Faith and Risk-- the dangers of secularization

Just finished a wonderful conversation with a good friend, devout man of God and amazing innovator, Patrik Jonsson in Sweden, via Skype .  We were discussing the place that faith has in society and also how societies view faith.  Patrik noticed that in Sweden and the other "secularized" countries in Europe and Asia, God is not valued as much, not looked upon as an "everyday" God.  He is more of a personal God. Because God is not as "needed", He is more to the side.  But what has taken his place?  It is the State.  The State is the "Provider" of all.  But this is a lie, because it is the tax system that drives what the State can do, that and its ability to print money and use force.  These three give the State with that which it needs to "Provide" for people.  But people are disconnected to the truth. The "Good" State is seen as benevolent, but it is using force through law for the "common good".  This is a lie. That which is forced is not real, it is a counterfeit.

In this country and others there is a higher element of risk associated with success. This risk, is the key as risk is the seed of faith.  Without the false god of the State, I must seek to rely on something else outside of my self.  I can rely on my neighbor. I can rely on my family, but ultimately I will seek "Other". This is what mankind has done forever.  This seeking is built in to our nature.  We are created with it, at birth we "seek" the breast. It is this seeking that drives us to improve, to create, to invent, and this all contains risk, the possibility that we might not succeed.   This risk, as I said, is the seed of faith.  What we put our faith in determines the quality of the outcomes, (not necessarily the quantity) and more importantly what we put our faith in determines the substance of it, of what our faith is made of.  As a Christian I am dedicated to reality at all costs. This dedication to reality is what led me to Christ who is THE truth.  Christ led me to the Father who is THE Provider, and to THE Spirit who is my paraklete.

The risk that is part of being FREE, is that which creates the faith that joins me to the ONE that has been the KEY to the U.S. and the rest of the "free" world's prosperity.  If we ever lose site of this.............