I recently saw a documentary about New York in 1977. A bunch of people, who used to live in New York, say that it was awesome during the time. The drugs, sex, clubs, music, and attitude were more “in your face” and sleazy. Of course, I wasn’t born then, nor did I ever live there. My question: Is a bad city better than a gentrified one? I can’t really connect it to any Bible scripture but maybe Sodom and Gomorrah.<\/p>\n\t
No government — city, state, or country — can survive when its members are actively pursuing sin.<\/p>\n
“By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked<\/em>” (Proverbs 11:11).<\/p>\n
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people<\/em>” (Proverbs 14:34).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
New York City changed because it was on the verge of collapse in the 1980s. True, you will always find people who think sin is fun. We need deliverance “from those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness; who rejoice in doing evil, and delight in the perversity of the wicked<\/em>” (Proverbs 2:13-14).<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Question: I recently saw a documentary about New York in 1977. A bunch of people, who used to live in New York, say that it was awesome during the time. The drugs, sex, clubs, music, and attitude were more “in your face” and sleazy. Of course, I wasn’t born then, nor did I ever live…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[310],"class_list":["post-39730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-government"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":86793,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-proper-to-take-pleasure-in-the-death-of-the-wicked\/","url_meta":{"origin":39730,"position":0},"title":"Is it proper to take pleasure in the death of the wicked?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Does the city in Proverbs 11:10 take pleasure in the death of the wicked? Answer: \"When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting\" (Proverbs 11:10). Everyone is happy when things go well with the righteous because the righteous\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":30789,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-wrong-to-report-less-than-what-something-costs-so-as-to-pay-less-tax\/","url_meta":{"origin":39730,"position":1},"title":"Is it wrong to report less than what something costs so as to pay less tax?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 28, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have some questions. Part of my job is running an importing business for my small shop. My supplier asked if she can lower the invoice price to make my tax smaller. Is this a sin? The people at the customs office offered me a cheaper solution to the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5343,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-can-solomons-writings-be-gods-words\/","url_meta":{"origin":39730,"position":2},"title":"How can Solomon’s writings be God’s words?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 16, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I read what you said about Solomon's writing being the words of God, but it seems to me that something must have changed. How do you explain Proverbs 10:15 (in light of James 1:9-10), Proverbs 10:27 (in light of Jesus and John the Baptist), Proverbs 12:21 (in light of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":44173,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-sends-you-to-hell\/","url_meta":{"origin":39730,"position":3},"title":"What sends you to hell?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 11, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: My question is: What sends you to hell? I know that's a dumb question, but I've heard so many different things. I believe in Jesus and that he can save me, but I always have this doubt. I feel Satan has put it there because I've never doubted the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":83900,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/who-can-stand\/","url_meta":{"origin":39730,"position":4},"title":"Who Can Stand?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 30, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Ryan Boyer In Revelation 6, Jesus (the Lamb) is opening the scroll's seals one by one. The first four are the famous four horsemen of the apocalypse. These are not only punishments against people who have persecuted God's people but also wake-up calls and opportunities to repent (like the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":67075,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-wasting-food-a-sin\/","url_meta":{"origin":39730,"position":5},"title":"Is wasting food a sin?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 16, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, Brother in Christ! I recently got into a discussion about the usage of food in certain parlor games and advertisement tactics. In these situations, people would buy food and use it as paraphernalia to perform the game mechanics or as a way to advertise a product. 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