Moral Decline of America

Lately I’d been wanting to write something about the moral decline of America, and then the other day a friend of mine directed me to an article from the New York Post that was written on July 1, 2011 by Bill O’Reilly.  I tried to access the article online and link to it, but for some reason (maybe because it’s a few weeks old now) I am not able to find it.  Fortunately, my friend had mailed me a hard copy of the article and so I am able to copy it into this post, word for word.

Moral Decline of America in Bill O’Reilly’s Words

ONE NATION, UNDER DECLINE

by Bill O’Reilly

Over the July 4 weekend, many Americans take some time out to think about their country.  This year, those thoughts might not be as festive as in the past because the United States is in decline.

A new Associated Press poll says that 80 percent of Americans believe the economy is in bad shape, and they are correct.  With each passing hour, America’s $14.4 trillion debt rises with no end in sight.  Tight money has crippled the housing industry, and Wall Street’s lack of confidence in the Obama administration is retarding business expansion.  Thus, fewer private-sector jobs are being created.

Washington has not been able to stem the grim economic tide because of ideology.  President Obama and most Democrats believe more government control of the economy and higher taxes on the affluent will improve the situation.  Republicans are demanding smaller government, no tax increases and less federal regulation.  The stalemate is hurting the folks.

A poor economic outlook erodes power, both personal and governmental.  One reason Obama cited for “drawing down” troops in Afghanistan was economic.  He wants to spend more money at home in lieu of nation building in Afghanistan.  That may be a good thing, but it is not a strong thing.  A cash-strapped America spells weakness to the rest of the world.

Culturally, things are also going downhill.  Millions of Americans are now addicted to the Internet, spending countless hours playing games and Twittering away their lives.  Technological recreation has become a lifestyle for many, especially the younger people.  The machines are dominating lives, leaving little time to explore the real world and develop offline relationships.

Reality-TV programs showcase the worst of human nature.  Crudity, greed, narcissism and sadistic impulses are all celebrated nightly on the tube.  Where once the country appreciated great writers like Hemingway and Twain, now people like Snooki are being paid tens of thousands of dollars to speak on college campuses.

“The Situation” is right.  There is a situation.  And it’s appalling.

Obama often laments the growing gap between the rich and the rest of America.  And it’s true.  A fortunate few are able to ride capitalism to the extreme, living lives of incredible luxury.  But there is also a growing cultural divide.  The masses are being fed electronic garage 24/7 in the form of hostile music, gross-out movies and the aforementioned reality TV atrocities.  Meanwhile, a select few are being intensely educated at amazingly expensive high-end universities.  They will be the future Masters of the Universe.  Most other Americans will just get by.

This depressing scenario is not how a nation expands its power.  America became the most powerful country on earth because its people pulled together economically and fought worldwide to create freedom and dignity.

Now, we’re running out of money to fight the good fights, and we’re fracturing along class lines.  This is not what America should be.

E pluribus unum?  Not this Fourth of July.

Moral Decline of America and Technology Abuse

There are numerous examples in today’s world of how the moral decline of America is affecting several pockets of society and infusing its poisons into practically every facet of life.  We are in a chronic state of moral disaster, and yet too few people are taking the reigns and speaking out against the insidious atrocities that are becoming far too familiar and eerily tolerated, simply because people don’t want to or can’t be bothered to take the time to stand for what they believe in.  I suppose they just feel that it’s easier to look the other way and pretend the bad stuff doesn’t exist.  It’s as if we have become desensitized to wrongdoing, and as Bill O’Reilly observed:

“Culturally, things are also going downhill.  Millions of Americans are now addicted to the Internet, spending countless hours playing games and Twittering away their lives.  Technological recreation has become a lifestyle for many, especially the younger people.  The machines are dominating lives, leaving little time to explore the real world and develop offline relationships.”

The virtual world of contact has likely passed its healthy peak, and now more and more people are substituting electronic contact for human interaction.  This can only lead to disaster, as human beings were not created to sit tethered to gadgets.  And have we all forgotten that the Lord has given us this gift of technology which, in my opinion, is rapidly turning into technology abuse?

Moral Decline of America: Blasphemy Against Our Lady

A blogger friend of mine named Nanette has a blog called The Crooked Halo, and recently she posted a very horrific and disturbing entry about Our Lady being portrayed as a lesbian in a play that is due to open just weeks before Christmas.  From what I gather, the play was written over ten years ago, but it appears that it’s still running and regardless of when it was written, it is a sick, vile slam to our faith.  I encourage you to read Nanette’s post titled Perversion..Blasphemy, Coming To A Theater Near You!

Moral Decline of America Will Be Our Ultimate Downfall

In Father John Corapi’s talks of the past, over and over again he would say these words:

“The moral demise of a nation almost always precedes the ultimate demise of a nation.”

I visited the Blessed Sacrament today and also this past Tuesday.  I stayed for an hour each day.  Do you know that I can count on one hand the number of people who were there while I was there?  It occurred to me today, as I recognized the same woman who was also there on Tuesday, that we were the only two people in the chapel today for a solid hour.  And I couldn’t help but wonder where everyone was.  I mean, there’s the Father Corapi and other Church scandals, talk of Garabandal and the end times, insane weather conditions, the fear of a collapsing economy, terror concerns and war, immorality on the rise – What on earth does it take for people to WAKE UP and start turning to God for help!

Everyone’s so busy buzzing about all the adversity or fear of adversity that they are failing to do something about it.  They are failing to turn to the only source Who can change things and make sense of our planet again.  I mean, there sure is plenty of Wow Factor going around, but where on earth are the prayers and the sacrifices and the reverence and respect for the Author of Life?  Where is God in all of this?  Where does He fit in?  Or does He fit in?  Have we all become so independent, so capable and confident and sure of ourselves in every little nook and cranny of our lives that we no longer need the Lord in the driver’s seat?  Are things really that far off track where we’ve allowed ourselves to become that numb and that ignorant to the concerns of our country?

The moral decline of America, this great nation that we all proclaim to love, is going to be the end of things as we know them unless people wake up and get back to the Lord.  This is a frightening era, but Jesus is pouring out His Divine Mercy all over the place, practically handing it to us on a silver platter.  This won’t always be the case, I fear.  Take the chance while it’s still here for the taking.  Give God a break and maybe, just maybe, He’ll save this great nation of ours after all.

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