To Hold Sacred
By Lee Parker
It is an accepted aspect of humanity to hold certain things as sacred. Geographical areas, such as churches, cemeteries or burial grounds are designated as sacred. Certain books, like the Scriptures or the Qur’an, are considered sacred writings. Certain people, living and dead, are considered sacred beings. However, is it natural to consider a place, writing or being to be sacred?
In Noah Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language, “sacred” means being separated from that which is common. Sacred is something inviolable, venerated and/or consecrated to God and His service.
The current Webster’s dictionary still maintains a religious connotation to the word, yet barely mentions that the word “sacred” also means something that is entitled to reverence and respect.
In seeking that which is held sacred, it is often easier to first identify that which is not held sacred, as in a process of elimination. We can clarify our conclusions through a series of questions. Do we hold Life as sacred? No we do not, or we wouldn’t be in Iraq killing innocent children under the guise of providing freedom to the Iraqi people. Nor would we be killing millions of innocent babies by abortion. No, as a people, we do not hold Life as sacred.
Do we hold Truth as sacred? No we do not, or we would not permit the President of the United States to remain in office after he lied to the entire country about weapons of mass destruction - weapons he said he KNEW for a fact were in Iraq. He even claimed that he knew their precise location. President Bush lied and we permitted it, thereby adding to our own moral destruction. No, as a people, we do not hold Truth as sacred.
Do we hold the borders of our country as sacred? No we do not, or we would not allow illegal aliens to overrun our borders without so much as an apology to the landowners, who in turn have been jailed for protecting their own private property. Nor do we hold the borders of other countries to be sacred, or we would not have invaded the sovereign nation of Iraq. No, as a people, we do not hold our borders or the borders of other countries as sacred.
Other similar questions regarding sacredness could be asked, but I’m afraid the answers would only show that as a country, we hold nothing sacred.
At one time in our history, honor was considered to be a sacred concept. It is mentioned in The Declaration of Independence; those who signed that document pledged “their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor”, knowing that as a result of their signing the Declaration, they would all be labeled terrorists by the British Crown. Yet they signed anyway; they were hunted down; their lives and property destroyed by the Red Coats… all in the name of keeping their sacred honor.
Would any of you sign such a declaration today? Do you consider the giving of your word to be a sacred act? Would you put your honor on the line, as something sacred? Would you risk your life to do that which you believed was the only right thing to do? Can you find one aspect of your life that you hold inviolable and sacred?
If your answer is “yes”, then we have a real chance to win back our country. If you will stand by that which you hold sacred, and if you will hold Truth to be sacred, then we have reason to hope. However, beware. If you say the right thing but do not honor your words as sacred, then we will lose the fight for which our forefathers gave their lives.
Words without deeds are meaningless. You are known by your actions; you will know what you hold sacred by your deeds. Talk all you want; your actions tell who you really are. You can be the solution to the problems we face today, but not unless you are willing to stand for that which you hold sacred.
