Understanding American Decline

The Building and Burning of America

In this image, it is not a church burning but a building; parts of the church have burned to death for not bowing to false and irreligious hypocrites.

Anyone who experienced the 1960S knows it was a time of great upheaval in many ways, from many differing perspectives. It is now five decades later and when young people look back at what they think was a terrible America, some of us look at today and ask what happened to morality or even decency, and religion. Why is there infringement upon constitutional rights, and corruption, which has impacted the quality of our food, our medical industry, and then there is dishonesty in every arena of business, the media, our Universities, Entertainment, and even elementary and High Schools. Why? Understanding American Decline has been a fall from good to evil.

Understanding American Decline From Its Ascension

To properly understand America's decline, a person must first accept the foundation upon which America was built and stood for nearly 400 years. The Pilgrims were English Puritan Separatists who came to America seeking the freedom to worship Jesus Christ as Lord as He commanded, and they were not willing to accept an earthly king as head of His church. As states came into being, they adopted constitutions that mandated Christian religious beliefs for the welfare of every citizen. In most states, as towns came into being, it was mandatory to have a church first. On several occasions, revivals broke out because the churches began to become lukewarm in their faith. Then in the 18th Century, there came THE GREAT AWAKENING, where many came to faith in Christ, which also had a part in the establishment of the American country, government, the US Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Because of the preaching during the time of revival, even unbelievers and falsely professing believers came to understand the value of high morals and a respect for all human life, regardless of color, creed, or national origin. It was with these values in mind that America was conceived and born.

Understanding American Decline From The 1960S

Many reasons could be cited across many areas of national life and culture; here is just one. The self-imposed moral censorship of the movie industry, commonly known as the Hays Code or the Production Code, was officially abandoned (by the clergy that led it) and replaced by the current voluntary film rating system in 1968. Censorship was so strict that the film Frankenstein was rejected (and subsequently edited) in 1938 due to the strict enforcement of the Production Code. The PCA required the removal of several scenes and lines that were deemed offensive, including Dr. Frankenstein's declaration, "Now I know what it feels like to be God!" and the entire sequence in which the Monster accidentally drowns the little girl.

It is vital to understand how radical a departure some people made during the 1960s and 70s, and how some placed all the blame upon America as if it had always been the same in every generation. Generalities are so easy to make from ignorance. Furthermore, many wanted to know where we were headed without fully comprehending where we had been. When the generation following those who lived during THE GREAT DEPRESSION AND WORLD WAR II were given evolution as an alternative to an eternal being who created everything from nothing and who would also come to judge everyone who had ever lived, they immediately grasped for an easy out so that their new found "freedom" to live as lustfully as they wanted, they jumped at it as if they were jet propelled.

Understanding American Decline Following The 1960S

There was much feeling and a great deal of rejection of past generations but where were the answers? You can read the negativity as it pours out of the lyrics to the song, "In the Year 2525."

In the year 2525, if man is still alive, If woman can survive, they may find In the year 3535 Ain't gonna need to tell the truth, tell no lie Everything you think, do and say Is in the pill you took today In the year 4545 You ain't gonna need your teeth, won't need your eyes You won't find a thing to chew Nobody's gonna look at you In the year 5555 Your arms hangin' limp at your sides Your legs got nothin' to do Some machine's doin' that for you In the year 6565 You won't need no husband, won't need no wife You'll pick your son, pick your daughter too From the bottom of a long glass tube

In the year 7510 If God's a coming, He oughta make it by then Maybe He'll look around Himself and say Guess it's time for the judgment day In the year 8510 God is gonna shake His mighty head He'll either say I'm pleased where man has been Or tear it down, and start again In the year 9595 I'm kinda wonderin' if man is gonna be alive He's taken everything this old earth can give And he ain't put back nothing Now it's been ten thousand years Man has cried a billion tears For what, he never knew, now man's reign is through But through eternal night, the twinkling of starlight So very far away, maybe it's only yesterday In the year 2525, if man is still alive If woman can survive, they may find Songwriters: Richard Lee Evans Singers: Zager and Evans

Understanding American Decline Due To A Fallen Church

I have never been one in days past to place blame upon believers for the sins of unbelievers. I feel the same way today. However, there are many questions about the state of our present culture that must go unanswered because we don't know the mind of God. Here's a question: why did the American culture lose so much respect for American religion? Regarding the loss of respect, I note the following.

No less than 70 churches have been burned down, with the first in 1822 and the most recent in 2022. In some cases, it is God's people taking a stand for the Gospel, against sin and immorality in particular, but also because of God's displeasure with the churches for a variety of misbehavior among believers and unbelievers who were welcomed into the fellowship. To name a few reasons for disrespect.

1) There has been the matter of racial bias among so-called believers. No biblically literate person who bows to Jesus as Lord could treat a brother as inferior for any reason.

2) Our Lord set the bar exactly where it belongs when He said, in Matthew 18:34, "And his Lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him." 35 "My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart." What is owed to Jesus' heavenly Father is eternal. The critical question is whether the church member shows forth the fruit of salvation.

3) Our Lord continued by saying, " 15“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16“But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. 17“If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector." When and where is this command practiced with all the seriousness of confrontation [in love] that Paul did? 1 Corinthians 1:11 "For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you." When and where is this command practiced with all the seriousness of confrontation [in love] that Paul did? 13 "Has Christ been divided?" It doesn't take a genius to understand that Paul charged the whole church with misconduct before the outside world regarding divisions Where are we today concerning divisions in and between churches?

4) Lastly because of time and space, Jesus also said in Matthew 18:3, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Where is the humility of Seminary professors, denominational heads, Deacon board leaders, etc., etc., today?