I have spoken out a lot this year regarding abortion. Although I have always been Pro-Life and been very clear about it, many have asked why this has taken on such an urgency with me, on my talk show, in our magazine and in other forums I am involved in.
The answer for me is simple. Now is the time. In some state legislatures, they are trying to expand access to abortion and how late a woman can abort her unborn child. In other legislatures, states are trying to end the practice of abortion altogether or restrict it so severely that the possibility has essentially evaporated.
For the last twenty plus years, I had hoped we would find a case that could make it to the Supreme Court of the United States that would have the Justices consider the inherent rights of the innocent unborn. Many people do not realize that just because we may have Justices who are sympathetic to the pro-life argument, that is not enough. We must have the right case come before the Justices that forces them to look at Roe v Wade through a new legally constructed vantage point.
Aside from my desire to see such a case before the Court and the possible overturning of Roe, this moment has made me keenly aware of how our values are being threatened by a culture that has grown to despise the great traditions of our nation. Roe demonstrated that our value for human life is not what it once was. Our current culture has capitalized on this shift by attacking almost every traditional value we cherish.
History is always a guide to the future. The old saying, “Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it” could not be more true in 2019 America. Throughout the long history of civilization, the great societies have almost always fallen from within, through moral decay and utter decadence. Rarely has a great society fallen from an outward enemy. The great empire of Rome is the best example, but there are so many more.
America is headed down this same path. I love this country and what it has long stood for (even if we never quite achieved it) and I don’t want to see it fall. Yes, the land mass will be here, but the values that built this great nation and the country itself can and will fall if we continue our current path.
Let me be clear. I am not against change. Change can be healthy, in people and in nations. Change, however, that tears at the nuclear family, treats life as something to be ended when inconvenient in the beginning or end stages and turns away from God as some hocus-pocus created by weak-minded people, is change that will eventually lead to our downfall. These kinds of changes lead us on a path where nothing really matters, nothing is sacred and precious, and anything goes.
We are witnessing some of these effects in the drug addiction our culture is facing. People are hurting for a wide variety of reasons and they turn to drugs to dull the pain. We are seeing alcoholism on the rise again. Suicide is surging, especially in our Veteran community. These destructive trends are not new, but they are, in many areas, at crisis level.
As the nuclear family has begun to break apart in America, people no longer have a solid family to stand by them and with them as they travel hard times. In 2019, 43% of all children are born without a Father active in their lives and living in their home. I was so fortunate to have an amazing Mom and Dad in my home, but so many of my friends bare the scars of a broken home and they carry them with them into their adult homes.
These are just a few of the issues we are facing and if we do not act now, as they get worse, we lose a little more of what makes America special each day. Unfortunately, so many Americans are turning to our government to solve the issues instead of humbly turning to God where the real answers are available. Our government is not the answer and it never has been. Today, especially, our government has gone so far off the Founders intended path, I am worried we will never straighten out this mess.
Okay, I have laid out some of the core issues. You did not need me to do that as you already know what they are. Many of you, however, have been asking,
“How Do We Fix It?”
The answer, as it always has, begins with us … we the people. First and foremost, we must humble ourselves before God, ask his forgiveness and then seek his guidance. In other words, we must pray, with expectancy and with urgency
God knows the path we must travel, and the truth is, we know it as well. The question is, will we do it? Will we do the work necessary to right the ship of America?
Many of you are thinking, what can I do? I am just one person. How can my actions matter?
Again, you already know the answer, even if you are unwilling to admit it. You do matter. Your actions matter. How you behave, how you live your life is an example for others, especially those who are struggling. Your simple act of kindness may be nothing to you, but it could mean everything to the person who receives it.
Our comfort zone is just that, a comfortable place for us to exist, but it is time for the comfort zone to leave and for us all to become bolder in our lives. For most of 2019, I have been talking about our “BE BOLD!” initiative and how being bold can save this country.
When you think about it, it is a pretty simple concept. Most of us live quiet lives. We do our best, try not to bother others and live our lives seeking not to intrude on anyone else. While that approach is noble, it is not effective in countering the culture-of-the-moment.
If you are really interested in doing your part to restore our country to the traditional values that made us great, you and I and everyone else who shares our beliefs will have to step out of our comfort zone and step into a life of being bold.
BE BOLD!
With Your Spouse.
It starts with your family. Do the work. Spend time with your spouse. Make sure they know they are the most important person in your life. Leave no doubt in their mind that you love and respect them. Tell them you love them daily, but also show them you love them in a million different ways that will only matter to them. Be Bold with your spouse daily.
BE BOLD!
With Your Children.
Do the work. Again, make sure there is no doubt in their mind that your love and support them. Show up to their events. Spend time talking with them. Teach them about important things such as your values on sex, what marriage means, why you love our country and why they should as well. Don’t leave these important issues and their education to someone else, like their peers or their school. Be Bold with your children and let them know you are so thankful God gave them to you and your spouse every day.
It starts with your family. If you can be bold with your family, the people that mean the most to you, then likely you are willing to take the next step.
