During the first half, we were still basically one America. But seeds were planted. A liberal theology planted in the pulpit and John Dewey’s progressive education planted in the classroom. Many of America's authors, journalists, and playwrights turned from informing and entertaining to criticizing "old fashion" values of middle-America.
The first half of the century was not easy. America endured World War One, World War Two, the Dust Bowl, and the Great Depression. Americans of the first half of the century also suffered two death dealing waves of Influenza. The pandemic swept across America and the world, killing an estimated 50 million worldwide.
World War Two ended. The Great Depression was in the past. Previously unemployed were working, millions of women and young people for the first time. Peace and better times returned. A wave of prosperity washed across our nation, farmers' incomes tripled, wages increased, businesses flourished, and medical science brought many communicable diseases under control.
Prior to the mid-1950s, Polio was the number one killer and crippler of America's youth. The virus usually struck in summer or late summer. Giving my mother, in fact every mother, fear-filled visions of crippled legs and iron lungs—the results of polio. Then during the 1950s, modern medical science brought polio, tuberculosis, and venereal disease under control.
America’s future looked hopeful. Although we had regional, economic, political, and religious differences we were predominately one America.
The1950s, however, brought new concerns. Many felt threatened by communist subversion from within. Many more were fearful of atomic annihilation from without. It was a time of the Cold War and bomb shelters. Social attitudes came under attack. Middle-America values were bent and undermined. Fashionable literature declared war on Christian thought and behavior. Popular books accepting anything and condemning nothing ranged from beatnik Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, to Objectivist Ayn Rand's, Atlas Shrugged.
"A man's worst difficulties begin when he is able to do as he likes." ______ T.H. Huxley
During the decades following the1950s, the other America raised its hideous head, feeding on anger and discontentment. Social attitudes changed rapidly and radically. Civil unrest increased. Rioters looted and burnt America's inner-cities. Anti-Vietnam war demonstrators' declared war on America's universities. Anarchists and left-wing extremism captured college campuses. For many younger Americans, political activism and social revolution replaced the quest for material success. Others just "tuned in, turned on, and dropped out."
The gulf between the two Americas expanded. The entertainment industry glorified sex perversion, violence, and greed. The secular news media ridiculed those who espoused Judeo-Christian morals and values. Media, academia, politicians and apostate church leaders championed the sinful homosexual life style. Death advocates champion the sins of abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia. Biblical standards were out. Sin was in.
Secularism’s self-indulgence had a price. Families blew apart. Sexual abuse and violence escalated. America's moral decline produced a drug abuse and AIDS epidemic. Other sexually transmitted diseases once under control became epidemic.
Concerned Christian Fundamentalists, Evangelicals, and Conservatives from mainline denominations—many who previously did not believe Christians should be politically involved—became active in partisan politics. During the 1970s and 1980s they grew in political strength.
"They valued profits. And money. Especially money, and all the things that money could buy, and all the kudos that attached to the person with most of it."
______ Michael Lewis, Liar's Poker—Rising Through The Wreckage on Wall Street
Although more middle-Americans' sought traditional values, secularism’s moral carte blanche poisoned political and corporate life. The consequences, greed and dishonesty. America became a nation of you-deserve-it consumption and unlimited credit.
America's split personalities widen during the 1980s. Traders and salesmen at Salomon Brothers turned millions of dollars' in bonds with just one call. Pride and greed reigned. Gutfreund, Salomon's chairman, challenged his chief trader to a hand of lairs’ poker for one million dollars.
At Drexel Burnham Lambert, junk-bond king Michael Milken raised billions to finance takeovers and leveraged buyouts. Those working with Milken became millionaires. One called Drexel a god, and declared gods can do whatever they want. These gods did. They pursued success and materialism and confused individualism and laissez-faire capitalism with greed and dishonesty. Wall street manipulators and takeover artists made millions in paper profits. Junk bond salesmen pedaling financial nonsense made billions. Dishonest high-living S&L officers, along with self-serving politicians and incompetent bureaucrats raped an entire industry—costing taxpayers nearly half a trillion dollars.
Today, when we look at the recent bailouts, handouts, and other additions to our Nation’s burdening debt and unfunded liabilities, it seems a small sum in comparison.
Envy, greed, dishonesty, and political lust for power have given us a 10 trillion-dollar federal debt, a debt that grows every day. This does not include multi trillions more of unfunded liabilities. By 2008, interest payments on the Federal debt consumed the first four months of federal tax revenues.
"We can have it all." Well, not really. Our national lack of self discipline, desire for unlimited credit, and a belief in wealth without effort and reward without risk has sent cities, states, individuals, and our Federal government to the edge of national bankruptcy.
We have a serious financial and political problem, also a sinister and deeply rooted moral problem. Neither problem is self correcting, just the opposite.
There are two Americas. One embraces secular values of self indulgence. The other, Judeo-Christian values of hard work, and self-discipline. One looks to government as the answer and seeks to build a socialistic man-made utopia in their own image. The other trusts in Biblical truth, without God nothing is worthwhile. One espouses the sins of abortion and homosexuality. The other America does not. One—a minority but a loud shrill voice—embraces the relative ethics and moral vacuum of secularism. The other holds to Biblical standards and moral absolutes—but often does not stand up and speak out.
Yes, there are two Americas and the difference between the two has grown wide and deep. One major political party strongly embraces a secular America and one tends to lean to the other. As citizens we need to be politically aware. Our faith, however, cannot be in political promises and political parties.
America is still the world’s greatest country. What of the future? Which America? We have a choice. You and I can work, pray and speak out against the corrupting influence of self-indulgence and moral decay of a secularist America. Or, we can leave our public and private institutions to the spiritual bankrupt to rule and ruin. Is a nation of political harlotry, crushing debt, and moral decay the legacy we wish to leave our children and grandchildren? Of course not. It will be if we do nothing. Either we privately and publically resist evil or we surrender to it.
Be Informed Be Involved _________ Michael E. Odell
Your thoughts and comments are welcome, well most of the time.
E-mail: MichaelOdell@Lycos.com
