Moral Collapse

From My Perspective - - -

It is obvious that in this nation and our world the moral compass is askew. The entire sense of values and what is right or wrong has been blurred to the point where differentiation between the good and bad, the right and wrong, uprightness versus criminality has been trampled underfoot. This nation and our world have allowed for permissiveness to the degree and point where the only standard for human behavior has become - what “I” want and what “I” want – the outcome being “I’LL” just take it. Unruly mobs of people decide to break into businesses and take the things they want and believe they are entitled to have – just because they want them.

The Associated Press has a unique news article and assessment of what has occurred in England. Prime Minister David Cameron has stated: “Britain must confront its slow-motion moral collapse…declared Monday, following four days of riots that left five people dead, thousands facing criminal charges and at least 200 million pounds ($326 million) in property losses.He said his coalition government would outline new policies designed to tackle a culture of laziness, irresponsibility and selfishness which he believes fueled Britain's unrest.He also pledged to toughen rhetoric from ministers and officials, who he claimed had too often had shied away from promoting strong moral standards.His government would no longer be timid in discussing family breakdown or poor parenting, or in criticizing those who fail to set a good example to their community.This has been a wake-up call for our country. Social problems that have been festering for decades have exploded in our face…Just as people last week wanted criminals robustly confronted on our street, so they want to see these social problems taken on and defeated…Cameron insisted that racial tensions, poverty and the government's austerity program - much of which is yet to bite - were not the motivations for the riots across London and other major cities.Criminality and a lack of personal responsibility were at the roots of the disorder…pledging that the government would intervene to help 120,000 of the country's most troubled families before the 2015 national election.One of the biggest lessons of these riots is that we've got to talk honestly about behavior and then act - because bad behavior has literally arrived on people's doorsteps. And we can't shy away from the truth anymore…”

In the midst of all of the turmoil and criminal activity, the “Church” that is supposed to be the voice of moral standards established by Almighty God – has been silent. The root problem is that the “Church” cannot not – and should not – pick and choose among God’s Laws and mandates. God’s Law means all of it and the application for it is supposed to be universal. The Prime Minister also said: “Britain's damaged society has for too long been one which incites laziness, that excuses bad behavior, that erodes self-discipline, that discourages hard work. Amid recklessness by bankers, the lawmakers' expense check scandal, and media phone hacking saga, the leader also acknowledged that all sectors of society had a share of the blame. Moral decline and bad behavior is not limited to a few of the poorest parts of our society. In the highest offices, the plushest boardrooms, the most influential jobs, we need to think about the example we are setting…

The last verse in the Book of Judges (21:25) closes with a statement – “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” The implication of these words for the culture of our day is that we lack sound moral leadership and that has allowed for a behavior that goes unchecked and a lifestyle that is undisciplined. If one believes that Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords, then one’s behavior should reflect submission to the will of the King. On one occasion, when Jesus was confronted by a Lawyer – the interaction is in Luke 10:26-28 – “He (Jesus) said to him, What is written in the Law? How do you read it? And he (Lawyer) answered: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. Jesus said to him, You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live." This should be one’s beginning point for one's Godliness and Moral Uprightness. Consider these things with me!