Tuesday, February 20, 2007

How the little things add up

"Git off my lawn," says Mudkitty when referring to my recent post regarding metrosexuals, and today's generation. Maybe she's right, to a point. Every generation complains about the younger crowd, but it is no secret that society has gone downhill fast. Violence is up, divorce rate is up, and morality is down.

I'm a Christian, but this isn't a Christian post, it is a post about obvious truths.

Over time we have shrugged off little things that really don't matter. Shorter skirts? Fine. Playboy magazine? No big deal. Sexual Revolution? Groovy. Pornography? Freedom to watch what we wish. Sexual predators? How did that happen? Hmmm, I wonder. Yes, I realize that sexual predators have always been around, but the increase of the problem is obvious.

Get the point?

Little things add up.

Now, in society, we have decided that Christ is offensive, sex ought to be a casual practice, killing unborn children is simply a choice, and our young daughters have no need to advise their parents of having abortions, or even getting pregnant in the first place.

Think about it.

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Related post at my Townhall blog: A Right Angle in a Left Turn World

and check out Andrea Shea King at http://askshow.com

25 comments:

Gary said...

Crouching sin, Hidden danger!

THIRDWAVEDAVE said...

You're correct, Doug. These things begin to add up over time.

Anna said...

It's getting deeper and deeper into those little things, too! Great post, Doug!

Proletariat said...

Yes, I realize that sexual predators have always been around, but the increase of the problem is obvious.

Do you think society has suffered an increase in the number of sexual predators, or, because of modern technology, an increase in the ones we catch, and therefore hear more about?

In fact, the recent accusations the Catholic church has had to deal with was almost unheard of, at least to me, for many years, recently, however, it is not all that uncommon to see 30, 40, or even 50 year old men (or women) on the news telling their horror story involving a Priest, Pastor, et cetera.

Are some lying? absolutely, but not all of them.

Violence is up, that's for sure. I don't know about morality but I know that the illegitimacy rate has increased dramatically over the past 30 years, in part because of Liberal views; although Conservative views are not without their faults either.

Now, having children out of wedlock is fine, in my opinion. I was born out of wedlock, and so was my child, but the difference is that my parents are still unmarried and still together, and I am still with my boys mother and we are getting married within the next couple of months. There are some children that, because of "casual sex", know no father or mother, and eventually become wards of the state.

That was my reason for mentioning the increase in illegitimate children.

Now, in society, we have decided that Christ is offensive, sex ought to be a casual practice, killing unborn children is simply a choice, and our young daughters have no need to advise their parents of having abortions, or even getting pregnant in the first place.

You couldn't have said it better.

Proletariat

Anonymous said...

There is no such thing as an illegitimate child.

That term should go the way of the Nword.

Proletariat said...

You are using the word in the wrong context. All it means is that the child was born out of wedlock. Nothing more.

I'm not using the word to mean unlawful, irregular, et cetera.

Proletariat

Gary said...

As family values deteriorate, so does the moral fabric of a country. Rome was the most powerful empire in the world, but as immorality crept in, the overall attitude became complacent. “Live and let live” could have easily been a motto. Physical pleasure became the goal. And in pursuit of the goal, they eventually self destructed.

Identifying weaknesses in our society will quickly bring a fierce rebuke from the left. They claim conservatives are prejudice, or fascists, or whatever the buzz word of the day is. Why is that? Because even 'atheists' realize there is a moral high ground that sets us apart from any other species. They choose to live in a world that is dark. where accountability is a forgotten characteristic of an altruistic society. Live and let live was the buzz phrase from the 60's. Yeah, Muddkitty, I was there too. Not far from Haight and Ashbury.

My point is this: People who choose to live the best they can in the light of God’s love are the ones holding this country together. Liberals are trying desperately to move moral responsibility to the rear of the bus. Muddkitty's comment here is evidence of that. Illegitimate child is a rough term. But it identifies a hole in our moral fabric. Hollywood tells us it’s VERY COOL to have a child out of wedlock. Brad and Angelina, Jody Foster and many more "famous" people tell us that. But that is just one example of deterioration. It is an abandonment of the values this country was built on.

