A growing disregard '¨for the law in society

Without it, and its sister plane, the Hurricane we would not have had the air power to be able to resist the attacks upon our nation.

An important part of the story of the Spitfire is how those responsible for initiating its development had to fight considerable battles to make the powers that be realise the need for developing an effective fighter force.

There were those who felt that every effort should be made to build bombers, but an even bigger problem were those who did not see that there was any kind of threat to meet.

Churchill was one of the few voices warning people of the insidious growth of Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler.

Those who cried ‘wolf’ would not be silenced and we were mercifully ready for war when it came – just!

Among some churches and religious leaders there are those who are crying ‘wolf’ now. The world is facing a growing threat far worse than anything Hitler could throw at us.

The problem is that the nature of the battle is far more subtle and insidious than can be solved by building a bigger and better weapon.

It is a war being fought invisibly and the destruction of such things as moral and spiritual standards are resulting in millions of victims every day.

We are constantly seeing news reports of atrocities being committed by people.

Violence is rife and crime is all around us.

There is a growing disregard for the law and the prevailing attitude is, “Do it if you can get away with it!”

To a growing percentage the concept of self-restraint or self-discipline is alien. Immorality and the more subtle but no less insidious amorality, are slowly but surely destroying the fabric of society.

The ‘Christian’ principles of our society are slowly but surely being eroded. All that Jesus taught, which are principles that ensure a social mechanism for the good of all, even leaving the faith bit to one side, are being annihilated one by one.

Whether you see it as an infiltration of Islamic State style fundamentalism, the Devil’s works or simply a deterioration of the moral fabric of society we are in a time when unless humanity takes a stand on the things that matter it will wake up one day when it is too late and find that the battle is already lost.

What we need now is the moral or spiritual equivalent of the Spitfire before it is too late!