[ampaterry]

Guys, I REALLY appreciate all that support for these daily devotionals. I am very happy they are of some value to you!

For today:

I am in many debates with people on the topic of Creation vs Evolution. One common topic concerns their belief that questioning Evolution in the public schools is introducing religion into the school system. I know that is not true, and you know that is not true, but it is their contention that if you are NOT a True Believer in Darwinism, you are a religious person. They will go to any length to keep any mention of anything even HINTING at religious belief out of public life entirely, even to the point of banning things that are NOT religious. I know we do not want the government to promote a particular denomination, nor to move against any denomination, but at the same time we must have some basic moral instruction for the sake of our nations future. We must have an acknowledgment of God in a non-denominational way in order to expose our children to what is important and true.

Leo Tolstoy wrote in Confessions; "My break with faith occurred in me as it did and still does among people of our social and cultural type. As I see it, in most cases, it happens like this: People live as everyone lives, but they all live according to principles that not only have nothing to do with the teachings of faith, but for the most part, are contrary to them. The teachings of faith have no place in life and never come to play in the relations among people; they simply play no role in living life itself. The teachings of faith are left to some other realm, separated from life and independent of it. If one should encounter them, then it is only as some superficial phenomenon that has no connection with life."

The Word of God tells us that real religion is not denominations and doctrine, but goes far beyond these:
James 1:26-27 (KJV);
"If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

There is unfortunately truth in that old expression credited to the hypocrite:
"Do as I say, not as I do."

We need to be striving toward "Do as I do"

May God bless each and every one of you in your daily struggle toward that goal -