Return to faith needed to help America

As a country, America has gravitated from a spiritually grounded culture to a society obsessed by faith in sports teams, political rallies, casinos and shopping. These are all easily corruptible, undependable and unreliable. They are given to instant gratification. These earthly pursuits become addictions clouding one’s ability to make wise decisions. When disappointed in the competitive outcome, the result is often frustration, anger and rage.

The Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol is one poignant example. Former President Donald Trump lit the final fuse igniting violence. The crowd of his followers marched forward to destroy our democracy only to be abandoned by Trump and his evil team.

As a society, with faith communities shrinking, we lose the moral compass and our ability to show compassion and love for our neighbor. Even in Congress, we are witnessing the competitive spirit winning, but it is the spirit of disruption and division. The ability to negotiate what is best for the people is an unreachable goal because many members are rooting not for the people but for themselves and their political careers. It seems to be under the dark, threatening cloud of Trump.

Every faith community needs to step up, leading Americans to safe and open spaces for conversation and healing. It appears that, as C.S. Lewis so clearly writes in "The Screwtape Letters," the devil is having a heyday with our world and we are losing.

Mary Perrin Scott Delmar