Changes

====Responses====

====Responses====

Reactions to moral decline in America have been varied. The [[liberal media]] and places of "higher" education (such as [[Harvard University]]) overall treated the 60's sexual revolution as a beneficial change, and a victory for its liberal ethos. Rock stars sang of and exampled - by their lives many by their death - the immorality of the 60's. Legitimate improvements in society were invoked as a means to justify the liberal movement as a whole. As regards faith in God, [[John Lennon]], who later (1971) would promote his godless fantasy with the song ''Imagine'', remarked in 1966 that the [[Beatles]] were more popular than Jesus Christ. In 1965 and 1966 Time magazine reported on the a growing sense that "God was dead",<ref>Time, Theology, Friday, Oct. 22, 1965</ref><ref>Time, Religion,  Apr. 8, 1966</ref> - though 5 years later it would be reporting on the notable [[Jesus Movement]]<ref>Time, Religion: ''The New Rebel Cry: Jesus Is Coming!'', Monday, Jun. 21, 1971</ref><ref>http://voiceofrevolution.askdrbrown.org/2008/10/25/time-magazine-the-jesus-revolution</ref> Attempts to impugn the authority of the [[Bible]] continued to increase, with more recent efforts seeking to impose more specious liberal interpretations of it.<ref>[http://www.robgagnon.net/NewsweekMillerHomosexResp.htm''More than “Mutual Joy”: Lisa Miller of Newsweek against Scripture and Jesus''Dec. 10, 2008] [[Robert Gagnon]]</ref> The term "[[Secular-progressives|progressives]]" began to be more often used to describe liberals, while their own form of historical [[revisionism]] was increasingly seen.  

Reactions to moral decline in America have been varied. The [[liberal media]] and places of "higher" education (such as [[Harvard University]]) overall treated the 1960s sexual revolution as a "beneficial change", and a victory for its liberal ethos. Rock stars sang of and exampled - by their lives, and many by their deaths - the immorality of the later 1960s. Legitimate improvements in society were invoked as a means to justify the liberal movement as a whole. As regards faith in God, [[John Lennon]], who later (in 1971) would promote his godless fantasy with the song "Imagine", remarked in 1966 that the [[Beatles]] were more popular than Jesus Christ. In 1965 and 1966 Time magazine reported on the a growing sense that "God was dead",<ref>Time, Theology, Friday, Oct. 22, 1965</ref><ref>Time, Religion,  Apr. 8, 1966</ref> - though five years later it would be reporting on the notable [[Jesus Movement]]<ref>Time, Religion: ''The New Rebel Cry: Jesus Is Coming!'', Monday, Jun. 21, 1971</ref><ref>http://voiceofrevolution.askdrbrown.org/2008/10/25/time-magazine-the-jesus-revolution</ref> Attempts to impugn the authority of the [[Bible]] by secularists and atheists continued to increase, with more recent efforts seeking to impose more specious liberal interpretations of it.<ref>[http://www.robgagnon.net/NewsweekMillerHomosexResp.htm''More than “Mutual Joy”: Lisa Miller of Newsweek against Scripture and Jesus''Dec. 10, 2008] [[Robert Gagnon]]</ref> The term "[[Secular-progressives|progressives]]" began to be more often used to describe liberals, while their own form of [[historical revisionism]] was increasingly seen.  

Among strong conservatives, the most consistent voices of opposition have been Evangelical "preachers of righteousness", exhorting repentance toward God and faith toward Jesus Christ. Moral separation from worldly living was enjoined, and some confronted social problems more directly, such as in actively opposing slavery in America, and evils such as drunkenness. Beginning in the late 1800s and continuing, Christian groups such as the [[Salvation Army]] became more evident, ministering to many of those who directly or indirectly suffered due to immorality.<ref>Gwendolyn Mink, Alice O'Connor, ''Poverty in the United States: an encyclopedia of history, politics ...,'', Volume 2, pp. 645-648</ref>  Around the turn of the 20th century and up until he died, revivalist [[Billy Sunday]] (1862-1935) preached both salvation, as well as against the evil's of drink, etc.  Also during the early 1900s, [[Fundamentalists]] began to become a distinct movement, combating liberal Christianity and its resultant moral laxity. Later, parachurch  ministries, such as [[Focus in the Family]], and [[Jerry Falwell]]'s [[Moral Majority]] arose, seeking to strengthen Christians and oppose an increasingly perverted, persuasive, and pervasive hedonistic culture.  

Among strong conservatives, the most consistent voices of opposition have been Evangelical "preachers of righteousness", exhorting repentance toward God and faith toward Jesus Christ. Moral separation from worldly living was enjoined, and some confronted social problems more directly, such as in actively opposing slavery in America, and evils such as drunkenness. Beginning in the late 1800s and continuing, Christian groups such as the [[Salvation Army]] became more evident, ministering to many of those who directly or indirectly suffered due to immorality.<ref>Gwendolyn Mink, Alice O'Connor, ''Poverty in the United States: an encyclopedia of history, politics ...,'', Volume 2, pp. 645-648</ref>  Around the turn of the 20th century and up until he died, revivalist [[Billy Sunday]] (1862-1935) preached both salvation, as well as against the evil's of drink, etc.  Also during the early 1900s, [[Fundamentalists]] began to become a distinct movement, combating liberal Christianity and its resultant moral laxity. Later, parachurch  ministries, such as [[Focus in the Family]], and [[Jerry Falwell]]'s [[Moral Majority]] arose, seeking to strengthen Christians and oppose an increasingly perverted, persuasive, and pervasive hedonistic culture.  

