August 15 1994

ARTICLE TOOLS

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Sometimes, it seems, bad news can become good news. Recently I had lunch with former secretary of education Bill Bennett, and our conversation quickly became animated, covering criminal justice, current events, and the sobering conclusions of his Index of Cultural Indicators. In the midst of our rapid-fire exchange, Bennett said, "Tell me: Can you name one positive trend in our culture?"

An abrupt silence fell as I groped for a single hopeful cultural indicator. Finally Bennett laughed. "All my friends respond the same way," he said. "They can't find anything encouraging."

No serious moral conservative doubts the severity of America's cultural crisis. But just when times seem darkest, rays of light may be breaking through, creating a rare moment of opportunity for Christians.

Consider the surprising results of several recent polls. Surveys by the Times Mirror magazine group, Republican pollster Richard Wirthlin, Democratic pollster Mark Mellman, and Newsweek all reveal that Americans are more pessimistic than ever. Times-Mirror found 71 percent "dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country today." Wirthlin found 62 percent think the country is on the wrong track.

Most surprising are the reasons people gave. During the presidential campaign, we were told the problem was the economy. ("It's the economy, stupid.") Today the economy is surging—yet people are unhappier than ever. Why? Because of a troubling sense of moral vertigo.

Asked to identify the country's most pressing problem, half of Wirthlin's respondents cited crime and social issues. In the Times Mirror survey, again half cited crime, drugs, or lack of family values. Newsweek found that 76 percent believe America is in moral and spiritual decline.

This ...