Last time we were together, we were talking about the innocence of the 1950s. Well, today we want to talk more about that and the changes that have occurred in society since. I'm Dr. Fred, and you're listening to Study, Grow, Know. Welcome to Study, Grow, Know, where we discuss theology, prophecy, and current political issues from a conservative biblical perspective. Here's your host, Dr. Fred DeRuvo. Hi, and thank you for joining me. You're listening to Dr. Fred. We are involved in a new series that deals with actually a politically correct world. And the title of the series is Falling Away. It's based on a book I wrote, which you can download for free. If you go to www.studygrownow.com and then click on books, and you can then look for the cover of the book you'd like to download and then lower right hand or excuse me lower left hand corner of the page you'll see a pdf icon just click on that and you'll be able to download that to your computer free of charge no registration you don't have to ask me you don't have to send me any information no money no nothing just go ahead and download that it's the same book you would get if you were to buy the copy of course but the purchased copy is a softback Anyway, that's yours for the taking and spread the word. I'd like to get the information out there. Political correct thinking is something that has gripped our society for quite some time. And it has gotten worse over the decades since the 1950s and certainly since World War II. But from the 1950s into the 1960s, it seems like political correctness has gone from an underground awareness, environment, whatever you'd like to call it, to something that's above ground with the cultural revolution that occurred in the 1960s. And we talked about the fact that in the 50s there were so many television shows that were, you know, almost naive. They were innocent. They presented a very positive outlook for Americans. But even though television had been around in the United States since the 20s really, it wasn't until the mid to late 1940s that TV began to take off and by the 1950s, something we discussed last time, millions of American households had at least one television set. Now I'd be willing to bet that most Households in these days have two, three, four, and possibly more television sets. And then if you throw computers into the list, you even have more. But by the time the 50s arrived, millions of Americans had one television set at least. And much of TV was live then. like for instance the Jackie Gleason show, as well as a good amount of children's programming. All of it was done live right in front of the cameras. Now it makes sense that since television was a relatively new medium, programming departments and stations were very careful and very selective about what they showed on TV. Nothing at that time was inordinate or truly suggestive. There were plenty of rules that actors had to abide by, such as when a married couple was in bed together. One of the performers had to have at least one foot on the floor at all times during the scene. Now, of course, their foot being on the floor was completely out of the camera scene, but there were people there who could verify that. Now, in many cases, husband and wives even went to the extent of sleeping in separate beds like Rob and Laura Petri on The Dick Van Dyke Show. That didn't really reflect what was happening in real life, but it certainly made things much more comfortable, and families could sit down and view the TV show together with their children. Over time, though, as we know, television began to consistently push the envelope. And once those moral walls started to come down, well, the floodgates opened. And if you compare what exists and what we have on television today to what was going on in the 50s, there is no comparison. No comparison. Now, during the 1950s, Americans also had a number of men that they truly respected as presidents. Men like Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower. They appeared to stand heads above others for their integrity, for their veracity. Now, behind closed doors, this may not have always been the case, but as far as the person they portrayed to the public, while their veracity was intact. People by and large were also very patriotic during that time period of the 1950s, which again makes sense if we consider that this time period follows the victories of World War II in chasing down Hitler's Third Reich. When the world realized the extent to which Hitler's regime had attempted to completely obliterate all people, of Jewish descent and all people who were not considered the best stock. Countries like America were looked on for what we did as true heroes in this world. It was this type of pride that catapulted and carried America forward. And it was also this type of patriotism that caused our country in large measure to support the actions of Harry Truman. He was responsible, for instance, for giving the go ahead on the production of the hydrogen bomb. And he sent Air Force and Navy troops to Korea Now, of course, on the heels of World War II, people were rightly concerned about the infiltration of communists into American society. While things may have been a bit overblown if you consider the efforts of Senator McCarthy, many believe today that he was actually correct in his assumptions. And I think it doesn't take a real hard look at today's society to know that what he fought against is actually existing in our society today. I mean it's interesting to know that during the time period 1954 and following, communists were identified and rooted out of American society. Today, 2013, they're embraced. Communism hasn't improved. So what's changed? Obviously, it is the way people look at communists today. Are they really a threat anymore? Doesn't our government talk to and connect with Russian leaders like Putin and Medvedev? What's the worry? Many say. They argue that the paranoia needs to stop. Well, the worry, of course, is that the same ideological outlook that has governed communist nations in the 50s still governs