"I, the Lord, am your God, You shall not have other gods besides me."

“I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.  You shall not have other gods besides me.”  From the “Decalogue” in Deuteronomy (Dt. 5: 6-7).

It was approximately 3400 years ago (1406 BC) when these words were reiterated to the Israelites warning them a second time regarding the Ten Commandments and this most important requirement.  How often the disregard of keeping away from idolatry, placing money, prestige, and self-interests in place of God has become.  Today, as in years past, God has taken second place, or removed altogether from the lives of his people.  Are we still being hedonistic and praying to idols that eliminate the Lord from our presence?

When God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mt. Sinai (Mt. Horeb in Dt), he was very stern especially about whom he was and what would happen if they did not follow these words.  “For, I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishments for their fathers’ wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation, but bestowing mercy, down to the thousandth generation on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments.”  (Dt. 5: 9a - 10).  These are words that some say Christians who follow them are living in an outdated philosophy that does not meet the needs of a modern world.

California’s Department of Education, on March 18, voted on a new curriculum wherein students in the school system will be taught to emphasize the histories, cultures, struggles, and contributions to our American society relating to four specific disciplines of cultural peoples.  Now, there is nothing wrong when school curriculums teach about groups of people who might be considered put-down because of their race, cultural background, or ancient contributions to America.  However, when these studies are perpetrated at the expense of historically taught and lived values that follow God’s Commandments, then there is a problem when this type of teaching suddenly removes God completely and replaces Him with false doctrines and idols to be worshipped.  This worship falls under ancient Aztec deities.  According to Aztec traditions their worship included cannibalism, human sacrifice, and for their gods to become powerful warriors of social justice.  The leftist politicians and their theories of changing what we teach to our younger children will certainly become a rule that will change the future of what we call an American way of life.  

It appears that California is at the forefront pushing leftist ideology in their schools teaching; that Christianity is old-fashioned and compatible with white supremacy.  It also is undermining the First Amendment of the U. S. Constitution by subverting this amendment establishing or adhering to and remaking the amendment to suit their means of leftist-ideology. 

“When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says, I shall return to my home from where I came.  But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order.  Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there, and the last condition of that person is worse than the first.”  (Lk. 11: 24 - 26).  The scenario of God being removed from the Pledge of Allegiance and other negative godless ideals, the schools are becoming empty arenas of holiness, replacing goodness with ideologies making new idols of evil.    

St. Paul warned that teaching should not captivate anyone using seductive philosophy according to human tradition, according to the elemental powers of the world and not according to Christ.  (Col.2: 8).  Yet, that is exactly what is being taught in California and will soon become the blueprint nationwide.  Idols are not just money or tangible artifacts.  They reach our intellect through ideologies that become a means to place demons of evil before our children and will bring about the destruction of Christianity.  Only God and the true worship of Him will save the world from the warnings of the first commandment.  Without that the dictate of Deuteronomy will surface and come down upon humanity. 

Ralph B. Hathaway, April 2021