Rissa Arias

Esther Quinn | September 19, 2013

America has changed drastically in the last 200 years. Our country has become something that most of us are not willing to accept. People know something is amiss and are scrambling to find that which will make America better. We know America was great once so something in its past must have been right. But, the paradigm changed in our values and morals, which has drastically changed the character of our beloved country.

One of the obvious changes is that self was not enthroned in the heart of Americans. Now, people live mostly to please themselves. This is called hedonism, or self-pleasure.

This is in total contrast to what we have been taught by God in His word. In Philippians 2:3-4, Paul put it this way:

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

The dictionary’s definition of hedonism is as follows:

hedonism /ˈhiːd^əˌnɪzəm ˈhɛd-/ etymology

The doctrine that moral value can be defined in terms of pleasure
The doctrine that the pursuit of pleasure is the highest good
Indulgence in sensual pleasures

Studies show that civilizations that are headed for a fall have 37 major indicators that are identical. One of those symptoms is hedonism described as follows:^[1]

People have become passive, rather than active, interested in games, recreation, reading, entertainment and illusion, rather than the real world.

The obsession of Americans to obtain an overabundance of possessions is consuming their every waking moment.
They seek excessive pleasurable entertainment, while lacking the self-respect, morality to constrain behavior within civilized boundaries. There are 428 million pornographic sites streaming from the United States alone out to the world. ^[2]
The actions of the people have become extremely rude and impolite, with no regard for others.
The American public appears to be reverting to a form of barbarism. Rather than becoming more civilized, as may be expected of a mature civilization, we appear to be descending into a culture lacking in morality, common decency, and respect for our fellow citizens.
It seems we have arrived at a current decadent lifestyle. Every day we find ourselves inundated by more examples of raw and deep decadence.
Enjoying all that life has to offer within the boundaries of Christian morality and common sense are more and more a thing of the past and even frowned upon.
Commercials border on pornography, or are already considered “soft” porn.
Teenage girls are commonly dressed as provocatively as prostitutes. Lewd tattoos and body piercings are covering the bodies of today’s youth and adults of all ages.
Heterosexual, homosexual, and lesbian sex is publicly exposed in every sector of society. Our youth are being taught that this behavior is normal and accepted.
Instant gratification is demanded and expected.

Of course, humans are free to choose the lifestyle that pleases them but we must know that their choices affect not only them but also all of us. What is God’s counsel for right living? I will let the following Scriptures speak to you so you can arrive at your own conclusions of the moral state of America. These Scripture verses are self-explanatory.

Colossians 3:5-7