Kentucky shootings emphasize how Church buildings are no longer considered sacred ground

Houses of worship used to be off limits

There was a time when churches, mosques and temples were respected by many as houses of worship. Children would midn their manners and not cuss or fuss on what was considered hallowed ground. In recent years these buildings have become assocaited with shootings as happened recently in Kentucky where two men and two women were shot. Tow of them died.

There have been stories in the news of congregants and pastors being robbed during services which indicates the decrease in respect for these buildings and a lack of fear of God. In the old Westerns men would take off their hats when entering a church and bow in reverence.

Dylan Roof atteded Bible study at a Charleston, South Carolina church and then opened fire killing nine pe0ple. The first mass church shooting recorded in recent history was in 1980, at First Baptist Church in Dangerfield, Texas.

Churches are no longer respected by congregants

Today some churches are not respected by members. If you don't show reverenece for your own house of worship why would anyone else? One congregation watched as members danced to the secular song Boots on the Ground (which has nothing to do with the Creator), in the sanctuary.

If the members are not showing reverence and separating the secular from the spiritual then why would we expect others to do so? The current climate has been a long time comimg and now that we are here ti probably will not go back to the way it was.

Children once were taught reverence for God's house

I grew up in the 1960s when children wore school clothes, play clothes, and church clothes. We were told that when we went into the hosue of the Lord we dressed our best as a manner of respect for our Creator.

We were taught to be quiet and respectul in the building, not play in the pulpit area or mess with the communion table. Today it seems anything goes. In oen congregation a pastor came in swining from the ceiling.

Children used to sit attentively in Sunday School listening to the teachers. When I last taught a class in 2007, the children were not paying attention andkeot interupting me.

They said things like Jesus doesn't have more power than Spiderman. My generation, the baby boomers understood the difference between the Bible and animated super heroes but younger genrations don't seem to understand even when you try to explain.

Foul language in church and innapropriate attire

A few years back there was a post going around on Facebook alleging that as many parishoners were saying "amen" to the preacher, one woman shounted "Do your damn thing." There are even videos going viral of pastors cursing from the plupits which is something you would not have heard about decades ago.

Today young women attend churches dressed the same way they would go to a club with a lot of skin showing. Modesty seems to be a thing from decades past. Phylicia Rashad spoke about young women dressing half naked and recieved a lot of backlash.

In decades past young women listned to the wisdom of their elders but Ms. Rashad was dragged for saying men don't want everyone to see their women's bodies. One commenter said "We will show our asses if we want to."

Times have changed

Times have changed and even in the White House things have been different. Elon Musk wore a ball cap while in the Oval Office, which many Americans believed was disrespectful. Mass school shooting show us that the lives of children are no longer precious. Sadly it appears we live in a society where no0thing is sacred anymore.

Churches used to be seen as a place of refuge but the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama should have opened our eyes. Four young girls lost their lives in what was considered a hate crime.

The men who bombed the church did not deem it sacred ground and did not value the lives that were inside the building because they were filled with hate and rage. It's all so tragic but there is no going back.