Under Which God?

 
“One nation under God.” 

If an alien from another planet was dropped into the middle of the U.S. and shown this motto, what would he conclude? If he was asked to observe our way of life and then identify that God under which our nation professes to live, what would he say?

He might check the surfing histories of our iphones and laptops, tally the number of dollars spent on porn, prostitution, and sensually-geared businesses, and conclude that our god is Sex. Or he might notice the rapidly increasing number of temples where people bring their wealth, offer it to the machines and dealers in hopes of receiving more in return, and decide we worship Money. He might pause thoughtfully to consider the massive stadiums where the faithful gather to offer passionate worship to sports teams or rock stars. He could be shown the number of mind-altering substances purchased and consumed by our citizens, the sacrifices and excuses that millions make to serve those cravings, and be confident that we worship and serve the Duality of Drugs & Alcohol. Or perhaps the plethora of tabloids shouting Hollywood’s latest scandal could lead him to wonder if America has a Mecca on the west coast.

He may even take a trip through our churches and be impressed with the vast number of Bibles on our shelves. But when he compares its truths with our modern version of a cool, inoffensive Jesus and a passive, weak God who changes His mind to accommodate current sensitivities, he would only shake his head. The Jesus being preached is not one who would have ever been crucified, and those professing His name don’t seem to agree with His Book. So that can’t be Him. He may come close to being right when he sees the gold-domed mosques sprouting up everywhere and he may announce that our god is soon to be Allah.

There is a great deal of worship taking place in this nation and our friendly alien would have much to consider. We are indeed one nation under God, but which god? 

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