The current war effort and geopolitical tensions in general have apparently boosted the de-mand for Bibles, hymnals and prayer books. Sales were up by nearly 40 percent for the month of January. Publishers are cautiously attributing this trend to the current national and world scene. Bibles are now selling very well in America. One research analyst said that "in the U.S., you would think that religion was on the downturn, but the growth has been in inspirational books and in international sales."

A recent Harris Poll, published under the title "Good Rules Over Evil" in USA Today, reported that 90 percent of Americans believe in God, 68 percent in the devil, 82 percent in heaven and 69 percent in hell. (We should mention that the United Church of God offers free publications on all of these subjects. You may want to request or download Life's Ultimate Question: Does God Exist?, Is There Really a Devil? and Heaven and Hell: What Does the Bible Really Teach?)

However, the true test is not whether the United States may be returning to religion, but whether the country is getting back to and really finding God. One key reference point is the state of Americans' moral behavior. Is the nation both teaching and observing God's spiritual law, summed up by the Ten Commandments? We have an 80-page booklet on the Ten Commandments, freely available on request or download.

(Sources: The Financial Times, USA Today.)