The Golden Age of Righteousness: America's Moral Decline?

One of the recurring themes of conservative Christian groups is the moral decline of our society. For these folks, the evidence of that decline is all around us. They point to the headlines and lead stories from various news media to demonstrate the truth of their assertion. They do, of course, realize that things like rape, murder, domestic violence, and substance abuse have ALWAYS existed, but they insist that these things are getting worse. Nevertheless, most of these folks prefer to emphasize what they see as the more general or systemic moral failures of our society to prove that their narrative about America's moral decline is true - things like abortion, homosexuality, transgenderism, and the rise of "secular humanism." Implicit in all of this, of course, is the notion that America was formerly more righteous (a decline suggests a previous higher standard). But is that narrative historically accurate?

In short, was there ever a golden age of American righteousness? OR was there, at least, a time when America was MORE righteous than she is today? Before we answer those questions, we should do a quick review of our history as a people. After all, this entire narrative is premised on the notion that America's current moral standing is demonstrably inferior to its previous condition. Unfortunately, our history over the last four hundred years does NOT support such a conclusion!

In the beginning, European colonists came to this continent uninvited and immediately proceeded to dispossess Native Americans of their lands. And, over the next two hundred years, those same colonists were responsible for the deaths of millions of Native Americans (some historians have estimated that 90% of their population was wiped out through disease and warfare). Moreover, the subsequent record of the United States government relative to honoring its commitments to these folks under numerous treaties is NOT one of moral righteousness.

We would also do well to remember that America's European forefathers enslaved their African brethren - forcibly removing them from their homeland, causing the deaths of many thousands of them on the voyage to America, and forcing them to labor for them under the harshest conditions. Indeed, it would be hard to exaggerate the dehumanization that African Americans were subjected to during this period (beatings, murders, not to mention the inadequate housing, clothing, food, and educational opportunities they were subjected to). Moreover, even after slavery was finally ended, I would dare anyone to characterize the treatment of African Americans as moral or righteous! The NAACP has estimated that more than 4,700 souls were lynched between 1882 and 1968! How many thousands of African American children died because of inadequate housing, nutrition and medical care through the years that followed emancipation? And can there be any doubt that discrimination and segregation were responsible for those deplorable conditions?

What about the abuse and exploitation of the resources that European Americans stole from Native Americans? Didn't God command man to dress, care for, and preserve the earth? What about the wholesale destruction of forest lands, indiscriminate mining, and agricultural soil erosion which took place as a consequence of the activities of our ancestors? Our ancestors were responsible for the extinction of the passenger pigeon, the elimination of predator species from most of our lands, the extinction of numerous other species of birds and freshwater mussels, the near extinction of the buffalo, the disappearance of the American Chestnut, American Elm, and numerous other native plants? What about the indiscriminate pollution of our rivers, lakes, and air that took place as a consequence of the Industrial Revolution?

Moreover, the same greed which led to the destruction of so many of our natural resources also led to the exploitation of women, children, and labor more generally. I'm thinking about the concentration of wealth, low wages, long working hours, and unsafe working conditions. These things are FACTS of history. They happened! They cannot be excused, justified, or explained away, and they could certainly never be characterized as moral or righteous behavior!

Unfortunately, the widespread and systemic mistreatment of the handicapped, disadvantaged, and immigrant populations among us has also been an integral part of the history of America. Asylums, sanatoriums, poor houses, orphanages, and ghettos are part of America's story. Straitjackets and lobotomies are part of our history as a people. Discrimination against (and mistreatment of) Irish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, and Polish immigrants to this country is well-documented. We also should never forget that America's record on the toleration of other faiths is NOT spotless! Think about the way that Catholics, Muslims, Mormons, and Atheists have been treated in times past.

We also must not forget that our ancestors instituted a kind of civil religion in the United States. This arose from a kind of arrogance and pride in American institutions and "success" on the world stage. It manifested itself in patriotic hymns, celebrations, and rituals. It glorified American military might and led to some behaviors that could never be characterized as "Christian" or "righteous." I'm thinking now of Manifest Destiny and the Mexican-American War. I'm thinking of America's participation in imperialism and the Spanish-American War. Moreover, some of us would characterize some of the practices of that civil religion as a kind of idolatry - putting devotion and allegiance to country on a par with our obligations to Almighty God. In connection with all of this, I'm thinking of statements like "America, right or wrong!"

Finally, as was suggested at the beginning of this article, things like abortion, homosexuality, murder, rape, alcoholism/drug addiction and riots have ALWAYS been a feature of American society/culture. "Yes, but it wasn't accepted/tolerated/legalized!" my conservative Christian friends will protest. OK, but the point is that it still happened! Abortions happened before the procedure was legalized by a Supreme Court decision (Roe v Wade), and many thousands of women died as a consequence of botched amateur procedures. Yes, homosexuality existed in the shadows where it engendered a whole lot of heartache, alienation, and MORE immoral behavior (lies, promiscuity, infidelity, etc.)! Yes, we are in the midst of an opioid epidemic, but what about the bootlegging and alcoholism of our ancestors? Yes, things like the Tulsa race riots happened, but they were quickly covered-up and forgotten! Indeed, I suspect that there is so much attention in our own time to things like same-sex marriage, because of the abysmal record of failure among heterosexual marriages (divorce) bequeathed to us by our forebearers! In other words, if we are really concerned about the deterioration/decline of the "traditional" family, then why aren't we more interested in the historical phenomenon of divorce?

Full disclosure, my majors in college were history and political science. Hence, we see from this very brief and general overview of American history that there wasn't any golden age of American righteousness. In times past, there was a whole lot of sinning going on - our ancestors were just as human and fallible as we are in the present! Hence, the notion of America's moral decline is shown to be invalid. God may indeed be angry with our people; but, if he is, it is undoubtedly a long-standing anger. In other words, the current moral failings of the United States are no worse than they were four hundred or two hundred years ago! We are no more worthy of Divine punishment today than we were in 1700, 1800, or 1900! It may be comforting and validating to look back with longing to the good old days, but it is obviously an exercise in delusional thinking!