Articles with spiritual fitness

Paul Harvey: If I Were the Devil

Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005, Paul Harvey (1918–2009) was a famous American journalist and commentator for ABC News Radio known for his distinctive voice, conservative viewpoint, and unique daily sign-off: “Paul Harvey…[LONG PAUSE]…Good Day!”

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Paul Harvey: God Made A Farmer ]

From 1951 to 2008, his broadcasts on over 1,300 radio stations and his writings syndicated to 300 newspapers reached a massive audience, estimated at up to 24 million people per week. He passed away in 2009 at the age of 90.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Free Online Educational Resources to Grow Your Spiritual Knowledge ]

On April 3rd, 1965, in the lead-up to Holy Week that year and in the tradition of The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, Mr. Harvey’s broadcast commentary was titled, “If I Were the Devil.” It was a satirical rallying cry for Americans to change their moral direction and social mores. Now, decades later, it also speaks to the importance of the five principles of SemperVerus (Stay True to What Is Right) living—Prepare, Aware, Be, Know, Do—and the 17 virtues of the SemperVerus Brotherhood.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, The Reality of God is Plain Enough ]

In his remarks, he alludes to events in the Bible in such passages as Genesis 3, 2 Timothy 4:3-4, and Isaiah 5:20-21.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Statue of Billy Graham Unveiled in Statuary Hall of US Capitol ]

Listen to the broadcast and read the script below:

Americans’ Religious Affiliations if the US Were 100 People

If the United States consisted of only 100 people, 62 of them would be people who self-identify as Christian, according to a new Pew Research Center study, based on the 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study. Another 29 people would be religiously unaffiliated (atheists, agnostics, or people who identify religiously as “nothing in particular.”) And seven would identify with non-Christian religions, including Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Free Online Educational Resources to Grow Your Spiritual Knowledge ]

According to a study by Gallup, the percentage of Americans now identifying as Christian is similar to those of Western and Northern European countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Finland, and Denmark, nations with strong Protestant traditions. Yet religion continues to play a larger role in daily life for Americans than for people in those countries.

US Presidential Messages on Important Birthdays and Anniversaries

Below are links to brief, written messages by President Donald Trump honoring the actions of role models for us all.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Important US Dates to Commemorate ]

          Leif Erikson

[ Read the SemperVerus article, SemperVerus and the Way of the Wise ]

          Christopher Columbus

[ Read the SemperVerus article, What a Leaf-Sweeper’s Answer Teaches About Personal Leadership ]

          418th Anniversary of the First Landing and the Raising of the Cape Henry Cross, April 29, 1607

[ Read the SemperVerus article, The Greatest Man… ]

          406th Anniversary of the First Representative Legislative Assembly in America, July 30, 1619

[ Read the SemperVerus article, God Made A Farmer ]

The Reality of God is Plain Enough

The basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is!
 
“By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse.
 
“What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives.
 
“They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand.”
Romans 1:19-21 (MSG)

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Too Little Faith to Be an Atheist ]