Exploring Morality
Unraveling the Fabric of Modern Society
Dive into the complexities of modern morality, exploring societal challenges and personal responsibility. Unravel the layers of human conduct in our changing world.
The Moral Maze of Modern Society: Navigating Outrage, Division, and Bias in the Information Age
Outrage is everywhere — some more reasonable than others. Anger that things are not as they should be engulfs us like a vacuum: that someone, a group, or some unseen hypothetical “they” do not abide by sets of moral rules that are inherit in all of us. Our daily lives are recorded and photographed with increased precision. Social media “clout”, the latest trend’s attempt to outdo the ridiculousness of last week’s trends, has effected our attention span, shortening it due to over stimulation of the senses, furthering desensitizing us all. Hatred is spewed and spread far and wide in our technological age and it turns out, the Information Age has not made us more informed individuals seeking progress in light of a common good, but divided, misinformed and malformed minions for far reaching biased points of views. We’re not agreeing on much. Divided we fall? Anyone?
Beyond Boundaries: Examining Morality, Fatherlessness, and Individual Responsibility in Modern Society
But there is one thing we can all agree on (unless something is seriously wrong with you) that people should not be imposing on others; that stealing, lying, murdering, getting involved in people’s affair just to get under their skin, being troublesome for the sake of thrill, are all immoral things. Although the latter becoming increasingly acceptable amongst urban youth. Take note of the fatherless epidemic for its effects are staggering and impossible to ignore. Children from fatherless homes fare far worse in overall well-being and mental and behavioral health. These children are often burdened with lower self-esteem. This is 1 in 4 children in America resulting is an uncomfortable society to live in. A feral generation.
But in dealing with morality, we need to go further. A decent society is not one that imposes on individuals what they should or should not do (or think), but a society that fosters in each individual self awareness, practical common sense for what they ought to do: a comfortable place to be is one where people can restrain their vices. The core values of the Enlightenment regarding the autonomous individual responsible for him and herself are hardly observed. The humanities have been taken over by cookie cutter marxists world view that strips the individual of any responsibly and self autonomy, leaving individuals adrift in a society that desperately lacks self-awareness. (A good question exists here; think about it for yourself: How can a purely material worldview, deprived of metaphysical foundations provide an ethical framework?).
Morality Unveiled: The Intersection of Interactions, Purpose, and Self-Reflection
There are multiple components to morality: it has multiple parts to it— How we deal with others and how we deal with ourselves. The great English write C.S Lewis compared it to ships on a voyage. A successful voyage, logically speaking, does not have collisions between ships as each ship maintains its engine room in order, well oiled, clean and organized least it sinks or runs into other ships, rocks, and things due to poor navigation for lack of upkeep. But a third question comes up, and that relates to purpose. What is the point of the voyage? A successful voyage is not only one where the ships are orderly and do not collide but actually arrive at their correct destination. And the “destination” so to speak, is where all disagreements exist. A nihilist will say there’s no destination whatsoever, and people of different faiths disagree in whole or in part, for it is the question as old as conscious itself: “the purpose of life”. Our disagreements on such a question does not excuse us of responsibility in dealing with the first (relation between us and others) and second (us and our inner selves): That doing what feels right at any particular moment without a second thought is not only morally wrong but destructive to those around us. It’s best we examine our society in light of the two. Is the “live and let live” mantra of progressive secularists a thoughtless expression of the modern narcissistic will? I think so.
An interesting read that begs the question, what is the purpose of morality as a whole if each individual is to assume their own moral code?
Additionally, does the origin of morality matter to its purpose and use? By what standard does one construe a premise for morality? Certainly not by society alone!
Around the world, the standard of morality shifts according to the culture in which it is embedded. And yet, one need only to barely scratch the surface across all people groups before finding a baseline of the same basic principles:
Honor your father and mother
Do not murder
Do not steal
Do not covet/envy
Do not bear false witness
Sound familiar? These are half of the 10 commandments which God had given to Moses etched into stone tablets upon Mount Sinai for the benefit of the Israelite people (Exodus and Deuteronomy). So how is it that thousands of years later and thousands of miles away and with completely different religious/cultural philosophies, whole societies far removed from the ancient nation of Israel will still hold these same set standards appointed by the God of Israel?
Did God truly mean it when He said, “I will write My statues upon the tablets of your hearts”? Was that only for Israel or for all of mankind? Seems that, throughout history, the moral compass has been Intelligently Designed to point us toward one common goal: the longevity of life and the fullness, thereof.
But, why? What does morality do that everyone knows intrinsically, but doesn’t necessarily verbalize? It points to a singular Author of all life on earth. That mankind, as a whole, is equal to one another and on an individual basis is wildly unique from any other person who has ever lived or will live.
If followed, the design of such a standard, fulfills the basic human need for relational bonding, as well as avoiding the quarrelsome bits that tend to creep into human nature from time to time. It lays the foundation for honor, respect, and hospitality while giving clear and concise edicts on how one should conduct himself as an individual. “Be angry, but do not sin” is only the first half of that often quoted verse. Ephesians 4:26-27 is one long sentence that goes on to say “do not let the sun go down on your anger and (27) do not give the devil a foothold”. In other words, refer back to the “instruction manual” before you do something dumb that ends your life or the life of someone else because you stepped outside the foundational boundaries due to your anger.
Morality is a blessing for those who would employ it, despite societal or cultural norms where human nature is often bent on rebellion against the standard that has been set before us. Morality, as designed by God, is a covering given to man by the Lord of all Creation that one might live long enough to come to know Him.