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America near moral abyss
The Charlotte Observer ^ | 7/5/03 | Joyce Krawiec

Posted on 07/05/2003 11:41:38 PM PDT by LdSentinal

I suffer from what I call the Scarlett O'Hara syndrome: "I can't think about that today; I'll think about that tomorrow." Tomorrow is now today, and I'm forced to look squarely at things that I'd rather not think about. Sort of like turning over rocks and trying not to notice what's crawling underneath.

The last time I saw a movie about Sodom and Gomorrah, I was shaken by the similarities between that long ago place and the America that I see today.

America is the greatest nation in the world. We are the most envied, the richest, the most powerful and, I believe, still the most respected of all nations.

America is also the nation that leads industrialized countries in murder rates, violent crime, imprisonment, abortion, sexually transmitted diseases, teen suicide, divorce, single-parent households, drug use, pornography and failing schools. As a noted moralist once remarked, "We have become the kind of place to which civilized countries used to send missionaries."

America has become a place where heroes have been replaced by celebrities, honor replaced by fame, success and achievement replaced by popularity. Instead of human respect, we have political correctness. Much of America has become the "what's-in-it-for-me state." Our culture embraces self-gratification, and moral principles have crossed all boundaries.

We parents have done a wonderful job of providing the material things for our children that our parents and grandparents were unable to provide for us. But we've fallen far short in providing the essentials that our ancestors provided: honor, integrity, commitment, truthfulness, responsibility and many other virtues that were a part of our everyday lives.

We have become morally bankrupt, and it is destroying our country. We have lost our self-respect, and it is jeopardizing our future.

Our moral principles were always, in the past, a part of American culture. They were based on faith. The Golden Rule, the Ten Commandments and the Bible served as moral guides. Now the country that was founded on the principle of religious freedom finds itself battling to remove all thoughts and symbols of religion from our lives. Of all the wars America has fought, the current war on religion will prove to be, by far, the most destructive.

A culture in which "everything goes" and the only sin left is being judgmental is headed for a moral abyss. Without judgment, justice is impossible. Our legal system is based on judgment. Without it there will be no punishment for wrongdoing. But an even greater responsibility rests with us, as citizens, to set the standards of judgment in our everyday lives. When we are confronted with wrongdoing and unethical behavior in our midst, we have a responsibility to speak out and, God forbid, be judgmental.

Our form of self-government requires that people make reasonable judgments based on moral principles. If past generations had adhered to this nonjudgmental philosophy, we would still have slavery and child labor. Indeed, being judgmental is one of the few principles of a free society that establishes the boundaries of acceptable behavior.

Americans now place moral decline at the top of their lists of items in need of repair. This can be read as an indication that our moral problems are worsening. We seem to be saying, "Let's put away these childish things: concepts of God, our human soul and moral responsibility."

The course on which we are headed is a disastrous one. When we are headed in the wrong direction, going ahead is not progress. The only sensible thing to do after taking a wrong turn is to turn around and go back.

The turn we have taken is definitely a wrong one. The road signs are enormous. How did we miss them?

We cannot maintain that which we are not willing to defend, and we are losing the America that we love.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: america; culture; deathofmorality; morality; morals; society
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1 posted on 07/05/2003 11:41:38 PM PDT by LdSentinal
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To: LdSentinal; drstevej; Dr. Eckleburg; Polycarp; RnMomof7; Calvinist_Dark_Lord; Wrigley; fishtank; ...
Interesting post. Ping for discussion tomorrow
2 posted on 07/06/2003 12:00:46 AM PDT by CARepubGal
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To: LdSentinal
Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press, etc.....or just plain Freedom.....can all be abused.
3 posted on 07/06/2003 12:22:42 AM PDT by Consort
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To: LdSentinal
In my travels i have found Americans to be the most moral of people on a one to one basis.Why that doesnt translate itself to the cultural output of the nation i do not know.
4 posted on 07/06/2003 12:47:54 AM PDT by armed_in_sydney
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To: LdSentinal
Dear America ,

Not only is America plagued by a radical leftist , out of control , irresponsible ' Politics over Principle ' Democrat Party and Supreme Court , but we are plagued by an irresponsible Republican Party that has lost it's way morally ; which has plagued itself with ' Politics over principled , specifically regarding Pres. Bush , the National Republican Party , and the Calif. Republican Party .

