How many God-fearing, freedom-loving Christian Americans can attest to the wretched levels of morality in American society? How many loathe the loss of morals: the free sex, rape and murder rates, teen pregnancy rates, and abortion rates? Pedophilia? Who or what is to blame? The politicians? The Constitution? The family? The church, the State, or separation thereof? Schools? Islam? Is it Hollywood? Violence on television or video games? Immigrants? Why does our society seem to be spinning out of control toward an abyss of Biblical Doomsday with regard to morality? How can it be stopped? As Christians, can the majority of the American population put an end to it? I’m not sure of the answer, but I am sure that those same morality-preaching Christians are the culprits; they are both the offenders and the victims of their own hypocrisy.
How many of these same Moral Christians buy pornography? How many surf the web for tight teenage naked girls? How many “judge” lest be judged? How many steal, whether it be a car, a sandwich from the office refrigerator, or simply an innocent song from the internet? How many lie daily? My father preached morality, but when Playboy featured Madonna in the nude, he not only bought a copy, but he also let us children see it. I was in junior high – and it was great! But this story is not about my father specifically, but Christian America generally, and about a coworker who wants to change the US Constitution to make Christianity America’s “primary” religion.
His argument: the US is a Christian country founded on historically Christian values, and new immigrants (primarily Muslims) are coming to America to change “American way of life,” and he wants America restored to its “original” sense of values. The irony: he’s an immigrant from Canada. I don’t think I was ever able to make him see that he was guilty of the same “crime:” he is an immigrant trying to change my American way of life.
Amendment I of the Bill of Rights does not call to separate the church and state, per se, but states specifically that government “shall make no law establishing religion.” My coworker wants to replace this amendment to make Christianity the primary religion in America, to enforce American values. His main argument was that our laws were based Christian law, primarily the Ten Commandments, and that our Forefathers “intended” America to be a Christian society. He didn’t appreciate it when I suggested that, actually then, Judaism should be the primary religion, as the Ten Commandments are in the Old Testament.
“If America is to be primarily Christian,” I asked,”then why wasn’t it written as such in the Bill of Rights? Why be so vague?” His predictable argument was that our forefathers hadn’t considered other religions having such a high degree of political influence, and therefore weren’t considered into the thought process. Maybe so. But we can’t interpret the rules based on what someone may have intended 250 years ago – we have to apply the language to our modern society.
He tried to convince me of the superior morality of Christian life during the same day that he had earlier placed a cutout from a pornographic magazine in front of my face showing a woman’s vagina. This is Christian morality? This is the morality to which we need to return America by changing the Bill of Rights? Apparently he did he not see his hypocrisy.
He was raised Catholic in Windsor, Ontario, but immigrated to the US to seek lower tax rates (fortunately, he was not eligible to vote in the 2004 Presidential election – not that it matters now). His catholic girlfriend is unaware of the women he dates outside their relationship. He talks openly of crude sex acts that he would enjoy trying on random women. So, as you see, his moral argument for the superiority of Christian values was extremely thin.
Do these people, who are appalled at the lack of morality in our society, not realize that every time they buy a pornographic magazine they contribute to the decline of morality they so vehemently claim to defend? Do they not realize that having pre-marital sex is Biblically apprehensible, although they claim to be Christians, or specifically in this case, Catholics? I pointed out that he was violating the Commandments and his response was the classic Catholic Get Out of Jail Free Card, “Hey, I’m a sinner, and I’m not perfect.” Well, both labels are true here: according to his belief system, he is a sinner, and no, he’s not perfect, but it’s no excuse for actively contributing to moral decline.
How can such people be taken seriously? Almost every American male I know views pornography with testosterone-driven pride, freely downloads pornographic material from the internet, yet cannot understand why the morals are loosening in this country. I guess it’s easier to blame the Muslims than to modify their behavior. Both Islam and Christianity preach high values, but many Christians don’t practice high values. I reference pornography frequently in this commentary, but I'm not suggesting that pornography is the sole source of moral decline, nor its primary driver. Pornography is used here in reference to my hypocritical coworker. Are you reading this and claim Christianity as your religion? Do you purchase or view pornographic material? Do you solicit prostitutes? Do you wonder why there is a moral decline of society? Do you want a constitutional amendment to make Christianity the primary religion of the United State? Forcing others to accept a religion that many of its practitioners fail to practice will not reverse the moral decline of society, but it certainly will erode the fragile cultural relationships in society.
