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The
Importance of Values and Morals
"The
Importance of Values and Morals." Sounds like a no-brainer
of an article for us, a people of faith. They are the code we
live by in a civil and just society. They are what we use to
guide our interactions with others, with our friends and family,
in our businesses and professional behavior. Our values and morals
are a reflection of our spirituality; our character. They are
what we hope to model for our children and the children around
us, because children do watch us as they develop their own sense
of right and wrong. Everyone knows their importance, don't they?
Well,
maybe not. One only has to watch Jerry Springer-type shows
or the spate of "Reality TV Shows" to find evidence
to the contrary. Every day in the news we hear about crooked
politicians, greedy CEOs, insider trading, embezzling evangelists
caught in "love triangles," "good Christians" doing
very bad things. On talk-radio, news shows, at our churches,
all around us, we hear about the decline of values, morals,
ethics, civility, manners and, of course, common decency.
People talk nostalgically about the "good old days" when
Americans lived according to a set of standards of which
they could be proud.
So
have we really become a nation without values and morals?
I don't think so. It's just that everyone has their own ideas
about which values and morals are the ones we should follow.
The choices are as varied as our country is heterogeneous.
One only has to look inside the different church denominations
to see the diversity of concepts regarding moral behavior.
That realization doesn't stop each of us from believing that
our particular values and morals comprise the "right" set--
the set everyone else should accept as well.
Another
problem is that we, as human beings, are inconsistent in
most things--including our morals and values. We tend to
compartmentalize them; stressing one type while disregarding
another. Some people seem willing to overlook unethical business
practices while condemning sexual behaviors and attitudes.
Others overlook sexual behavior and attitudes while crying
foul over shady business practices. Turning a blind eye upon
specific immoral activity seems to happen frequently in politics,
sports and in the church. At times, it would appear that
morals and values are morals and values of convenience.
But,
as people of faith, aren't we supposed to have a clear sense
of morals and values? Aren't we supposed to be above all
that hypocrisy and compartmentalizing? After all, the Bible
offers many examples of morals and values; behavior we should
aspire to. But they, like us, often appear contradictory
and inconsistent. Unfortunately, as flawed human beings,
we often fall short in our pursuit of faith and "good,
Christian conduct." The same can be said of our pursuit
of consistency in our morals and values. It is a difficult
task made more difficult by the world around us.
In
the end, however, the importance of determining our values
and morals is still imperative. They are reflective of our
own sense of right and wrong, our character and, more importantly,
our spirituality. While the world around us may spin out
of control, children will continue to look to us for guidance
in developing their own sense of what is important in life.
And while we will never attain perfection and may never achieve
consistency, a clear sense of moral and ethical standards
is worth the effort.
After
all, the children are watching.
Earle
Donelson, Ph.D.
Staff Psychologist
Samaritan Counseling Centers
Find out more about pastoral counseling.
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