Moral standards? Do we have to live in a moral vacuum?

The aftermath of the Rolling Stone article and the potential of a Fraternity suing the iconic magazine is just a matter of time.  Yes, someone is going to get fired! The fallout of a world-renowned news anchor stretching the truth or actually fabricating a lie has caught up with this individual. I just finished reading the following post from a teen in my group, “I’m gonna have to stop hanging out with people that get me in trouble and do more better in school so I’ma start acting and doing stuff different…” The final word in this post was that there are consequences for breaking the law or more importantly not having standards or morals!

I know that we live in a post modern or post-moral society where the decision makers that both mold and make the laws or cultural norms are fearful of standing up for morality because someone is going to scream loud or potentially sue them. The challenge is that everyone ultimately wants there to be standards or morals so the proverbial ‘bad guys’ can’t hurt anyone. The law of the land in the hood or barrio is that it’s ok to steal or hurt someone if you get what you want. I find myself arguing with adults when it comes to the notion that loser’s keepers finder’s weepers doesn’t equate to being the unspoken law of the land. The reality is the iPhone you just found belongs to someone else and you aren’t going to be able to sell it or use it because it’s locked and erased.

So what has to happen for our society to regain it’s moral compass? You don’t have to be a person of spiritual focus to desire there to be a true north or standards such as don’t murder, steal, cheat on your spouse or……. The new atheist movement would echo the same concerns that morality and standards must be part of our society otherwise our lives will end up being ruled by the thugs and criminals who want to profit off or our good intentions or naivety.

Why do you tolerate amoral or immoral behavior by those around you? Is it wrong to promote standards that bring back being a person of character and integrity? As a Christian I believe that the law of the land is God’s way of protecting society and pointing it in the right direction. Yes, the break down of the family, ineffectiveness of the faith community and non-faith community has brought us to this moral crisis. It is tragic that those with standards too often are too fearful to speak out and take a stand against the moral vacuum in our society.  

The decision is before us! I’m so proud of my young friend who was bold enough to post on Facebook his desire to rethink his need for standards and admit to there being consequences for his poor choices! What would happen if everyone decided to live out a life based on a moral compass that shared family and societal values? What if you decided to write into the editor of the local newspaper or post a thought on your favorite news site that would promote positive moral choices? What if we could actually stand up for good and wholesome life choices without burning down buildings, throwing rocks or shooting someone?

Yes, it’s better to walk away than to tolerate nonsense and immoral life choices! The change we need in our society starts today, right now with YOU and ME!