So I’m confused as to how changing the Bill of Rights to enforce Christianity will improve the moral decline of our society. I’m uncertain how Christian values are superior, when average Christians do not engage in moral behavior. My coworker is not yet American, but soon will be, and he will join the ranks of millions of other American hypocrites seeking the elusive reason for the decline of American values. Where is it? Who is to blame? The answer is in the soul of every American who does not practice their professed beliefs. Regardless of faith, it is adherence to the professed values of that faith that make morality – not the enforced subjection of others. So I’ll do my best to prevent another immigrant from attempting to change traditional American values.
During the 2004 Presidential campaign many of the Bush voters cited “morality” as a reason why they voted for Bush. Interestingly, Churchill County, Nevada not only voted to re-elect Bush, but they also voted to keep open the brothels (by a 2-1 margin). Hmm…Morality for Bush, Brothels for Everyone Else. Now that’s American Hypocrisy.
5 comments:
Wonderful post! I find it to be well thought-out and interesting. I've often wondered many of the same things. I'm not Christian, but the same hypocricy has stared me in the face for years . . . Anyway, feel free to stop by liberalmind.blogspot.com . . .
And if you don't like what I have to say, tell me!
I completely understand the frustration you feel when you see the blatant hypocrisy of many Christians in America. I don't blame you for being disgusted by it. I am as well, and I am too often guilty of it. As much as my behavior displays otherwise, I do believe in Christianity; allow me to defend it briefly.
There is a difference between Christian values and Christians. Christians are people who have believed in Jesus Christ as their savior from sin and eternal death. One's behavior does not affect one's status as a Christian. That's the beauty (and curse) of grace. Grace is wonderful because Christ has already payed the penalty for our sins so we don't have to. But it's a curse because we are often tempted all the more to "sin more so that grace will abound," since we won't be punished eternally for it. That was the response of your friend who shrugged off your criticism of his behavior. Grace is no excuse for immoral behavior, however.
As little as Christians actually practice what they preach (which I deeply regret), those beliefs are still valid and true, as much as as our hypocricy seems to tell otherwise. Might I point you to the motto/subtitle of my blog: "The truths I believe in and stand for are founded in a God bigger than this world. Regardless of my stumblings in word or deed, His truth remains unmatched, undefeated and ever eternal."
God's truth and commandments are true regardless of whether anyone believes in or obeys them. Unfortunately, how we Christians live or don't live out our faith is often the only message about Christ that non-believers get. I just read an article by a Christian writer who related the time in college when he wanted to get away from his "Christian image" as a leader and moral guy, so he seduced and slept with a stranger, only to find out that she was a new Christian that he HAD met before, who was struggling through her infantile faith. With tears in her eyes after they were done, she said, "I thought you were different." That shook me to the core. I am just as capable of that action.
If I can leave you with one key point, it is this: Every single one of us is completely unworthy of God's grace, mercy, love or compassion. I don't deserve it, you don't deserve it, Billy Graham doesn't deserve it. The difference between me, a Christian, and a non-Christian is not what I have done and he/she hasn't. The difference is that I have chosen to accept God's free gift of eternal life and salvation through Jesus Christ. Nothing more, nothing less. God accepts me for the who I am: a broken, bloodied, and arrogant sinner. I will never be perfect, but I know that what I believe is true, even if I can't live like I believe it.
Seth -
Thanks for the civil response.
People like you bring the honor, dignity, and faith back to Christian America. Unfortunately though, my friend, I believe you are in the minority amongst your Christian brethren. The majority of the American (and European) populace claims to be Christian - but look at the societies they have created.
Is it possible to repair what centuries of moral neglect have destroyed? Morality begins in the heart, not the US Constitution, and I don't believe Americans have it in them. Newton's First Law of Motion states, "An object continues...in a state of motion at a constant speed...unless compelled to change that state by a net force." Meaning, it will take a lot of force to overcome America's inertia toward antimoralism, and I simply believe America has too much love for the Material to make the necessary changes. Thanks again!