So here’s my attempt to get churchy… Mudd, close your eyes until I’m done. This is what the bible says in the book of John Chapter 3:19 “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Not one of us humans are perfect. Each one of us brings a pile of stuff that we’ve said or did, with regrets. But there is hope in Christ. OK, Mudd, you can open your eyes now.

Anonymous said...

"Trouble in River City."

Does anybody know that reference?

It somewhat akin to the expression. "the more things change the more they stay the same..."

All my life the old farts have been saying that "the kids are crazy," and that the world is going to hell in a hand basket. And now I'm the old fartress, I'm not buying into it.

If any of you think any of this is new, or on the rise, you haven't been reading your Peyton Place.

Flag Gazer said...

Actions may not be new, but the wide acceptance of the behavior is. We used to condemn bad acts, now they are embraced.

Things have changed...

Anonymous said...

Nothing's changed. There's nothing new under the sun.

Gary said...

Why would you assume to know what is 'going on under the sun' Mudd when you choose to live in the shadows.

I read your interview. You claim to have an understanding, yet you choose to ignore what you know. We, you and I will be accountable for what we do know.

Anonymous said...

Ok, if it suits your fancy, I live in the shadows, whatever.

Tom said...

Do you people fact check anything? It makes me insane.

From the department of justice;

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/cvict.htm

Since 1994, violent crime rates have declined, reaching the lowest level ever recorded in 2005.

Property crime rates continue to decline.

The violent crime rate increased 1.3% from 2004 to 2005. From 1996 to 2005 the rate fell 26.3%.

The property crime rate decreased 2.4% from 2004 to 2005. From 1996 to 2005, the rate fell 22.9%.


Seriously.. how can you simply pull these asummptions out of.. you know where (trying not to get banned) and spout it off like it's common knowledge? How could you possibly claim your "obvious truths" without looking up anything to verify facts?

That's the essential problem I have with the right wing. Obvious truth? Please...

Divorce rates up? Uh.. man.. why do I have to do this..

http://www.bsos.umd.edu/socy/vanneman/socy441/trends/divorce.html

Univ of Maryland graph of divorce rates. Notice it peaked in 1980 and is now trending down. Did you not look up divorce rates before you spouted the "obvious truth"? It's been trending down for the last 27 years for pete's sake!

It's not surprising to see the divorce rates skyrocketed in the 1960's - which I might add has nothing to do with the kids and culture of today. The 1960's was YOUR generation, and it's obvious that people began to realize there is no reason to stay in a destructive relationship. It was the dawn of the womens movement that empowered them to make their own choices without fear. That's a good thing. If a relationship is destructive and cannot be mended through counseling, etc. then it's better to end it and move on.

Morality is down? What does that mean anyway? Morality has always evolved and I suppose you could say it always has since the Victorian era. Most of it is called "social progress".

And yes.. the appearance of the increase in sexual predation is simply a matter of better law enforcement. Our culture has not suddenly made people pedophiles. They're just getting caught more often now.

Who has decided "Christ is offensive"? Some of us have decided we're not Christians and don't want to have our lives legislated via Christianity but rather through rational thought. I don't care who is a Christian, or a Muslim, or a Jew - but I don't want to be forced to observe any of the traditions of any of those religions. It's that simple. Nobody is trying to make you not be a Christian. Got that?

Could you do everyone a simple favor and fact check your assumptions? When you're proven wrong over and over, your credibility is.. well..

Tom said...

Oh.. and that points out the contradiction of your point. If crime is going down. If violence is going down. If divorce is going down.. that must be because of the "metrosexuals" and "today's generation". After all, you blamed them for the converse.

Everyone get a facial and an eyebrow wax.. It helps America.

As The Who said.. the kids are alright. You just don't like that they aren't like you.

Anonymous said...

Sunrise, sunset...

Douglas V. Gibbs said...

