Decaying of America “Part II - Spirituality/Religion”

I wrote about our infrastructure and now I would like to discuss Spirituality/Religion. I think Millennial's are less religious today than earlier generations. This is my opinion because studies only go back a couple of years. It may be that it is a temporary phase in their life’s because they are not settled yet, they have not experienced serious illness or deaths and that is usually the time people call on religion to comfort them.

I have read studies where two million young people were surveyed and it revealed twice as many high school seniors and 3 times as many college students described their religion as “none”. In the eight grade and tenth grade 40% surveyed said they had no religious affiliation.  It appears to me that young people have a weak interest in religion or God.  What shocked me is 75% of students in the twelfth grade said they had never attended a religious service and had no interest in doing so. This has a definite effect on our society. I have heard it argued that young people have replaced spirituality for religion if that is the case why did 20% of college students say they were not spiritual.  They also said they are not motivated to meditate or pray. I feel confident in saying young people in America are moving away from religion not towards religion.

Millennial's are less religious than young people have been in six decades.  It amused me that parents stated they are fighting a losing battle to get their kids to church and when ask if they attend church they replied, “No we are too busy or it is the only day of the week we have off”.  In other words, they do not lead by example.

I think a major problem in society today is we focus more on self and less on social rules.  Premarital sex is at an all-time high.  Today’s attitude is if it is good for me the hell with you.  Americans are more focused on individual freedoms than they are social rules.   A more individualistic culture will always be less religious because it means belonging to a group, which means you will adhere to their teaching and practices. Religion also requires respect for authority and Americans today are less likely to respect authority.  America everyday gets to look more and more like Northern Europe where marriage is optional and religious participation is low.  In 2013 41% of babies were born to unmarried mothers.  If you do not think this effects society, think again – homes without a father figure, homes with one parent trying to provide financially in this day and time has little time for children, many have to depend on government aid which is a drain on government and generally education is not stressed as much.  I am not talking about all single parents some do as well as when there are two parents in the home and sometimes the home is better off without the father. But, those that are single carrying the load of two parents need to be seen as heroes. The consequences of discarding a sacred moral code to govern the actions of individuals are far graver than most people realize.

A year before the U.S. Constitution was ratified Edward Gibbon published the final volume of The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. He listed five things and one that made the list was Religion.  He believed the lack of religion led to an insatiable craving for pleasure and the breakup of families. He wrote the root cause of Roman societal collapse was their loss of individual morality. You see he believed the laws of morality were as unchanging as the laws of mathematics and physics.  George Washington said, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.” I think if America falls it will be due to our failure in the area of morality. 

Gibbon and Washington believed the safeguards of society were not the military or productive merchants or prosperous consumers but, high morals and sincere religion. Yet most politicians and educators today reject that belief.  They say that what people do in the privacy of their own homes has no connection to national security or national well-being. For the most part Democrats, Liberals and a lot of Republicans (Rhinos we call them) have rejected the idea that national stability depends on the laws or morality

At one time people knew what character meant. It meant things like honoring your parents, not murdering, not stealing, not lying, not coveting and not committing adultery.  But, in the 60’s a Supreme Court Justice said it was impossible to define character.  That was a radical departure form the past. In short it meant keeping the Ten Commandments, the laws of the Bible were not important..

John Adams wrote in a letter to Thomas Jefferson, “The Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount contain my religion.” During the 18^th Century the United States and Britain held its citizens, families and leaders to a high moral standard.  I realize they had flaws and vices.  Many believed only if they were God fearing would they survive.  Today our educators and politicians want us to believe the founders were not religious men. 

The family structure use to produce good fathers, mothers, teachers, ministers, judges, engineers, orators and statesmen.  Policy makers then understood the connection between family breakdown and societal problems like alcoholism, drug addiction, welfare addiction, juvenile delinquency and violent crimes.  Today a large percentage of our policy makers are adulterous, alcoholics, liars, cheats and thieves. 

At the turn of the 20^th century, educators in the United States and British Commonwealth began to reject the idea laws of morality were not unchangeable.  People began to think what was right in the past may not be right now or in the future.  They believe morality is always changing to suit the times.  What is right for me, may not be right for you, but it is right for me. They embraced Sigmund Feud.

Today only about 3% wait for marriage to have sex, before 1912 it was 80%. Only 20% of Christians wait until marriage to have sex.  The majority of the younger generation do not even see fornication as being wrong. They rationalize a difference between love and sex.  Sex is just pleasure and love is commitment. 

In 1890 there was one divorce for every 18 marriages and today the number is one divorce for every 2 ½ marriages.  You do not think premarital sex and acceptance of pornography has not contributed to the failures of marriage?  Do you not think the lack of morality has not contributed to premarital sex and pornography? 

Children who grow up without a father figure are four times likelier to be poor, nine times likelier to drop out of school, 11 times likelier to commit violent crimes and twenty more times likelier to be arrested.  NOW I KNOW THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS.  There is a direct link between the fracturing of families and major societal problems which have a definite effect on the nation.  According to projections by the U.S. Congressional Budget Office, rising entitlement spending and paying the interest on the national debt will consume 99% of all tax revenue in the next decade.  That means only one thing can happen the national debt will sky rocket.

Niall Ferguson a Financial Historian said when the debt exceeds the cost of protecting your borders is when countries usually fail. I guess we do not have to worry about that one because the Liberals and Democrats will not allow us protect our border.

In closing, there are no moral truths because there is no longer a religious basis for morality. The Bible was more than the enlightenment to the original settlers, the Bible was one reason America’s Christians were different from most European Christians.  Regardless of what anyone may say the Bible did have an influence on our Founding Fathers. Today Americans are taught to rely on their feelings to determine right behavior.  It makes me cringe when a child needs correcting and instead of telling the child what is right and wrong the parents say, “Sweetie how do you feel about that.”

If you acknowledge that American society is in decay, it is your obligation to fight to undo the harm that has been done.  If you cannot acknowledge that American morality is in decay then you are the proof that it is.