What Happens When We Are No Longer Grateful For Our Freedom?
This was written by Alexander Fraser Tytler, a European historian and published in 1776 in The Decline and Fall of the Athenian Republic. In his publication, Tytler reported that from his research he had determined the following:
"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising them the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over a loss of fiscal responsibility, always followed by a dictatorship. The average of the world's great civilizations before they decline has been 200 years. These nations have progressed in this sequence:
From bondage to spiritual faith,
From spiritual faith to great courage,
From courage to liberty,
From liberty to abundance,
From abundance to selfishness,
From selfishness to complacency,
From complacency to apathy,
From apathy to dependency,
From dependency back again to bondage."
If Tytler's conclusion is correct, this year America exceeded the average length for a democratic form of government by 33 years.
I believe the same can be said for our spiritual liberties. When the church is fought and forced to go into hiding and Christians were being killed for their faith they exhibited great spiritual faith and courage. They were fed to the lions and burned at the stake. However once Christianity became accepted and celebrated as the norm its importance in one’s life soon began to diminish and the cycle continues.
This holiday weekend let us search within ourselves and ask ourselves how courageous we are in our stance for Christ and all the Christian life stands for. What are we willing to die for, because that is what we are willing to live for?
This was written by Alexander Fraser Tytler, a European historian and published in 1776 in The Decline and Fall of the Athenian Republic. In his publication, Tytler reported that from his research he had determined the following:
"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising them the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over a loss of fiscal responsibility, always followed by a dictatorship. The average of the world's great civilizations before they decline has been 200 years. These nations have progressed in this sequence:
From bondage to spiritual faith,
From spiritual faith to great courage,
From courage to liberty,
From liberty to abundance,
From abundance to selfishness,
From selfishness to complacency,
From complacency to apathy,
From apathy to dependency,
From dependency back again to bondage."
If Tytler's conclusion is correct, this year America exceeded the average length for a democratic form of government by 33 years.
I believe the same can be said for our spiritual liberties. When the church is fought and forced to go into hiding and Christians were being killed for their faith they exhibited great spiritual faith and courage. They were fed to the lions and burned at the stake. However once Christianity became accepted and celebrated as the norm its importance in one’s life soon began to diminish and the cycle continues.
This holiday weekend let us search within ourselves and ask ourselves how courageous we are in our stance for Christ and all the Christian life stands for. What are we willing to die for, because that is what we are willing to live for?
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