Some thoughts about our country as Christmas and the new year approach.
In his Farewell Address to the nation in 1796, America’s departing first president, George Washington, observed: “It is substantially true that virtue or morality is a necessary spring to popular government.”
And what is the basis upon which we define morality?
Washington answers, “reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”
Per our first president, for a democracy to function properly, it must be guided by moral principles. And the guidelines and rules by which we define what is moral are framed by principles of the Bible.
This is not exactly what we have going on today.
Rather than our democracy following prior moral principles, our moral principles now are defined by our democracy. What we deem to be moral — good and evil, right and wrong — now arrives to us not from heaven but from Hollywood.
Consider how, over the last 20 years, our idea of what is morally acceptable has changed.
Twenty-two years ago, in 2001, per Gallup polling, the following percentages of Americans viewed these activities as “morally acceptable”: gay/lesbian relations: 40%; birth to unwed mother: 45%; polygamy: 7%; suicide: 13%; pornography: 30%.
In the latest survey in 2022, following are the percentages calling these same activities “morally acceptable”: gay/lesbian relations: 71%; birth to unwed mother: 70%; polygamy: 23%; suicide: 22%; pornography: 41%.
What exactly happened over 22 years that, on average, the percentage saying each morally sensitive area is morally acceptable has more than doubled?
One thing that has happened is that the percentage of Americans that think the Bible is relevant to their life has dramatically dropped.
Per Gallup, the percentage saying that religion is “very important” in their life has dropped from 70% in 1965 to 49% in 2021.
The percentage saying they attended church in the last seven days has dropped from 49% in 1960 to 29% in 2021.
Certainly contributing to this is a long series of court decisions in which interpretations of the First Amendment have been more about purging religion from our public spaces than about protecting religious liberty.
The 1962 decision banning prayer in public schools was just the opening salvo producing our reality today in which traditional values and morality are gone from the instruction our children receive in public schools. Those values have been replaced by the secular humanism of the far left.
It is very popular to think about public policy in terms of the social agenda and the economic agenda, as if these are two separate worlds. But they’re not. As religion declines, government grows.
Perhaps George Washington’s point that a moral and virtuous culture enables popular government can be best understood in that a free society cannot function when individuals cannot govern themselves through personal responsibility.
Tens of trillions have been spent on anti-poverty programs with practically zero impact. Substantial research shows that what really combats recurring poverty is the so-called “success sequence.” Those who finish high school, do not have children before marriage and work overwhelmingly move out of poverty.
Government and politics have become our new religion, despite their dismal track record of success in improving the human condition.
The Penn Wharton Budget model, an economic research group at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business, projects now that by 2050, our national debt will be 225% of our GDP.
A national culture increasingly rooted in falsehoods is spending itself into oblivion and bankruptcy.
How about we Americans who still pray direct our prayers that in the upcoming year we see a revival of truth in our nation? Let’s pray that all our citizens see that the only path to freedom is each embracing eternal truths that enable all of us to successfully govern our own lives.
Star Parker is president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education and host of the weekly television show “Cure America with Star Parker.”
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The policy of Peace Through Strength that was part of the Reagan administration policy helped to strengthen and defend freedom. The United States of America prospered when President Ronald Reagan was in the White House. The spirit of what President Reagan stood for with the Peace Through Strength outlook was significant. Freedom can be strengthened with things that add to the Nation ‘s character. Lessons to be learned from history that help to provide a better understanding of why things are as they are at present should always be considered as something valuable. Law and order needs to be maintained and a respect for the idea of people living in a responsible manner can help to do that , people who respect freedom will be inclined to respect the rights of others and what law and order is all about. Having an outlook that promotes the principles of honor,honest , integrity, courage and loyalty will help to establish a society where Peace and Freedom and respect for law and order will make life better for everyone. May God guide America on the right course.
How do we get back on track? Simple. Put God at the head of our nation and return to morality. Then, everything else will fall into place. Just read the Bible and see what happened to the nations that abandoned God for their idols and unjust moral decisions. Don’t agree with God, then expect to get much more of the same.
All of the provisions as stated in the US Constitution and guaranteed to be applicable to the average citizen are now null and void. The real title for this document should be The Prostitution of the United States of America: sold out to the highest bidder, using US taxpayer dollars. Unfortunately this is 100% true!
We need at least 34 state governments to use the Constitution against the Bolshevists.–Cump
We are a Christian union of States. Our founding Fathers were composed of representatives from Christian States. None of the States would concede many powers to a strong central power. They had seen firsthand what a large central government had done to its people and their human rights. They wanted no part of it plus the states would not have approved the constitution.
For a government to be of, for, and by the people it had to exist at the community level. The more people a government has power over the less individual rights are reserve for the people it governs. Therefore, each State should establish their own laws and taxes to catty out those laws. People from California should have the right to have high taxes, free abortion clinics, free college tuition, only electric cars, etc.
First of all, the uS supreme court should have never ruled on the 1960 case. We also need to understand that an attack of our personal liberties began early in the 20th century. Government power began to be removed from the States and transferred to our centralized federal government. Democracy was being attacked. Our individual rights were being removed from local governments.
