Like America, God and his Word formed the foundation for its laws, morality, and equal respect for all. -Both turned to other gods — “Your children have forsaken me and sworn by gods that are not gods” (5.7). -Both discarded God’s Word as the standard for life, behavior, ethics, and morality — “They have forsaken my law… they have not obeyed me or followed my law. -They claim to be a Christian nation — “You [the Lord God] are always on their lips but far from their hearts” (12.2). God didn’t take Israel’s plight casually.