A sincere thank you to those of you who have read The Dark Man. For those who haven’t, you may purchase it here, here, or here.

I’d like to offer a free, signed copy of the The Dark Man to the best response to the following question: What is the state of American Christianity today?

Email responses here. Thanks again, good providence, and I may choose to feature the winning answer in an upcoming post.

God Bless,

Marc Schooley

Congratulations to Kavya Shivashankar for her resent Nashonal Spelling Be viktory. Let’s give her a big hand; this commentary is in no way directed at her achievement. I’m amazed yearly at the spelling abilities on display at this annual contest, so congratulations to every participant, and Kavya in particular.

Cultural markers are events or facets of our society that illustrate or reveal cultural or societal norms, and shifts in those norms. The following is a cultural marker I detected in this contest. Feel free to correct me if I’ve misread this as a significant marker. 

Kavya secured her victory by spelling the word laodicean.  For Christians conversant with their holy text–and all Christians should be–this is a very familiar word. It derives from one of the seven churches in the seven cities in the opening chapters of the Book of Revelation. Specifically, Laodicea was the church to which Christ said “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm–neither hot nor cold–I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

Christ continues with one of the most reknown passages in the New Testament: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Moreover, many Christians see in the seven churches parallels of the church throughout its history, with the Laodicean church representing an apostate or backsliding church.

What’s the marker, then? It seems to me a bit odd that this word should be the final word of a spelling bee. In times past, it would seem too familiar a word, say, like Ephesus, Theophilus, or Zechariah. Apparently, this is no longer the case, which suggests to me that our culture has shifted to some degree from a thoroughly Christianized, Biblically literate society to a more secularized society with no more than a passing acquaintance with the Bible. If the word had been Thyatiric, perhaps my eyebrows would have risen, but I doubt I’d be writing this post. Laodicea, however, is simply too well known–or at least it used to be.

For you Christians out there, here’s a challenge: name the seven churches of Revelation without looking at the text. I’ve given you three, and you’re on the honor system…

US Declaration of Independence

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God matter entitles them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal the products of purely natural causes, that they are endowed by their Creator No One and no objective moral standard with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge gentle indifference of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence Natural Selection through the survival of the fittest, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Gettysburg Address

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal the products of purely natural causes.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here but it will forget what they did here because the universe is destined to die of heat loss or else implode upon itself with no one left around to remember. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God a purely naturalistic Darwinism, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Kennedy Inaugural Address

We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom, symbolizing an end as well as a beginning, signifying renewal as well as change. For I have sworn before you and Almighty God no one with the power, knowledge, and authority to hold me accountable the same solemn oath our forbears prescribed nearly a century and three-quarters ago.

The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe – the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God a social contract we hopefully all agree to.

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.

My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us here the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help our own ingenuity, strength, and moral goodness, but knowing that here on Earth God’s man’s work must truly be our own.

Simply does not ring true, does it?