A recent study by the university at Groningen in the Netherlands found that the environment effects people’s behavior both negatively and positively. The study shows disorder in an environment causes people to be less moral. In one part of the study the environment was made to reflect a run down neighborhood with graffiti on the walls.The people littered and did more socially unacceptable behavior. In the second part of the study the same area was made clean, the walls were repainted, and the area ordered to reflect a better environment. People acted with a higher sense of morality reflecting the neighborhoods cleaner and ordered appearance.
Two important lessons we should learn from this study
Know what you believe
It is amazing how may people will give in to bad behavior when in a poor environment or are put under social pressure. It is important to know what you believe in and then be faithful to those principles regardless of our environment or social pressures. Sociologists tell us we act out of our core beliefs. Few of us take the time to really know what we believe and why. Safety, prosperity, and security will come to a neighborhood, a society, a culture, even a nation that have people who will act on good core beliefs and not on a morally corrupt environment or society.
Know what to believe
To many people accept as normal a world that easily adapts to compromised moral principles. In fact many people live in a double standard knowing what is good but acting out of their weaknesses rather than our core beliefs. Many in America, in our culture and as a society live by morally corrupt self interests further diluted by morally compromised cultural norms. In the end we all will suffer the consequences. A good example is our economy which is suffering a deep recession because of unscrupulous lenders and borrowers. In the final analysis as in any moral breakdown in a society or a culture we all pay the debt. To make moral decsions we need a guidline to what good and evil really is. We live in a world of moral confusion and ignorance. When I am looking what to believe I read the words of Jesus. In His words I find not only moral perfection but compassion which is the foundation for all justice.
Know when to change
Our country needs to return to the Judeo Christian belief system of our founding fathers. In that belief system people are taught adhere to the the highest kind of morality. This morality was based upon God’s character reflected by His laws. God’s never dilutes His morality by selfish motives or cultural norms. The standard is the highest and the best because we will all derive benefit from it when we stand firm in our belief of those standards. These moral principles are the glue that hold a nation together without defrauding and hurting one another. These laws are love and prosperity in action. It is important to stand up for what you believe regardless of the consequences that is true heroism and is sadly lacking today. We live in a climate were it is socially acceptable to mock God’s laws like the Ten Commandments. The time to change our hearts and direction is now before its to late
Know what to do
We as Americans must not give in to a compromised and coarse culture, we must become the agents of worldwide and national change. We must model and uphold the standards God has set for the human race. There will be mockers and scoffers who want through their own corrupt motives to profit them through human failure. It is up to us as individuals to stand up for what we believe not bowing to pressure to compromise our beliefs. The Judeo Christian ethic is meant to change the world around us for the better. We can become part of the solution or become part of the problem. People who mock morality and people with religious convictions do so because they fear the truth. They know their behavior is based upon corrupted and morally bankrupt ideals give short term pleasure but will unleash long term suffering and negative consequences. The buzz words freedom and choice are misused and misrepresented. They fear that truth will win out and that a society with superior morals and ideals will put positve pressure on them to do what’s right. The fear of morality and the arguments against it are used instead to entice and deceive people. If acted upon these corrupted moral principles will and have left us a culture depleted morally, financially, and socially. We are living under the weight of negative consequences of this compromised morality .The Judeo Christian ethic and morality is meant to be the liberating conscience of a nation. It is our last hope to prick the conscience of those who seek to overcome healthy limitations to human greed, selfishness, and corruption.
Know when to act
In Germany before World War 11 the people were motivated to go to war and commit atrocities for freedom, prosperity,and national pride. It is not always society and government that is right or good morally. It is written in scripture, Blessed is the nation who God is the Lord.” A nation can become evil because it compromises its moral and spiritual principles. It is up to us as a people, as Americans to choose what we will become as a nation. America’s greatness came about because our forefathers believed if we adhered to the judeo Christian principles we would prosper. Our respect for God in those principles would result in a respect for one another and bring guidelines of decent conduct to every American citizen. In turn those principles would bring prosperity to America and all its citizens. We were to be an example to the nations of the world of a shinning city on a hill. Today we see every nation in moral, spiritual, and economic collapse because we have rejected moral truths which are the bedrock of human productivity, civility, and success. The time to act is right now before it is to late.
April 19, 2010 at 14:17
Well put, always insightful readings