Volume 41      Number 5                                                                                  January 1999

Last month we showed how Greece rose to her great power under the genius of Alexander the Great. In this second part, we note the similarities between the downfall of Greece and what we observe around us in these United States of America. The comparisons are startling and should cause the serious-minded to clearly see the connection between a nation’s morals and her greatness.

These are the observations on the decline of Greece made by historian Will Durant. Notice how history repeats herself:
_{“Moral disorder accompanied the growth of luxury and the enlightenment of the mind. The masses cherished their superstitions and clung to their myths; the gods of Olympus were dying, but new ones were being born; exotic divinities like Isis & Ammon, Cybele & Adonis were imported from Egypt &Asia .”}

“As the poorer class grew, they retained only a formal allegiance to the patron gods of the city; no longer any inspiration by moral scruples or devotion to the state.”

“As the state religion lost its hold upon the educated classes, the individual freed himself more and more from the old moral restraints - the son from parental authority, the male from marriage, the woman from motherhood, the citizen from political responsibility.”

(Note: What an accurate description of the breakdown of the home! The family suffers when men, women, & children seek to avoid their responsibilities.)

_{“Sexual immorality increased as Free unions gained on legal marriage.”}

(Note: the “new morality” is not new. This generation is not the first to make “living together” common.)

_{“Gambling became more popular, and was legalized.”}

(Note: The lottery is the ignorance tax suited to the laziness, greed, and lust for entertainment that flourishes in a rotting society.)

_{“The voluntary limitation of the family was the order of the day, whether by contraception, by abortion, or by infanticide. The old families were dying out, while the lower classes were multiplying.” “Athletics were professionalized; the citizens were now content to exert themselves vicariously by witnessing professional exhibitions.” (Durant- Life of Greece - p. 467-8)}

(Note: This attitude spills over into religion and causes people to make Christianity a spectator sport where you pay to watch others worship for you, breeding competition between churches to see who can put on the best show and get the most numbers.)

There are other similarities Durant cites, but these are enough to show that our country appears to be headed away from God. Let all who name the Name of Christ, “depart from iniquity” and be a light to our neighbors. We are the salt that preserves this nation; let us not become partakers with those whose garments are soiled and thus lose our savor.