Is God protecting or punishing the United States?

It doesn't take much imagination to look at the history of the United States of America and conclude that we have been blessed and protected by Almighty God. Indeed, the U.S. has accumulated territory, wealth and power on a scale unprecedented in the annals of world history.
Why? Was this an accident of history? Why would God favor this nation over others? We are told in Scripture that God made certain promises to Abraham many years ago. We read in the book of Genesis that God promised to make Abraham the father of many nations, the ancestor of kings (leaders) and to give his descendants wealth and victory over their enemies. Genesis 12:1-3, 15:1-5, 17:1-8, 22:15-18, 27:27-29, 28:10-15 "Ok, but what does that have to do with the United States of America?" we ask. Could it be that the Judeo-Christian underpinnings of the Western World (including the United States) has resulted in those peoples receiving the blessings promised to Abraham so many years ago?
Christ did say that God was able to raise up children to Abraham from the stones. Matthew 3:9, Luke 3:8 Paul told the Romans, "For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God." Romans 2:28-29 He wrote to the saints at Galatia: "And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God's promise to Abraham belongs to you!" Galatians 3:29
"Ok, if we accept that God has blessed and protected the U.S., isn't it also obvious that God can withdraw that protection and blessing?" we may ask. First, the promise was made to Abraham - its fulfillment is not dependent on the righteousness or wickedness of his descendants. Yet, many religious leaders have pointed to the moral depravity extant in modern American society and proposed just such an interpretation of current affairs.
After the 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S., in an appearance on The 700 Club, Jerry Falwell said: "What we saw on Tuesday, as terrible as it is, could be miniscule. If in fact, God continues to lift the curtain and give us probably what we deserve." - A statement with which Pat Robertson quickly agreed. Mr. Falwell went on to cite the ACLU, People for the American Way, abortionists, feminists and gays as being somehow responsible for what had happened. He said, "I point the finger in their face and say you helped this happen!" To which, once again, Pat Robertson "totally" concurred. Likewise, after listing many of the difficulties then facing the U.S., CGI Minister Bill Watson wrote in Volume 31, number 1 of The International News: "Is this visible evidence that God is finally beginning to remove His 'protective hedge?'"
How would that be fair to the faithful? If God was willing to spare Sodom for the sake of ten righteous individuals (Genesis 18:20-32), why would He not be willing to do the same for the United States?
Jesus sought to dispel this kind of thinking among his followers during his earthly ministry. Notice in the Gospel According to Luke, we read: "About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. 'Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?' Jesus asked. 'Is that why they suffered? Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish too.'" Luke 13:1-5 Clearly, those events were not tied to the wickedness of the victims.
In fact, if we take an objective look at the circumstances surrounding the events of 9/11/2001, I don't see how we could conclude anything other than that God was there protecting the United States that day! On an average day, about fifty-thousand people worked in the Twin Towers of the WTC - 2,753 people died in them that day. The South Tower stood for fifty-six minutes after it was struck - The North Tower stood for one hundred and two minutes after the plane crashed into it! On an average day, twenty-three thousand souls worked in the Pentagon. What a coincidence that they were remodeling that part of the building that September day and it was mostly empty as a consequence! One hundred and eighty-four people died at the Pentagon that day. The plane that crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania that day was almost certainly headed for the U.S. Capital Building or the White Hose - 40 people died in that Pennsylvania field. I see overwhelming evidence in these statistics that God was protecting the U.S. that day!
People have free will - A wicked person or group of people can decide on their own to perpetrate evil, but the evidence is clear that God mitigated the evil that they had intended to occur that day. Yes, the Great Recession has been terrible, but how does that compare to the Great Depression? Yes, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been awful (over 7,000 Americans killed in battle), but how does that compare to the over 58,000 killed in Vietnam or the 625,000+ killed during the Civil War? Has God blessed and protected the United States of America? YES And may He/She continue to do so!