We often hear the phrase, the times are changing, in response to bad things happening. But is it time that changes, or is it people that change ? Einstein does say that time is a variable, in relation to motion, but in a different context. I'll leave explaining the universe and space time to him. What I'm thinking about is why people are responding in the fashion that they are. You know, all the terrible things we hear about in the news. Terrorists are everywhere it seems. Common citizens are attacking innocent people for no other purpose other than to kill. Just what is going on here ? Are the times really changing or is it the people ?
I don't think it is necessarily people that are changing. I don't believe much in the general nature of mankind has changed since ancient times. The same motivations drive our choices today as they did hundreds of years ago. Read any history book, read the Bible, read any religious text for that matter and it becomes clear. The motivations to do wrong are always the same. People haven't changed all that much since ancient times. For that reason I would have to conclude " education " has little to do with any of that. Really doesn't matter if you are a professor or just a pauper, the motivations are basically the same. The issue has been, and still remains, in defining what is wrong. And as far as man goes, right and wrong is determined by the society in which we live. It is society that is changing.
I keep hearing about all the changes we need to make. We need gun control, we need mental health services, we need food banks and affordable housing, we need to be more inclusive, we need to be more accepting and on and on. It is society and the what we have allowed it to become that has brought us to where we are ! I agree we need to change things. We need to change them back to what they used to be. Oh, I'm not saying it was perfect in the past, I'm not saying there weren't injustices. What I am saying is our society was more civilized in the past than it is right now ! And just why is that ? In my estimation is the removal of accountability from the individual, and placing that accountability on government. You can not try moral offenses in a civil court. Make no mistake about it, what we are seeing here is moral decay. That decay is being fostered by the state, by society in general.
The question is what moral state should we be attempting to maintain ? Regardless of any arguments to the contrary this country, this society was founded on Judeo-Christian values and ideals. The founding fathers spoke of this, wrote about it and codified it. It is right there in those documents for anyone to read. I think it is safe to say that our society flourished under those guidelines. I think it is also safe to say our society is degenerating the farther we move away from those values, those standards of moral conduct. It is clearly stated in the declaration of Independence with this paragraph, " We,Therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do in the Name, and by the authority of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare " and it continues from there. Note the appeal to the Supreme Judge of the world ? Just who were they referring too ? The obvious response is now being rejected by many, indeed being rejected by the very representatives that are signing legislation ! Why ? For the same reason mankind has always rejected that. It calls for accountability to a Supreme Judge. A Judge that can not be bribed, a Judge that remains impartial. A Judge without bias.
Every major religion in the world teaches one thing. Their God is the only God. Christians have the first commandment that clearly states, Thou shalt have no other Gods before me. God and " gods " have been used as the motivation for many things in this world, both good and bad. Belief in the " rectitude " of our actions should be the guideline. In my opinion we have begun to set aside rectitude in favor of appeasement. That is what has changed. People haven't changed all that much, our society certainly has. Our society was established with the " rectitude of our intentions " clearly stated. It has being modified by appeasement of the people and by appeasement of our legislators. It is my belief until we return to the intent of appeasing the Supreme Judge our society will continue to decline. Even a cursory review of history and the great societies will bear that out. History does repeat.
I don't think it is necessarily people that are changing. I don't believe much in the general nature of mankind has changed since ancient times. The same motivations drive our choices today as they did hundreds of years ago. Read any history book, read the Bible, read any religious text for that matter and it becomes clear. The motivations to do wrong are always the same. People haven't changed all that much since ancient times. For that reason I would have to conclude " education " has little to do with any of that. Really doesn't matter if you are a professor or just a pauper, the motivations are basically the same. The issue has been, and still remains, in defining what is wrong. And as far as man goes, right and wrong is determined by the society in which we live. It is society that is changing.
I keep hearing about all the changes we need to make. We need gun control, we need mental health services, we need food banks and affordable housing, we need to be more inclusive, we need to be more accepting and on and on. It is society and the what we have allowed it to become that has brought us to where we are ! I agree we need to change things. We need to change them back to what they used to be. Oh, I'm not saying it was perfect in the past, I'm not saying there weren't injustices. What I am saying is our society was more civilized in the past than it is right now ! And just why is that ? In my estimation is the removal of accountability from the individual, and placing that accountability on government. You can not try moral offenses in a civil court. Make no mistake about it, what we are seeing here is moral decay. That decay is being fostered by the state, by society in general.
The question is what moral state should we be attempting to maintain ? Regardless of any arguments to the contrary this country, this society was founded on Judeo-Christian values and ideals. The founding fathers spoke of this, wrote about it and codified it. It is right there in those documents for anyone to read. I think it is safe to say that our society flourished under those guidelines. I think it is also safe to say our society is degenerating the farther we move away from those values, those standards of moral conduct. It is clearly stated in the declaration of Independence with this paragraph, " We,Therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do in the Name, and by the authority of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare " and it continues from there. Note the appeal to the Supreme Judge of the world ? Just who were they referring too ? The obvious response is now being rejected by many, indeed being rejected by the very representatives that are signing legislation ! Why ? For the same reason mankind has always rejected that. It calls for accountability to a Supreme Judge. A Judge that can not be bribed, a Judge that remains impartial. A Judge without bias.
Every major religion in the world teaches one thing. Their God is the only God. Christians have the first commandment that clearly states, Thou shalt have no other Gods before me. God and " gods " have been used as the motivation for many things in this world, both good and bad. Belief in the " rectitude " of our actions should be the guideline. In my opinion we have begun to set aside rectitude in favor of appeasement. That is what has changed. People haven't changed all that much, our society certainly has. Our society was established with the " rectitude of our intentions " clearly stated. It has being modified by appeasement of the people and by appeasement of our legislators. It is my belief until we return to the intent of appeasing the Supreme Judge our society will continue to decline. Even a cursory review of history and the great societies will bear that out. History does repeat.
No comments:
Post a Comment