MK, Tom? Are you serious? Come on, small flucuations occur. Crime is down a small percentage compared to what? A couple years ago? We are talking generations here. So are you telling me that you have no problem with the fact that today's society, as opposed to the past, is weak and feels it's entitled, rather than taking responsibility? Stats? I see it every day. History has demonstrated that disciplined, just societies prevail; not demoralized societies with governmental institutions that give cradle to grave entitlements as the Liberal socialists that you follow so desire. People want to come to this country because it is not like Europe. America is a vibrant culture, where people have incentive to move ahead, succeed, seize opportunity. Socialistic societies are stagnant, where the population is punished by high taxes. In France people actually rioted because the government wanted to allow employers the opportunity to fire folks during first 2 years of employment if they screwed up on the job. Are you kidding me? Is that what you want? Work hard, and then have your wealth distributed to someone who doesn't deserve it? That's how the little things are adding up. Secular Socialism is changing our society to accept this crap, and you have fallen victim to it.

Tom said...

Oh please.. Small fluctuations? Did you not see the bolded parts, and what "generations" of the past are you talking about, that is somehow better than today? There wasn't one! You're making up this crap out of whole cloth and when caught lying try to deflect the argument into some attack on European countries?

I, for the most part, like the U.S., and I'd rather live here than France, but that has nothing to do with you making things up. Divorce is heading down. Violence and crime is heading down. The culture is improving and for some reason I can't fathom, that seems to bother you. Could it be that our culture is improving despite religion losing it's influence? Is that what the real problem is?

Some people simply have an instinctive fondness of the past and the "glory years", but guess what? They sucked compared to today and what we, as a nation, have accomplished.

Then you attack statistics.. as if by looking through your eyes, you're the better judge of the condition of our society. That's flat out wonkery.

Which "socialist" nations are you talking about?

History has demonstrated that "just societies prevail"? Which ones? These European cultures that you are fond of trashing have been around for thousands of years longer than our relatively new culture. What metric are you using to determine "just societies" anyway?

Look, I don't know where you've come up with this idea that liberals are socialists. My father worked hard to put me through a very expensive education, and I worked hard to finish it, and now I work hard in my job and enjoy the fruits of that. I don't want the government taking my pay and distributing it out in some communist fashion - but you have to understand that we have social programs that work (Social Security, Medicare) and I've seen other social programs that are about compassion, not socialism. I'm not selfish in hording all my money. I think if we help people, it makes society as a whole even better.

That's not "socialism", that's called taking care of your citizens.

This really isn't a debate about the constitutional republic of the United States, and socialism anyway. This is about your ranting about "culture" and what people that are different than you are doing to it, right? And by all your metrics, you are wrong. You've got nothing but "git off muh lawn".

Now, if you want to talk about secular liberalism, tnen great.. but please stop making up facts, and please stop attacking straw men.

Tom said...

And by the way.. your attacks on "secular socialism" amuse me. Fact check anything? Lets have some fun and do that.. shall we?

Since you're very concerned about children, lets see how the U.S. compares to the so-called "secular socialist" European nations.

Report from last week;

LONDON (AFP) - The United Nations children's fund damned Britain and the United States as the worst places for children to live among wealthy nations, in a report which caused widespread soul-searching.

The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Finland topped the 21 industrial powers assessed for the child well-being report.

Britain's youngsters had the worst relationships with their family and peers, suffered more from poverty and indulged in more "binge drinking" and hazardous sex than children in other wealthy nations, said the report.

The United States placed 20 and Britain 21 on the list.


Do go read the whole thing. It's eye opening. But then, you would simply attack the statistics used to compile the report or something..

In any case, the point is that the U.S. culture is improving, but we can do better. Careful when you trash the Euro's because you really better look at exactly what's going on before you make broad assumptions.

By the way.. what do you think The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Finland have in common? Secular liberalism... and evidently they are doing much better for their children than we are. Go figure.

Douglas V. Gibbs said...

