An opinion essay published by Magnolia Tribune argued that returning to basic religious practices could help restore a U.S. civil religion and counter what the author described as national forgetfulness of God.
The essay attributed the decline to prosperity, citing Scripture that warns a people to beware when “you eat and are satisfied, then watch yourself that you do not forget the Lord…” The piece also quoted the prophet Amos: “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure in Samaria,” and cited the church at Laodicea in Revelation, which said, “I am rich; I have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” followed by Jesus’ rebuke: “You do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,” the essay said.
The author drew on sociologist Robert Bellah’s work, saying Bellah predicted a nation with “as many gods as peoples” and citing Bellah’s example of “Sheilaism,” a personal faith summarized as: “I believe in God. I am not a fanatic. My faith has carried me a long way. It’s Sheilaism. Just my own little voice….” The essay warned that “our own little voices will not save a nation” that has drifted from shared reverence, the author wrote.
The Magnolia Tribune piece recommended four practices to revive respect for God: observing a Sabbath by refraining from work and purchasing one day a week; practicing generosity as a reminder that people are stewards rather than owners; fasting to cultivate self-discipline; and serving the less fortunate through regular works of mercy. The essay said each practice aims to reorient individuals away from consumerism and toward humility and dependence on God.
The author concluded that change must begin with individuals adopting these practices “in our own lives, by His grace,” and expressed hope that such revival could spread nationally, the essay said.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