The Bill of Rights were not included in the constitution because the federal government had not been granted any of the powers that were involved with the amendments/ added to the our uS Constitution to limit the powers of our federal government. They were not to be applied to the States.
The people of each State should decide on their laws.
How about returning to holding honest ellections? WATCH: Maricopa Elections Director Scott Jarrett Lied Under Oath In Kari Lake’s Historic Election Trial – Admits He Knew About Ballot Printing Issues “a Few Days After Election Day”.Another Maricopa witness caught PURGERING HIMSELF in Judge Thompson’s court
Thank you Star Parker for a very good & timely article on USA. What has caused this big shift in thoughts on morality in the last 22-years & is this mainly due to new generation or have the Baby Boomers accepted this also. I really like the statement: “finish high school, do not have children until you married & can afford this & accept the responsibility, and Work ” is the way to get out of poverty. I know this is easier said than done, because all of us have been teenagers at some point in our life.
My opinion (for what it’s worth) on what’s wrong with this country is that kids are now being raised without structured religion so they grow up not learning right from wrong. Also, too many families are without fathers which I think contributes to the destruction of society. Kids now are disrespectful and uncompassionate to others. One of my friends sent his 2 kids to Valley Christian private school in the Bay Area of California their whole childhood and they have grown up to be such wonderful human beings. Great people.
The world has gone through several periods of cultural decay, in some ways similar to what we are seeing today. Culture has been rescued by Great Awakenings . Christian revival on a massive scale. I see no other answer. “Tribal Conflict” will only result in whoever has the most power ruling until a stronger group arises. I pray for an Awakening.
Outlaw the Democratic Party due to it being infiltrated by socialists and communists.
TRUMP/NUGENT
2024
Trump post about doing away with our constitution is proof that he cares more about his ego than USA & he needs to step down & let another Republican run for POTUS in 2024. And his actions Jan 6th & his support of the rioters of Capitol is the reason he should not run for office again.
Will need honest elections first. Next will need to drain the bloated bureaucracies, media, education, hollywood, etc. Hope and pray that it is not already too late and that the next generations are not totally indoctrinated and confused. Could be that reality will need to settle in and turmoil prevail. At least patriots will have most of the arms.
Buddy, the honest election train left the station a LONG time ago. WAKE UP!
He – man tough guy sophisticate British actor Stewart Granger starred in a 1950’s movie titled “Sodom & Gomorrha” where his righteous character is confronted by a promiscuous courtesan reacting to Granger being appalled by the lifestyle of these places. She retorts “there is no good, and there is no evil, only – p l e a s u r e.” Fast forward to America today with Hollywood uttering those lines.
Listen to the interview Pastor Jimmy Evans had with Pastor Billy Crone: per-2030 The Great planet reset; Google Klauss Schwab-Davos, Switzerland; Covid 19 was the trigger for us to “own nothing and be happy”; Biden is makig every decision to destroy the US.;
Look no further than the 19 so-called Republicans who voted for the absolutely insane $1.7 Trillion bill that just passed, folks, we have too many traitors within our own ranks, seems to me we are only left with 1 of 2 options, either purge our own party of the traitors, or form an entirely new party, and split the country down the middle, our youth have been corrupted, once again, it will be up to the older generation to put us back on track.
You forgot the third option: American Revolution 2.0, coming soon to a neighborhood near you.
We are with you but a 3rd Party is a losing option guaranteed to split our forces and benefit the Progressives. Check out the history of the Conservative and Liberal Parties in New York State since 1965 to see how elections turn out when one side or the other is divided. Also the Ross Pertot campaigns which boosted the candidacy of Bill Clinton twice. Better to take over the Republicans and oust and or isolate the RINOs.
Never going to happen. But thanks for playing.
Thank you, AMAC, for publishing quality, truth-bearing articles such as this. The author hints at the solution for our woes in the article’s conclusion – we need people to be seeking and finding the Truth, which is found in God’s Guidebook for our lives, the Bible. Only a spiritual revival will save us – not politicians, whom are merely God’s tools through whom He can work (Romans 13:1-7).
This is a well written article. But we have a serious threat of going communist. The only thing keeping us from it is our guns. Crime is running rampant… on purpose. Cashless bail and biased prosecutors are setting the stage for people to allow them to take our guns away, under the cover of no guns, no shootings.
We are in trouble. Think about all that’s happened with Biden. Here is some: Trans kids, open boarders, CRT, energy dependance with dictators, forcing electric cars, high taxation. Churches are in threat of having their tax deduction taken away if they won’t marry same sex couples. Yet good people still vote Democrat. Evil prevails if good men do nothing. The Demorats are evil. Do something about it with your vote.
Voting is rigged and thus useless. You ALMOST had it nailed with your mention of firearms.
If you read Daniel and Revelation, you will understand that all man-made governments (including the U.S.) will eventually fail and be destroyed. Only Christ’s kingdom will remain forever. How much longer the U.S. remains is the only question. We may have times when things are getting better but the overall trend is down.
I believe this is the nation of Matt. 21:43, and we have a job to do. But we have let parasitic barnacles grow on our system, and God will soon scrape them off per Matt. Chapter 13. Then we must get on with the Great Commission.