The decay of conscience

Aunt Spiker said:

Well he started off well, until he brought it 'back to God' as all religious minded political individuals tend to do, which is a mere mobius loop.

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Wehrwolfen said:

I guess that Auntie would be seeking to tar a feather Mr. Finney if he had been alive today to expound upon the theories he wrote in 1873. Surely this man would be considered a pariah today in the eyes of Progressive Socialists.

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Aunt Spiker said:

Well he started off well, until he brought it 'back to God' as all religious minded political individuals tend to do, which is a mere mobius loop.

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Paschendale said:

There is no such general admission. There is no newfound depravity in the American character. We are less accepting of bigotry and discrimination than we were in the past. Petty fears are less and less our motivations. Xenophobia doesn't grip us the way it did during the Cold War. The less we cling to the vices, cruelty, and barbarism of the past, the better our character becomes. And of course the last thing we need is more religion. That only makes things worse.

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davidtaylorjr said:

Perhaps that is because God is pretty important....

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Wehrwolfen said:

Articles in THE INDEPENDENT of NEW YORK
THE DECAY OF CONSCIENCE

BY PRESIDENT CHARLES G. FINNEY.

THE INDEPENDENT.

NEW YORK, DECEMBER 4, 1873​

I believe it is a fact generally admitted that there is much less conscience manifested, by men and women, in nearly all the walks of life, than there was forty years ago. There is justly much complaint of this, and there seems to be but little prospect of reformation. The rings and frauds and villainies in high and low places, among all ranks of men, are most alarming, and one is almost compelled to ask: "Can nobody be safely trusted?" Now, what is the cause of this degeneracy? Doubtless there are many causes that contribute more or less directly to it; but I am persuaded that the fault is more in the ministry and public press than in any and all things else. It has been fashionable now for many years to ridicule and decry Puritanism. Ministers have ceased, in a great measure, to probe the consciences of men with the spiritual law of God. So far as my knowledge extends, there has been a great letting down and ignoring the searching claims of God's law, as revealed in his Word. This law is the only standard of true morality. "By the law is the knowledge of sin." The law is the quickener of the human conscience. Just in proportion as the spirituality of the law of God is kept out of view will there be manifest a decay of conscience. This must be the inevitable result. Let ministers ridicule Puritanism, attempt to preach the Gospel without thoroughly probing the conscience with the divine law, and this must result in, at least, a partial paralysis of the moral sense. The error that lies at the foundation of this decay of individual and public conscience originates, no doubt, in the pulpit.....

[Excerpt]

Read more:
THE DECAY OF CONSCIENCE by Charles G. Finney

Wow! One hundred and forty years ago the people of America were looking to these days of doubt about where our "leaders" are taking us. The author was correct then and correct today. I suggest that you all read the complete treatise.

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Paschendale said:

There is no such general admission. There is no newfound depravity in the American character. We are less accepting of bigotry and discrimination than we were in the past. Petty fears are less and less our motivations. Xenophobia doesn't grip us the way it did during the Cold War. The less we cling to the vices, cruelty, and barbarism of the past, the better our character becomes. And of course the last thing we need is more religion. That only makes things worse.

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Diving Mullah said:

Interesting tripe...but don't much remember about Finney wasn't he married like five times...one thing I do remember about him is that he fracked his wife to death! six kids by his first wife...

Why is that the people with the poorest moral tend always seem to be sitting in judgement on other people's morals!

Diving Mullah

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Wehrwolfen said:

Hmm..., You have him mixed up with an Islamist seeking redeem himself with an honor killing.I suggest you read the following biography: htt p://www.charlesgfinney.com/lawsonbio.htm

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specklebang said:

I'm not going to say you are wrong but there is a glaring example of this change. That being the way employers treat their employees. People (it seems to me) used to e valued by their employers and now their jobs are undercut and sold away for a few more bucks on the bottom line.

Or am I wrong?

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Paschendale said:

No, you're definitely right. That certainly has gotten worse. Though I think the overall trend is still upward.

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Diving Mullah said:

Nope...I got him right...Charles Grandison Finney!

But you are right it...it is easy to mix him up with an Islamist Honor Killers camel Jokey...they both spew the same crap about crap

the thing I remember most about him was this quote "This I had to look up"

Unexpectedly to myself they asked me if I received the Confession of faith of the Presbyterian church. I had not examined it;—that is, the large work, containing the Catechisms and Presbyterian Confession. This had made no part of my study. I replied that I received it for substance of doctrine, so far as I understood it. But I spoke in a way that plainly implied, I think, that I did not pretend to know much about it. However, I answered honestly, as I understood it at the time [Charles Finney, The Memoirs of Charles Finney: The Complete.

Translation...I didn't know they are going to ask question that would determine my qualifications, so basically I bull****ed my way out of it. Since bull****ing saved my preacher license, in return I will pile bull**** upon the rest of the pulpits in the hope of covering the stink of my hypocrisy.

Diving Mullah

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specklebang said:

...and many of the points of your post are quite valid although xenophobia is still alive and well in some circles.

The adversarial relationship between employers/employees is a significant concern though. This seems to be increasing at an alarming rate as more people are shuffled off to 29 hour work-weeks because employers want to give less, not more and no longer value long term experience over short term profits.

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Wehrwolfen said:

Is it the employer/employee relationship that has caused the underemployment, or something that is looming over the heads of small company employers?

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specklebang said:

My sense of it is that this problem started well before Obamacare although it certainly has been exacerbated by the confusion of this impending law that nobody actually understands. That's why I'm having some trouble with "things are improving".

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Aunt Spiker said:

He's important to people who believe in him. Not so much to everyone else. I've seen no evidence that God is the reason why people are either good or bad, in any regard. Remove his belief in God, and the other statements still hold merit.

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davidtaylorjr said:

He is important to people who don't believe in Him as well, which they will find out when every knee bows and every tongue confesses that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!

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Wehrwolfen said:

Hmm..., You forget that during the 19th Century large families were normal. I don't know the manner of his wife's death, however, during the 19th century death during childbirth was not uncommon.

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Diving Mullah said:

but marring five times was not...he clearly had some zipper issues!

Diving Mullah

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Wehrwolfen said:

That could be said of many men today. As a diving Mullah how many wives and/or concubines do you have, or had? I personally have been married three times.

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Diving Mullah said:

Yes but those "Very men" are NOT sitting in judgement on Morality of Others...Nor jockeying to be spiritual leaders, well...actually some are and they are lowest of lowest form as with Preacher Finney!

The thing that discusses me about such people is not their life style, but rather and very often the mount of swine and utter contempt of morality when comes to their own lives and yet pass quick and absolute judgement on others discretion!

Finney and others like him where nothing but a sociopath with deep rotted sexual and emotional dysfunctions, and these people are the type that often project their own needs and impulses onto others.

Diving Mullah

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