Conservatives sought to make good use of broadcast means, with conservative talk shows gaining in popularity. With the rise of the [[Internet]], conservative sites such as the [[Free Republic]] enabled large numbers to interact against liberalism, which also acquired their Internet venues. In response to the liberal slant of the Internet encyclopedia [[Wikipedia]], online conservative encyclopedias such as [[Conservapedia]] were created and grew.       

Conservatives sought to make good use of broadcast means, with conservative talk shows gaining in popularity. With the rise of the [[Internet]], conservative sites such as the [[Free Republic]] enabled large numbers to interact against liberalism, which also acquired their Internet venues. In response to the liberal slant of the Internet encyclopedia [[Wikipedia]], online conservative encyclopedias such as [[Conservapedia]] were created and grew.       

Liberalism in general reacted to opposition with renewed efforts to promote practices such as pre-marital sex and abortion, and later, homosexuality, while often portraying themselves as victims of repression. The [[Fairness Doctrine]], once used for a period of time before to curtail conservatism, was threatened to be brought back. Addressing those who cried against "imposition of morality" by Christian conservatives who sought to preserve or restore traditional values, Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Daniel Lapin argued,  

Liberalism in general reacted to opposition with renewed efforts to promote practices such as pre-marital sex and abortion, and later, homosexuality, while often portraying themselves as "victims of repression". The [[Fairness Doctrine]], once used for a period of time before to curtail conservatism, was threatened to be brought back. Addressing those who cried against "imposition of morality" by Christian conservatives who sought to preserve or restore traditional values, Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Daniel Lapin argued,  

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the secular Left has introduced sexual indoctrination and condom distribution to eleven-year-old public school students.  It has made the enjoyment of tobacco the moral equivalent of child molestation.  It has dramatically increased illegitimacy in America.  It has created an entertainment ethos that brings smut and vulgarity into our living rooms.  Take an honest look at the values that the secular Left has already succeeded in forcing down the throats of religious Americans.  How can anyone honestly confront the changes that have been inflicted by the secular Left and worry about the changes that the religious Right might force down our throats.  I contend that the values concerned Christians desire for America are not really changes, but simply the return to an earlier and legitimate status.  If you fling an invader out of your land, back over the border he illegally crossed in the first place, you are not guilty of aggression.  It is called self-defense.  You are worried that the religious Right might succeed in forcing their values onto us?  I am worried they might fail, for they are our values too.  Or at least they ought to be.

the secular Left has introduced sexual indoctrination and condom distribution to eleven-year-old public school students.  It has made the enjoyment of tobacco the moral equivalent of child molestation.  It has dramatically increased illegitimacy in America.  It has created an entertainment ethos that brings smut and vulgarity into our living rooms.  Take an honest look at the values that the secular Left has already succeeded in forcing down the throats of religious Americans.  How can anyone honestly confront the changes that have been inflicted by the secular Left and worry about the changes that the religious Right might force down our throats.  I contend that the values concerned Christians desire for America are not really changes, but simply the return to an earlier and legitimate status.  If you fling an invader out of your land, back over the border he illegally crossed in the first place, you are not guilty of aggression.  It is called self-defense.  You are worried that the religious Right might succeed in forcing their values onto us?  I am worried they might fail, for they are our values too.  Or at least they ought to be.

<ref>America’s Real War, (1999), Multnomah Publishers; Quoted in http://www.contenderministries.org/articles/moraldecline.php</ref></blockquote>

<ref>America’s Real War, (1999), Multnomah Publishers; Quoted in http://www.contenderministries.org/articles/moraldecline.php</ref></blockquote>

A rare dissenting voice among a mainly liberal group was moderately conservative [[Democrat]] [[Daniel Patrick Moynihan]], who wrote ''Defining Deviancy Down'' (1993). Moynihan argued that, due to the "moral deregulation" of the 1960s,  

A rare dissenting voice among a mainly liberal group was moderately conservative [[Democrat]] [[Daniel Patrick Moynihan]], who wrote ''Defining Deviancy Down'' (1993). Moynihan argued that, due to the "moral deregulation" of the 1960s,  

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the amount of deviant behavior in American society has increased beyond the levels the community can "afford to recognize" and that, accordingly, we have been re-defining deviancy so as to exempt much conduct previously stigmatized, and also quietly raising the "normal" level in categories where behavior is now abnormal by any earlier standard. This redefining has evoked fierce resistance from defenders of "old" standards, and accounts for much of the present "cultural war" such as proclaimed by many at the 1992 Republican National Convention.

the amount of deviant behavior in American society has increased beyond the levels the community can "afford to recognize" and that, accordingly, we have been re-defining deviancy so as to exempt much conduct previously stigmatized, and also quietly raising the "normal" level in categories where behavior is now abnormal by any earlier standard. This redefining has evoked fierce resistance from defenders of "old" standards, and accounts for much of the present "cultural war" such as proclaimed by many at the 1992 Republican National Convention.