Tom, you are something. Listen. How the little things add up is the title of the post for a reasonl. You don't see it because if you prescribe to the secular progressive idea, evil does not exist, and folks shouldn't make any judgments on human behavior. Look, buddy, right is right and wrong is wrong. The whole point of the post is to point out how much our society has changed because of small concessions we make as a society, excusing away wrong behavior. Do you believe, for example, and this is pushed by the left, that girls of any age should be able to obtain abortions without parental consent or even notification? How did that come about? The little things added up, so that now society now has not only numbed itself to the murder of unborn children, but now wants to push underage girls to have that procedure performed without the parents even knowing. And I don't know where your stats came from, so I hold them in question. Sort of like a poll taken in a blue state. Hey, if violence is truly down, great. But not in my observations. My neighborhood alone has deteriorated drastically. All of Southern California has. That's why I plan to move out of this God-forsaken place as soon as I can. Fact is, and you can question this fact, or open your eyes and recognize it by looking around, society is on a down swing. Perhaps violence is down because more of it is accepted and not reported. Ever thought about that, hotshot? Laws have changed anyway, like that case in Vermont where this man had raped a girl (beginning at age 8 I believe) for four years, and after the court case ended he got 60 days in jail. Was that type of crap happening a couple generations ago? I'm not just talking about the frequency of wrong things, but the seeming exceptance of it by judges, and society in general. Watch TV? MTV is the worst, and that is what the kids watch. As a parent I do what I can, but it's an uphill battle because the Secular Progressives have it out against parents. And their agenda is clear - deemphasize religion - as it already has been in Europe. What does Europe and everything else I've said got to do with this? Everything. That's the whole point. The little things have added up and now we accept homosexuality, murder of unborn children, sex surveys for kids, small penalties for animals that prey on our children, the attempt to legalize drugs (many places in Europe have already done so), and Europe is not doing better than we are. Your are viewing secular liberalism through tainted goggles, my friend. Open your eyes.

Anonymous said...

But in biblical times, it was ok to have multiple wives and concubines, and even Mary was 15 when she was pregnant.

Douglas V. Gibbs said...

Are you really trying to apply today's standards to civilizations that existed thousands of years ago?

Gary said...

Tom needs his own blog... or a hug

Tom said...

Yay.. fun.. point-counter-point. I've got my second wind. I liked DG's newest post, and it'll be good for further examination of the issues.. so I'll just comment briefly on some comments that stood out to me in his response in this thread.

His comments in italics.

You don't see it because if you prescribe to the secular progressive idea, evil does not exist, and folks shouldn't make any judgments on human behavior.

That's not true. Libs are very aware evil does exist, and it can exist outside the context of religioun. We absolutely believe there are consequences for immoral human behavior. There are gray areas on the definition of "immoral", just as there are black and white areas well all agree on. Just one obvious example - secularist view murder as "evil", and it has consequences and society needs to be protected. So - sorry, the point you made is not true.

Do you believe, for example, and this is pushed by the left, that girls of any age should be able to obtain abortions without parental consent or even notification?

Personally, I do not agree there should be no parental consent. Again, I don't agree with some liberal thought on that topic, but I am willing to listen to the justifications. I would say that it would be horrid if a young girl is abused for becoming pregnant, and we'd want to make sure that no laws are broken if possible.

And I don't know where your stats came from, so I hold them in question. Sort of like a poll taken in a blue state.

Because you don't read the studies I reference that plainly demonstrate the data collection methods. You simply don't like the results and so think it's all a big lie. If I were to ask you if you knew anything about the "Scientific Method", I suspect you would not.

Hey, if violence is truly down, great. But not in my observations.

Yow. I'm mean really. Yow. You actually said that, and interpret your observations as having greater weight in the much larger whole? Just.. yow.

Would you not agree with me that studies conducted on the totality of the issue has more weight than what you see in your neighborhood? It's not all about yer lawn.

Perhaps violence is down because more of it is accepted and not reported. Ever thought about that, hotshot?

Thought about it and dismissed it. Law enforcement is always improving, and the statistics speak for themselves. Part of the "Scientific Method" that you don't understand uses accepted practices in the standard deviation of data. I'm guessing you never took a statistics class at university.

Laws have changed anyway, like that case in Vermont where this man had raped a girl (beginning at age 8 I believe) for four years, and after the court case ended he got 60 days in jail.

Link to that report? It's hard to formulate an opinion without reading the case facts and the ruling of the judge.

As a parent I do what I can, but it's an uphill battle because the Secular Progressives have it out against parents.

Secular/progressive are parents too, believe it or not. Your assertion is factually inaccurate, and unsubstantiated. When I refer to a straw man, if you're not sure what that is, you just provided a textbook example.

