Just 7% of Americans have “a great deal” of trust and confidence in the media, and 27% have “a fair amount.” Meanwhile, 28% of U.S. adults say they do not have very much confidence and 38% have none at all in newspapers, TV, and radio. Notably, this is the first time that the percentage of Americans with no trust at all in the media is higher than the percentage with a great deal or a fair amount combined.
Politicians don’t fare any better an overwhelming 65% of our fellow citizens say most political candidates run for office “to serve their own personal interests”. Americans are deeply distrustful of and dissatisfied with their government. Just 20% say they trust the government in Washington to do the right thing just about always or most of the time.
It seems that distrust of each other has also reached epidemic proportions too. The divisions between Republicans and Democrats on fundamental political values – on government, race, immigration, national security, environmental protection, and other areas – reached record levels during Barack Obama’s presidency. In Donald Trump’s first year as president, these gaps have grown even larger, and Biden is even worse. The magnitude of these differences dwarfs other divisions in society, along such lines as gender, race and ethnicity, religious observance, or education.
Currently, 44% of Democrats and Democratic leaners have a very unfavorable opinion of the GOP, based on yearly averages of Pew Research Center surveys; 45% of Republicans and Republican leaners view the Democratic Party very unfavorably. This has dramatically changed and more than doubled in recent times, (in 1994, fewer than 20% in both parties viewed the opposing party very unfavorably).
Suffice it to say America is no longer a nation that stands united. It cannot be called the United States with a straight face and is better suited to the “Divided States”. The old adage that states united we stand and divided we fall looms on the horizon. What will unite us? Well one thing is certain, according to the Bible Christians will be raptured and the antichrist will unite the remainder of the entire world and then will bring about the great tribulation.
I do believe we are living on the cusp of those days, but there is always hope that a great revival can postpone it. All through the Bible we read of nations that turned to God and repented and He compassionately withheld judgment. So, should we pray for the Lord to come quickly and take us out of this mess in His glorious rapture, or pray that God will withhold judgment for a time? Selfishly I admit I would like to be raptured today, but my heart tells me to take a look at the vast field of souls that need harvesting and get to work. I don’t know about you, but I have plenty of people I know who need to repent and establish a relationship with Jesus whereby their sins will be forgiven. I would rather suffer through the evil times if just one of them is rescued from eternal damnation. At any rate, we should all be ready because that train is a’coming and we need to get on board . . .
1 Thess. 4:17
Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.