Is the World Really Getting Worse?
 

This was posted in the Jesus would stone Homos thread:

Do you guys honestly believe that the world is getting worse?

Before the flood the Bible says "The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time."

I would say that we are much much better than that!

What is it that is happening that makes the world so much worse? Murder? Rape? War? Poverty? I suggest that there is nothing new under the sun. These things have existed since the beginning, the price of living in a world with free will.

What say you?

Re: Is the World Really Getting Worse?
 

Bigger population makes it worse.
Also TV, movies, internet, etc

Re: Is the World Really Getting Worse?
 

The world is getting worse. There are no new sins There are more people doing more sins.

More murder, war, adultery, lust, greed etc etc.. It's happening more, in part because there is more people doing it

Re: Is the World Really Getting Worse?
 

Considering God wiped out humanity, save for Noah and his family, yes it's getting worse. As has been stated, also the advent of modern technology and just pure evil in the hearts of men and women today make it much worse than any Biblical time period.

Re: Is the World Really Getting Worse?
 

2Ti 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
2Ti 3:13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

Re: Is the World Really Getting Worse?
 

I think it depends on how you define "worse." If you ask am I worse off today than I would have been living in a thatch dwelling and trying to fight off the Mongols on the Steppes in the 1200s I would have to say no. I am blessed, have a roof over my head, am protected from the elements, have great modern conveniences.

Again, if we look at some countries where followers of Christ are persecuted and put to death or enslaved, tortured, etc., on a daily basis, I would says my life is pretty good in relation. But I don't think that is what people mean when they say "The world is getting worse."

So, what do people mean when they say "the world is getting worse?"

1. They are referring to their world, or the realm in which they have relationships, dwellings, their safe zone I would say; having the ability to keep self and family safe from physical harm. This would include the laws that are being passed and what future effects they may have, as well as the current response in the "world" that appears to be getting closer and closer to traditional persecution.

2. The thought world in which they live; having the ability to keep self and family from experiencing visual and aural messages that fight against the Word of God in their lives. This covers the safety of educational activities for children, peer pressure, media, etc.

3. "Worse" is more or less a short-hand way of saying "worse than it was yesterday" or progressively worse.

Given this definition, I would say the world is getting worse.

When the Bible says evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived, I don't read a caveat that says "except for certain periods of time when it will get better, and then start getting worse again." We therefore have to check our definitions in order to be in line with the Word of Life. The Bible also teaches that as we near the end it will get worse than it has ever been, so bad that Jesus will shorten the days of His coming lest there be no flesh saved.

Just a couple of thoughts that came to mind.

Re: Is the World Really Getting Worse?
 

I sure wouldn't want to live 100 years ago....1000 years ago or 2000. I think it's pretty good....

Re: Is the World Really Getting Worse?
 

:lol it all depends upon ones lens, then. "don't say that things used to be better" paraphrased.

Ecclesiastes 7:10 Do not say, "Why were the old days better than ...
... Don't say, "Why were the former days better than these?"
For you do not ask wisely about this. ... eccl ...

Re: Is the World Really Getting Worse?
 

I guess worse depends upon who is speaking.

How do you tell a Jew who was being hauled off to the camps that it is worse now?

How would you tell a gypsy in Stalins russia that it is worse now?

Relatively speaking.....

Re: Is the World Really Getting Worse?
 

I'm glad to see we have some optimists! :)

In my opinion some things have stayed the same, some have gotten worse, and some have gotten better. And I personally believe that the good just might outweigh the bad. Some Thoughts:

1. Medical breakthroughs are pretty much awesome. Things that were a death sentence 100 years ago are now treatable. My Mom is a living breathing example of this. She had a very rare kind of cancer, it was considered inoperable, the 5 year survival rate was 0%, they gave her 6 months to a year. However, she got into an experiment program, and almost 4 years later she is not only alive but cancer free.

2. The Internet. Yes, like anything it has the ability to be used for evil, but it's also completely and totally amazing. It's helped transform our world (in a good way). How many things have happened for the good, because it got out on social media, or went viral, and the public outcry caused positive change? Through Micro-loans, we can help people we never in a million years would have come across. I guess, I just think the interconnectedness is pretty amazing.