It seems apparent to me that we - as a country - are losing (or have lost) our moral code. For centuries it was clear to most (though debated by some) that our moral code was based on the 'Ten Commandments' that are frequently observed (along with other recognized historical references) in our nation's capital. This moral code was a foundation for behavior toward God and toward others that gave hope to a peaceful and ordered society.
Debbie and I lived in northeast China for three years. China is officially an atheist nation. However, historically they followed the teachings of Confucius which have some parallels to the teachings of Jesus. For instance,
"The Master’s ideal was the chun-tzu or what Westerners would call ‘the gentleman’. The chun-tzu practised daily to attain excellence in the following noble memes:
– chih or integrity
– i or fairness
– chung or loyalty
– shu or co-operation
– ren or compassion.
If a ruler exemplified these virtues in all of his ‘five relationships’ then his rule would be a success and his people would be happy."
http://schoolofthinking.org/who-dr-michael-hewitt-gleeson/about/training/10-dfq/the-lord-and-the-master-jesus-and-confucius/
I had many discussions about this with my students. When I asked them about modern China's moral code, they had no idea what I was speaking of. Confucianism has been discarded by the Communist Party. Consequently, there is now no moral code being taught in the culture. The results are obvious. All apartments on lower floors have bars on them to prevent burglary! Cheating is common. Acts of kindness are restricted to one's closest circle of family and friends. Driving (which is an exponentially growing phenomenon) is an exercise in aggression!
My purpose here is not to denigrate Chinese culture! Our time in China was a highlight of our lives! We found the Chinese people to be generous, kind and intelligent! We made friends that we will cherish forever! My intention is simply to observe that when a nation has no active moral code, it's collective behavior disintegrates.
This is my fear for the United States. As we continually diminish the influence of Christianity on the development of our culture, we seem to move further from a central definition of appropriate behavior. It seems that today's standard has become the Constitution and its interpretation by the nine justices who currently sit on the Supreme Court. Is the Constitution now our moral code?
I fear a progressive collapse for any culture that attempts to move forward with no definitive guide for appropriate and inappropriate behavior. The original commandments left no room for violation. They began with the words, "Thou shalt not..."
With no designated, agreed-upon guide for behavior, we face a future of chaos and increasing violence. This is not the world I want my grandchildren to inherit.
Something must define our morality!
Personally, I'm not comfortable placing that responsibility into the hands of nine individuals regardless of whether they were appointed by a Republican or Democratic president!
Obviously, my belief system enters into my personal purview. As a Christian, I felt very comfortable living within the parameters of the 'Ten Commandments' which were written by the hand of God on stone tablets (twice) [Exodus 31:18; Deuteronomy 4:13]
Like so many others, I wonder where we're headed. Will remnants of Christian teaching continue to influence the development of our culture? I hope so! Or, will secular, humanistic thinking prevail? This quandry guides my prayer life on a daily basis.
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