3 Stages of Civilizations

This article is a follow-up to our August issue comparing the Law of God to the law of man, and it was inspired by a blog dated August 2, 2015, titled “A Tour of Our Decadent Civilization,” written by Daniel Greenfield of the Sultan Knish blog. Because it represents my position and perspective on the state of the world, I recommend you read his blog in its entirety. You can find it here: http://sultanknish.blogspot.com/2015/08/a-tour-of-our-decadent-civilization.html. It is an article that I recommend everyone should read. I cannot quote from it because I would be including the whole article, but let me say this.

Mr. Greenfield explains that civilizations normally go through three stages; Barbaric, Vigorous and Decadent. He does an excellent job in bringing some of the current world issues into focus using the descriptions of these stages, showing us where we are today.

The present conflict in the Middle East, with players like Iran, Syria, Iraq, and ISIS is an excellent example of barbaric elements. Developing nations, which are gaining strength as a people in producing products and gaining technology, are examples of vigorous nations. The Western world used to be vigorous in their focus a century ago, but this generation is a shining example of slipping into decadence, which focuses on self-indulgence, spinning reality, and eventual decline. The barbaric Islamic world cites this same decadence as its justification for “Jihad.”

Righteousness and justice do not co-exist in the barbaric civilization. It considers the success and progress of others as a kind of crime against them. Islam teaches that Western successes are stealing Allah’s blessing that rightfully belong to his servants. The slaughter of others and taking of spoil ranks high in their definition of success. Radical Islam is not a religion of peace; it is a license for “jihad” and wholesale brutal bloodshed. The caliphate is the hierarchy of murderers and savages. It is the modern day example of barbarism.

After World War II, many nations followed America’s example, growing in power and capability to the benefit of their citizens. Innovation and the pursuit of success, guided by the desire to do better and make it better for others, was the motivation of their leaders. Americans wanted to make it better for the next generation. America was a vigorous society then.

Decadent is what America and other developed western nations have become today. The transformation has been made in the span of one generation. We are now a people with leaders who have completely forgotten how we arrived at the success we were enjoying and have a new set of selfish motives.

Now that America has left its moral compass, the leadership of our nation is now saying things the Constitution never said and what it did say they ignore. They dismiss the original Lawgiver. Instead, laws today are interpreted by a specialized political caste. Right and wrong no longer guide the populace. Every issue that arises does so with a bevy of litigation into motive, intent, and legalese. Along the way, simple fairness and “no one is above the law” becomes discarded along a progressive path. Eternal truths find themselves buried by a flood of information, making it godless and replacing it with vain platitudes.

Those in leadership of the United States (those in the inner circle of the President) believe themselves to be smarter than all other persons, from the common man on the street to the business professional and the highest levels of our military.

Have you noticed the attempts to rewrite history, casting scorn upon our vigorous ancestors? Our own President regards the founding fathers of our nation with disdain and considers our national success as his definition of national sin. Consider the goal in removing the Confederate flag and removing statues of historic content from the public square. Is it not to disprove the past?

The promotion of gay rights as a civil right, ironically, is the transformation of a natural and spiritual law that regards it as an abomination. Yet, granting homosexuals a federal civil right to marry is generally regarded as being morally superior, to the chagrin of the majority of citizens. The White House lights up its structure to celebrate the gay marriage decision of the Supreme Court but fails to lower the flag when five service men are slaughtered by a terrorist in the homeland.

In a decadent civilization, the power elite confuse privilege and perverse behaviors with civil rights. Such is the case with gay marriage. Eventually, marriage will be utterly meaningless and every public rest room will have to be gender neutral.

The social justice the elite pursues has no righteousness and cannot relate to the past.  What is worse, the future for their pursuits is certain destruction. It is simply unsustainable for future human communities.

The decadent civilization spins issues it chooses in order to shame the population into altered societal behaviors and guilt. Take the example of “global warming” morphing into “climate change.” According to the President, it is a greater threat than ISIS and terrorism.

We also go from government scandal to another and to another until we find ourselves only prioritizing and cataloging the scandals with no one held accountable.

In a decadent civilization, scandals and public squabbles are merely a distraction from what is going on behind the scenes by the power elite. Hillary Clinton’s emails are political fodder for Republicans, and the Democrats are fiercely defending indefensible actions. We are supposed to ignore the facts that the emails in question are “classified material” and a violation of federal law worthy of time in Leavenworth. We can take solace knowing that her server’s contents are probably now being protected by Wikileaks.

The video that the President and the Secretary of State claimed caused the Benghazi attack is still just as real as it was the morning after. In our effort to be reconciled to the truth, we are left with the question chidingly posed by Hillary, “What difference does it make?!” Lying becomes so commonplace that telling the truth becomes strange.

In a barbaric society, an absolute truth is unknown. Westerners do not understand this and do not take it into account when trying to negotiate with a barbaric state. This is a code of Islam when it comes to stealing from, or dealing with, a Westerner. Islamic ideology is ancient barbaric theology.

Decadents put a spin on the morality of stealing and other offenses. Its people are trained to apply sensitivity to subjective situations (called spin control), such as lying to government officials about the whereabouts of official classified emails or refusing to use the term “Islamic” or “Muslim” when referring to “radical extremists.” A game hunter kills a lion and the public is outraged, while for years aborted babies are aborted alive (living and breathing) with a premium price demanded for their organs, and the public is silent. There is no fixed truth for defining a living human being.

Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.  Proverbs 14:34

This is where repentance and turning to God must prevail. The representatives of the people are a reflection of those who voted them into leadership. Change the heart of the people and they will vote differently. But the decadence here has reached down to the people. It is time for God to come in and erase the whole chalkboard. I believe this is what He meant when He said that He will make a new heaven and a new earth.

Take away the wicked before the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness.  Proverbs 25:5

The children of Israel prospered and grew into a nation serving a vigorous Egypt. But then Egypt became decadent—full of themselves under a new pharaoh who did not know how God had blessed them under Joseph, and the children of Israel suffered. When they cried out, God said it was time for them to leave. He delivered His people with great judgments.

Alas, history will follow what the LORD has foretold to us, and there will not be a turn-around of this decadent civilization. Our world has become like decadent Egypt. We will be leaving soon, after we have experienced some tribulation to prepare us for the kingdom. The barbarians will then kill the decadents and then God will destroy whatever remains. We will then have a new Righteous King.

Mr. Greenfield’s commentary so accurately describes our times and how the world got to this point in history, I felt it was appropriate to bring attention to it. I wanted to incorporate the Biblical standpoint to show that this world can’t sustain much more without a dramatic change.

‘As I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live.’ Ezekiel 33:11a

For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. Ezekiel 36:24