The Tri-County Journal
& Chattahoochee Chronicle
PO Box 850, 71 Webb Lane
Buena Vista, GA 31803
229-649-6397
tjournal@alltel.net

Has freedom in America come to mean one can live any life style, give in to any habit or craving, and not be accountable for bad results? Is life all about indulging self and disregarding responsibility for others? Is being a good citizen and living a responsible life passé? If certain elected officials do immoral things or badly misuse their office then cast them out, but are those who elected them also insisting on high ideals?
   After a tour in Vietnam, I visited with Papa Jesse Justus on his porch. Then about 87 years old, he began to muse on his long life. He was born before the Spanish American War, automobiles, airplanes, radios and TV. He was amazed to see space travel and men on the moon. However he thought that inventions were getting beyond human control, such as the nuclear bomb and missiles. He said these greater means of destruction helped him understand better the end-time prophecies of the Bible.
   Papa understood the benefits of modern things but he said TV and automobiles were ruining the lives of our young people. Through TV bad things could invade the home and innocent children's minds. Vehicles that provided fast travel and better transportation also allowed young people in their gullible years to get away from the sight and influence of parents. He deplored the lack of discipline in home and school that led to less learning but more bad behavior. He thought the lowering of standards led to broken homes and a weakening of church influence. To Papa the spiritual well being of a person was more important than material things. If he could return here he would not believe the condition of morals in America today or understand the animosity against Christianity.
   I saw a way of life closing during my youth. Children were with parents and grandparents daily and so learned from their wisdom and example. Now children spend most of their time away from home and working parents throughout their developing years. Even parents that try hard to bring their children up properly, with spiritual emphasis as well as physical training, often find other influences undo their good work.
   If a growing child learns only permissiveness and bad life choices from others he will usually make poor choices as an adult. Drugs and alcohol add to crippled lives. The public grows inured to any behavior or lifestyle. While it is good to accept a person regardless of race, creed or religion, it is a different matter in the areas of lifestyle and behavior. There are good things and there are bad things, so choice does matter. As in the case of gay marriages, after centuries of spiritual and traditional beliefs that establish only male and female can be lawfully married, a growing number of people now want to legalize same sex marriages. Because people want to do their thing regardless, should we just pass a law and say it is good? With a society already stressed, where will this reasoning lead us?
   Christianity is under attack. As a recent example an editor of a small town newspaper in the "Bible Belt" wrote that it is deplorable when religious leaders encourage their flock to become politically active and thought they did it only to exercise power over their members.

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