Two culprits for the decline in wisdom and common sense ... I’ll include a third... the people have been bought off with government payments (hence losing their freedom) which the Founders never imagined. Recently I overheard two early 30s people who make not much above the minimum wage talking about food stamps. The one who was thinking about applying said ... “As they say, if the government can feed you, the government can starve you.” She went on to justify it because others do it. Hence, she has common sense, but the enticement is worth the loss of freedom. The payoffs are also made at the institutional level. I submit that many colleges would go belly-up without all the federal $. The reason for “free tuition” being pushed is to perpetuate and expand the left’s control of what the youth of our country “learn”.
As far as the left infiltrating the churches, it is far beyond the National Council of Churches. The left sees no need to separate the church from government when it advances their agenda. For example, look at how many “Christian” churches embrace homo-marriage, or push environmentalism.
You are right on the money. Clergy has failed their flock.
For substantial proof: Nanny P freely endorsing abortion, and yet her church continues to allow her to practice her ‘faith’. Or the fact that Cuomo and Cardinal Dolan remain friends with no mention of retribution.
As to the ‘gimme crowd’. Had one of these in my family, my youngest sibling. She went on to marry another one and together they produced and reproduced even more hungry mouths yearning for the ‘free cheese’. They find nothing abnormal or immoral in this. Total embarrassment from this direction.