Note: This article written by Brandon Showalter was originally published on the Christian Post website HERE.

New research from LifeWay about what Americans value reveals they prize “personal freedom” most, a finding one leading pastor and radio host believes reflects a “me-centered” culture.

The survey, which was published in May, measured the responses of 1,000 adults polled last fall, asking them several questions about which emotions they most want to avoid and which desires are the strongest in their lives.

Forty percent of respondents said that “personal freedom” was what they most desired, 31 percent desired “respect,” and 28 percent expressed the desire “to overcome.” Shame constituted the emotion that 38 percent wanted to avoid most, while “guilt” and “fear” received 31 and 30 percent, respectively.

Interestingly, respondents who attended church more often valued personal freedom less than others. Of those who identified as having evangelical beliefs, 32 percent valued personal freedom most compared to 42 percent of those without evangelical beliefs who said the same.

Among respondents who attend services less than once each month, 44 percent value personal freedom most. That number falls to 36 percent for those who attend more than once a month. Among the “nones,” those who identify as religiously unaffiliated, more of them said they want to avoid guilt (35 percent) than those who are religious (30 percent). By contrast, 39 percent of religious respondents say they want to avoid shame compared to 33 percent of “nones.”

Sam Rohrer, president of the American Pastors network, said in a statement Monday in response to the survey that the findings highlight the “me-centered culture” of the United States and shows how Americans confuse personal and constitutional freedoms with freedom in Christ.

“As terrorism permeates society, freedom is under attack, especially from those who wish to eradicate anything to do with Christianity. Likewise, laws in our own country compromise religious freedom, and Americans are becoming more focused on their wants, needs, entitlements and how they think they deserve to live their own life, sometimes with no regard for others around them,” Rohrer said.

“Personal freedom and civic freedom can only exist in a culture where sufficient people have experienced freedom from sin through Jesus Christ and, as our founders did, established a basis in law that reflected that spiritual freedom in civil freedom,” he said.

“Where there is a rejection of the concept of freedom in Jesus Christ there will only be totalitarian government.”

LifeWay’s findings also indicate that people’s perceptions about these negative emotions have influenced how churches present the Christian faith to the public. The research was born out of questions LifeWay researchers had about whether guilt remains a significant issue for Americans and if guilt, fear and shame affects how Christians speak about what they believe.

Another question the survey asked was: Which of these directions do you value the most? The three possible choices were “Reaching my potential,” “Bringing honor to my friends and family” and “Having friends in high places.” Only 3 percent chose “having friends in high places.”

To turn away from fake news and cheap shots, we must believe in God again and focus on that foundation.

by Sam Rohrer

This article was originally published on the Lifezette website.

As our society becomes more secular and crass — and as headlines become more and more disturbing, such as the frightening shooting that targeted lawmakers and their aides on a baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia — one of the places it shows up most and surprises us is in the media.

The Media Research Council recently published a survey declaring the majority of network television and cable outlets present negative material about President Donald Trump as much as 90 percent of the time.

Media reporters without a basis for judging truth make up their own stories that may have nothing to do with the truth. In fact, they may be completely crafted for the sake of advocacy journalism that is anti-God, or may fulfill a desire to tell stories that fit their worldview and desire for humanistic change.

Occasionally, “artists” will present something to shock us and get publicity for their “cause.” It is necessary we realize such ideas as coming from a mind so depraved that some would diagnose it as crazy.

While the liberal comic destroyed her own career because of her hatred and had all of her booked performances and TV shows cancelled, she blamed President Trump and his family for her self-inflicted wounds.

That’s not the way life works.

Even though she apologized because the reaction to her stunt was quick and vociferous even from left-leaning Hollywood types, her actions were like driving a nail into a board. If you pull it out, you still have to deal with the ugly hole left in it.

The 1987 immersion of a crucifix in urine by Andres Serrano showed contempt for organized religion. The piece made headlines two years later when it was shown to the public during a National Endowment for the Arts tour. When then-Sens. Al D’Amato and Jesse Helms saw the depraved piece, they helped pass a law requiring the NEA to consider “general standards of decency” in awarding grants. The uproar turned the picture, entitled “Piss Christ,” into one of the key fighting fronts in the culture wars of the 1980s and 1990s.

Serrano’s fellow NEA recipient Robert Mapplethorpe divided a nation over the question of whether the government had the right to censor art.

Conservatives will strongly defend the First Amendment. There’s no doubt. But when the shock experienced by the public is so strong as to offend adults and not take into account the tender consciences of children, common sense suggests it should be eliminated from public view. It contributes nothing to the positive momentum of society.

Denying the existence of God, making fun of God-appointed authorities, offending the beliefs of millions of people and making any source other than the Bible the fountain of truth helps us understand that all are born into sin and sin is in us from the start.

In an 1803 election sermon to the Connecticut legislature, the Rev. Mathias Burnet affirmed that without a sense of accountability to God and His eternal judgment, government would indeed become corrupt: “Feeble … would be the best form of government, and ineffectual the most wise and salutary laws … without a sense of religion and the terrors of the world to come … In a word, banish a sense of religion and the terrors of the world to come from society and you at once dissolve the sacred obligation of conscience and leave every man to that which is right in his eyes” (Deuteronomy 12:8; Judges 17:6; 21:25).

Each person believing and obeying God is a recipe for a successful society.

Each person becoming his or her own god is a recipe for destruction and death. We all must make this binary choice.

You’d have to be living in a cave somewhere, not to know about the totally insane action of Kathy Griffin–holding up what appeared to be
the severed head of our President. Her actions, subsequent “apology” and the public’s response beg for a couple comments.

