Americans have determined the president for the next four years and thus the many decisions that will affect all U.S. citizens. It’s democracy in action. For this reason, many citizens are questioning American values. After the General Election results were revealed, concerned people commented and posted on social media and in personal conversations that they were disappointed, not just that their candidate had lost, but that half the country would invalidate what the vast majority of Americans have been taught concerning how to live their lives and the values they tried to teach their children. This election has revealed an ugly underbelly of our nation’s true beliefs and values that will affect many former and potential Christians. Unbeknownst to those who have turned a blind eye, an existential religious crisis is forming.

It’s a brutal eyeopener to realize that over half the country doesn’t truly believe in being kind, empathy for others, being ethical, and is willing to support a bully. They have sold their souls for misguided notions about the economy, misinformation concerning abortions and assorted issues that matter to everyone. People are voicing concerns wondering how they will function in our society with our president-elect who is the antithesis of what they have been taught to be as a person and American citizen. What is incredibly sad is that the mass media and members of a party who used to state they didn’t want government overreach have managed to sow discord and have divided our country. They succeeded.

More than half the country has voiced through their vote that the ideals held dear by the other half of the nation have no place in the real world. Many people are losing respect for religious institutions. They are reevaluating their faith and their spiritual leaders. It is happening across the country. It is happening locally. It is a disheartening time in our country’s history. This is an honest and sincere struggle as people begin to ask themselves how they are to reconcile their spiritual life within a congregation or under the guidance of a spiritual leader who supports a president’s values that are the opposite of Jesus’ teachings. They are wondering how they accept the idea that people they know and love could have such differing values. In far reaching responses, some have tried to justify their decisions saying look to King David and Paul as examples of men who conducted evil deeds but turned out to be Christians. In the case of David, unlike our president-elect, he was a righteous man when he was anointed by God’s prophet to lead Israel. After David committed his sins, he spent the rest of his life in remorse and repentance for his transgressions. There hasn’t been any remorse shown concerning alleged adultery, constant lies or sexual assault and a laundry list of other offenses from our next president. There’s been no indication that his values have changed.

We are at a dangerous time when those in power want to control information citizens are exposed to and much of this exposure occurs in the education of our children and through Freedom of Information laws. If half our country can be misguided now, what will happen when a generation of people that can only think in a limited way, due to restricted knowledge, is in control of our country in the future?

There are attempts to indoctrinate citizens on all fronts, from Christian Nationalists to book bans, and attempts to destroy our public schools. Freedom will become a distant memory if we continue along this path.

America won’t be the same due to these election results. There are many thrilled about that, but I wonder for how long when things turn south and they will. The dream those voters envisioned will become the nightmare of all citizens. Then division will continue as anger festers.

Citizens of older generations will remember a time when character truly mattered, and many long for a return to those days. If you believe Satan exists, and many of us still do, he has worked his way into the mainstream. How else could vices be turned so easily to virtue and lies to truth in today’s society? Our society is extremely gullible to efforts of gaslighting and projection. It’s as if many people don’t even recognize evil any longer. The lines between right and wrong used to be clearly marked. If we pay attention to actions instead of words, it really does shine a light on what people will justify or rationalize if it serves their purposes and opinions. For half the country, it is not that their candidate lost, it’s what was at stake, the moral conscience of our country.

A second important question is, do ethics matter in 2024? We just received our answer on Nov. 5, 2024.

Pam Lowe is the editor of the Clay County Courier. Readers may reach out to Pam at plowe@claycountycourier. com