intellect - to infer the proper conclusions from Biblical teachings).
And nowhere is this phenomenon more evident than in the debate over the moral characterization of homosexual sodomy. If you believe in GOD, then you believe/know that the distinction between Good and Evil is not man-made...that it is not a matter of opinion...that it is not YOUR DECISION TO MAKE. Hence, if you believe in God, the Bible, and "natural law," then you CANNOT accept an institution like "gay marriage, which in effect renders God's assessment about homosexual sodomy moot - or worse, renders it FALSE and ERRONEOUS!
And when you ask a Millennial about "gay marriage," or related topics, s/he will ultimately inform you that YOU are a BIGOT and a "HATER" because you have judged their life-choices as Evil. Typically, they would consider the act of rendering judgment on that behavior ITSELF to be "immoral"!
Which is preposterous, I, as a believer, have not made any judgment about that behavior; I have merely read, understood, and accepted the judgment of GOD on the subject, which is not mine to dispute.
Within my lifetime, Pennsylvania public schools proudly and conspicuously displayed the Ten Commandments, and started their day with The Lord's Prayer. (Historical Note: I only attended shop classes in public school; for everything else I went to Sacred Heart School, Pittsburgh).
But don't let anyone tell you that there has been a conspiracy to erase this country's Judeo-Christian heritage; that would be positively paranoid.
Bottom Line: Millennials and younger have been taught to reject "god" and have accepted those atheistic teachings. Within a few short generations, we will be like Europe, with churches that are in effect historical curiosities, having little other significance.