First, Kathy’s apology was anything BUT sincere. How do I know that? Well, for starters, if you’ve seen said “apology” you will note the
rolling of her eyes and insincere attitude.

But, above and beyond all of that is the fact that Kathy primarily “apologized” to the wrong person (s). Has she offended many Americans,
including me? Absolutely! Has she traumatized some young children, including Barron Trump? Certainly! Has she disgraced her profession and herself? Without doubt! But, the FIRST AND FOREMOST individual to whom she should have issued her “apology” is President Donald Trump.

In her approximately 30 second “apology” she said nothing to the 45th President, against whom she committed an illegality. In fact, if there
is such a thing as a hate crime (and there certainly is), then SHE COMMITTED ONE! But, to the very one against whom she perpetrated this
heinous act, she said nothing!

So, Kathy, how about issuing a genuine, directed, sincere apology to the one against whom you broke the law and because of whom you should be in jail!

Second, the silence of many on the left is just as stunning as Kathy’s egregious stupidity. The very ones who accuse preachers of being hateful
for speaking the truth about the most evil ideology of our time, refuse to say anything about Kathy’s venomously hate-filled stunt. Does anyone see the hypocrisy and insincerity here, for it is certainly on vivid display!

No, instead of calling for Kathy to apologize, the purveyors of political correctness continue their fake outrage, or perhaps sincere
outrage, directed at truth speakers–those who love innocent victims and their country enough to actually “tell it like it is!”

One last point. To the many who incessantly accuse God’s genuine preachers of “fear mongering” when they speak the truth, may I ask this
probing question? What about true “fear mongering”–things like Kathy has done that traumatizes young children, including the President’s son? Are you going to speak as definitively with respect to that? Are you going to use your limited vocabulary to call her out on her lunacy? Of
course not! Because, objective truth is not now, and probably never has been, your pursuit.

At least CNN has ended it’s relationship with the now disgraced comic. If the legal system were to choose to pursue a prosecution of Griffin,
she’d deserve every bit of it! This kind of illegality, open hostility, and abject stupidity simply cannot be excused any longer.

It’s time for someone to “tell it like it is!” And, if that means suffering accusations of being “un-Christian,” then so be it! In actuality, the most Christian thing one can do is speak truthfully. And, those who do are in GREAT company–with the One who is THE TRUTH!

-Dave Kistler, President

North Carolina Pastors Network

www.ncpastors.net

Program Notes taken from: www.vcyamerica.org

Date:        May 17, 2017
Host:        Jim Schneider
Guest:      Sam Rohrer

​Sam Rohrer is the president of the American Pastors Network and the Pennsylvania Pastors Network. This network has been identifying, equipping, educating and networking pastors and church members to stand in the gap for truth.

Sam began by describing the state of the church today as weak with silent pulpits. It’s marked far more by apostasy and a leaving of the truth as opposed to a return to it. In other words, we are living in perilous days.

It’s his sense that from a trajectory perspective, we are not peaking. There are remnant pastors and churches but the remnant is a minority. The great percentage of those in the pews and the pulpits today are not primarily concerned about obedience to the Word of God, preaching the truth and living it. It’s more like ‘going along to get along’ and ‘tickling ears’.

When Sam talks about a biblical worldview he uses 4 terms. First of all it’s the understanding and belief that (1) there is God (not a god). (2) There was a creation. (3) There was a fall, precipitated by the devil where sin entered the world. (4) There is redemption secured by Jesus Christ. Sam believes these are the four basic tenets of a biblical worldview.

The shocking news from George Barna looks like this: Only 4% of Millennials hold to the worldview that Sam described above. Sam believes God would describe our nation as having departed from the truth. When God looks down at that nation, like he did at Israel; when he’d given them everything and they walked away from God saying they didn’t need God anymore, that’s a nation in crisis. That’s where we are.

We’re also reminded of this in the history of our own nation. The founders said that our nation, based upon self-government, would not survive if people did not submit themselves to the 10 Commandments of God. So when we throw out God’s law, prayer and our dependence upon God, our founders knew we could not continue. They knew that no one circumvents God’s judgment and standard.

The proof comes by noticing how God dealt with Israel. When God blesses us and we live in security and we start to think we’ve done that by ourselves, at that point God will reject us like he rejected the inhabitants of the land he drove out before the Israelites.

Sam noted that when God turns a nation over, there’s a steady decline into the depths of depravity and sin. This is often lead and marked by sexual immorality. This is where we are in America. We had knowledge of God, we’ve rejected it and God is saying that if we think we have a better way, we have to figure out how to make a go of it.

So why aren’t shepherds speaking out and saying, ‘Thus saith the Lord!’? Sam believes it’s because of controversy and the concern that if they speak the truth, some will be offended. In that case they withhold the truth, the only thing that has the ability to change and heal lives.

In the midst of all this, Sam described how God still preserves his remnant. He sees God quickening that remnant. It’s in the form of a common attitude between the older faithful and the younger faithful. They have a commitment to honoring God first, a great seriousness about fulfilling their duty as an ordained authority and they are wanting to assist each other. The older pastors aren’t physically connecting with younger pastors because they don’t operate in those circles but in their heads they have a concern. In their heart they see the need in that younger generation.

On the other side of the ledger are the younger pastors that Sam feels don’t see themselves as needing the advice of older pastors. Yet a number of millennial pastors long and hunger for mentoring involvement by an older pastor who they can call to determine what to do in certain circumstances. This is biblical and God’s model.

To solve this issue, the American Pastors Network has begun an initiative called, ‘Bridging the Gap’. It’s covers two primary areas: Generational and Racial. Get the details when you review this Crosstalk broadcast.