MORALITY
MELTDOWN
The
spiritual strength of a nation rests, in my opinion, not on any specific
religious beliefs, but on what is and what is not morally acceptable. For
example I personally feel that it is absolutely wrong to abuse children, either
sexually or by physical violence. I
also believe that it is morally wrong to seduce children into believing that
violence and potentially perverse sexual practices are acceptable.
In that respect I seem to be increasingly out of step with society.
More and more of what I see today forces me think that this country is
faced with a form of morality meltdown. Let me give you some examples:
I was sitting with my three year old grandson Aaron the other Saturday morning at around 10:30 am, he was watching a television programme and I was reading The Daily Telegraph. In the newspaper was a report about Royal Marine Commandoes being bullied by their NCOs into fighting naked. It seems that this was some form of induction ceremony, though who would want to join any association that supported such twisted behaviour baffles me. I was just pondering this and looked up to see that the programme my grandson was watching featured a man dressed as a woman, blonde wig, dress etc. acting as the presenter of a children’s game show. At first I thought I was mistaken, but no, the cross-dressed man really was there in full transvestite outfit. What is the purpose of this? Can it be that gender bending is being portrayed as acceptable? Perhaps it is but at what point should young children be subjected to this kind of nonsense? What troubles me is that portraying this on children's TV effectively indoctrinates them into accepting it as a norm of society. Is this what our society has become?
The very
popular TV series ‘I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!’ screened in
November one unedifying scene in which Carol Thatcher, the daughter of Baroness
Margaret Thatcher, was seen squatting down, baring her backside and urinating.
Whilst this was broadcast after the nine ‘o’ clock watershed time it was
undoubtedly seen by many millions of young people. During the television
broadcast of the UK Music Hall of Fame, which featured a tribute to the ‘Heavy
Metal’ pop group ‘Black Sabbath’ the foul mouthed singer Ozzy Osbourne saw
fit to drop his trousers and expose his naked rear end, complete with dangling
testicles, to the audience and all at home watching on TV. Can this really be
what we have been reduced to accepting as ‘entertainment’?
Even our
‘soap operas’ are running storylines that include drunkenness, drug abuse,
rape and murder almost as if they are everyday occurrences.
Coronation Street must be The most dangerous address on the planet and
The Queen Victoria pub on Eastenders the most argumentative. Children are
watching this violence and, as it is portrayed in a real life setting, will
undoubtedly be adversely influenced by it.
The producers may say that this is Britain as it really is and their
storylines are based on true life. No doubt they are but that is not the reason
they are written into the scripts, the reason is that sex and violence appeal to
the lowest common denominator and as such attract audiences. Displaying acts of
abuse, physical violation and sexual deviance within a present tense social
drama such as Coronation Street, which is shown at a pre-watershed time, grooms
children into accepting such acts as being within the norm of society.
That acceptance is then just one step away from enactment.
Another
problem I perceive is the way that many amoral individuals are presented by the
media, making them household names and as such, role models for the young.
I will not in this short essay name names, better to let you the reader
consider if it may be or may not be morally wrong to allow a noted transvestite,
who publicly boasts about sucking other men’s penises when under the influence
of alcohol, to front an afternoon
show featuring children? There are many openly deviant characters being promoted
as pop-stars, comedians, TV personalities etc. so many in fact that deviance is
ever harder to define. What was deviant yesterday is ‘normal’ today. Take for
instance cross-dressing, the androgynous appearance with gender-blending is
particularly predominant in pop-music. There are even bars dedicated to this
practice i.e. ‘Funny Girls’ in Blackpool, Lancs.
Surely we
should we be teaching our children positive moral values not endorsing filth and
depravity by our silent acquiescence. But
speaking out against the tide of immoral turpitude is difficult and may be
considered old fashioned and stuffy. Worse it could bring you to the attention
of the police who recently cautioned the Anglican
Bishop of Chester for stating that, in his opinion, practicing homosexuals
should seek psychiatric help. The naughty noughts, as this decade is
certain to be labeled, has legislation to empower the prosecution of anyone
decrying same sex jollification. Indeed schools now openly teach children that
such acts are an acceptable part of modern life.
Where does
the concerned parent turn for moral guidance in respect of educating their
children? When I was a boy the Church was generally accepted as having moral
authority, do we believe that today? In Ireland there have recently been over
sixty accusations of sexual abuse of children by Roman Catholic priests: at a
Catholic boarding school staff measuring boys penises during the night, children
forced to perform oral sex, girls sexually molested during confession and abused
on the altar. At the Church I
attended as a child the new Vicar now resides in the vicarage with his live in
lover, a man somewhat younger than himself.
We have Bishops, such as the sexually liberated Jeffrey John, preaching
that all love is sanctified by God. But is sexual promiscuity love? In my
opinion it is little more than personal gratification and we are saying nothing.
Let me say this as we enter the year 2006, Britain is facing a morality
meltdown. As Spiritualists we
accept personal responsibility for our actions, I believe that we should also
accept responsibility for our inaction. Over the last ten years sexually
transmitted diseases have increased by 62%. If you doubt this check out the
official UK Government statistics at this site: STD
UK. Do something now to stop the rot or our children and grandchildren will
face life living in a land riddled with syphilis and ruled by the sexually
promiscuous.
Happy New Year.