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America has become a place where heroes have been replaced by celebrities, honor replaced by fame, success and achievement replaced by popularity.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.
I see plenty of light. It's in the Bible. Good peoples' best attempts at illuminating the earth have resulted in a brief, dim glow compared to what might be possible.
No, as a matter of fact, there isn't. You see, I have faith. I happen to believe that Christ did NOT die in vain. I don't try to second guess God. How can you fight evil if you can't even recognize it?
I'm sorry you live in such a dark world. I'm sorry you see evil everywhere you look. I'm sorry you can't recognize the good in your fellow countrymen. I'm sorry you can't see the light of God in your fellow man.
Don't bother to respond to this, I won't be answering you.
What are you talking about?
Who said the USA was the the "embodiment" of God's will?
Go back and read my post again.
I said that in spite of the fact that evil and darkeness bound to thrive in a free society, there are nevertheless also many decent, wonderful and God fearing people in this country.
God isn't surprised by the evil you speak about...but He is also more than happy to recognize the good.
You only seem willing to see the bad.
What you said.
You speak of seeing the light in the Bible...and yet seem so lacking in the Biblical charity and grace when it comes to your view of your fellow Americans.
You can slam and condemn this country all you want....I and others on this board still can see the light of God's Word doing a wonderful work in the lives of many Americans today.
It's ironic that with your cynical and pessimistic outlook you presume to be so much better than everybody in this country you feel qualified to condemn as evil and dark.
That's right, buying Chinese-made American flags at Wal-Mart and purchasing a new fire truck for NYC proves that the majority of Americans are living the lives that Jesus directed us to live.
The response to 9-11 gave us some of the most inspiring demonstrations of the resilience and faith in the human spirit..it just astounded me.
The idea that you would poo-poo that because you are obsessed with looking for evil and ugly things in other people is sad.
Guess you think the life Jesus wants us to live is to be cynical, pessimistic and condemning.
Just what Jesus wants...a bunch of miserable old sourpuss faces to look at for eternity.
I don't think so.
It's unwise to advertise your ignorance.
Come on, you're fooling yourselves again. As though the Bible commands me to be tolerant and satisfied with evil when I see it. Why are you on the attack? Did I call anything you do evil? Do you think I don't praise good when I see it?
And you're making hugh assumptions that aren't true. So do I see "God's Word doing a wonderful work in the lives of many Americans today". Well put. And it is probably true that in many ways this country is still the closest to what it should be of any.
What you call cynical and pessimistic I call low tolerance for that which isn't right. Many people in this country and others have far greater adoration for mammon and the cult of humanity than is called for. Some have deluded themselves into thinking that is optimism and God's way when it is the opposite. Do you consider everyone who expects a punishment from God to be a nut like you think me to be?
It's ironic that with your cynical and pessimistic outlook you presume to be so much better than everybody in this country you feel qualified to condemn as evil and dark.
There you go again with this wild defensiveness. Of course I think my behavior is better than pornographers and abortionists. Did I say I am superior to you or anything you do?
I wish I knew what you were talking about here; please enlighten me. So most people went back to work the next day. So what? Waving flags and whistling? Is that what you're talking about? Giving a million dollars to the survivors? Is that what you're talking about? The Patriot Act? Is that what you're talking about?
Come on, you're fooling yourselves again. As though the Bible commands me to be tolerant and satisfied with evil when I see it.
Who said anything about being tolerant or satistfied with evil?
Go back and read my post again.
What I (and other posters) have objected to is your blanket condemnation of America and your refusal to recognize the many good and decent things about this country.
Why are you on the attack? Did I call anything you do evil? Do you think I don't praise good when I see it?
Maybe you do. I hope so.
However all you've done in this thread is argue against all those who attempt to praise the good they see in this country.
Go back and read my post again.
Go back and read MY post again.
I said this is the best country. You are too easily satisfied with the status quo.
I know you will denigrate the source, but Here is one of many sources you can find this info and the source for the info below.
Do a search on the internet and the info is readily available.
The United States is the most religious of all the industrialized nations.
Forty-four percent of Americans attend church once a week, compared with 27 percent in Britain, 21 percent in France, 16 percent in Australia, and 4 percent in Sweden. Yet violent crime is not less common in the United States--it's more common. The murder rate here is six times higher than the rate in Britain, seven times higher than in France, five times higher than in Australia, and five times higher than in Sweden. Japan, where Christianity has almost no adherents, has less violent crime than almost any country.
There are a few advanced nations that have high rates of church attendance and low rates of violent crime--Ireland, Italy, and Belgium--but they're the exceptions.
Within the 50 states, there is no evidence that a God-fearing populace equals a law-abiding populace. The Bible Belt has more than its share of both praying and killing.
Louisiana has the highest churchgoing rate in the country, but its murder rate is more than twice the national average.
The same pattern generally holds in the rest of the South. Tom DeLay's Bible-toting state of Texas has a murder rate triple that of Massachusetts, which is "ungodly" enough to have elected two openly gay members of Congress.
New York, the very symbol of godless depravity, is perfectly average when it comes to extralegal slaughter. In Washington state, where Sunday morning slugabeds are more common than anywhere else in America, murder is 38 percent less common.
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