They appear to be more concerned with 'prestige ' of position , and enamored with ' elected official big salary' rather than standing up to the illegal alien invasion ( 3,000 a day crossing )which is : Destroying our infrastructure, health care , quality of education and it's affordability - colleges down to elementary schools , roads employment , and tax base , causing businesses to leave Calif ., and causing a dramatic increase in crime .

While Republicans smooze with their position and salaries with upturn nose and arrogance at Washington , Calif. State Capitol local fundraising , diplomat ,and political partying , YOU , the modern day slave of the Republican and Democrat Party , suffer .

This is why we are doing the Recall of Governor Gray Davis , and it's working .I personally have been gathering recall signatures , and folks , believe me , it's not as easy as people think . It is work !

But there is problem which exists already , and I knew it before the recall got this far : California Republicans may go down in history as messing up the best chance to recall a Governor in our State's history , and they have already shown they are on the way to messing up our chance .

Recall candidate for Governor Republican Darell Issa has stated his belief a moderate only can win , not a Conservative Republican , and that it does'nt matter who is elected , a Democrat or a Republican - Anyone's better than Davis ( Darell Issa qoute , Orange County Register today , 7 / 05 /03 ) .

Republican Buck Johns at the same event disagreed saying that he does'nt think and can't believe that anyone would vote for a person from the same group as Davis . Arrrgh !!!! Where is the maturity in this Party ? These are so called GOP people in the Orange County Calif . Republican Party ! It's like , GROW UP PEOPLE ! Arrrrrrrgh !!! Repent ( RRRaaa - pienta - te ! ( that's repent in Spainish ) Arrrrgh !

The only Republican cadidates capable of winning the recall are Tom Mclintock and Arnold Swarzeneggar . Mark these words : My fellow Republicans chosen darling is Darrel Issa , and he will NOT win . Why ? Because only Calif . Senator Tom Mclintock will address the devastating effects of the Democrat promoted illegal alien invasion of Calif . , which is the ONLY REASON Calif. is in this budget crises , and the only reason the devastating cuts are occurring ( one such cut - 500 California Highway Patrol officer jobs ) .

Note : Davis is not cutting California taxpayer paid for services and freebees to illegal aliens , and Republican Darell Issa has stated numerous times in the media that he opposed the statute in Prop . 187 that would stop the schrewooling of illegal aliens children .

Vote Tom Mclintock for Governor , and send local Orange County Republican GOP officials such as Buck Johns , Darell Issa , and Orange County Republican Party Chairman Tom Fuentes back to kindergarten untill they grow up .

Love , cousinkoala P.S. - To the rest of the country : YOU'RE NEXT . WAKE UP !

7/5/03

5 posted on 07/06/2003 12:52:28 AM PDT by cousinkoala
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To: LdSentinal
Dear America ,

Not only is America plagued by a radical leftist , out of control , irresponsible ' Politics over Principle ' Democrat Party and Supreme Court , but we are plagued by an irresponsible Republican Party that has lost it's way morally ; which has plagued itself with ' Politics over principled , specifically regarding Pres. Bush , the National Republican Party , and the Calif. Republican Party .

They appear to be more concerned with 'prestige ' of position , and enamored with ' elected official big salary' rather than standing up to the illegal alien invasion ( 3,000 a day crossing )which is : Destroying our infrastructure, health care , quality of education and it's affordability - colleges down to elementary schools , roads employment , and tax base , causing businesses to leave Calif ., and causing a dramatic increase in crime .

While Republicans smooze with their position and salaries with upturn nose and arrogance at Washington , Calif. State Capitol local fundraising , diplomat ,and political partying , YOU , the modern day slave of the Republican and Democrat Party , suffer .

