Paul Derengowski, Ph.D.
Since 2016, when Donald J. Trump was elected President, the United States has returned to a certain degree of financial prosperity and respectability in the world.
Running on the campaign theme Make America Great Again, pretty much whoever wants to work is working and the enemies of the United States have, at least for now, been temporarily stifled.
Yet, despite all the apparent successes the question needs to be asked: what about America’s godliness? Is it an object of greatness too?
To answer the question, a few simple follow-up questions need to be asked first. Then we will have our answer.
Let it be known before I proceed, though, that I voted for Donald Trump because of the “deplorable” alternative, who was Hillary Clinton. So, it was not so much for him that I voted, as it was me voting against her.
However, since then, I have supported him and will continue to do so, so long as persons like Hillary keep popping up on the ballot opposite his name.
That said, despite making America seemingly more prosperous, financially speaking—although it is difficult to really fathom being trillions of dollars in debt and still be financially successful—when is the last time America’s commitment to the biblical worldview was brought up by President Trump or anyone else in his administration? I am not aware of anyone even broaching the subject.
Yet, in order for any nation, people, church, family, or individual to be godly, in the real sense of the word, subscription to a biblical worldview is imperative.
When the apostle Paul wrote Timothy and exhorted him to bring Paul’s cloak “and the books, especially the parchments,” that Paul previously characterized as “Scripture,” “the word,” and “the truth,” he was sharing with him his commitment to the written word of God as integral “for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16; 4:2, 4, 13).
The Bible is God’s revelation to humanity, in other words, that serves as a guide to godly conduct, which would include financial success over the long haul and not just for the immediate moment. But, who has ever brought up that reality as part of the formula for godliness, much less greatness?
Second, amid all the cheating, stealing, excusing, accusing, slandering, libeling, raping, pillaging, neglecting, deceiving, and murdering of 
each other, how is the mandate to love one another working out in the lives of a majority of Americans?
That is not to say there are not acts of benevolence and good deeds going on; there are.
Rarely, if ever, though, does a day go by where the depravity of human beings is not repeatedly put on display as newsworthy items for talk-show fodder or headline alerts.
Jesus said, “Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Mt. 7:12).
Unfortunately, most people could not care less about their children, much less their neighbors, which is within the context of Jesus’ statement. Children are frequently left to fend for themselves when it comes to understanding why life has any meaning, while very few even know who their neighbors are, much less are they loved.
By forgetting or ignoring God’s Law and what His prophets have taught breeds contempt for others, which then turns into abusing others, rather than loving them. But, who has ever brought up that reality as part of the formula for godliness, much less greatness?
Third, who has addressed the rampant idolatry in America, particularly of the religious variety that is a “snare” being couched as a virtue with words like “diversity,” “unity,” “tolerance,” and “multiculturalism.”
Nowhere in the Bible will anyone find God commanding His people to tolerate an idol, idolater, or idolatry.
An idol is an object of veneration that acts as a substitute for God that always leads to abnormal or ungodly human actions or decisions culminating in God’s judgment upon the perpetrator(s).
“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth,” commanded Yahweh (Ex. 20:4).
Later, idolatry would be aligned with “immorality, impurity, sensuality, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions (heresies), envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these” (Gal. 5:19-20).
But, who has ever brought up those realities as part of the formula for godliness, much less greatness? In fact, it would almost seem, at times, that idolatry is promoted, rather than exposed and curtailed.
Again, do not get me wrong. If asked to vote for and support Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton, I would do it every day of the week and twice on Sunday, if necessary.
My main concern is that despite all of his efforts to make America great again, the main ingredient of godliness is missing from the recipe.
Most American’s worldview is not biblically centered. Because American’s worldview is not biblically centered, their love for one another is slowly waning, thereby allowing anarchy to set in. To fill the spiritual vacuum brought on by an ignorance of God’s revelation, religious idols cover the American landscape, as absolute truth is sacrificed on the altars of personal feelings.
Is godliness an object of America’s greatness? Apparently not.
Of course, some may argue, as they did during the 2016 election, “Well, I voted for a President, not a pastor.” That, however, only begs the question.
For if any person, whether it is the President or the pastor, lacks a godly vision, then just how great can their building effort be, whether it is a nation or a church? And if that nation or church lacks biblical godliness, then just how great can it be?
