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Without intending to be pessimistic, it appears to me that our world has suffered a large-scale “retreat from excellence” in recent years. Those who are experts in the language arts fields are alarmed at the lack of concern for grammatical correctness by our song writers, playwrights, speakers, and statesmen and the public in general. It appears that somewhere we have abandoned the honored concept, once generally held, to strive for excellence and correctness in our speech habits. It is bad enough that such expressions as “ain’t,” “that’s where it’s at,” etc., and the common use of double negatives (“I don’t have none”) abound. It is much worse to consider how crude and profane the speech of the man and woman on the street has become. It seems a rule in the TV and film industry that unless a program is laced with at least a half dozen “hells” or “damns” every half hour, it just doesn’t stand a chance in the ratings.
The same principle can be seen in clothing styles, popular music, and other areas of life. But I want to specify another field, and it is the most important of all. In the realm of religion there has been a wholesale retreat from excellence. Only one generation before mine was marked by an atmosphere that generally accepted the fact of the existence of God and considered the Bible to be the Word of God. Lamentably, our world has now been so duped by Satan that it has cast off these excellent concepts. Materialism and secularism are closing in on us from every side and with alarming rapidity. The prevailing frame of reference denies God, disbelieves the Bible and lives only for momentary gratification. Little wonder the crime, alcoholism, drug addiction, and divorce rates continue to soar. Paul urges, “…approve the things that are excellent…” and “…hold fast to that which is good” (Phi 10; 1 The. 5:21). It is innately right to strive for excellence in any worthy endeavor. This is especially true in things that pertain to the Spiritual part of man that will never die.
[Note: I wrote this article for, and it was published in the “Bible Thoughts” Column for the Hood County News, Granbury, Texas, October 31, 1976.]
Attribution: From thescripturecache.com; Dub McClish, owner and administrator.
