Museum of the Bible National Town Hall Focuses on the Moral Atmosphere of America

The new Museum of the Bible hosted a Facebook Live National Town Hall Monday night on character, morality and the importance of God in every sector of American life. 

The one hour program, billed as a robust conversation on the importance of faith and spirituality, was also taped for playback to a national television audience. 

It was streamed live on all 170 Sinclair Broadcast Group stations websites, which represent 62 percent of the broadcast television market in the U.S.

(Photo Courtesy: X.B. Underwood)

Hosted by media owner and TV show host Armstrong Williams, the show featured lively conversation with panelists including Devon Smith of the New York Giants; Rabbi Steward Weinblatt, president of the Rabbinic Cabinet of the Jewish Federations of North America; Rev. Dr. A.R. Bernard, senior pastor of the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, New York; Dr. Tony Zeiss, executive director of Museum of the Bible; Dr. Ben Carson, U.S. secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and Rick Warren, senior pastor of Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, California.

(Photo Courtesy: X.B. Underwood)

When asked by Williams if those in power influence the spiritual and moral conditions of their nation, Pastor Bernard agreed.

"Absolutely," he replied. "Everything rises and falls on leadership. So the moral and spiritual conditions of the leadership does affect society at large. That's historic."

(Photo Courtesy: X.B. Underwood)

Secretary Carson also agreed.

"When you go back and study the history of our country and you look at the Founding Fathers, they relied very heavily on the Bible in formulating our Constitution," Dr. Carson said.  "Judeo-Christian values have played a strong part in the foundation of this nation."

(Photo Courtesy: X.B. Underwood)

Dr. Zeiss reminded the panelists and the audience to look to the pinnacle of leadership – the Bible.

"The Bible influences the founding of our nation as Dr. Carson just mentioned. It influences our culture," Zeiss explained.  "As a matter of fact, we have a whole floor on the history of the Bible. And one section is called "The Bible in America," and it tracks the influence of the Bible in our culture as we have it today."

"You can not imagine how many biblical texts are on monuments in our nation's capital and on the Library of Congress...it's all over. It's pervasive throughout our culture," he pointed out. 

Watch the entire town hall below.