A nation whose First Amendment to the Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof … ” would never outlaw religion. The notion is ludicrous, impossible. Or is it?
If a group came in with guns blazing in an attempt to eliminate religious freedom, the majority of Americans would rise and fight to preserve our freedom. But what if a group of influential individuals circulated the idea that religions promote hate and incite violence against those who do not share the same beliefs? When misinformation is repeated frequently, many people have trouble separating truth from untruth, especially when the misinformation originates from a persuasive source. Then, what if this group orchestrated violence and falsely blamed various religious factions for the acts? Citizens might begin to fear religious individuals and groups. Perhaps they might even beg the government to outlaw religions.
Consider how hopeless a world without belief in any deity would look? With no belief in an omniscient god to hold individuals accountable for their actions, would the moral fiber of the population disintegrate? Dying individuals who believed the rhetoric would have no hope for a miracle or belief in an afterlife. The dogma would tout that life simply ends at the time of death.
The good news is that man can outlaw religion, he can even edict harsh penalties that deter individuals from public worship, but laws cannot force people to abandon their belief in God. Our God who gave His only Son to be sacrificed for our sins would remain faithful and reach out to individuals with His everlasting love. The Apostle John tells us in 1 John 4:16 NIV, “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” With this promise there is always hope for mankind.
These musings inspired my debut novel, The Lion Within. Sometimes to appreciate the blessings that we currently enjoy, we need to imagine a world without these privileges.
The year is 2078. The United World Order—the restrictive one-world government—has ruled the world for over twenty years. Life under the Order is the only life twenty-one-year-old Rory Rydell has known. Her family proves that poverty is alive and well, despite the Order’s claims. The Order considers citizens—like her younger sister—to be a drain on society and therefore disposable. Her family can no longer afford the medication her sister desperately needs. But it may not matter. The medication isn’t relieving her symptoms. Without a miracle, she will die. But according to the Order, miracles don’t exist.
Any mention of a higher power is punishable by execution. So, when a near-death experience brings Rory more questions than answers, she is too scared to ask them. Then, a comatose patient regains consciousness to recruit her to lead a rebellion against the Order. She believes she has lost her mind, but could the strange things happening to her be real? Rory must decide what’s true and take a stand on something worth dying for. Can she sacrifice her life and the lives of those she loves to pay the price of freedom?
Writing Christian Fiction is a privilege as well as a responsibility that Angela Gold takes seriously. She prays constantly as she crafts imperfect characters encumbered with baggage because honestly, the most interesting people are. Angela believes good fiction immerses readers into situations they otherwise might never consider and introduces them to new perspectives.