Article June 6, 1988 Issue

A reason for morality

Is the moral code some out-of-date nicety? Or is it part of the bedrock for individual and societal progress?

Winifred Copley Ivey

Sometimes it seems that society has set aside the "Thou shalt nots" of Mosaic law and the straightforward teachings of Christ Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, which give us an outline for upright and moral behavior. Caught up in what it views as greater freedom, society has widely condoned promiscuous behavior and often even encouraged it. Human reason would like to convince us that there is a strength in numbers which somehow makes a breakdown in morality acceptable.

Whether one is tempted to fall for the argument that something is OK because "everyone" is doing it or to react to deteriorating morality with self-righteous criticism, neither response is really productive. The challenge of restoring moral standards needs to be addressed impersonally, through prayer.

Public figures are not immune from the false logic that there is safety in numbers. And while it is not easy to watch people suffer the pain of disgrace, the media exposure that results when immoral behavior becomes public can serve as a reminder to examine more carefully just what one's own motives are for obeying moral law.

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