Fact and Feelings

  Being woke, enlightened, educated, or progressive are all supposed to be good things. Yes, if it is something new or different we should just embrace it. In that way we are woke, enlightened, educated and progressive. That is what we are being conditioned to do. It is what is being taught in the universities across the country. But the reality is quite different. What all of that really is, is the removal of all social and moral accountability. By doing that we are free to act as we feel. And there is no doubt, this is the age of feelings, not facts. You can read that in numerous headlines and hear it in broadcasts every single day in America. Can one man have a husband that is another man? You hear that all the time these days. If they are women they are each others wives. Yeah, that's factual alright. No, that's how they feel. And I don't have to feel the same way is the fact of the matter. The truth is a marriage is one man and one woman. But, the argument is, that's only in the traditional sense of marriage. No, that is marriage, the other thing is same sex couples which compromise about 6% of the population, if you include the couples living together that aren't "married." But that is just used as an example. There are many other examples to be found. 

  Now in my example I mention the word tradition. What are traditions? They are the long standing customs and beliefs of a people. Yes they may be unique to specific groups and nationalities, but they can also be universal in nature. Traditionally all people would agree no one has a right to kill others indiscriminately, you know, just for fun. That sounds silly now doesn't it, that anyone would think that could be alright. The truth is it no sillier than some of the other stuff they are talking about today. How about gender pronouns? You are a female but you feel like I should address you as a male. I should validate your feelings, perpetuate your illusion? Ignore fact and go on feelings? Your feelings. not my own though, unless I feel differently, than you should validate my feelings, unless those feelings are contrary to your feelings. And that is what tradition is all about, a standardization. I believe a society needs a standard, indeed, that is the basis of a society. In America, that society is founded on Christian belief and principles. That's the tradition.

  Tradition requires social accountability. That is the foundation. Tradition is what binds a people together. The removal, modification, altering, or rejection of tradition is what transforms that people. In short what is socially acceptable? Social acceptance is closely linked to moral acceptance. They are so closely intertwined as to be almost the same thing. Our morals are our personal standard of behavior, what we believe is, or should be, socially acceptable. Morality is also intertwined with religious belief and practices, but morals are not dependent upon that. Best summed up with a single verse, "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." We think of that as a biblical passage, and it is, but that sentiment existed in some form ever since man could write it down. Reciprocal Altruism is what the professors call it, I say it is common sense. And yes, it is restrictive to the person that is honest with themselves. If whatever runs contrary to your tradition, your moral code, do not do that to others! 

  Tradition is what we want for our children, for the next generation. It isn't really about what we want today. I think that is where many are getting confused. Traditions are passed generation to generation having been learned and established over several generations. It isn't about what we want but rather what should be retained. Paramount to that is truth. Here's a truth that is being challenged today, there are more than two genders. No, there are only two genders, period. Feelings are not facts. You can feel like there are more than two but it doesn't change a the fact. That's the tradition, based in fact. In our Christian tradition Jesus states, " I am the way, the truth, and the life. Yes, the truth. Doesn't really matter if you like the truth, agree with the truth or follow the truth, but it is the truth. Truth does not require validation. Behavior, on the other hand does. Behavior has to be judged against a standard. 

  And so that is what troubles me. Are we to leave no guidance, no tradition, for the next generation? The "new" standard being, do and believe as you feel? Along with that, the insistence that everyone else accept your feelings as acceptable to the society? The "new" standard being I can do as I feel, you must validate that feeling and make accommodations for my feelings. Anything said or done contrary to my feelings are just discrimination, racism, sexism, or some other ism? Is that the new standard? The removal of social accountability and moral accountability? Just a big "free for all" of feelings followed by legislation. I don't want to have a baby, I can just kill that baby? How is that different from societies that practiced human sacrifice? The only difference is the reason for doing so. Today it is a selfish act performed to satisfy a personal goal. At least in the past sacrifices were supposed to benefit the entire society, not a individual. Still, the practice is the same and both are wrong! And that is just a fact, a truth. 

  I'm just saddened and a bit amazed at the immaturity today. Perhaps that is a result of not having had to face reality quite as much as past generations have. The more man makes advances in technology and becomes less connected to reality, the further we are drifting from that reality. We have even begun to develop artificial intelligence. Yes, think about that. We are now attempting to build machines to be smarter than we are! Why, because we are getting too lazy to think for ourselves? Artificial intelligence is devoid of emotion, or tradition, of moral or ethical thought. Should that be the goal? Hey even Spock, a partial human, had feelings that influenced his thinking. If he hadn't he wouldn't have put the lid on that radiation leak, he would have just got out of there as fast as possible! His feeling would have been, save yourself.