The Foundations of Society

By: American Decency Staff

By Chris Johnson I wrote a week ago about the U.K. riots and the recent sensation of "flash mobs" in the U.S. robbing stores and assaulting people. I tried to express the truth in that article that people either follow God's law or their animal nature.  Those riots and mobs which saw youths looting stores and beating people is an example of animal nature. If there is no God and no higher law, there is no reason not to simply take what you want at the expense of your neighbor. Another point that these rather drastic examples illustrate is that made by many of the founding fathers who said that ordered government requires moral people. I've quoted some of them many times before, but their words can never be heard enough. “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.â€Â – John Adams "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports… The mere Politician, equally with the pious man ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity." – George Washington "Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime & pure, [and] which denounces against the wicked eternal misery, and [which] insured to the good eternal happiness, are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments." – Charles Carroll "Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters." – Benjamin Franklin "It is certainly true that a popular government cannot flourish without virtue in the people." – Richard Henry Lee "The only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be laid in religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments.â€Â – Benjamin Rush The founders of our nation understood that the more a person is governed by their conscience, the less that person needs to be guided by a government. Conversely, the more immoral a person is the more the government needs to step in to curb anti-social behavior. Fortunately, some in authority still seem to realize this fact, including U.K. Prime Minister, David Cameron. Cameron gave an excellent speech following the riots which brings the founders' quotes into the 21st century quite nicely. "So as we begin the necessary processes of inquiry, investigation, listening and learning: let's be clear. These riots were not about race: the perpetrators and the victims were white, black and Asian. These riots were not about government cuts: they were directed at high street stores, not Parliament. And these riots were not about poverty: that insults the millions of people who, whatever the hardship, would never dream of making others suffer like this. No, this was about behaviour… …people showing indifference to right and wrong… …people with a twisted moral code… …people with a complete absence of self-restraint. Now I know as soon as I use words like 'behaviour' and 'moral' people will say – what gives politicians the right to lecture us? Of course we're not perfect. But politicians shying away from speaking the truth about behaviour, about morality… …this has actually helped to cause the social problems we see around us. We have been too unwilling for too long to talk about what is right and what is wrong. We have too often avoided saying what needs to be said – about everything from marriage to welfare to common courtesy. Sometimes the reasons for that are noble – we don't want to insult or hurt people. Sometimes they're ideological – we don't feel it's the job of the state to try and pass judgment on people's behavior or engineer personal morality. And sometimes they're just human – we're not perfect beings ourselves and we don't want to look like hypocrites. So you can't say that marriage and commitment are good things – for fear of alienating single mothers. You don't deal properly with children who repeatedly fail in school – because you're worried about being accused of stigmatizing them. You're wary of talking about those who have never worked and never want to work – in case you're charged with not getting it, being middle class and out of touch. In this risk-free ground of moral neutrality there are no bad choices, just different lifestyles. People aren't the architects of their own problems, they are victims of circumstance. 'Live and let live' becomes 'do what you please.' Well actually, what last week has shown is that this moral neutrality, this relativism – it's not going to cut it anymore… We must fight back against the attitudes and assumptions that have brought parts of our society to this shocking state. We know what's gone wrong: the question is, do we have the determination to put it right? Do we have the determination to confront the slow-motion moral collapse that has taken place in parts of our country these past few generations? Irresponsibility. Selfishness. Behaving as if your choices have no consequences. Children without fathers. Schools without discipline. Reward without effort. Crime without punishment. Rights without responsibilities. Communities without control. Some of the worst aspects of human nature tolerated, indulged – sometimes even incentivized – by a state and its agencies that in parts have become literally de-moralized. So do we have the determination to confront all this and turn it around?" Now, Cameron is not exactly Bible-thumping here, but he is at least recognizing that many of the Social problems we see both in Europe and in America are rooted in moral problems. An American mayor has gotten some publicity recently for making a similar speech which called out citizens to take responsibility for their actions. Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter told parents from a church pulpit to "get your act together… right now. You have to get hold of your kids before we have to… Fathers have a particularly important part to play. Not more important than mothers, but just as important. You know you're not a father just because you have a kid or two or three. That doesn't make you a father. A father is a person who's around participating in a child's life… A father has to provide instruction to a young boy on how to become a good man – a good man… A father also has to be a role model – help a young girl become a strong woman. If you're not doing those things, if you're just hanging out out there – maybe you're sending a check or bringing some cash by, that's not being a father. You're just a human ATM. And if you're not providing guidance and you're not sending any money, you're just a sperm donor…" Morality is vital to good government and a strong family is vital to both morality and good government. Let's hope these politicians aren't all talk and let's pray that more of our leaders catch on before the system decays anymore than it has. ==================================== American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. American Decency Association Bill Johnson, President P.O. Box 202 Fremont, MI 49412 ph: 231-924-4050 www.americandecency.org http://www.twitter.com/billwjohnson

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