The American Empire

The average lifespan of all the world’s greatest civilizations from the beginning of recorded history has been about two hundred years. During that two hundred year span, each civilization went through the following sequences:

1. From bondage to spiritual faith
2. From spiritual faith to great courage
3. From courage to liberty
4. From liberty to abundance
5. From abundance to complacency
6. From complacency to apathy
7. From apathy to dependence
8. From dependence to bondage

In The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, historian Edward Gibbon gave several reasons for Rome’s demise including:

1. Undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home
2. Decay of religion

In his 1947 book, Family and Civilization, Dr. Carle Zimmerman identified eleven “symptoms of final decay” seen in the fall of both the Greek and Roman civilizations. They are listed below:

· No-fault divorce
· Increased disrespect for parenthood and parents
· Meaningless marriage rites
· Defamation of past national heroes
· Acceptance of alternative marriage forms
· Widespread attitudes of feminism, narcissism and hedonism
· Propagation of anti-family sentiment
· Acceptance of adultery
· Rebellious children
· Juvenile delinquency
· Acceptance of sexual perversion

In 1911, President Woodrow Wilson said:

“The Bible…is the one supreme source of revelation of the meaning of life, the nature of God and spiritual nature and needs of men. It is the only guide of life, which really leads the spirit in the way of peace and salvation. America was born a Christian nation. America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived from the revelations of Holy Scripture.”

In the last century the United States provided 75% of the Christian missionaries, money and material aid to foreign nations. Today, the United States is in desperate need of Christian missionaries and the time may come when other nations will send Christian missionaries here because the great American empire is declining and forgetting about God who bestows our blessings.