Thursday, November 18, 2004
"The secularism that was stimulated by the war for independence, the erosion of the system in which a town was both a religious and a political corporation, the growth of an unchurched and ill-educated population, and the Federalist Party's weakness in national politics: such developments helped fuel the broad conservative reaction that has been loosely termed "The Second Great Awakening."
The above is from a biography of Emily Dickinson, "My Wars Are Laid Away in Books." I found it interesting. It seems to map well the course we're on today. With the ACLU fighting to get plaques of the ten commandments off walls in courthouses, fighting to get crosses out of county seals, fighting to get prayer and God out of public places, secularism is on the march. An unchurched and ill-educated population? There seems ample evidence of that today.
The Federalists were, I believe, the conservatives of their day. Perhaps the ground is well prepared for the planting of God-seed and a future harvest of souls coming around to church. One can pray. One can try to live an example.