The little things have added up and now we accept homosexuality,

And that's a good thing. Being gay is not a "choice". There have always been gay people, there are millions in this nation, and there always will be.

murder of unborn children.

A clump of cells is not a child. There are differing views on the definition of a fetus as a "child". Abortion is a complex topic deserving of it's own essay. I've never written one but maybe I should some time.

For what it's worth, I think abortion is a personal choice, and my own personal choice leans more toward not having one (if I were to become pregnanant, which is unlikely). Still, I will not dictate to others.

small penalties for animals that prey on our children

I have not seen any studies on the sentencing guildlines for predators, so it's hard for me to comment. From what I have seen in the news, the sentences are lenghty, but again, that's not a study I could point to and say you're wrong. Then again, you have not provided any evidence that your viewpoint is valid, so I don't see how you can state it as fact.

the attempt to legalize drugs (many places in Europe have already done so)

Would be good to see how that's worked out for them. When I get some time, I'll check. Meanwhile, most of the inmates in prison are likely there for drug offenses. Feel free to fact check that. But in any case, I have a libertarian viewpoint. I don't believe the government has a right to tell me what I do with my body. They DO have a right to penalize me for my behavior (breaking the law) as a consequence of that. It's exactly the same as alcohol.

Europe is not doing better than we are.

In the study I referenced in regard to children, yes they are. But you made a blanket statement that would include innumerable variables such as income and happiness and so on. Those should be addressed on a case by case basis, but I have travelled Europe extensively and it's wonderful. Just like the U.S. is wonderful.

Are you really trying to apply today's standards to civilizations that existed thousands of years ago?

That is exactly what you did when adressing homosexuality. You base your viewpoint on culutures and texts thousands of years old.

Tom needs his own blog... or a hug

Actually, I do have my own blog. You probably wouldn't want to read it as I use a lot of 4 letter words.. But.. over the last 2 years, I've written enough text to fill 2 full novels. I actually did a cut and paste of every word and pasted it into MS word and did a word count. I was astonished.

I just happen to like to find one small conservative blog to debate on. On the larger blogs, the posts get lost in the shuffle and there's no real debate... just screaming at each other. The last two conservative blogs I posted on mysteriously stopped blogging after long periods of time with no explanation at all.

http://rightwingguymn.blogspot.com/
http://theoxrant.blogspot.com/

It's truly perplexing and I hope the bloggers are well. I enjoyed the debates.. at least until rightwinguy banned me. LOL

What I do is write a bunch of text of debate.. here for example.. and then I'll copy all the banter and post essays based on it on my blog. It's not going to waste, and I can use the debate to illustrate other points I like to make. For example, I'm facinated by the style people choose to debate. There's many types, but the longer I do this, the more into focus it becomes.

For example, here I think DG relies a great deal on straw men. It's dripping in virtually every one of his posts. Then there are the commentators that come in and say "You tell them! Agree with you 100% DG." Then they proceed to make up their own straw man and attack it. "Liberals think that blue men live on Mars, and it's destroying America! Liberals are so stupid." That sort of thing..

So.. I've got this huge stash of debating text from the blogs I've debated on, and I'll cull it down to certain categories and do a bit of an analysis on it at some point. I'm also debating writing a book on the topic, but I need to be careful not to write something somebody else already has done and try to do something new. It's waaaay hard to do.

But, I'll be honest. I do have my own political agenda the same as anybody else with an interest in politics and culture. I want to advance my viewpoint as others do. I just try not to be unfair about it - hence all the research I do.

This whole journey is a part of that research, and I find it fun to do.

Anonymous said...

DG - no, that's what I perceive you to be doing/advocating, and most if not all religions to be doing/advocating.

Let me ask you this, as I don't ever recall asking you before, DG: Are you a bible literalist?

Douglas V. Gibbs said...

