America’s Selective Moral Outrage
Posted: Tuesday, January 19, 2010
by Terry Mitchell
http://commenterry.blogs.com
News stories over the past couple of years regarding the extramarital activities of such public figures as golfer Tiger Woods, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, and former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer have created much outrage across America. People seem shocked that these kinds of scandals would happen at such an alarming rate.
And this is not even to mention the accounts of rape, child molestation, Internet predation, sexual slavery, and polygamy we read and hear about on almost a daily basis. Yes, we have a right to be shocked and outraged at these things. However, far too many of us are being selective about our shock and outrage.
Once upon a time, Americans were too puritanical (for their own good) in terms of their attitudes about sexual matters. We kept quiet about things that should have been spoken of openly. Pregnant women (even those who were married) felt ashamed to go out in public any more than they absolutely had to. Most states had laws against homosexual activity and sexual activity between consenting adults who were not married. It is now commonplace for unmarried couples to live under the same roof. In fact, one of our major cultural icons, Oprah Winfrey, does not try to disguise the fact that she is living in sin with a man she's not married to - and no one seems to hold it against her. Everyone is so afraid of being labeled as "judgmental." Ironically, however, many of those who see nothing wrong with this kind of stuff are among the harshest critics of Woods, Sanford, Spitzer, and others who commit the kinds of offenses we've been reading and hearing about lately. They are being disingenuous.
A society cannot pick and choose which kinds of immorality it wants and which kinds it doesn't want. Immorality does not operate like Burger King. It will not allow us to have it our way. If we invite in one kind of immorality, all the other kinds will naturally come with it. It's a package deal that cannot be broken. If we say, "Give us fornication and homosexuality", we will also get adultery, polygamy, pornography, and all kinds of sexual aberrations and offenses. We choose either to have a moral culture or an immoral one. I'm afraid we are now reaping what we have sown.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Greg, I am not at all sure what you are saying, but God's Word via the Bible is clear on the ethical behaviors he expects from his followers. It is man who is imperfect and has chosen to subjectively interpret his word for his or her own self interest.A classic example is the Ten Commandments. There is nothing subjective about these commands from God. For example, "Do not kill" is a clear as day. It is man that tries to justify his actions that brings subjectivity into the equation.
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