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of Sept. 11, 2001, had anything to do with good and evil, where do we stand today compared to then?

The data shows that today the country is decidedly less religious than it was Sept. 11, 2001. Despite the trauma of 9/11, it did not cause Americans as a whole to do soul searching to take inventory of our own moral behavior.

Per Gallup, in 1950, the percentage of Americans who said they have no religion was close to 0. In 2001, it was 8%. Today, that figure has increased to 21%.

In 1996, 27% supported the idea of legalized same-sex marriage. Today, that figure stands at 71%.

In 2000, 8%, per Gallup, said abortion should be legal in the third trimester of pregnancy. Today that percentage has almost tripled to 22%.

The transgender issue was not even part of the national discussion in 2001. Today, it receives major attention.

Per a new study released by my organization, CURE, “The Trans Youth Phenomenon: Critiques and Hard Questions,” the incidence of youth identifying as transgender “has substantially increased.”

As traditional morals decline, we adopt a new religion of government. In 2001, federal government spending as percent of GDP was 17.6%. In 2022, it was up to 24.6%.

Bloated government slows our growth. GDP grew from 2000 to today, on average, 2% per year. From 1950 to 1999, the average was 3.6%.

Regarding national security, all the spending makes us less secure because it puts pressure on the defense budget.

I think Falwell and Robertson did the nation a favor in 2001 to say we must look inside as well as outside. If we did, and we made corrections where, according to biblical standards, we were headed in the wrong direction, we would be a stronger nation today.

Star Parker is president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education and host of the weekly television show “Cure America with Star Parker.” Her recent book, “What Is the CURE for America?” is available now. To find out more about Star Parker and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators. com. COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS. COM