I guess I should have known better than to approach the general crowd here with some of the incendiary words I used, such as Christian and
Christian values. Using those words are to some, akin to yelling fire in a crowded theater..as soon as those terms are heard; pliable earplugs are formed
somewhere in the ether..and come spiraling down in a death dive and drive themselves deeply into selected ears...
Let's take another tack, a more secular one; perhaps the "instant, reflex hostility" will not manifest itself !
Some of us work in the electrical engineering trade, some at law, some as automotive technicians, some at heavy metal fabrication, some as carpenters,
and perhaps medical doctors...others as cooks & bakers or sanitation engineers..
Each of these trades have certain basic "laws of the trade" if you will...for electricians..an Ohm, watt, volt or amp have a given value, law has it's own value
system called "ethics"..and they have a BAR assn. to govern what is or is not "ethical", metal fabrication is met with certain values..how much and what
type stress can a given piece of steel, aluminum or magnesium comfortably... stand same values go with all of these trade or profession communities.
It was recognized long ago that for these professions to survive and resist descending into a polyglot chaos..certain basic rules should apply. These rules
are a simple compilation of what was shown to be feasible and workable..and what practices promote more confusion and distrust, which would cause some
of these trades or professions to be abandoned in favor of professional anarchy and nihilism !
Thus such things as brotherhoods, guilds, unions, BAR assns., medical assns., society of American engineers etc were formed...without ground rules and some
sense of right and wrong, any of these trades or professions could soon become a mere shadow of what it is today..a den of thieves, not worthy of trust and
a danger to the to the very existence of the professional community.
A medical doctor should not be stealing a kidney from an appendectomy patient; a lawyer should not be confusing old widows to the point where they can
get them to sign their will over to the attorney, rather than to their children (although we each may have "stories" to tell). A BBQ cook should not be using
cow manure for a seasoning without at least informing the customer (an actual case).
All these professional communities have their policing methods. Some of these methods are reinforced with punishments..others with the obvious disapproval
of their respective "communites".
The American "community" is actually just an extension of these communities, and does need some basic ground rules that admit "this far and no further" ....
lest the community suffer egregiously..
Until perhaps 4 decades ago, the moral tenor of the American community was more or less set by the conscience of America, it's dominant faith; Christianity.
This moral arbiter had no powers of punishment beyond simple "community disapproval" ..but it worked rather well ! the basic tenets were given some 5,000 years
ago and proven effective over a 5,000 year span.
Yes, there were some problems, racism etc..but they were well on the way to being worked out .
Generally speaking, life was cleaner, more polite, more respectful of American institutions and values. The worst street "gangs' only fought among themselves..
usually with fists and ball bats, illegal drugs were a problem of very few...and there were certain moral boundaries people did not cross without severe
(and usually effective) disapproval .
Today's jaded generation often laugh about the "Leave it to Beaver" family picture that many of us grew up in..but such was a fact, although in my case. it
it was not near as affluent a home as Beaver had !...LOL
With the advent of the "sickening sixties", when catastrophically spoiled children of college age started their rebellion against morals, values and common sense,
many folks got led by the nose into this "descent into chaos"..where we find ourselves today ! ...And there is no sign that the chaos is in any way abating.
In many ways, today with the problems we face..form STDs, some of the hatred by other societies, gangs, drug use which creates crime etc., etc. ...
we are indeed only reaping what we have sown in these seeds of rebellion.
I am not advocating any type of legal punishment beyond disapproval..and one way of showing it is not allowing the pretense of genuine marriage to be employed
in legitimizing the illegitimate..
If our culture had not cut it's roots and heritage,we would not be facing the chaos we presently are..and it will only get worse, barring a rapid "about face"...
