Skip to main content

The Mouth Of The Wicked


The righteous person is rescued from trouble, and it falls on the wicked instead. With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape. When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy. Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed. (Proverbs 11:8-11)
          What are the nine most dangerous cities to live in in the United States as of 2018? According to one source (least to worst), they were Little Rock, AR; Stockton, CA; Oakland, CA; Kansas City, MO; Milwaukee, WI; St. Louis, MO; Baltimore, MD; Detroit, MI, and Memphis, TN[1]. According to another, the ten most dangerous list should be: Kansas City, MO; Oakland, CA; Little Rock, AR; Baltimore, MD; Rockford, IL; Milwaukee, WI; Memphis, TN; Birmingham, AL, Detroit, MI; and St. Louis, MO.[2]  According to a third source, the most distressed cities in America are Detroit, MI (94%); Memphis, TN (68%); Milwaukee, WI (55%); Atlanta, GA (52%); Baltimore, MD (48%); Fresno, CA (48); Las Vegas (46); Chicago, IL (42%); Tucson, AZ (39%) and Houston, TX (38%).[3]  Yet another source includes Chicago, IL; Kansas City, MO; St. Louis, MO; Las Vegas, NV; Milwaukee, WI; and Detroit, MI in its top twenty least religious affiliated cities.[4] Rockford, IL is one of the ten least educated cities in America.[5] All the cities listed in italics appear on more than one of these lists.
          Now, if a city is destroyed by the mouth of the wicked, it seems to me that these cities, and especially; the ones who are both dangerous and distressed (the cities in italics in the list) seem to me to be in the process of being destroyed. So, what is the mouth of the wicked at work in them? What do these cities have in common besides their high rankings in these worst categories? I’m going to suggest that they have wicked and godless mouths in common. These cities historically embrace a common philosophy. Granted, all cities have their share of wicked mouths. I’m not saying there’s a one-to-one correlation, but I do suggest there is a trend. If the worst of the worst have a common philosophy, if the cities that are self-destructing the most all have a common philosophy, perhaps it’s time we paid attention to what that philosophy is, and reject it. Do the research. Make your own decision.



[1] https://www.trendrr.net/22497/most-dangerous-cities-of-united-states-most-murders-worst/
[2] http://www.bbcnewshub.com/top-10-most-dangerous-cities-in-america-2018/
[3][3] https://www.businessinsider.com/the-10-most-distressed-cities-in-america-2015-7
[4] https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/most-religiously-unaffiliated-us-cities_us_55c52ac3e4b0f1cbf1e526b0?slideshow=true#gallery/55bfdf5ee4b0b23e3ce3c30e/0
[5] https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathryndill/2014/09/16/the-most-and-least-educated-cities-in-america/#51c9c4a86d75

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

"Especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Gal 6:10)   “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.   By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)           Joshua grinned when he saw Rex standing by the door, studying something on the ground. "Hey, man! Are we ready to do this thing?"          Rex looked up. "Josh, I can't do it. We're still best buds, but I can't stand your fiancée."           I've met "Rex" many times. I've been Rex. Joshua (Jesus) loves the Church. He's not a fool. He knows the Church is far from perfect, but she is His chosen bride. The Rexes of this world, who think themselves His friend, turn away from her. "You don't need the Church to...

Shark Fins, Triple Dog Dares, Heroes, Villains and Sidekicks

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)            There's a scene in Jaws in which someone sees a shark fin and starts a panic. As   all the swimmers scramble to shore, boats surround the fin, which falls over to reveal two kids. With several guns pointed at them, one of the kids points at the other. The message is clear: it was his idea. In Christmas Story, there's a scene in which one kid "triple dog dares" another to do something stupid. Since it's a triple dog dare, well, what choice does the boy have? There doesn't seem to be any end to the trouble that peer pressure can cause. ...

Ssssssubmmissssssionnn

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ . (Ephesians 5:21)             "Ssssssubmmisssssssionnn." Can't you just hear the serpent hissing this most horrible of words? If you listen to the serpent or the world, submission means groveling, allowing yourself to be abused, denying yourself your own humanity. Nothing could be worse than submission, could it?             Submission has never been a problem for me, as long as things are going the way I want them to. The rest of the time? Well, let's just say that while I don't know how to fight physically, I don't know how to not fight mentally. One of the fights I've been having with myself for years is about submission.             My first breakthrough took place on a trip to a bookstore. As I walked into the store, my thoughts were very clear. 1) I was goi...