Privatizing GOD

With the increasing growth of government and economic pressures impacting each of us, you will often hear a discussion or call for PRIVATIZATION of a particular business or program.  In fact, there seems to be a power play or tug of war or sorts as to whether the government should run more businesses and social programs or whether more businesses and programs should be privatized.  History does show that private operation of a business or program is most often more successful and even less expensive to operate.  You likely have heard of the incredible prices the government pays for basic parts and labor, the many examples of government waste, or even the continuing financial losses with the U.S. Postal Service (leading to increasing costs, as we just realized again).  Basic government programs that nearly all of us contribute to through taxes and payroll deductions or even depend on for survival, such as Social Security and Medicaid, are also in jeopardy of financial collapse.  Is the answer PRIVATIZATION or is this the problem?

I submit that the problem with the government running things and even the problem with many private businesses is that they are PRIVATIZING GOD.  In fact, this is a problem seen and reflected in many levels of our society.  Individuals often dissect their lives into private and public.  Religious organizations often talk about the distinctions between the secular and the sacred.  The government in America as reflected in many ways, including judicial rulings, has been pressured by certain elitist thinking to believe that a separation between Church and State means that GOD has to be removed from anything or any event connected with government.  Public Universities, such as Virginia Tech, have bought into this thinking as well.  Even an examination of the ceremonial events commemorating the tragedy of 04-16-07 reveals this interesting dichotomy, where the official ceremonial events have been hesitant to even acknowledge GOD, except in as much as focused on in the biographies of those who died.

We have forgotten our history and our heritage.  We have forgotten how the Universities in America even became successful as they have been.  If you doubt this, then research the founding purpose statements of the oldest American Universities, such as the Ivy League Schools.  Do a detailed study of the history of the beginnings of America and see how our founders understood this relationship between GOD and the rest of life.  You may be surprised at what you find.  I am addressing this in my upcoming book as well (see the Top Ten Lessons tabbed above).  In practice, we have marginalized GOD.  We have made GOD only a small portion of our lives and essentially PRIVATIZED HIM.

Now, I, as is true of America’s Founding Fathers, do not advocate the government establishing one particular religious organization.  I also, along with our Founding Fathers who put this truth in the First Amendment of our Constitution, do not believe the government or even any public business should prohibit the free exercise of religion.  An imbalance there is essentially what is happening today, as my own personal experience demonstrates.  If we don’t get that right, we will most certainly lose more and more of our freedoms (even the freedom to not believe).

The Number One Lesson in life (as I have been focusing on as well) is to FEAR GOD ABOVE ALL.  Dear reader, you cannot do this if you succumb to the tragedy and foolishness of PRIVATIZING GOD.  That is not the answer to how any individual or all of us collectively can be happy or have unity and peace in our world; It is the problem.