Why are we in this mess?

This question puzzled me for a number of years, last summer I came accross the writings of one of the greatest Saints of the Serbian Orthodox Church, which went some way to explaining why Europe in particular is in such a lost, decadent, and self-destructive state. The Saint in question is Nikolaj Velimirovic, and this is an extract that I translated from his book 'Words to the Serbian nation through the dungeon window', written while he was in Dachau concentration camp during the second world war.

Sons inherit the sins of their fathers and have to pay for them. If the sons do not redeem themselves, then their own sons and grandsons will suffer the consequences. The debt has to be repaid. That is the law everywhere on earth and in every society on earth. The son inherits the illnesses of his father. If he does not cure himself from that illness then the illness will be passed on to his son, or grandson, or great-grandson, up to the fourth generation. If the son 'pays back' all the 'debts' of his father, then his descendants will be happy. If the son cures himself of his fathers illness, his descendants will be healthy.
Oh brothers of mine, the 18th century is the father of the 19th century, and the 19th century is the father of the 20th century. The father sinned and indebted himself greatly. The son did not pay back this 'debt', but fell even further into 'debt', and this fell on the grandson. The father was infected with a terrible 'illness', but the son didn't cure this illness from himself and his 'illness' became even greater than that of his fathers. This 'illness' was passed on to, and affected the grandson with three times the strength of the original illness. The 18th century witnessed a rebellion against the Church and clergy of Catholicism. The 19th century witnessed a rebellion against God. The 20th century witnessed a pact with the devil. The 'debts' have grown and the 'illness' has spread. And the Lord said that the sins of the father are transferred to his descendants all the way to the fourth generation. Do you not see how God has treated the grandsons, because of the sins of their European grand-fathers? Do you not see the whip on the
grand-children because of the unpaid 'debts' of the grand-fathers? The anti-Christ emperor represents the start of the 19th century. The anti-Christ Pope represents the middle of the 19th century. European anti-Christ philosophers represent the end of the 19th century. Bonaparte, Pius, and Nietzsche. Three disastrous names, three disturbed individuals, three inherited illnesses. Are they the victors of the 19th century? No, they are the biggest inheritors of the illnesses of the 18th century....
Cesar the emperor and philosopher. Not even in pagan Rome, but in the middle of Christian Europe! They are not the victors, but the defeated. When Bonaparte laughed at the holy relics in the Kremlin, and when Pius declared himself infallible, and when Nietzsche declared himself in the service of anti-Christ- then the sun went down... Look at this never before seen series of events: an atheist emperor, an atheist Pope, and an atheist philosopher. The 18th century sentanced Christ to death. The 19th century crucified Christ all over again. The 20th century declared Christ dead, and claimed that he did not rise from the dead. Why then are you surprised brothers, that whips of unheard of fury are beating down on Europe? ...Who are then the victors, if Cesar, the Pope, or the philosopher are not? The victors are the Russian and Serbian peasants. In the words of Christ: 'Who is the smallest among you, he is the biggest' /Luke 9,48/. Who were the most unheard of, the most insignificant, and the smallest in the 19th century, in the century of great Bonaparte, the infallible Pius and presumptous Nietzsche? Who can it be but the Russian and Serbian peasant-warriors who fought for their holy places and freed Russia from secular Europe, and Serbia from Muslim hegemony? Demonic wars, demonic clergy, and demonic philosophy- those are the emperor, the Pope and the philosopher of the 19th centruy. The Serbian peasant represented the very opposite to all this: Firstly, cross-bearing heroism, secondly a clergy of martyrs, and thirdly a simple fishermans apostolic wisdom. On these simple peasants, the same words of our Lord Christ echo again: 'I thank you Lord, the Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden this from the overly wise and rational, and have declared it to the ordinary people'/Mathew 11,25/. What did God declare to these ordinary peasants? He declared masculine bravery, heavenly holiness, and Godly wisdom. He gave them the exact opposite to the western emperor, pope and philosopher. It was totally opposite, like night and day. Oh my brothers, hold fast to the eternal victors, and not to the eternal losers. Hold fast to matyrdom...Amen