The world is going to hell in a handbasket... or is it?

Question

Everyone says how far downhill the world is going since we lost religion as the primary force in the country.

What are the arguments for this? Disrespectful children? Maybe the PARENT'S should be teaching them, not the church.

Rising crime rate? When date rape and lynchings weren't crimes, when cocaine was sold in the pharmacy and absinthe was available by the case, there was just as much "sin" but we didn't bother to prosecute it.

People have ALWAYS been violent animals. Have we really changed for the worse or for the better?

Oh, and please support your view. Okay - the Bible says it will get worse and worse? Show me how that is true.

Answer 1

Well lets review what happens when religion IS the driving force behind society:

WTC attacks
Crusades
Holocaust
Spanish Inquisition

Or even on a more local level:

Picketing military funerals
Murder of Matthew Shepard
Pope declaring that the church needs to do less for charity

Or even a more local level:

You should feel shame when you enjoy your own body
You should feel shame for your "God-given" horomones and lusting after the opposite (or same) sex
You shouldn't have relations with members of the opposite sex unless you're married
You have no responsibility in anything, as its part of "God's plan"

I agree with you that these things have always been around. My grandma was a teacher in the 1950's, back when "children were good and school was safe"...she collected 17 switchblades one year from students trying to stab eachother.

Can anyone name a time that was "safer" or "better behaved" than recent times?

Great question by the way

Answer 2

Hmmmm, Handbasket. Thats different. I would say more like a laundry basket. Sometimes it seems worse. But from reading History books, even way back then it was bad from some people. Ha that is a good one. Maybe some parents should be teaching the kids, and not the church. Ya right. Some parents need to be re-trained themselves, so that is a debate. There were crimes back in the years gone by. Drugs and alcahol were giant then too. People are humans and some do act like Animals. I think with the modern day laws and phychiatatric help, I hope things are getting better. I don't know . We haven't lost religion. Religion is still here. It is the people who have failed their religion. So what do we do, when many people just don't give a darned. It would be great if we all could think down the path of Jesus. But un-fortunately many chose to go down the road to hell. Good thought , tho.

Answer 3

This is a good question. I think we have more exposure to the evil deeds lurching in the world. Before, people did not have internet or television. Of course people were still slicing people up into bits and raping women. We're now unfortunatly unable to be blind to it all. I don't feel that the loss of 'religion' as a primary force in this country is the reason for much of anything. Religion is still very much a part of everyday lives. No, we don't have school prayer, but the name of religion isn't always used for peaceful means. Many events in history where blood was shed was due to religion. The unfortunate reality is, there will always be violence. The only thing that can change about this is how it is dealt with. How every crime should be recognized and punished, and not dismissed because of clout or the 'do you know who my father is' mentality.

Answer 4

Is everyone really saying this? I doubt it. The world, despite these negative views, still has hope and is really not so bad. Also, I think war has an extremely depressing effect on people;s feelings and well-being.

Religion is a personal thing and should be separate from government. It's exactly the kind of thinking that has made so many Middle Eastern Islamic countries fall behind. They don't separate religion from governance.

People have always and will always have the ability to be animals, but seeing the beauty and intelligence and potential of humanity is really a better outlook. Our consciousness, language, intelligence, and compassion is what separates us from the animals.

Answer 5

Come on parents aren't teaching them any more and God knows they aren't in church and the poor teachers are overwhelmed in being the only ones trying to instill any respect or discipline. It's a rare event that Kids even catch Church Buses like I used to. Yes society is getting more wicked. Look at the types of violent crimes, dismemberments, canibalism. There are no boundaries any more, no black and white by those who don't believe in God. And they continually slip further and further into darkness. I am not a negative person at all, these are just facts. My family is happy and well adjusted and we enjoy life because we have guidelines that keep us safe and protected. While the outside only gets more angry, bitter and violent.

Answer 6

There is a letter written by someone talking about many of the same things, how this generation is the worst and mankind can't last any longer. It was written by a guy in the Roman Empire thousands of years ago. people always think like that.

I remember people talking like that back in the 60's, saying the hippies were going to ruin the world.

World's still here.

Nothing changes that much as far as people. We just have bigger bombs now.

Answer 7

I think people are about the same now as they always have been. The difference now is technology - I can see what kind of terrible things are going on in other places in the world. There was just as much "sin", or bad things happening to people, 100 years ago, but no one knew about it unless it happened close to them.

As far as the world going to hell in a handbasket...how do you know the handbasket hasn't already reached its destination?

Answer 8

Your premise is flawed: actually the US is experiencing a higher than usual religious following. Religious right is taking over government positions and they're the ones passing down our laws.

Crime rate fluctuates in cycles. Usually it's the economy that has the strongest affect on it. When times are good, people don't attack each other or steal as much.

You might benefit from looking at year-by-year and region-by-region crime stats.

Answer 9

Have you not seen all the natural disasters in the last few years? I believe this is just a taste of what is to come, hurricane katrina, the tsunami...its only the beginning. so lets keep telling god to get out of our lives and see what happens next! No thank you! I will stick to my beliefs. I do however agree with you saying about crimes and the disrespectful children, that is up to the parents to take care of, not the church.

Answer 10

Every religion in the world today states that if you do not believe in that religions specific God then you will spend eternity in Hell, or some form thereof. So, if Muslims don't believe in the Christian God then all Muslims go to Hell. If Christians don't believe in the Muslim God then all Christians are doomed to hell. Well if this is the case, isn't everyone that belongs to any religion going to go to Hell? They sure don't believe in the other religions God. They only people that don't seem to be damned for eternity are atheists