Whats with the "Declining morals of our nation" nonsense i keep hearing about?

[Umaro]

It seems all sorts of religions are claiming America's morals are decaying and that we need to get closer to God. I've tried to see why, but I just can't. I mean, 300 years ago we were killing the natives for their land, 100 years ago we had slavery, 50 years ago there was still condemnation for interracial couples, not to mention the whole need for the Civil Rights movement. And of course we can't forget the gender discrimination on women.

So from the way I see it, our morals are actually improving quite considerably, and I would even say the religious groups are trying to hinder the progress by being prejudiced toward the homosexuals and refusing promicing research on stems cells that will be destroyed anyway.

On a side note, why so much opposition to homosexuals? Noone seems to fight divorce, interreligious marraige, or marraige between sterile couples, which negates the whole "it doesnt create life" argument. I don't see why you can't just ignore it. Or at least back it up with something other than the Bible.

On a final note, why do the Christians keep insisting we are a "Christian Nation"? The nation was founded by a collection of Christians, Freemasons, Deists, and others. Washington and Adams even stated in the Treaty of Tripoli: "The Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian Religion.” I would think freedom of religion means those who don't follow Christianity are not bounded by its beliefs.



*I realize this is not a debate section, and I am not trying to debate. I explained my side to better ask my question, and will not try to argue points that are made.

 

[calidog]

I don't believe all christians believe christianity should be involved in politics.

On the contrary, christiany has done better in times of persecution.

 

[Tavita]

Umaro, at nineteen, I'm sure you haven't noticed any decay in society's morals, but after observing it myself over the last forty or so years I can see a huge decay in all aspects of society's morals. I guess it's brought home to us more by the media, especially tv, but what was considered as immoral by society even forty years ago is now considered 'normal', and is getting to the stage where I wish to watch less and less of it, and even read less of it. This has also been the complaint of many an older person who is not considered 'christian'. Most of the ancient civilizations who were at one time 'great', declined and fell because of their gradual sinking into moral decay and depravity... eg.. amongst others.. Egypt and the Roman Empire. Our natural inclination, after rejecting moral standards and law, leads us to decline into anarchy and depravity as we have no standard to live by.

 

[Bro_Sam]

Umaro, at nineteen, I'm sure you haven't noticed any decay in society's morals, but after observing it myself over the last forty or so years I can see a huge decay in all aspects of society's morals. I guess it's brought home to us more by the media, especially tv, but what was considered as immoral by society even forty years ago is now considered 'normal', and is getting to the stage where I wish to watch less and less of it, and even read less of it.

I agree.

I'm in my early forties and just the changes since I was a kid are amazing.

When the Rolling Stones wanted to sing, "Let's Spend the Night Together" on Ed Sullivan, it was a huge scandal because of the overt sexuality of that sentiment.

Even the tamest song on MTV now is filthy compared to that song.

Girls are so sexualized at such a young age that my thirteen year old daughter can hardly find modest clothing for girls her age at the mall.

Have you seen "Bratz" lately? It's a cartoon aimed at young girls. This cartoon is so vulgar that if you or I encouraged girls in real life to act the way that the little girls in this cartoon act, we'd be charged for contributing to the deliquency of minors.

The divorce rate is sky high. People living in sin together is so commonplace now that it doesn't even raise an eyebrow.

Children are routinely disrespectful to their parents and other adults.

We sanction the killing of 1.5 million children a year through abortion.

If my kids want to go see a movie, I have to go see it first just to see if it's something I can allow them to see. Used to be, if something was "G" rated or said Disney on it, you knew that it was safe. Now, you don't.

I have more than 300 channels on my cable box. Half of them had to be blocked out because they're not fit for family viewing.

The list goes on.

I have to watch my kids like a hawk now, not because of anything they might do, themselves, but because of the tons of garbage they're exposed to every day by our culture.

 

[Bro_Sam]

On a side note, why so much opposition to homosexuals? Noone seems to fight divorce, interreligious marraige, or marraige between sterile couples, which negates the whole "it doesnt create life" argument. I don't see why you can't just ignore it. Or at least back it up with something other than the Bible.

We do fight against divorce. We preach against it and counsel our people against it constantly. Same with inter-religious marriage.

I don't think I understand why you think we should be against sterile couples.

On a final note, why do the Christians keep insisting we are a "Christian Nation"?

We were founded on Christian principles, but we're not a theocracy.

 

[BGMCFAR]

I agree with you a100% If you liosten to the laguage out there they use words that no even a sailor would even think of using in public and the increase in child preditors it basicaly comes down to human descentecy and moralityand when you take God out of everything what do people expect.

 

[FrAnthony]

It seems all sorts of religions are claiming America's morals are decaying and that we need to get closer to God. I've tried to see why, but I just can't. I mean, 300 years ago we were killing the natives for their land, 100 years ago we had slavery, 50 years ago there was still condemnation for interracial couples, not to mention the whole need for the Civil Rights movement. And of course we can't forget the gender discrimination on women.

To your point, great strides have been made. However, today many other things have entered into society that less than 20 years ago were considered extreme. It seems the pendelum has swung too far to the wrong side in society's efforts to fix the things you've mentioned. As for a list...that seems to have been addressed well in previous posts.