This is why we are doing the Recall of Governor Gray Davis , and it's working .I personally have been gathering recall signatures , and folks , believe me , it's not as easy as people think . It is work !

But there is problem which exists already , and I knew it before the recall got this far : California Republicans may go down in history as messing up the best chance to recall a Governor in our State's history , and they have already shown they are on the way to messing up our chance .

Recall candidate for Governor Republican Darell Issa has stated his belief a moderate only can win , not a Conservative Republican , and that it does'nt matter who is elected , a Democrat or a Republican - Anyone's better than Davis ( Darell Issa qoute , Orange County Register today , 7 / 05 /03 ) .

Republican Buck Johns at the same event disagreed saying that he does'nt think and can't believe that anyone would vote for a person from the same group as Davis . Arrrgh !!!! Where is the maturity in this Party ? These are so called GOP people in the Orange County Calif . Republican Party ! It's like , GROW UP PEOPLE ! Arrrrrrrgh !!! Repent ( RRRaaa - pienta - te ! ( that's repent in Spainish ) Arrrrgh !

The only Republican cadidates capable of winning the recall are Tom Mclintock and Arnold Swarzeneggar . Mark these words : My fellow Republicans chosen darling is Darrel Issa , and he will NOT win . Why ? Because only Calif . Senator Tom Mclintock will address the devastating effects of the Democrat promoted illegal alien invasion of Calif . , which is the ONLY REASON Calif. is in this budget crises , and the only reason the devastating cuts are occurring ( one such cut - 500 California Highway Patrol officer jobs ) .Why can is Arnold Swarzeneggar among the only two who can win ? Movie star name recognition . Unconfirmed by this writer is that Arnold is for abortion . I would like to know if that is true or not . Not good if so . Any candidate who would not stand for the life of innocent , gentle ,prescious babies in the womb are not worth the salt from the ocean .

Note : Davis is not cutting California taxpayer paid for services and freebees to illegal aliens , and Republican Darell Issa has stated numerous times in the media that he opposed the statute in Prop . 187 that would stop the schrewooling of illegal aliens children .

Vote Tom Mclintock for Governor , then ask local Orange County Republican GOP officials such as Buck Johns , Darell Issa , and 'silent as a mouse ' Orange County Republican Party Chairman Tom Fuentes to go back to kindergarten until they grow up .

Love , cousinkoala P.S. - To the rest of the country : YOU'RE NEXT . WAKE UP !

7/5/03

6 posted on 07/06/2003 1:00:48 AM PDT by cousinkoala
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To: LdSentinal
i grew up in the era of "morality".

my uncle refused to work on sundays. indeed, stores were closed on sundays. my family worked on sundays because we had a dairy farm, and the cows didn't share our morality.

this sounds good until one realizes that not all people share the same morality. my extended family argued constantly over who was more moral and godly.

but some of them, altho' they were religious fanatics, were the most evil people that i've met in my life.

my guess is that the world was always "going to hell in a handbasket". the characters change on the stage. life goes on.
7 posted on 07/06/2003 1:03:59 AM PDT by liberalnot (right turn on red permitted.)
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To: LdSentinal
America near moral abyss.....may be just another way of saying that religion has utterly failed.
8 posted on 07/06/2003 1:07:41 AM PDT by Consort
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To: CARepubGal
bttt
9 posted on 07/06/2003 1:32:34 AM PDT by expatguy
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To: Consort
9 - ....religion has utterly failed.
Religion has failed....but relationship w/God has not. Even Jesus was against religion, the white-washed tombs, the hypocrits, the legalistic traditionalists. America is full of them. You're right - hypocrisy is a loser, and it shows.
10 posted on 07/06/2003 1:50:02 AM PDT by bets
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To: LdSentinal
Nice article. I've been thinking about the whole "downfall of America" thing, too. Trying to come up with what's the main problem here. Here's the usual suspects:

Supreme Court, 9th Circuit, Trial Lawyers, no-fault divorce, child custody laws, war on drugs, elected officials, entertainment - tv, movies, video games, etc., social programs, welfare, public housing/section 8 housing, minorities, illegal immigration. Well, feel free to add your own.

