Views: 1<\/p>
[Note: <\/strong>This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles-2<\/strong> page.]<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Without intending to be pessimistic, it appears to me that our world has suffered a large-scale \u201cretreat from excellence\u201d 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.\u00a0 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 \u201cain\u2019t,\u201d \u201cthat\u2019s where it\u2019s at,\u201d etc., and the common use of double negatives (\u201cI don\u2019t have none\u201d) 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 \u201chells\u201d or \u201cdamns\u201d every half hour, it just doesn\u2019t stand a chance in the ratings.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 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, \u201c\u2026approve the things that are excellent\u2026\u201d and \u201c\u2026hold fast to that which is good\u201d (Phi 10; 1 The. 5:21).\u00a0 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.<\/span><\/p>\n [Note:<\/strong>\u00a0I wrote this article for, and it was published in the \u201cBible Thoughts\u201d Column for the Hood County News<\/em>, Granbury, Texas, October 31, 1976.]<\/span><\/p>\n Attribution:<\/strong> From thescripturecache.com<\/em>; Dub McClish, owner and administrator.<\/span><\/p>\n \n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Views: 1[Note: This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles-2 page.] \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Without intending to be pessimistic, it appears to me that our world has suffered a large-scale \u201cretreat from excellence\u201d in recent years. Those who are experts in the language arts…<\/p>\n