For years America prided itself on being a Christian nation (see "Leaders of American History: A Legacy of Respect for God and the Bible"). And while the nation may still claim this, the lives of its people tell a far different story. Consider a few facts that reveal how far the country has fallen:

• More than 40 percent of all U.S. births are out of wedlock, and among women under 30 it's well over half.

• Excluding miscarriages, 22 percent of all pregnancies in the United States are ended by abortion.

• By age 45, an estimated 30 percent of American women will have had an abortion.

• Almost half of all marriages end in divorce, and divorce rates are almost the same among those who call themselves Christian.

• Marriage and family are the building blocks of society, yet barely half of all adult Americans (51 percent) are married, and an ever-increasing number choose to simply live together outside of marriage.

• Nearly half of all Americans (48.5 percent) live in households receiving some kind of government aid. More than a third live in households receiving food stamps, subsidized housing, welfare or Medicaid.

• Although 85 percent of U.S. households own a Bible—and most have more than one—more than half (54 percent) cannot name its first five books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy).

• Almost half of Americans (46 percent) say they read the Bible only once or twice a year.

• A majority of Americans (60 percent) can't name the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and an even greater number (63 percent) can't name more than half of the Ten Commandments.

As Matthew 7:20 tells us, "By their fruits you will know them."