But I read an article today that seems to have nailed it pretty well. It started with the 16th amendment, creating federal income tax. Which has led to a huge central gubmint, which has spawned (imho) all other problems. America is now a socialist state, and getting worse and more fascist by the year.

Anyway, I saw the article on worldNetDaily.com - 'Democracy': It's a threat to our republic

11 posted on 07/06/2003 4:05:58 AM PDT by searchandrecovery (Sandy Day O'Connor (Sandy D) - Affirmative Action hire (it's true).)
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To: LdSentinal
  America near moral abyss

Only someone with an almost complete ignorance of history could say this.
12 posted on 07/06/2003 4:11:14 AM PDT by aruanan
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To: LdSentinal
The sky is falling! The sky is falling!

How many replies would an article stating, "Today 99+% of Americans did nothing wrong" get?

13 posted on 07/06/2003 4:36:12 AM PDT by metesky ("Let us go among them." Rev. Capt. Samuel Johnston Clayton - Ward Bond, "The Searchers")
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To: bets
Super Ping!!!!, what we are is not what Christ is, Lord teach us your ways and give us courage to walk through death in your light.
14 posted on 07/06/2003 5:21:55 AM PDT by holyh2o
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To: bets
Even Jesus was against religion, the white-washed tombs, the hypocrits, the legalistic traditionalists. America is full of them. You're right - hypocrisy is a loser, and it shows.

If God in the person of Christ was against religion why did he accept the religious practices of his time? Why indeed was he born into a culture that was based on very specific religious practices? He could just as easily have been incarnated into any century or any culture. Your statement makes no sense.

15 posted on 07/06/2003 5:45:18 AM PDT by Diva
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To: metesky
We're all gunna die!!
16 posted on 07/06/2003 6:05:36 AM PDT by corkoman (did someone say cheese?)
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To: aruanan
By only the grace of God, we don't have Al Gore as President, and you wonder whether we were in a moral decline?
17 posted on 07/06/2003 7:35:33 AM PDT by Search4Truth (When a man lies he murders some part of the world.)
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To: LdSentinal
Ah yes, this is just an awful place, isn't it? It's the most religious country on the planet. It is filled with the most generous, loving people anywhere, and yet all we see is how bad we are.

You want me to tell you what's wrong with our country? OK, how about we have more people who slam us and our values than any country, anywhere. We have a lot of people who concentrate so much on the bad that they fail to see, and celebrate the good. That contributes to the idea that we are a foul cesspool of sin. Those people do more to undermine the country then those who are running wild.

This is a good country, filled with good, God loving people. Stop buying into the propaganda and realize that those who are in the news are those few diviants who get the attention of the media.

18 posted on 07/06/2003 7:44:58 AM PDT by McGavin999
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To: LdSentinal
I watched a movie on a BASIC cable channel (FX) for a few minutes yesterday. The plot of the comedy was set in high school and concerned two girls who were best friends since childhood. In the few minutes that I saw, there was one scene where a male high school character said "I never thought [so-and-so] would give me a blow job" and the camera cut back to show him sitting on a bed with the female character's head bobbing up and down on his lap. A few minutes later a scene showed a teacher having sex with his wife (doggy-style, you could see her naked back going back and forth) while he fantasized about doing, first, her best friend, and, secondly a high school student, while his wife exclaimed over and over again "Fill me up! Fill me up!" We ain't in Kansas anymore, that's for sure.
19 posted on 07/06/2003 8:38:54 AM PDT by jordan8
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To: armed_in_sydney
Gov't has arrogated to itself all the functions other societal organizations used to handle. Our government cannot even handle laws and ethics, much less morals.
This is why a smaller less intrusive government is important.
20 posted on 07/06/2003 8:59:32 AM PDT by steve8714 (info useful for later.)
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