these nations today. Nothing has really changed in the way communists think. Times have changed, and in large part, the way people see communists have changed. They're no longer considered to be a threat to the American way of life because the American way of life has changed so drastically. Consider the TV show Happy Days and how it reflected the way people were during the 1950s. And while it wasn't all fun and games, of course, and not everybody had a smile, well, the truth of the matter is that in many ways, the 1950s were pleasant. even in their innocence, and maybe that's what made them so pleasant. But as America moved toward the 1960s, attitudes began to change. Questioning authority began in earnest, and a form of revolt started to take place, especially among the young people of the 1950s. One individual says this, America had just begun her recovery from World War II when suddenly the Korean conflict developed. The USSR became a major enemy in the Cold War. Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed to know that communists had infiltrated the United States government at the highest levels. Americans were feeling a sense of national anxiety. Was America the greatest country in the world? Was life in America the best it had ever been? As decades passed, literature reflected the conflict of self-satisfaction with 50s happy days and cultural self-doubt about conformity and the true worth of American values. That's what one person said. Now, as we move from the 1950s into the 1960s, we have to wonder what happened, what caused the transformation in society that formed the attitudes and actions that were so prevalent in the 1960s, and what effect did those attitudes and actions have on society at large? Well, a great many things took place in the 1960s, creating major change throughout society. And in the opinion of this speaker, not many of them were good. Here's what someone else says about it. Quote, it was an era where Americans shifted from optimism to disillusionment, from blind acceptance to distrust. In ten short years, my country right or wrong morphed into question authority. It was a time of violent confrontation with the civil rights movement and the youth culture demanding equity when the war in Southeast Asia put civil loyalty to the test. The media reflected that confusion with music in particular serving as a means of expression that heretofore did not exist." Whatever we think about the 1960s, it should be agreed that there was a tremendous amount of adjustment that occurred throughout the world and certainly throughout the United States. It was upheaval. The changes were obvious and often tumultuous. In many ways, music dominated the world then. It created fashion as well as attitudes. It led the way for a generation of young people who were looking for their own Pied Piper. Music spoke for them. While at least some of the music was to some extent innocuous, at least at the start, it wasn't long before that gave way to music that was extremely political in nature. had been a patriotic stand with respect to war and those who fought in it in the 1950s became a literal loathing of anything to do with war in the 1960s. Young people wanted love and peace, not war and death. And this burgeoning attitude became the stuff that songs were made of that carried a generation of young people into a culture of drugs, rebellion, and complete hatred of what came to be known as Say it with me, the establishment. For America, especially the 1960s, it became the backdrop of the counterculture revolution of young people trying to remake America into something with which they could connect. It's easy to agree with one writer who said this, quote, The 1960s remains the most consequential and controversial decade of the 20th century. It would dawn bright with hope and idealism, see the liberal state attain its mightiest reforms and reach an end in discord and disillusionment." You know, I'd go so far as to say that Satan and the powers of darkness that serve him to this day from the spiritual realm made one of his biggest pushes for social instability leading to the changes that occurred in the 1960s. The drive for societal change was so great that it really was impossible for society to resist. Transformation did come to America. It came. It arrived on our doorstep. And in many ways, because of that, the fabric of American culture changed forever. Since then modifications have continued until we are where we are today. Fully able to agree with Isaiah that there are many in society who tell us that evil is good and good is evil. Isaiah 520. You know it seems clear to me that because of the relative prosperity of the late 1950s, people were able to reach for and take hold of what they believed was their portion of the American dream. It was there in plenty. As GIs returned home from the war, jobs waited for them. They not only had jobs, but because of these jobs, along with the GI bills that gave breaks for further education, as well as other perks to service personnel, ex-military personnel, were now able to not only afford to buy their home, but they could move to the suburbs to buy the home. And because of that, many families said goodbye to the lifestyle of the crowded, noisy cities and headed to areas away from city life, but still close enough to drive into the cities as needed. You know, in the suburbs where people were able to stretch their wings, so to speak, homes were relatively affordable and even provided space for kids to grow up in comparative safety. Unlike the cities. And the population swelled as well. Up to 70 million people became teenagers during the 60s. We're going to continue next time with this. That's our show for today. Thank you for joining me. We're talking about political correctness. And until we meet next time, may God open your eyes to show you how blessed you are. You've been listening to Study, Grow, Know with Dr. Fred DeRubo. Please join us each week for new broadcasts that deal with theology, prophecy, and political issues from a biblical, conservative perspective.