I believe I am in the minority as well. Let me address something else first. I believe you must look at the entire situation of the U.S. in context. Yes, we are a decadent society. Yes, we have suffered from our own moral neglect. In some areas. But at the same time, western civilization has brought to the world some of the greatest accomplishments ever seen: code of law, philosophy, mathematics, literacy, chemisty, physics, modern medicine, sanitation, electricity, transportation, electronics, computers, and space travel--to name a few. The U.S. is the greates supplier of humanitarian aid in the world. We are a great nation.
The problem is not western civilization, or capitalism, or America. The problem is that we are imperfect beings with a natural tendency to do evil. Mankind will never achieve perfection, never attain a society where evil is nonexistent. The only thing we can do is find the best societal fit for our nature. I believe that fit is some form of democratic government. Communism is a complete failure practically (once again, due to our sin nature), and pure capitalism is not ideal either. Democracy brings out the best and the worst in people. To paraphrase Aristotle, the capitalistic concept of private property allows for virtue. But it also allows people to take advantage of one another. A free society (yet with broad basic boundaries) uses my sin nature and ambition to keep yours in check, and vice versa. It is the best, albeit imperfect, system for the human condition. Since the human condition is universal, the best way to handle it is also universal: thus I believe that democracy is the best form of government for everyone, and that all men desire to be free, regardless of their culture or religion. Since freedom is the best situation to deal with the human condition, it makes sense to want to "spread freedom," as President Bush says.
I occasionally share your doubt that America can "repair what centuries of moral neglect have destroyed." I agree that "morality begins in the heart, not the US Constitution," and that "Americans don't have it in them." No man has it in him to change his heart. Only Jesus Christ can do that. There is no human/natural way to change the course we are headed. And it is not a course unique to America. It is the course of all humans. The only thing that can change that course is a supernatural intervention by God. He chooses when, where, and to whom He will bring about change. But He is not obligated to. If anything, He has every right to allow us to head into destruction, because He gave us a choice in the beginning and we took the first step. We are simply reaping the consequences of our sin. We don't deserve to be pulled off the wrong track and have our hearts change. But He will do it if we ask Him to, because he loves us.
I understand and respect your religious views; your passions are admirable.
But I disagree on one point, and that is the extent to which Western civilization has contributed to global accomplishments. You listed code of law, philosophy, mathematics, literacy, chemisty, physics, modern medicine, sanitation, electricity, transportation, electronics, computers, and space travel. I agree with electricity and everything after it, but while Europe was steeped in medieval barbarism, Islam lead the world in chemistry, literacy, medicine, mathematics, and sanitation. Well before Western Civilization was labeled, the Chinese established code of law, philosophy, and literacy. Nearly every technological advance of the modern era that is credited to the West can be traced back to pre-Western civilizations. The West has merely improved on some of the concepts. Regarding sanitation, I'd rather eat in a restaurant in Dubai than McDonald's. I wish the great library of Alexandria had not burned; it contained more volumes than all libraries in medieval Europe combined. "Algebra" is an Arabic term. I could go on, but this really isn't what the issue is about, I just wanted to clarify than the West has not "brought the world" all of these accomplishments.
I agree that all humans desire to be free, but one cannot necessarily connect "democracy" and "freedom." In the West, the terms are nearly synonymous, but in the non-West, the terms are not necessarily synonymous, because one can be "free" in an Islamic society. As a result, to "spread freedom," is really to force a value system that is incongruent with opposing cultural freedoms.
You wrote, "The problem is that we are imperfect beings with a natural tendency to do evil." The problem here is that this belief is solely Christian. Muslims do not believe in Original Sin, and therefore believe that we each have a natural tendency to do good - the exact opposite of Christianity. And you state, "The only thing we can do is find the best societal fit for our nature. I believe that fit is some form of democratic government." Again, this assumes the Christian doctrine of Original Sin. For the Muslim, the best fit would not necessarily be democratic, if they want to find "the best societal fit for our nature."
We both could go around and around, probably forever, in a simple disagreement. I don't believe American democracy would fit the rest of the world. It fits Western societies fairly well, but to impose on unnaturally on evovled societies is hazardous.
Aside from all of that, I do agree, "The only thing that can change that course is a supernatural intervention by God. He chooses when, where, and to whom He will bring about change. He gave us a choice in the beginning and we took the first step. We are simply reaping the consequences of our sin." Except I believe that "our sin" is our individual sin, not Adam's sin.
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