Ever been in an auto accident where, prior to impact, everything slows down to a powerless crawl?

 You’re watching it happen, but have absolutely no power to stop it?

Welcome to 21st century America. 

But in this case, you and I can do something about it.

For a discerning glimpse into the “why” behind why America is wrecking itself, look closely at our progressive betrayal of the moral codes that have helped us become the most sought-after country in the world.

Values that seemed clear and locked in just a few decades ago have been dramatically discarded, and there is no evidence we are better off for our recklessness.

The “why” of our descent tracks to many things, one of which is the seductive notion of “moral relativism.” 

Moral relativism is basically the view that values are similar to art appreciation – “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

That equation makes sense with art, none at all with life values. 

Art does good things, but it is not a cultural bonding agent precisely because there are so many conflicting views of what’s beautiful.

Values, unlike art, are about what’s necessary — not what’s nice.

Values serve as a social glue that bonds people. Bad values lead to bad cultural bonds

For example, it would be this writer’s position that the impoverished, education-impaired, single-parent-grounded, violent, misogynistic, unemployed, angry, hip-hop, drug-laced and race-centric cultures found in so many inner cities are neither healthy nor positive for the future of those who function within those settings.

These settings use bad glue.

In contrast, many of the outlining neighborhoods of those same cities — characterized by functional schools, race diversity, faith engagement, family-centricity, productivity, a unifying sense of community, public safety, and personal responsibility — are healthy and positive for the future of those who function within those settings.

These setting use good glue.

Yes, it can be argued that the people living in the former were born into a harmful culture, but that does not discount the reality that the majority have chosen to stay there, chosen to not try to fix things, or accepted the position that those on the outside with the power to generate improvements have elected not to and that’s somehow OK.

What can’t be argued is that the applied values and the consequences of those values can make a culture a good thing for its participants or a bad thing.

 If you don’t buy the notion that some cultures are more bad than good, ponder the Southern, redneck, racist culture of the 1950s and ‘60s and ask yourself how you would rate that culture.

The fact is that some cultures work better than others, just as some values work better than others.

Those looking for a quick guide to good and not-so-good values can find clarification in two lists:

• The Seven Deadly Sins — pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth.

• The Seven Godly Virtues — prudence, justice, temperance, fortitude, faith, hope and charity.

Yes, both are broadly considered old-school.

Rejecting them for that reason is a big mistake. “New and Improved” may be helpful for detergent brands, but time provides the only reliable proof of a value’s worth.

In today’s America we’re relying on “modern” phenomena — like popularity, ease, convenience, instinct, fabricated intellectual beliefs, fakery and self-service — as our values filters. 

See “Seven Deadly Sins” above for a summary of how that turns out.

Importantly, note that the deadly sins are all easy and the Godly virtues are all hard.

Human beings like easy stuff. Unfortunately, the words easy and good do not generally travel in the same direction.

Those interested in countering our culture slide can find sanctuary in a simple formula:

1) Pick the hard values as your life filters.

2) Work to be a model of such for others.

3) Teach your loved ones to do the same.

There are many more moral seasonings to add to this recipe, but in today’s dysfunctional culture, doing these three things puts you in exceptional territory. 

That it happens to duplicate the fabric of our historical American success equation is a bonus.

Impulse-driven and feel-good morality are rarely up to the standards of time-tested morality.

There are a lot of people trying to prove that statement wrong.

You can usually spot them by their deeds.