BE BOLD!
In Your Faith.
This can be a tricky one. You never want to shove your Faith in someone else face, but you can live your life in a manner that your Faith is apparent to anyone paying attention. As Christians, we know that loving Jesus Christ is an individual decision that no one else can make us. It is your decision and your decision alone. Pressuring someone to love Jesus will not work so there is no point in doing so.
With that established, here is what you can do. BE BOLD! about your values. If someone is being vulgar around you, politely ask them to stop. Your message, if delivered correctly, will set a standard for the behavior you will tolerate from others and almost everyone will abide by it. Again, without being pushy, don’t be afraid if an opportunity presents itself to share your love of Jesus. It does not have to be glorious; it just must be real.
Christmas is a great time to talk about the birth of our Savior. If you do it in a manner that is not pushy or offensive, most people will respect you for it and some may ask questions and want to know more. I have had this type of experience countless times and I take a very soft approach that almost always leads to an extensive conversation.
Being Bold in your Faith happens in many ways, through words and deeds, and its example may be just what another person needs to hear or see. Your life is your witness for Jesus.
If you are willing to BE BOLD! with your family
and BE BOLD! in your Faith, you are quite likely willing to take the next step and…
BE BOLD!
In Your Workplace.
For many of us, we stay in our lane, do our job and leave work when the clock strikes the appropriate hour. While this may be a safe path, it doesn’t make you or your company better or more competitive.
If you have an idea, job. Make sure it is well thought out, even if it is not fully formed. Dropping an idea that might make things better, even if it is not fully formed, could leave to others chiming in and bringing the idea to reality. Being Bold in your workplace means stepping forward and stepping up when you are needed.
Few people build anything worth having by themselves. It takes the people around us to make us better, to make our ideas better and to make our workplace better. When we step forward and step up, we strengthen ourselves and our organization. Don’t be afraid to BE BOLD! in your workplace.
Your leadership at work will make you a better person, better at work, better at home and be a better example for those around you.
There is an old saying, in polite company, you never talk politics or religion. While we all understand the meaning of this cliché, the fact is, the other side is talking up politics and talking down religion no matter where they are.
BE BOLD!
In Your Political Beliefs.
It is important to be civil and respectful, even when those you are conversing with are not, if for no other reason than it is hard to hold the high ground when you are wallerin’ in the mud. It is difficult these days not to be emotional about the great issues facing our nation, but if you allow your emotions to run rampant, you will lose the argument. The culture-of-the-moment feeds on emotion, they prey on it. If you give into emotion, you lose.
Being Bold in your politics begins with being well-informed. Simply parroting talk radio or what FOX News says is not enough. You must know the issues, know the details and know why your position is the correct one. In other words, you must do the work.
The late, great Iron Lady of Great Britain, Margaret Thatcher, often said, “We must win the argument before we can win the vote.” What she was really saying was, we must know the issue and be able to present it in a manner that is logical and effective.
If you have done the work, (meaning you know the issues) you will be confident and logical in your discussions, not emotional. Doing the work means you are well-armed for any discussion.
So, How Do You
“Do The Work”?
With so many resources available, how can you be sure which is accurate, and which is merely propaganda? It is a good question and the answers starts with, “what are your core values?”
Researching resources that only agree with your core values will not necessarily gain you the facts necessary to form a logical argument, but you knowing what your core values are will keep you from being led astray by liberal propaganda sites designed to seem logical while really seeking to deceive you.
Read everything you can on an issue. Seek a broad range of information so that you fully consider all sides. My Father used to tell me that if I could not passionately argue the other side of an issue, I had not fully considered the issue and therefore my conclusion was likely flawed. It is an approach I have taken all my political life.
Being well-prepared to discuss the issue will automatically make you BOLD in your discussion. Being Bold in your beliefs, if well-presented and respectful will not only begin to change the tone of the discussions you have, it will also begin to change the minds of those who hear you.
Being well prepared makes you confident and there is nothing like confidence to win the argument and that will ultimately, as Lady Thatcher said, “win the vote.”
These changes will not re-make our nation overnight. They will take time, but if you encourage everyone around you to live their life Being Bold, the changes we seek will happen so much more quickly.
You Can Make A Difference.
Your voice and your life matters. God made you unique and precious. God wants you to live your life in a manner that glorifies Him and in a manner that is an example to others.
If we all do this, those of us that value the traditional values that made America the amazing place it has been, will see a change in this country before it is our turn to meet God face-to-face.
If you would like to get information on how to get involved, click onto WLOBradio.com and fill out the contact form. Your information will not be sold and the depth of your participation is up to you. How BOLD are you willing to Be?
Ray Richardson is the host of the Ray Richardson Show on WLOB Radio. He has authored three books, written a newspaper column for over a decade and is a contributor to Richardson Magazine.
Ray lives with his wife of 34 years, Dee Dee, in Westbrook Maine. They have four grown children (8 when you count the spouses), and blessed with one granddaughter.