On a side note, why so much opposition to homosexuals?

Because it is considered immoral and wrong in even the most relaxed interpretation of both Scripture and the tradition of the Christian Faith. I'm not sure where you get your information from, but I assure you other things (divorce, abortion, etc.) are commonly preached against. The noise I seem to hear the most comes from people who want to defend homosexuality...I don't hear that same level of noise coming from people who are divorced.

On a final note, why do the Christians keep insisting we are a "Christian Nation"?

Because the majority of Americans are Christian, and sometimes people need to be reminded to stand up for what they say they believe in...sometimes the minority needs to be reminded too.

 

[Stinker]

The government of the U.S. (a secular government) had always looked to the shade of moral guidance found in the New Testament....until now.

It has not always followed the New Testament's teachings like a Theocracy would, but in general it had. All the oppressed people of the world looked to the U.S. as a 'promised' land, a 'blessed' land. It was the example of light to every country.


Now, we are seeing the fruit of the teaching that what ever is not against civil law, can be either morally right or wrong depending upon the individual/s. In other words, neither the right or wrong is universal.

The horror that is now sweeping across the U.S. is being experienced by the wanton behavior of the large corporations upon the general population through it's contracts and fees, etc., and in the general population between individuals seen by the wanton disregard of speed limits and armed road rage incidents, etc.

It sure was a better country when we were in the shade.

 

[rocklife]

It seems all sorts of religions are claiming America's morals are decaying and that we need to get closer to God. I've tried to see why, but I just can't. I mean, 300 years ago we were killing the natives for their land, 100 years ago we had slavery, 50 years ago there was still condemnation for interracial couples, not to mention the whole need for the Civil Rights movement. And of course we can't forget the gender discrimination on women.

So from the way I see it, our morals are actually improving quite considerably, and I would even say the religious groups are trying to hinder the progress by being prejudiced toward the homosexuals and refusing promicing research on stems cells that will be destroyed anyway.

On a side note, why so much opposition to homosexuals? Noone seems to fight divorce, interreligious marraige, or marraige between sterile couples, which negates the whole "it doesnt create life" argument. I don't see why you can't just ignore it. Or at least back it up with something other than the Bible.

On a final note, why do the Christians keep insisting we are a "Christian Nation"? The nation was founded by a collection of Christians, Freemasons, Deists, and others. Washington and Adams even stated in the Treaty of Tripoli: "The Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian Religion.” I would think freedom of religion means those who don't follow Christianity are not bounded by its beliefs.

actually, it isn't just Christian Americans who call America a Christian Nation. Many other countries around the world consider America Christian because it is the main religion.


I think the ones who believe American morals are declining are referring to the times when public school did have prayers and Ten Commandments in schools, rapes and gangs and drugs were not such a big problem, in those days in the 50s or whenever their seeming biggest concern was chewing gum and spitballs. I think you can find hardships and problems though of those times if you look though

I personally don't know what the 50s were like, but I think they were kind of sticking their head in the sand if they think it was such a great time in those days just because they could say a christian prayer in public school (we still can pray silently). slavery, racism, etc was still going on, I think people are just romanticizing things personally.

you're right that there has been tons of violence going on, and the old days aren't any worse than now. sin has been here since Adam and Eve.

 

[prophecystudent]

First, I think there is a huge difference between "morals" and "ethics". Ethics, by one definition is

ethics point to standards or codes of behavior expected by the group to which the individual belongs. This could be national ethics, social ethics, company ethics, professional ethics, or even family ethics. So while a person’s moral code is usually unchanging, the ethics he or she practices can be other-dependent.

Morals define personal character, while ethics stress a social system in which those morals are applied.

Nobody can argue that at some level our national ethics have improved, especially in the areas you describe.

However, one can also argue that the national ethics have deteriorated. Take abortion, legalization of homosexuality, legalization of pornography, efforts to legalize what are now illegal drug usage, just for starters.

Someone else has cited the high divorce rate as an example of the decay of our nation's social values. No-fault divorce now means that either of the marriage partners can go to court and get a divorce for any reason regardless of what the other partner wants.

Women can go to the doctor and have her unborn child murdered by a "DOCTOR" (who swore, by the way, to use every measure at his/her disposal to protect human life). She can do this without even notifying her husband (or significant other).

Drug use, teen pregnancy, gang wars, pornography and other cases of what were once considered "virtues" are rampant and growing.

Yes, one can point to the elimination of racial discrimination as a good thing. But that does not offset all the negatives that have happened at the same time.

Only today I heard on the news that a democrat representative who will be chairman of a committee responsible for the ethics and rules of the congress was cited for many violations of rules, and fraud. He was using taxpayer paid assistants to do all sorts of things for his personal benefit, including having them babysit his kids and work on his re-election campaign.

What did the ethics committee do about it? They said as long as he acknowledged his "errors" they would do nothing to punish him, and he will now be in control of the committee that is supposed to oversee judicial matters.

Do you see any conflict here? This is just another example of the decay of moral and ethical standards of our nation.

Consider the issues of corruption at all levels of government and industry. It is no longer a matter of people doing "what is right", it is a matter of doing what they believe they can get away with. If they get caught, the receive no punishment.

Fred