The View From 1776

Cultural Momentum

Will enough traditions and customs of civility and decency survive long enough to keep the United States from internal disintegration and conquest by Islamic Jihad? 

1. On another site, a person said religion is separate from ethics and morality and basically thought it only the worship of a god.  I don’t know if I made any progress but, I pointed out that with the God of the people of America’s founding, ethics and morality were indeed, very much a part of our religion, our culture and our nation and all were entwined.  We debated and discussed the chaplains of our Congress, God in our 50 state Constitutions, religious tests, and how Catholics were denied holding office in N.H. until after 1877, athiest denied full access to the Courts until in the 1900’s and other things that were the result of a “Christian nation” that didn’t want to lose control of the church or the nation’s governments.

   Morality and ethical conduct based on the teachings of the Bible were very much a part of our history.  We may have done many things we shouldn’t have, like take so long to rid our nation of slavery or give the vote to women, but, we did do it.  Yet, when you look back at the world and the nations in it, you find that everytime a people lose their direction, the things that hold them together, whether it is a “pagan nation” or a “Christian nation,” they go into decline. 

   That proves one thing.  It is the people that make a nation strong, not its government and not a government that tries to do everything for the people.

   Religion is described as a set of beliefs that guides a person’s or a society’s decisions. Whether it is secular humanism as the religion, or Christianity, it can unite a people.  What it can’t do is guarantee they will succeed.  It seems that nations, however, that have a strong moral and self-disciplined people, do better than others.  It seems that nations that rise from nothing but that unity, personal responsibility and seeking of wisdom and opertunity do better than nations already with all the benefits of a mature society.

   Could it be, they become spoiled as was stated and no longer think they have to “work” at having a good life.  Do they begin to think government is the solution and can ease the need for personal responsibility?  If we look at the history of Israel, whether you believe in God or not, we see that each time they became “spoiled” they suffered a tremendous setback.  The became weak and unprepared for both internal and external advesaries.  We are no different, I am afraid.

   Posted by JanPBurr  on  01/13  at  12:39 AM

2. Simple answer: Sure!

   Posted by  on  01/13  at  10:58 AM

3. Religion takes many forms because most are man-made.

   Even Christianity, in its Freedom, produces various denominations responding to the individual’s view of non-compromise. That is why ‘unity’ of faiths is not a prime value.

   Only the Judeo-Christian and its Scriptures holds validity as God-initiated and is not to be equated with less.

   Civility, in the face of willful intrusion, oppression, and error, is not possible by those committed to individual values and worthy precepts of choice and freedom.

   Anchored in an unrecognized carnal-ego, the natural man follows his false center to a flowery mediocrity and very real destruction. Just as ‘friends don’t let friends drive drunk,’ true admirers of the human made in God’s image will not equate ignorance with knowledge or error with truth, or good with evil - in order to “be liked.”

   The lack of self-worth by the ego-centered humanists makes them seduceable to flattery and evil. The collectivist is subject to such need and finds haven in ‘the group.’ Collectivism in all forms draws those burdened with very real feelings of inferiority, including political, racist, gang,
   gender, humanistic religions, vocations, and even hobbies.

   I have yet to meet a socialist who doesn’t have an inferiority complex.

   The natural-man person will lose his false center only when he meets, perceives, and chooses the real Person center worthy of all things. His name is JESUS. Joel 3:14 kjv

   semper fidelis

   Posted by Choicemaker  on  01/13  at  11:03 AM

4. A very thought-provoking post.

   I think the best way for us to influence the Cultural Momentum in a way that we sense as beneficial is to continue to provide our insights for those who will listen to them in an informative and non-condescending way.

   From what I’ve read, “The View from 1776” makes an excellent contribution in this regard.

   Posted by Frank Staheli  on  01/13  at  03:54 PM

5. I just found your site while doing a search to determine if socialism ultimately leads to totalitarianism.  That’s kind of besides the point.  Your site is awesome!  Keep up the good work!

   Posted by Andrew P.  on  01/13  at  04:47 PM