Articles
Coping with Life 20 – Impiety
Coping with Life 20 – Impiety
Mike Willis
The word “impiety” is defined as “lack of piety or reverence, especially for a god.” Solomon admonished men to “fear God and keep His commandments” (Eccl. 12:13), an exhortation repeated in 1 Peter 2:17. The meaning of the Hebrew word translated “fear” is “stand in awe of . . . reverence, honour” (HALOT, 431).
American society in the first quarter of the twenty-first century has largely lost its reverence for God. The lack of respect for God is obvious from the language spoken in movies, TV programs, radio broadcasts, the conversations one overhears, etc. What is considered lawful and morally acceptable behavior in America in the first quarter of the 21st century would have landed people in jail or left them socially ostracized just a few decades ago. One would never had heard of schools inviting Drag Queens to read to elementary students. Homosexual marriages were illegal and sodomy laws were common in many states of the Union. Most states had laws prosecuting those who had abortions as well as those who provided abortions. No-fault divorce was not legal and the American family was more stable. These evidences demonstrate impiety in our country.
An example of one of the most blasphemous acts in America was a 1987 photograph by American artist Andres Serrano. He displayed an entry for a photo contest that depicts a small plastic crucifix submerged in a small glass tank of the artist’s urine. The piece was a winner of the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art’s “Awards in the Visual Arts” competition, which was sponsored in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, a United States Government agency that offers support and funding for artistic projects. The piece later caused a scandal when it was exhibited in 1989, with detractors, including United States Senators Al D’Amato and Jesse Helms, outraged that Serrano received $15,000 for the work, and $5,000 in 1986 from the taxpayer-funded National Endowment for the Arts. What message do you think this photograph conveyed to the ordinary citizen who saw the photograph?
Do you think Mr. Serrano could treat Allah the same as he did the cross of Jesus? The only “god” whose name will not be used inappropriately or blasphemed in America is Allah, because of the fear of backlash from the Muslim community. Salman Rushdie wrote Satanic Verses in 1988 and an Iranian fatwa was issued against him. On August 12, 2022 Rushdie was stabbed in Chautauqua, NY.
The effect of impiety shown toward God and the Lord Jesus in the secular culture of our United States is rapidly having its effects among young people. The number of youths who profess to be Christian is declining, and significantly the moral character of our country is deteriorating at a rapid pace. More and more, Americans do not know the God who sent His Son to die on the cross of Calvary that sinners like you and me could be saved.
What will help restore decency toward one another, civility, lack of violence, honesty, and integrity to our society? The answer is piety, respect for the LORD, our God.
