After yesterday’s post, I thought I’d follow up with a few more thoughts on that first type of conversation, the one in which someone tries to convince me that the world is essentially becoming more and more dreadful.
First, I think this perspective is necessary for anyone who subscribes to the theology of John Nelson Darby. From that point of view, the world has to go downhill. So never mind the fact that there certainly have been positive changes, by which even the most conservative and fundamentalist among us have benefited.
Second, there is a certain underlying attitude that the United States either represents “the world” or even is “the world” (or, at least, the only part of the world that really matters). Sometimes the rest of the English-speaking countries may get thrown in there for good measure, whether they like it or not. At any rate, it’s not clear whether the attitude is ignorant of other cultures, views us as superior to other cultures (aside from our state of moral decay?), or believes that other cultures are somehow just primitive versions of our own.
Third, most people who hold fast to the moral decline view also believe wholeheartedly that we are a “Christian” nation, or at least used to be. There is no doubt that Christianity has been the dominant religion in the United States. And those same Christians, over the few short centuries of our nation’s history, have managed to bully, persecute, enslave, and slaughter people they didn’t happen to like. I wouldn’t say that we’ve gone from being genuine followers of Christ to being moral degenerates. In fact, there seems to be a reawakening of real, authentic Christianity, led by a few people who are daring to step outside of the narrowly defined box of American Christianity.
Finally, it is interesting to me what evidence is used to define moral decay. I’m not convinced that battling gay marriage, or abortion, or sex, drugs & rock ‘n’ roll, are the answers to bringing God’s Kingdom down here to where we are. When we pour more money into trying to prevent things we think are sinful that we do into feeding the poor, clothing the naked, and healing the sick, then we have a very warped perspective on which problems need to be addressed. I suppose some smart ass is going to suggest that we could do both. Look around you: Are there still homeless people? Are children still going to bed hungry? Are there places without clean water? Is there still oppression and genocide? Then we’re not very successful at doing both, are we?
