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Well, it appears that the pastor is not aware that everything changed on September 11.

I have bored everyone with my constant references to a book called The Fourth Turning, but I would ask your indulgence again.

The basic theory of the book is that British and Americian history comes in 4 cycles: A High, A Spiritual Awakening, An Unraveling, and a Crisis. These are the four "turnings" of the historical cycle. The last cycle before this one was The Gilded Age, The period 1900-1920, The Roaring 20's, and the Depression/World War II (Crisis).

This was followed by the post-war period (High), The Cultural Revolution of the 60's (Spiritual Awakening...not necessarily Christian, by the way), followed by a loooong Unraveling period. I believe we are now in the Crisis.

In their book, the authors point out that the hallmark of a true Fourth Turning crisis is a rapid shift in public attitude, from that of personal fulfillment to that of national unity and sacrifice, with an emphasis on survival skills, patriotism, honesty, responsibility, and other traditional values.

Almost everyone has remarked upon the change in attitude in the country. Those who can adapt to the new requiremnets of society will do just fine. Those who are still stuck in the past will be left by the wayside. This pastor will be one who is unable to cope with the new nation created September 11.

The authors have a website for anyone who wants to know more about their book and theory. Here is the link:

The Fourth Turning

Almost everyone has remarked upon the change in attitude in the country. Those who can adapt to the new requiremnets of society will do just fine. Those who are still stuck in the past will be left by the wayside.

Bye bye, political correctness. It hasn't been nice.
GOD blessed America once more! The liberal Satan has been defeated!

Thank you for bringing up The Fourth Turning.

Everyone of us would benefit from reading it again -- or for the first time.

In reviewing this thread, I was a bit intrigued by your reference to The Fourth Turning. The thesis here echoes the letters of Jefferson and Adams. One (I forget which) in their later years wrote the other to the effect that they saw the US as a virtuous country, and then added a virtuous country is destined for prosperity but a prosperous country is destined to lose its virtue. ... That said, the national unity you speak of is never going to persist for long if the racist idiots in this thread, who never spent 15 minutes studying Islam, are any indication. That fool of a Muslim cleric no more represents mainstream Islamic belief than Jerry Falwell represents Christianity. The problem in Islam is their mainstream has been cowed and overwhelmed (hijacked) by fundamentalist extremist sects. Note to Christians: who is hijacking your faith? Whose face appears on the news when someone needs a Protestant to interview? .... Second, if you think the Palestinians are all wrong and the Israelis are all lily-white, here's a clue: you are brainwashed (or brain-dead), and that's coming from an Israel sympathizer. .... Finally, the hatred and scorn coming from the right towards "liberals" (i.e. anyone who disagrees with them) is the sulphuric acid that will soon corrode national unity. Listen, O'Reilly fans, it's simple: if you want unity, you gotta act unity. Talk about self-defeating.