Introduction

God Alone Is the Truth and the Way
By Frederick Mahan

 

The San Francisco dockworker Eric Hoffer became a noted philosopher, a bestselling author, and an acute observer of American life. In my own way, over the past fifty years, I have observed the out-of-control decadence and intemperance in America.

I am a retired trial attorney of forty-four years, an active businessman, a past board member of two nonprofit corporations and a past president of one, a symphony and opera patron, a big-time supporter of higher education, a past member of my church’s council, and a benefactor of numerous charities that care for those who need assistance. I have read countless books, attended an untold number of lectures, and maintained a complete library on the subjects addressed in this book. I keep company with some of the wisest people in America. More importantly, I am an informed citizen who voted for fifty-four years, with few exceptions. My companions and I know what is going on economically, politically, morally, spiritually, and academically in America.

Socrates was an unpublished author without credentials. Plato chronicled the ideas of Socrates and most likely left it to posterity to make its conclusions. In some instances, I cannot document my opinions and conclusions based on experience and observations. I am writing about political theology, not the hard sciences. Nonetheless, I encourage my readers to test all of my statements. After World War II, affluence led to higher education, greater leisure, and more opportunities for service to others; however, negative trends occurred, including substance abuse, juvenile delinquency, crime, and divorce. Those who did not exercise moderation in the accumulation of wealth and power became slaves to greed, avarice, gluttony, and lust.

Within the past fifty years, I have witnessed radical changes in the behavior and attitudes of many citizens that have accelerated the decline of the American culture. Spin doctors have replaced the educators of virtue, truth, and service. Ancient wisdom has been replaced with an identity crisis—narcissism gone haywire. I need only mention the pop-star singers who send teenaged children into frenzies with their sexually explicit gyrations. Mob mentality has replaced responsible behavior by teenagers and college students.

In my considered opinion, the irresponsible behavior of American presidents, corporate officers, and politicians; the combative attitude of the unemployed and “rebels with a cause” (advocates of same-sex marriage and abortion); and the reckless conduct of the government have caused the irreversible decline of America. Dissatisfied and desperate seniors, military families, and middle- to lowerclass families are barely able to survive. Nevertheless, there are options. With faith in almighty God, the author of truth, we can live in this declining nation with a sense of direction and peace of mind.

In the final analysis, what we do in response to this tragedy is a matter of choice. People must sacrifice for their freedom; otherwise, that freedom will vanish. I have found history to be a more reliable source of information about human nature than philosophy or psychology. Philosophers wonder about absolute reality, creation, nature, love, and the human condition. They debate with one another about the merits of their respective theories. But philosophies fade away. Psychiatrists closely observe the passions, desires, and behavior of individuals. Historians, on the other hand, chronicle the behavior, ideas, religions, philosophies, and emotions of mankind. Some have recorded similar causes for the rise and fall of every civilization. After the fall of a nation, they report a standstill in the pursuit of learning and advancement of understanding. This standstill is a dark age. Following the dark age, there is usually a renaissance or rebirth.

Part I: The Dark Age

In the first section of this book, I will describe the behavior, mentality, attitudes, beliefs, and lies of those who I believe have accelerated the decline of American culture. I will analyze the factors that caused the decline of other Western civilizations. I will share with readers what others have said in support of their conclusions about the decline of other civilizations. I will expand on these subjects with insights from history, religion, literature, and philosophy.

Part II: Quest for Certainty

In the second section of this book, I will share with readers what I have learned from the writings of gifted individuals who know about love, marriage, democracy, truth, and purpose. Although I have no suggestions for changing American culture, I will recommend ways to live through these dark days.

Part III: Resurrection

In the third section, I will tell readers about my disappointments, failures, sufferings, feelings, and discoveries. This is not an autobiography; I simply hope to encourage others with an account of my spiritual failures and successes. I also invite readers to explore a relationship with God as embodied in Jesus Christ. My message is not a “call to the altar”; it is a wake-up call by an amateur historian and philosopher who believes in one god who created heaven and earth. Many people think I am a court jester, but I thank God that I am like other men: a sinner saved by grace. In my growing-up years, I experienced and witnessed a lot of injustice. I could not reconcile it with what I heard and read about the principles set forth in the U. S. Constitution. My secondary-school teachers taught me that I was equal to other citizens by law, and that there was liberty and justice for all. They taught me that the president of the United States places his hand on the Bible and takes an oath that he will preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. They taught me that he is elected by an honest vote count. They told me that the state and federal governments were responsible for providing me with a good education and that all students, regardless of their race or color, would be treated equally. However, I witnessed firsthand the prejudice against immigrants. Because of my desire to understand and correct the prejudice, I decided to become a lawyer. It was in law school that I acquired the ability and the habit of analyzing everything to determine its truth. Having acquired this skill, I analyzed my beliefs, their sources, and their trustworthiness. In the chapters that follow, I will describe in detail what I discovered about the validity of the information I received and relied on for most of my life. In this book, I swear to tell the truth, with reasonable certainty. Some of the statements presented here are a synthesis of my views and those of others. I leave it to you, the reader, to disbelieve all of the views expressed until you have tested their credibility with your own heart and mind.