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Who's Responsible for the Moral Decline?
Townhall ^ | JUNE 3, 2015 | Susan Stamper Brown

Posted on 06/03/2015 8:35:46 AM PDT by rhema

A recent Gallup poll, "Moral Acceptability: Changes Over Time," shows Americans made a startling move to the left over the past 15 years. A blanket blaming of the church is the easy answer, but today, where black and white has faded into varying shades of gray, we are better served going back to where it began because we didn't get where we are today overnight.

America's moral decline began with Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt [FDR]. Their arrogant defiance and blatant hostility toward the U.S. Constitution inspired them to lead an insurrection from the Oval Office, effectively convincing good people that government dependence is a morally acceptable alternative to dependence on God, family, community and self.

Progressive godfather FDR did what progressives do best, hijacking the crisis at hand, the Great Depression, and molding the U.S. government into a pseudo-god. Although both New Deals failed on multiple levels, some of the programs and subsidies permanently persuaded people that an interventionist government is good. That was not enough. Progressives understood the "God-factor" must be removed to accomplish their goal of secularization, wherein religion loses cultural and social significance. In 1947, the Supreme Court, largely packed with FDR appointees, decided the First Amendment instituted a "wall of separation" between church and state in Everson v. Board of Education. In so doing, they were able to separate morality and ethics from government and daily life.

Hence, the immoral mess we see today.

A recent Pew survey found that in 1990, 86 percent of Americans identified as Christians and today, just 70 percent. Interestingly, mainline Protestant denominations such as Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian and Episcopalian, who have consciously dimmed their own bulbs in recent years to remain relevant to the demands of pop culture, dropped from 50 percent in 1958 to 14 percent in 2015. As mosques are being raised at record levels in towns and cities across America and Europe, churches are increasingly vacated.

Today, more often than not, Jesus' command for Christians to be "light" in a dark world is translated "let's keep it subdued, so no one needs to squint." In fashion photography, soft light works because it helps to conceal the unvarnished reality. In sharp contrast, pure light reveals an honest picture, flaws and all. Interestingly, when Jesus revealed himself to the Christian persecutor, Saul, he appeared in light so harsh and offensively bright, Saul was temporarily blinded. Saul's blindness slowed him down long enough to see the contrast between truth and lies, right and wrong, leading to a conversion so complete, his name was changed from Saul to Paul.

Some would rather spread buttercream icing over cow manure than call this moral decline for what it is. Vanderbilt University Professor of Law and Political Science Edward L. Rubin says America's nosedive into the moral abyss is nothing to fret because we are just shifting to a "new morality" based on a "concept of self-fulfillment." Rubin suggests this fluffed-up version of hedonism is making people uncomfortable because they are feeling rapidly "pulled between two moralities." Paul/Saul wrote about the same struggle in Romans 7, reminding true believers to hold fast to "God's law," not giving in to the new morality he called "sin."

The only way progressivism wins is without the presence of absolute truth. Without it, morality is defined by ever-changing social whims; what's wrong today is right tomorrow. Truth is, it's impossible to define morality without a plumb line or divine standard. Wandering outside already-established boundaries since the beginning of time gets us where we are today. History demonstrates it. Polls prove it. Empty pews show it. Progressives love it.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: elca; episcopalian; fdr; liberal; lutheran; methodist; moralabsolutes; newdeal; pcusa; presbyterian; progressive
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To: Sam Gamgee
"It seems the Boomer generation was the first to really question traditional morality and experiment with alternate attitudes.

Not the first, but the most recent and those to bring the most radical part of the decline, yes.

"So it makes me wonder what did the WWII generation do wrong that their children rebelled?"

Some in high places spoiled their children, who led the rest astray. There were earlier attempts to get romanticism and feminism going (second half of the 1800s, soon after 1900 into the twenties), but those attempts were cut off by economic depressions and other events.


81 posted on 06/03/2015 5:35:52 PM PDT by familyop (We Baby Boomers are croaking in an avalanche of corruption smelled around the planet.)
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To: rhema

I don’t blame the communists and socialists who wanted to destroy America and are succeeding. I blame the superficially decent people who have ceded control of our language, our culture, and our government to those who want America fundamentally transformed. Our country’s only hope is for good, productive people to go on the offensive, take active control of the community narrative, challenge each attempt to control our language in a modern version of Orwell’s New-speak, and fight every possible battle avoid losing more ground and to regain lost ground.

Our mistake was a live-and-let-live philosophy, in which we ran our own lives and figured the thugs and big government liberals would live their own lives. That was never their goal — they want control, not freedom. The solution is to use our superior ability and energy to take back our country from people who are not nearly as capable as us. The challenge will be to keep our focus. They are willing to wait for us to return to productive work before they make another grab for absolute power. We have to stay alert 100% of the time. Forever.


82 posted on 06/03/2015 5:43:55 PM PDT by Pollster1 ("Shall not be infringed" is unambiguous.)
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To: Artaniss

I saw the photograph


83 posted on 06/03/2015 7:02:29 PM PDT by G-dzilla (A Day in the Life, I think...)
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To: HiTech RedNeck
Who's Responsible for the Moral Decline?


