Is it true that we measure the world by a "Western yardstick" and see other countries as successful depending on how close the come to being like ours?
The author if this article has lived in a communistic society and thinks socialism leads to a "total destruction of the human spirit and to a leveling of mankind into death". However, he does not seem pleased with our free structure either.
He sees our society as living by the "letter of the law". We seem to ask ourselves if something is legal instead of if it is moral. People think "if one is right from a legal point of view, nothing more is required". He thinks we live in an atmosphere of "moral mediocrity", "paralyzing man's noblest impulses".
He mentions some of our societies evils like "motion pictures full of pornography, crime and horror" which are supposed to be balanced by a young person's right to view them or not to view them. He thinks this way of life has "shown it's inability to defend itself against the corrosion of evil".
He gives the example of our capital being without electricity for a couple of hours and "all of a sudden crowds of American citizens start looting and creating havoc... the social system [must be] quite unstable and unhealthy.
He also mentions the press is also living by this "letter of the law". They feel no moral responsibility as long as they don't infringe on legality. He thinks our media is not really competing as we theoretically claim, but they seem to be quite unified because they emphasize those "opinions which do not too openly contradict their own and the general trend".
There's so much more, and all these ideas made me wonder - should our government do more to protect against evil?
I don't know.
I think our founding fathers made our constitution in order to allow as much human freedom as possible (laws were made so that one person's freedom didn't infringe on someone else's). A society like this allows for the ultimate in human joy, inspiration and achievement.
I've been reading about societies in which there was very little individual freedom and things were done for the good of the state. It seems to me that these people became sort of numb in feeling. They had to give up their individual feelings for the good of the state. When I give something up for the good of another voluntarily, I am filled with joy and peace. However, if I am made to do so - I have to suppress my feelings of injustice. I imagine that if one does this often enough - one begins to feel numb inside.
We live in a country where we have a choice to be voluntarily good. This is why we can have so much joy and happiness. However, in order for this to work, there must also be the availability of a choice to do evil which ultimately brings misery.
I think that is why this man, and others, look around our society, see so much spiritual decline, and do not want this for their country.
We have confused our "pursuit of happiness" for our pursuit for "material things". This ultimately does lead to spiritual decline and misery.
He said, "Only voluntary, inspired self-restraint can raise man above the world stream of materialism". How do we get this "voluntary self-restraint"?
It seems to me that as we began to see people choosing evil, we asked our government to step in and make more laws to prevent them from doing so. This is what led to people always looking to the law to see if something was right or not - or a "letter of the law" society. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), we can not make laws fast enough to prevent all of the evil that could exist, but we keep trying, which is what is leading us more and more to a socialistic type of government. We are giving up our freedom and asking the government to step in and take over.
Someone at book club mentioned how the media is putting evil and illegal things on screen and glorifying them, and how we, as a people, should take a stand and say that such actions are wrong because they are hurting the welfare of our society. I agree with him, but how? Do we make more laws to prevent this evil? It seems like this just keeps leading us down the wrong path of diminished freedom, but if that is the path we are heading towards anyway - shouldn't we do our best to make it as clean as possible? It seems that way.
That is why my answer to the question above, "Should the government do more to protect against evil?" was a definite, "?".
It seems to me that the real and and best way to fight against this corrosion of our society is to strengthen families and share the gospel. Strong families make strong individuals and strong statesmen. Strong families will make virtuous people.
Don't get me wrong, I think it is crucial that we keep fighting for good laws (especially those that strengthen the family and against those that weaken it), but laws do not do much to strengthen an individual's desire to choose good. Those lessons are learned in families.
We have gotten so comfortable in our society that we have lost sight of those things that really matter. Since many are choosing to focus on the temporary and fleeting, we might just have to be compelled through wars, calamities, etc. to remember what is real and what is fluff.
Sorry for the grim post. It's what was on my mind this morning.
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ReplyDeleteWonderful post. It's not grim because it's not hopeless. We can do all we can to strengthen families in our communities. I am going to have to use one of your quotes.
ReplyDeleteOoh, I wish I could come be in your book group!! I agree - wonderful post. I think you're right about the importance of strengthening our families and teaching our children. That way regardless of the laws, they'll be making the right choices anyway.
ReplyDeleteHey K,
ReplyDeleteThoughtful post. This reminded me of Elder Cristofferson's last general conference talk. He quoted a columnist who said “Policemen and laws can never replace customs, traditions and moral values as a means for regulating human behavior. At best, the police and criminal justice system are the last desperate line of defense for a civilized society. Our increased reliance on laws to regulate behavior is a measure of how uncivilized we’ve become."
It also reminded me of a time in my child advocacy clinical class where we had the superintendent of Cambridge Public Schools in and we discussed whether acceptance of homosexual marriage should be taught to children in the Cambridge public schools and whether parents should be advised that such instruction was going on. The class decided that acceptance of homosexual marriage should be taught and that parents should not be advised since homosexual sexual marriage was protected by the Massachusetts constitution. I never understood how one followed from the other. Lots of things are protected by the Massachusetts constitution and many of them I would not want my children to learn. Many parents had serious concerns about such instruction and it made no sense to me why the school would feel the need to spend so much time, and money given the litigation that followed from one teacher's decision to engage in such instruction, insisting on teaching children something their parents did not want them to learn. I don't know why the discussion centered on the fact that such marriages were protected by the Massachusetts constitution, but it reinforces the notion that our focus isn't on what is right or wrong but on what is legal or not (although the real question in the whole argument, and something no one wanted to discuss, was whether teaching acceptance of homosexual marriage to students would be good or bad). When you don't believe in that right or wrong exists, you have to fall back on legal or illegal, but underlying legal or illegal is what is right or wrong, but people just don't like to go down that path. They leave that to the judges.
-Cesar
I think the government does all they can to "keep the peace." Many within the government has suggested that it all starts within the family, good values, education...we know how our church feels about that, and most of us work on that witin our families. They also have the freedom of choice in so many different ways in the family circle. Starting with the small choices, with the small children, then as they get old enough, more difficult choices come along, and if they don't mind the rules within that home circle, they learn the "law" there. :) They know the consequences of not following the rules. I believe the government has tried to do the same once the children have left the home. Evil has always been there. But, it has snuck upon us a little at time, more and more..as predicited. That frog in the pot has practically come to full boil. People demanding their freedom in choice in this and that. We've been told that in the latter days that we would have some of the strongest of youth here. To me, that says a few things. Of course, they were saved for the latter days to come forth and be stong..but also, to come forth within not only in the homes that have the gospel, but homes of people with good parents that teach good morals/teachings of the world and of the Lord. The Lord needs a lot of help now to reach out to those that don't have the gospel. Thus, missionaries, to go reach out to those that are good and willing and also ready to accept the part in helping this poor old world in healing as much as possible, to help prepare it for the Lord's coming. Yes! We have a lot do within our families to help them be good, loving people. If we didn't do as well as we could have while they were young, then hopefully we can do our best to teach through example as we've learned through the years just what is most important in life. Family! Love towards those family members! Do what you can, when you can to show it. This is more important than any of that fluff you talk about out here. It seems, sooner or later, they learn that happiness doesn't come from that fleeting/momentary "stuff."
ReplyDeleteWe have a choice to voice our opinion in society. Listen to what is going on in your own town, when it's time to vote, you will know which may be best for your town, and of course, the same goes for any other type of vote.
Take care of those families, teach them, love them, be there for them. I myself am trying to do better at this..as I was one of those that learned the hard way, what love really is, what it's like really truely "being" loved, and have finally come to the point where I can show my love, to say I love you.
All the world needs is...love. :)
Grandma W.