Jeynes reaffirmed that America has “lost its way” and has become “a nation with a dearth of absolute values.”

In a recent speech at Cambridge University, Dr. William Jeynes, historian, educator, economic consultant and Assemblies evangelist stated that one of the primary causes of the current US recession was “immorality and deteriorating family values.”

Moreover, Jeynes asserted that “the US government’s failure to realize this was delaying the nation’s recovery from its economic woes.”

Jeynes’ words are particularly worthy of note because his economic stimulus package presented to the Acting President of Korea in 1998 became the foundation of South Korea’s emergence from the Asian economic crisis of 1997–1998.

Dr. Jeynes, a Harvard University and University of Chicago graduate now on the faculty of Cal State-Long Beach, presented a litany of moral problems that propelled the US into a recession, including corporate corruption, congressional leaders strongly compelling US lenders to loan to poor high risk applicants, the greed of numerous people seeking to purchase homes they could not afford, a variety of behaviors that are conducive to disease and addiction, illegal immigration, and a reduction in the work ethic.

Jeynes added deteriorating family values, particularly pre-marital sex and divorce, were causing an astronomical percentage of American children to receive government assistance.

Jeynes stated, “No nation is so strong that it will not eventually crumble underneath the prodigious weight of these moral and family problems.” The author showed data from a met-analysis he conducted that personal religious faith and two biological parent family structures, the combination produces tremendous social benefits including together producing the elimination of the achievement gap.

Jeynes’ concerns are consistent with his recently published book, A Call for Character Education and Prayer in the Schools in which he supports character instruction and a moment of silence in the schools in order to encourage increased loving and moral behavior. Jeynes reaffirmed that America has “lost its way” and has become “a nation with a dearth of absolute values.”

Jeynes predicted, “The nation can eschew the road of slow economic growth and diminished global power if its leaders recognize the long-term consequences of the nation’s moral slide and by experiencing spiritual renewal and a resurrected pro-family emphasis.

Jeynes, 52, is professor of education at California State University-Long Beach, and he is a nonresident scholar at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He has written 70 academic articles and eight books on a wide range of issues, including the nation’s Christian heritage, the need to return prayer and character education to public schools and the effects of family factors on youth. An Assembly of God minister, Jeynes continues to hold missionary and evangelistic services under the banner of God’s Love Ministries, which he started in 1978. Comments may be sent to him at [email protected]