 

 

2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people, who are called by my name,
shall humble themselves,
and pray, and seek my face,
and turn from their wicked ways; ,

then will I hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin,
and will heal their land.

84 posted on 06/03/2015 7:04:02 PM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Ethan Clive Osgoode
The more people say this, the more they convince me it's true.

You've discovered the secret!


 
" The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success
unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly -
- it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over."



85 posted on 06/03/2015 7:05:35 PM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: conejo99

It’s a constant drumbeat!


86 posted on 06/03/2015 7:06:42 PM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: pgkdan

87 posted on 06/03/2015 7:08:15 PM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: MHGinTN

17 or so years ago it was girls named Monica that caught the teasing, lewd remarks, the insinuations.

Today; it’s the one’s named Caitlyn.


88 posted on 06/03/2015 7:09:33 PM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Adder
I agree...we can point at the Church or churches but it was the people you me and them who allowed the moral rot to spread.

AMEN!

Edmund Burke was RIGHT!

89 posted on 06/03/2015 7:11:04 PM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: conejo99
It’s about 60% doctors falling into and out of ‘love’, but what is amazing is the pushing of the homosexual agenda. We had stopped watching TV a decade or so ago and the change is amazing.

Why is it the TV shows the 'pretty' homos and never touches the flaming pink boys and/or the ugly bull dykes?

90 posted on 06/03/2015 7:15:08 PM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: rhema

Progressivism doesn’t win anywhere or anyway. Without integrity nothing works. Nothing. We, as in We the People, are being spun every which way worse than a dang tornado in these last months of the Klown’s regime. We have the same choice all have had since Paul. Trust Him or trust yourself. We are gonna be sifted FReind and it is gonna take all the popcorn we can muster.


91 posted on 06/03/2015 7:19:14 PM PDT by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: BillyBoy; AuH2ORepublican; fieldmarshaldj; NFHale

http://verdantlabs.com/politics_of_professions/index.html

You hear about libtard Catholic Priests a lot but according to that link, based on “Campaign contribution data from the FEC.” the large majority support Republicans. Contrast the Episcopal Priests, who are heavily rat.


92 posted on 06/03/2015 8:56:20 PM PDT by Impy (They pull a knife, you pull a gun. That's the CHICAGO WAY, and that's how you beat the rats!)
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To: Impy
Black protestant pastors (Evangelical or otherwise) also overwhelmingly support pro-abortion, pro-gay rights, Marxist Democrats. I see this at my job every day in the south suburbs where a lot of our clients are black ministers who CONSTANTLY put on a big public display about what good "Christians" they are (making sure the rest of the world knows about their religious affiliation and "relationship with Jesus"), but worship Obama and everything he does. Some of them even "strongly disagree" with the RAT party platform on social issues, but blindly campaign and vote for them anyway.

Its interesting that you hear little about that on FR, or from the mainstream media for that matter.

As for Catholic priests, I would have actually assumed their political leanings were 50-50, like the lay Catholic population as a whole. That's interesting that it leans heavily Republican. Most of them don't want to publicize their political views for fear of "offending" someone -- its similar to the gutless wonders we have in Congress. My pastor is a pretty outspoken conservative that tells it like it is, but he is the exception to the rule (and even he claims to be non-partisan despite obviously being very anti-Democrat Party policies)

93 posted on 06/03/2015 9:09:16 PM PDT by BillyBoy (Impeach Obama? Yes We Can!)
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To: BillyBoy; AuH2ORepublican; fieldmarshaldj

I was surprised by the margin as well. This is based on donations though, not option polling of who they voted for, perhaps those that don’t donate are more democrat.


94 posted on 06/03/2015 9:22:47 PM PDT by Impy (They pull a knife, you pull a gun. That's the CHICAGO WAY, and that's how you beat the rats!)
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To: Elsie

Oft cited, but the theology of the Old Testament promise isn’t the same as what happens when a society is Christianized. (The latter is better, not worse.)


95 posted on 06/03/2015 11:43:52 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: Elsie
You've discovered the secret!

That Bush was on the Saudi payroll?

96 posted on 06/04/2015 3:12:50 AM PDT by Ethan Clive Osgoode (<<== Click here to learn about Evolution!)
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To: Ethan Clive Osgoode

Which Bush are you trying to disparage?


97 posted on 06/04/2015 4:25:54 AM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Ethan Clive Osgoode

I like your homepage!

Lot’s of research gone on there!


98 posted on 06/04/2015 4:27:48 AM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Elsie
I like your homepage! Lot’s of research gone on there!

Thanks, I'm glad you like it. There is some more here Inbred Science.

99 posted on 06/04/2015 5:31:04 AM PDT by Ethan Clive Osgoode (<<== Click here to learn about Evolution!)
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To: Responsibility2nd
Me? I blame Lyndon Baines Johnson. The WORST American president ever.

No question he was terrible. But, for my money, no one can match the Kenyan,

100 posted on 06/04/2015 6:51:42 AM PDT by Marathoner (What are we waiting for? Where are the Articles of Impeachment?)
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