“Yes, my guard stood hard when abstract threats too noble to neglect
Deceived me into thinking I had something to protect.
Good and bad, I define these terms quite clear, no doubt, somehow.
Ah, but I was so much older then I’m younger than that now.”
Bob Dylan “My Back Pages” 1964
Everybody knows what’s right and wrong, don’t they? Not really. Most people’s ethics are determined by their upbringing, societal consensus, peer pressure, by the civic laws, or whatever they can get by with without being caught. That last one is no ethic at all. The problem, of course, is that none of those is based on any kind of objective standard and are easily changed over time. As the biblical worldview has lost ground to secular and pagan influence, these alternative distorted compasses have filled the vacuum. Let’s look at some examples of each to illustrate.
“That’s just the way I was raised,” is a common excuse some people in the South (and in the North – it just wasn’t the law) used to use to justify racial segregation. If you asked them where they got the idea that different races should be kept apart, or that one race is superior to another, they couldn’t offer any kind of objective authority. In their mind, it was just how they were raised and that’s just how it was meant to be. Of course, as society has changed, so have many people’s racial attitudes (a good thing). But it illustrates the weakness of that kind of moral foundation.
The same is true about societal consensus. Some people’s way of deciding what is the right thing to do is to find out what most others think about it. For example, years ago premarital sex was considered wrong by most Americans (although they didn’t all adhere to that ethic). In the 1960s and 70s came the sexual revolution led by such “enlightened” thinkers as Hugh Hefner and the Hollywood crowd. So the standard of moral behavior gradually declined to such an extent that now there is simply no standard consensus. Anything is acceptable between (or among) “consenting adults.” About the only taboo remaining is behavior involving children. But who is to say that even that will not at some point change.
You see this especially demonstrated on television. In the early 1960s, the most popular comedy programs were ones like The Andy Griffith Show, Leave It to Beaver, The Beverly Hillbillies, and My Three Sons. All had solid moral plots lines. Now the popular comedies focus on basically one topic: sex. Its almost like nothing can even be thought of as funny unless it is obscene. So who do we blame for these changes? The producers? The networks? The actors? The sponsors? Actually we have no one to blame but ourselves. If people did not watch those crude shows they would not get good ratings, would lose sponsors, and would disappear. But, its what people want, because the moral consensus has decayed to such an extent that nobody cares.
Peer pressure is another way many people’s ethical choices are determined. This is how most teenagers form their decisions. They just do whatever their friends say is okay. They think, “If the crowd thinks its alright to drink, use drugs, engage in promiscuous sexual behaviors, lie, steal, or whatever, then I need to do it too to be accepted.” Peer pressure probably plays less a part in adult’s moral actions. Yet, it still is a guide for many in business and personal life. The problem with this approach, of course, is that the crowd’s attitudes are malleable and can easily lead one in a dangerous direction. As my father used to say, “If everyone else jumps in a fire, will you go with them?”
For many people, the only standard by which they measure their behavior is the civil law. That is, they feel no apprehension about doing anything so long as it not illegal. They simply live their lives walking the tightrope on the edge of legal boundaries. In business, for instance, they will do whatever legally they need to do to beat the competition and make a profit, even if it hurts people. A good example of this kind of moral justification is the tobacco industry. It has been more than fifty years since the Surgeon General declared cigarettes to be a prime cause of cancer, yet tobacco companies and many retail stores still sell them without qualms. I was pleased when, in 2014, the CVS pharmacy chain made a decision to stop carrying tobacco products.
On the other hand, many individuals, businesses, colleges, states, and even the NBA, the SEC and the ACC, quickly folded on their moral stances when the government declared that people must be allowed to use whichever public bathroom that meets their “gender identity” preference. Recently, in the state where I live, the NFL, under pressure from certain special interest groups, threatened to move a future Super Bowl out of the state. The leaders of the state quickly acquiesced to the threats and changed the state’s position (held by a large majority of the population). So much for moral principles. As is often the case, money wins.
Of course, many people usually have no problem occasionally stepping over the legal line if they feel confident enough they will not get caught. So they will occasionally use illegal drugs or do other illegal acts in situations when they feel safe from law enforcement. (Egs.: gambling; prostitution; under aged drinking; speeding; DUI; lying; adultery; etc.)
So what does this all mean practically? All we have to do is look at the present state of our American political situation to see the consequences. People ask, “How did thing get to this point?” The answer is actually obvious, but difficult for many Americans to swallow. As the moral consensus of our society has progressively decayed, it is reflected in the choices people make, including at the ballot box. The leaders we elect mirror the attitudes and ethical standards of the people who elect them.
If a person believes that certain behaviors are okay and others are not, they are going to vote for candidates that agree in principle with their views. That’s the basis of democracy. Thus, as personal morality and ethical standards have eroded in the general population, so have the expectations of those who they vote into political offices. Perhaps we are now reaping the harvest of the moral seeds we have been sowing for several generations. People want America to be great, but it will never be great as long as each individual does not take personal responsibility for their attitudes and behaviors.
So what can we do? Unfortunately, it may be too late. We may be too far down the slippery slope we have been sliding on for a long time now. In any case, the answer is not political. But we must not give up hope. As Christians we must, of course, pray. Our country needs a genuine spiritual awakening that will change the hearts of Americans to want to again do what is right according to the Bible. It must start with Christians and churches who need to repent of their own indifference and lack of biblical teaching. If there is any hope for a turn-around, it must start with a rediscovery of a biblical worldview. Can we turn this generation back to Christ? I don’t know, but it’s the only hope we have for the future. It is the only real basis for right and wrong.
© 2016 Tal Davis