To answer Mudkitty first, Yes, I take the bible literally - and in response you will take Leviticus and splash it around without understanding its place in the story of the Israelites - I have studied theology (wanted to be a minister) but got married and entered the military instead. Now for Tom's remarks: The reason I say that I don't believe liberals believe evil exists is because it seems everytime I read about evil the liberal answer is that it's not the person's fault, all they need is a little psych treatment. There seems to be no absolute right and wrong in the liberal mind. Light standards for personal conduct. Bill Maher quote: "The idea of absolute truth is terrifying." Moral relativism equals no need to face consequences because standards are in a state of constant change whenever convenient, which shows a lack of integrity in my book. Any fool can follow a set of rules set up for himself and changing the rules whenever it suits his needs. I am glad you have some moral fiber when it comes to the kids, but I truly believe that the responsibility of the moral education of children lies with the parents, as would be involvement in cases such as a teenage pregnancy. With the collective consciousness taking over that role, parents have unfortunately relinquished their role to the public school system. I will not. As for data collection methods, it is easy to make any poll say exactly what you wish it to say if you word the questions correctly. Oh, am I uneducated? I know what the Scientific Method is, I am highly educated, and my wife is two classes away from earning her degree in Psychology (of which I have helped her with the majority of her homework be it General Ed, or the classes necessary for her Major). I read many journals, subscribe to the Smithsonian Magazine, and listen to NPR every once in a while to hear what the other side thinks (and for a good laught). However, most of my sources are read and then I forget where it was from, and I am in error for not providing more sources, however, the majority of my "straw man" attitude is from basic observation. I grew up originally in North Long Beach (Snoop Dog's neighborhood), and have been exposed to more than you probably have. I have observed many people, societal tendencies is kinda my thing, as is history, but history is interpretive, and apparently our interpretations don't match. I have read studies and been a part of studies that did not reach the same conclusion of the hypothesis, so the questions were tweaked, the survey re-applied, and then the desired results were reached. I don't subscribe to the legitimacy of all studies. Data can be fixed. Having little faith in those that apply the Scientific Method, I depend more on my own observations than those of people with agendas that I believe are up to no good. Case about girl in Vermont I read in a book (by a traditionalist writer - Bill O'Reilly, so you wouldn't except that as a source anyway), just like I wouldn't accept some of the crap written in the New York Times. Sources can be relative. I am sure secular progressives are parents too (just as Rosie O'Donnell stated that terrorists are parents too), but for some reason they believe that the community can raise children better than the parents because there are parents that disagree with them (specifically Christian parents). I think you get my point of where that is going. I don't subscribe to the fetus idea. At what point does the fetus become an unborn child? And at that point, then it wasn't a child the day before? What about late term abortion when the unborn child can survive outside the womb but it is slaughtered anyway? Have you ever seen an abortion performed? Sometimes the child screams out, or fights the procedure, wishing for survival. The small penalties for animals that prey on our children is a conglomeration of articles over the years - in newspapers, of which I don't have the sources. Tell you what, just for you I'll cut out the articles, save 'em, and scan them. In regard to children Europe is not better off, but that is a matter of perspective. And the U.S. is not wonderful, of late, because of the humanistic influence, but that is an issue I doubt we will ever agree upon. Application of standards etc . . . some things will always be wrong regardless of the time and homosexuality is one of them. I don't care if they've been around throughout time. That makes it okay? It's a choice. As for your comment on another post about Christmas having pagan influence, no kidding. Many of the Christian references you make involves the Catholic Church - understand that the Catholic Church is not only not the sole representation of Christianity, it is a poor one at that. I would love to get into the details of that, but I'll have to save it for another time - I don't have all night. I am always up for a debate, but howabout you try something new and don't just depend on secular sources for your citations. I do a lot of research, and though you may doubt it, I have plenty of education to back up my abilities - but bits of paper that says a person has this degree and that degree may be important in some arenas, but not all. I know some people that are very educated, and very intelligent, but they don't have any formal college education. And I know a lot of people with degrees that couldn't work there way out of a paper bag. I'm educated enough for ya, and I understand the Scientific Method, Psychology, History, English, Philosophy, Logic, and the list goes on. Perhaps that's why you like this blog. Perhaps it's because you have met a conservative that can give you a run for your money - or maybe you like this blog because you just like getting into debates. Who knows? As for you stating rightwing guy disappeared and you don't know why? He enlisted into the military to join the fight. Perhaps because of your worn out cry for conservatives to do so. Perhaps.