American Morality

 Abstract

Americans must not abandon Biblical morality because if it they do, individuals will become disoriented, the government will become corrupt, and we will slowly warp the societal standard into one that will be destructive in the long term. While a Judeo-Christian value system warns us that what satisfies the flesh is not always what benefits us overall. If the people lose Biblical values, they will elect leaders who have no direction between good and evil.

Keywords: Biblical Morals, Judeo-Christian, American Government 

On American Morality

Americans must not abandon Biblical morality because if they do, individuals will become disoriented, the government will become corrupt, and we will slowly warp the societal standard into one that will be destructive in the long term. While Americans today want equality of all truths, rather than acknowledging that there can only be one truth, they accept many opinions. The American government will clash with a people lacking Biblical morality because the American government was founded with Biblically moral standards. We see this within the Constitution, and it is prevalent throughout history. American citizens who fail to recognize those same Biblical morals will slowly change the American government to align with their own aimless truths. It is not that change is bad, it is that change with no direction is bad. Americans must not forget Biblical morals, because without a moral compass, there is no direction for anything else. If America loses Biblical morality, she loses direction, and so do her people.

 

Individuals Losing Morality

Ben Shapiro argues in his interview with Sam Harris, the idea that in a Judeo-Christian society, we treat each other as “made in the image of God.” He clarifies this as a “historical argument,” and states that the “deeply religious argument would be, God said so, do it.” It is not to convince others to join a religion but to show others the importance of this specific set of values. In a Judeo-Christian society, each person is seen to have some internal value from the start. This does not mean that people who do not claim to be Jewish or Christian are completely lacking morality. In fact, this would be another commonly held belief in the Judeo-Christian community. That belief is that we are each made in the image of God and therefore have some form on goodness within us. The argument, however, is that without being aligned with the origin of that goodness in some way, we will begin to be consumed by the opposing force of that goodness.

Judeo-Christian morals would tell us to come close to God and he will come close to us, that we must resist evil, and it will flee. A secular worldview would claim you simply have to do what makes you happy and be the best person you can be. While a Judeo-Christian value system warns us that what satisfies the flesh is not always what benefits us overall. Like a slap on the hand from your mother, are the laws set in place by the Bible. Not to take away our fun, but to protect us, and to give us what is best for us.

Giving order in a disoriented world, these same values are what made the great country of America. Craig Biddle, when discussing the principle of individual rights says, “The power of this principle was remarkable. Over time, it helped more and more Americans to see that black people, women, homosexuals, and people of all stripes have the same rights and that the government should protect everyone’s rights equally.” The idea that each person holds internal worth was critical in the fight for equality.

 

Government Losing Morality

What will happen if Americans dispose of traditionally held beliefs? How much harm could it cause? It would not change that much, would it? On the contrary. The government is supported by the people. The values the people hold determine who leads the country. If the people lose Biblical values, they will elect leaders who have no direction between good and evil. These leaders usually do what makes them happy, or what makes the people happy. They do what feels good, while never taking a second look to see if it is good. There is a small chance that these leaders choose to do the right thing, because they cannot always determine between the right and the wrong. This causes America to slowly spiral downwards.

Unless people choose to pick up the morals America was founded on, the government once built on the idea that each person has some internal goodness, will become a government built on doing what makes you feel good. Pope John Paul stated in 1987 "Our Christian conscience should be deeply concerned about the way in which sins against love and against life are often presented as examples of 'progress' and 'emancipation.' Most often are they not but the age-old forms of selfishness dressed up in a new language and presented in a new cultural framework?" If the people lose Biblical morals, the government loses Biblical morals, but the government was intended to be run by people with Biblical morals.

 

Warped Societal Standards

While instant gratification leaves us temporarily satisfied, we should resist making permanent decisions based on temporary emotions. This feels good now, how will it play out in the future? It feels good to rebel against the ways of our founding fathers, but what will it end with? Freedom within boundaries, everyone hates the word boundaries, but freedom within boundaries is a good thing. Boundaries protect us from harm on a local level, on a state level, on a national level, and on a worldwide level. Justin Dyer puts it clearly, “Though we are increasingly disconnected from our philosophical and theological foundations, whenever we speak of American ideals, we invoke the ideas and language of natural law.” There can only be one truth, and our purpose is to make our opinion as closely aligned with that truth as possible. Founders of America attempted to find truth, but today people look to be right, to be validated, to be supported, instead of for the truth. There is an underlying truth, Biblical morality, and we cannot let that slip away. A survey Conducted by Dr. George Barna showed that 29% of Americans ages 18-29 turn to themselves for guidance. Now, you can see how ridiculous that is. You have a question, you do not have an answer, and you go to yourself to find one. That makes no logical sense, and this is why we need to recognize the value in the Biblical standards of America. If we do not, we will create our own.

Americans must daily remember the Judeo-Christian values their country was founded upon. They must never forget the principles their government was meant to be led by. Change is not bad, change with no direction is bad, and Americans cannot let their direction be forgotten.

 

References

Biddle, C. (2021). Ayn rand’s American morality - ProQuest. Www.proquest.com. http://proxy154.nclive.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/ayn-rand-s-american-morality/docview/2708050377/se-2

Dyer, J. (2023, January 3). Opinion | Is America a Christian nation? Yes and no. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/01/03/america-christian-founders-natural-law/

McCabe, A. (1987, September 12). Pope slams Americans’ morality. Login.proxy154.Nclive.org. http://proxy154.nclive.org/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.proxy154.nclive.org/newspapers/pope-slams-americans-morality/docview/239103828/se-2

Munsil, T. (2020, June 2). US Moral Freefall – Survey Finds America’s Traditional Moral Pillars are Fading Away - Arizona Christian University. Arizona Christian University. https://www.arizonachristian.edu/2020/06/02/us-moral-freefall-survey-finds-americas-traditional-moral-pillars-are-fading-away/

Shapiro, B. (2022, June 4). Where Does Morality Come From? | With Sam Harris. Www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GFAjqIke7s