Forty years ago, coinciding with the development of the PC and the Internet, there was a major shift in our country and its values.
This shift affected our Morality, Education, Government, Business and Society.
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. - Gen 3:6
Human beings have always shown a preference for Carnality over Spirituality.
History is replete with examples of peoples who arose to heights only to eventually fall into depths.
Why is it that we prefer to be Wilful and Wrong over being Obedient and Right?
Fundamentally, the reason is that Choice and Curiosity combine to make us take risks that go against Wisdom.
Eve allowed her Curiosity to overcome her Wisdom. She knew exactly what her Creator had said about the tree of knowledge of good and evil (TKGE).
Wisdom comes from God. Choice is a gift from God. There is a tension between the two that must be acknowledged and dealt with.
The proper (wise) treatment is to elevate Wisdom over Choice.
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all your getting get understanding. - Pro 4:7
Parents are well aware that their children are tempted to go against Wisdom and just be 'wild and crazy'.
Despite the training and warnings from parents, teachers and pastors, young people experiment with drugs, alcohol, sex, speed, etc.
Essentially those young people get Deceived by Superficiality and Style of an activity to the Ignorance of, or Denial of, the Substance of the activity.
What happened forty years ago (and there is no hard date for when it happed) our national Character made a choice to elevate StyleOverSubstance.
Essentially, we willingly chose to act Foolishly in the same way a teenager might.
The difference is that nationally we knew better from upbringing, history, personal experience, training and Wisdom.
Why did we choose StyleOverSubstance?
Why did Eve eat the forbidden fruit from the TKGE?
She chose to rebel against God. She was willing to be Deceived. She was willing to destroy herself.
As a nation we chose StyleOverSubstance for the same reasons as Eve plus one more: Greed.
Corporate America realized there was more sales to be made from Lust than Need.
They also realized that they could increase profits by spending more on the visible part of their product than the functional part of that product.
They also realized that persuasive, deceptive materials and presentations would appeal to those who trafficed in persuasive, deceptive materials and presentations.
And so the snowball rolled down hill.
BarakHuseinObama was the epitome of a StyleOverSubstance Political personality. Because of years of Americans wallowing in StyleOverSubstance thinking, his election (twice) was a no-brainer.
Now we have reached a point in our devolution as a country that we have elected a president, congressmen and senators based on Ideological StyleOverSubstance.
God is first and foremost Substance. He is Real. He is Integrity. He is unchanging. He is Love. He is Good. He is Merciful. He is Longsuffering.
His Substance defines His Style.
Those who allow God to Transform them by the Truth, the Light, the blood and the Life (Spirit) of Christ Jesus take on God's Substance and reflect His Style.
Those who elevate StyleOverSubstance in their lives are simply Hypocrites.
Rejection of the Truth has serious consequences for this life and for Eternity.
And every one that hears these sayings of mine, and does them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: - Mat 7:26
These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. - 2Pe 2:17
And whoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. - Rev 20:15
So we see that StyleOverSubstance oriented people will not be able to stand before God at the WhiteThroneJudgment.