Rampant Ambivalence

 

When we consider the role that ambivalence plays in the moral decay of a society,  we must understand that it is a concept that has already been addressed in the scriptures.

Man's nature is to rationalize in his own mind what he considers right or wrong, moral or immoral. We are told in Judges 21:25 that,

"In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes." Another portion of scripture which alludes to the nature of all men and their thought processes is found in Isaiah 55:8, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord."

Some observations of Rome's moral decay in secular history point to some type of mental health issue brought on by lead in the water pipes of the day. We could never, however, expect secular historians to suspect any possibility that original sin had any thing to do with their journey down a slippery slope.

There is no way of knowing for sure whether the concept of rampant ambivalence came into play in the political arena of Rome, but from history we do know with certainty that there were plenty calls for a change of leadership. The fact that there were about 70 Roman emperors from the beginning of the reign of Augustus in 27 BC, until the end  of Romulus Augustus in 476 AD. Far from the concept of democratic elections, many came to power through force or violence. According to an article on PBS.org,

"What’s more, the empire started through violence and depended on force. Emperors could only survive if their people believed they could outgun anyone and everyone else. If an army grew dissatisfied, the emperor was in trouble; if dissatisfaction spread further, he was finished.

Civil war had brought Caesar to power. Once emperor and without an obvious heir, he had adopted Augustus. He may have been the first to choose a successor and call it hereditary succession, but he was not the last – Claudius sidelined his own son in favor of Nero, while Nerva "adopted" Trajan to ensure a smooth succession." 

 The corruption and immorality of a nation's leaders more often than not culminates in a corrupt and immoral populace. The accounts of the various emperors and their vices and perversions are well documented in the annals of history. A brief glimpse into what we know about Caligula, Nero, Commodus, Caracalla, and Maxaminus Thrax should suffice to make the case for the debauchery conveyed to the masses.

Scripture teaches us something of the moral character of the people of Rome that secular history would prefer to gloss over. We get a glimpse into the truth of what Psalm 9:17 warns concerning any nation that turns it's back on God.

"The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God."

As a matter of fact, scripture gives us the truth about the moral decline of Rome's culture that secular history is not even aware of. Historians can certainly point to and describe the vices which were present, but only the Word of God explains how they found themselves in a state of utter ruin spiritually.
 
The Bible however, is very clear in the first chapter of Paul's epistle to the Romans of the role original sin played in the progressive movement towards a moral decline.

"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." Romans 1:28-32

A close sister to rampant ambivalence would be the concept of ambiguity as it is applied to both political and spiritual matters. Defining ambiguity as simply being the quality of being open to more than one interpretation or inexactness, we can certainly see how a great gulf would exist between political parties as well as religious denominations.

The dangers to any nation associated with the widespread use of ambivalence and ambiguity as the criteria for deciding political or spiritual matters is that it is extremely divisive.
Lincoln himself understood the words spoken by Christ in Luke 11:17,

"But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth."

The picture that is painted by secular history of the Roman Empire's decadence, corruption, and perversion bears a marked resemblance to the leadership we see in Washington, D.C. today. Both houses of Congress and the Oval Office are in the back pockets of the enemies of America. High ranking officials have joined hands with the "baneful foes" of foreign governments to sell out America's sovereignty to the United Nations. Many, on both sides of the aisle, are willing to trade the liberty and freedom of the American people for the global governance of a Godless regime.
The enemies of America have been, for decades, methodically indoctrinating the young minds of a generation that has finally taken the bait of Marxism hook, line, and sinker.

Paralleling the nation of Rome, American leadership has started down the broad path of Matthew 7, and it is bringing an indoctrinated populace along with it.
With that begins the next progressive step down the slippery slope towards judgment.