November 15, 2004
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MORE ON MORAL VALUES
It's fashionable to blame modern life and society for the supposed collapse of moral values. It's always fashionable to do this, probably because we are unhappy with the changed world we see now that's so much worse than the one we grew up in. I was a teacher of history and enjoyed challenging my students to give the authors of quotes condemning modern morals. I used paraphrased quotes from ancient Rome, The Bible, Colonial America, etc. They always guessed modern sources. The point is moral values are always changing in a dynamic society. They have to if they are to be applied to modern problems. We get in some trouble when we lose consensus and have differing interpretations.
Right now, we seem to let our values be interpreted and applied by those with no thought of what they are doing (The commercial media) or are cynical in using them for rather underhanded reasons (Political professionals).
Many of us don't have close family ties or tend to leave moral education to the media or the schools, neither of which knows what the hell they are doing. Individuals in both institutions however, may very well know what they are preaching and it may be a message we don't want our children subjected to. Unfortunately in that case, we tend to "go negative" and end up teaching intolerance and prejudice, which only increases the problem.
Comments (2)
I personally am sick of the whole, "moral values" crap. It's not crap in reality - but it's practically been turned into day time talk show fodder (which I do not watch, btw) The most irritating thing to me is that the only time I have lost things and not gotten them back have been at churches. I have left things at the airport (in Chicago, no less) at the gym, at my university - and gotten EVERYTHING back. My son left his jacket at a church group he went to every week - a church group with the same group of kids, the jacket even had his NAME in it and our phone number - and we never saw it again. Also, the kids at another church camp thingy that he went to were the snobbiest, rudest kids I have ever met. I guess church isn't the place to take your kid if you want them to meet other nice kids.
The thing is - I don't even get what the heck they are referring to specifically when they talk about moral values. Do they mean sex? Ok, fine. What about all the violence on TV? Is THAT morally just? I find breasts and buttocks far less offensive than someone's head being blown off (and calling it entertainment)
What about just being good to one another? Being honest - not because you will be punished by the law or god or whatever you believe in if you aren't - but just for the sake of being nice? Is nobody nice anymore?
It seems as if though everyone wants to be this great, incredible judge of everyone else's morality - yet do whatever they want when no one is looking. I teach my son to be a good, decent person - and to do kind, anonymous things when no one is looking. Yet, my son is atheist and I am agnostic. Does that mean we are immoral because we don't beleive in god? Does it mean we are immoral because we don't agree with the school making him say, "under god" in the flag salute? (yet my son doesn't want to be exempt from saying it because he doesn't want to upset his teachers who feel it's so important) Yet it means NOTHING to him! I suppose they think if they make him say it everyday that some day he will buy into it - maybe - but he does work hard learning about religions and science (he wanted to believe in god, just like I did - but doesn't)
Ugh. It just irritates me so. For several years I volunteered for the pro-life council (I am not anti-abortion, I just think that abortion is horribly bad for women's bodies - mentally and physically - and think education and prevention are key) All the women I met would keep asking me what church I went to! I didn't go to church! When I told them I was agnostic I got blank stares and then was ignored. They didn't understand how I could so passionately explain things to people at our booths - yet not really be against it. The thing is - I am PRO LIFE - and sometimes the woman's life needs to be the priority. If her mental health is going to be destroyed by having a child, she needs to come first. However, preventing unwanted children MUST be pushed - all women should have easy access to effective birth control, and men who rape must be punished quicker and more severely.
Ok, I'll stop. The whole morality thing seems to just be a way to meld church and state, and for some people to have a, "holier than thou" stance about it, and it bugs the poop out of me. I will continue to practice my religion of kindness, teach my son the best I can, and ignore the ignorant.
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