I read a book recently that outlined the goals of the Communist Party USA from the 1950s.

Those goals included taking prayer out of schools, undermining the family unit by promoting promiscuity and easy divorce, controlling the content of school curriculum and breaking down standards of morality in the name of tolerance. There were more — about 40 in all.

What caught my attention and scared the stuffing out of me is that most of those goals have been accomplished. How could this be? The Berlin wall came down more than 20 years ago. Communism has been shown to be an abject failure. Communism killed the Soviet Union!

A term mis-attributed to Vladimir Lenin is “useful idiots.” I believe this term and the people to which it refers is in great part responsible for how so many of the goals put forth by communists in the 1950s have been accomplished.

There are people (well-intended people) in our country who have unwittingly contributed to undermining the fabric of our nation. These are the folks who promote tolerance at the expense of morality.

Thomas Mann once wrote, “Tolerance becomes a crime when applied to evil.” Many of the changes that have been made in the name of tolerance have unintentionally undermined the morality of our nation.

Those who wanted prayer eliminated from school turned out to be “useful idiots.” They were so concerned about the ranting of a few malcontents that they stopped a practice that had been a powerful and stabilizing influence in our schools for many, many years. Problems in schools were once talking and chewing gum; today, sex, drugs and many forms of violence on school grounds are common.

What about the family? It has been murdered by our tolerant society. No-fault divorce, while it appears sensible in theory, really cheapened the concept of marriage.

Providing larger welfare checks for unmarried women with more children seems sensible; however, it simply increases births out of wedlock. Unmarried women with multiple partners is a phenomenon promoted by a smorgasbord of social policies.

The entire issue of redefining marriage should not be overlooked. Oh yes, we want to be fair and tolerant and act with equanimity.

Still, the broader result will be one more blow to the family. And what is the family but the very essence of a strong and viable nation.

Yes, communist goal number 40 was to discredit the family. Even after the death of the Communist Party USA, “useful idiots” have managed to promote their goals.

There is more. Infiltrating the media was a goal. What is the current condition of journalism in America? Another goal was to replace revealed religion with social religion and social justice.

Discredit the Bible. Look at our churches. Many have thrown out the Bible in favor of a more progressive approach to religion!

If you disagree with it, simply rewrite it or disregard the parts with which you disagree.

Take a good, long look at the things you do or believe or promote in the name of tolerance. Then, see if in doing so you are promoting evil.

Ford McLain

LaGrange