Pollster George Gallup, Jr. points to the fact that the United States is suffering a moral crisis of the first dimension. Violence, crime, and lawlessness increasingly pervade our society. He goes on to cite some of the tragic evidence.

Street crime has reached frightening proportions; alcohol abuse and drug dependency are reaching epidemic levels; discipline is named by parents as the top problem facing schools and colleges; 61 percent of Americans think business honesty and ethics are declining.

Apart from the effects of these social conditions, what mystifies scholars is that apparently religious activities have little or no effect in diminishing the moral crisis. For side by side with the horrendous statistics about crime, cheating, and alcoholism are the statistics that show people are interested in religion.

Part of the explanation for the paradox lies with people whom Gallup calls "not quite Christian." These are people who say they believe, but without strong convictions. They want the rewards of religion without the obligations. Gallup says a major challenge facing the churches is to develop these people into mature Christians.

He suggests starting with religious education because his survey shows that many parents and children are "spiritually illiterate." He explains, "A significant proportion can articulate only in the most vague fashion the significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And while most homes have at least one Bible, many Americans have not learned how to bring the Bible into their lives. Few can name the four Gospels or more than a few of the Ten Commandments.

Gallup's understanding underscores why it is essential to review and discuss the Ten Commandments in our churches and Sunday schools.

The Lord's Day Alliance emphasizes the fourth commandment, but we realize that the fourth as well as the other nine are built on who God is and what He expects from those who name His name. The first few commandments relate to the exclusive worship of God. The first two verses of Exodus 20 proclaim who gave the Commandments and why.

It is clear "God spoke these words" and why. "I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery." In the New Testament fulfillment of the first commandment, God comes to us in Jesus Christ who as God's son has redeemed us from the slavery of sin. All worship belongs to Him.

Therefore we at The Lord's Day Alliance emphasize the keeping of the Lord's Day because of who God is and what He requires of His followers. We believe that the solution to many of our problems is in keeping the guidelines He has given us in the Ten Commandments, including observing the Lord's Day as a day of worship and rest.

To respond to today's moral crisis, Christians need to make every effort to uphold the principles of the Ten Commandments. These principles must be applied to our lives and they need to be taught in our churches and homes without apology.