Why Young Americans Can't Think Morally

Jewish World Review ^ | Sept. 20, 2011 | Dennis Prager

[ReformationFan]

Last week, David Brooks of The New York Times wrote a column on an academic study concerning the nearly complete lack of a moral vocabulary among most American young people. Below are some excerpts from Brooks' summary of the study of Americans aged 18 to 23. (It was led by "the eminent Notre Dame sociologist Christian Smith.")

"Smith and company asked about the young people's moral lives, and the results are depressing …

"When asked to describe a moral dilemma they had faced, two-thirds of the young people either couldn't answer the question or described problems that are not moral at all …

"Moral thinking didn't enter the picture, even when considering things like drunken driving, cheating in school or cheating on a partner …

"The default position, which most of them came back to again and again, is that moral choices are just a matter of individual taste …

"As one put it, 'I mean, I guess what makes something right is how I feel about it. But different people feel different ways, so I couldn't speak on behalf of anyone else as to what's right and wrong …

"Morality was once revealed, inherited and shared, but now it's thought of as something that emerges in the privacy of your own heart."

[redgolum]

It removes some of the cost of immoral behavior (or at least the up front ones).

And for the mid and long term costs, it can support those bad choices for longer.

Case in point, we have day care in my wife’s school to take care of the students kids.

[Cronos]

I wonder at times -- there are lots of news reports on how much kids cost. yet I know a family of 4 that survives on just the dad's salary and the dad is not that qualified and works in a steel mill. the 3 boys aged 7-14 are well-behaved, study hard and are courteous -- the one girl is pampered but still 5.

They have no telly in the house and the kids play together.

[TAdams8591]

Prolific post, LJ! Thank you.

[cycjec]

throw out the TV.

[wintertime]

e Reforming the schools as well.
That can not be accomplished by abandoning them to the opposition.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Could the Nazi concentration camps be reformed? Do you think good Germans should have willingly sought work at the concentration camps, and taken a paycheck and pension for working in hellish places? Hey! They might have been able to sneak a few crumbs to the prisoners once in a while. No! The only rational action was to join the resistance, help as many prisoners as possible escape, and then work to shut them down.

Government schools are evil. Children learn to think and reason godlessly in these indoctrination camps. Government schools are also evil because by becoming comfortable with socialist-funded and tuition-free schooling children learn to be comfortable with socialism. This **will** have evil consequences, eventually, for our nation that will result in oppression, slavery, and death camps. Really. It is **that** serious!

Government schools can NOT be reformed because all education can **never** be neutral religiously, politically, or culturally in content and consequences. Government can NOT possibly equally uphold,( in any school), the religious, political, and cultural traditions of our diverse population. No matter what action is taken by the government school it will establish the religious, political, and cultural worldview of the most powerful voting mob and crush the freedom of conscience of the less powerful.

There is only **one** possible solution. We must begin the process of privatization. Vouchers, tax credits, and charters can help build the infrastructure needed, but one by one children must be removed from the government schools. One by one the government schools must be closed and the buildings put to other ( private) uses. And...Parents should be responsible for educating their own children ( just as they feed, house, and clothe them) with charity educating the poor.

And....We must put an end to putting government teachers on a pedestal. Every one of them willingly goes to work every day. They willingly and eagerly take a paycheck and pension. No one is holding a gun to their heads as they **willingly** implement curriculum and policies that teach children to think godlessly ( against the will of their parents) and to be comfortable with socialist-funded and tuition-free schooling. If they were “good” teachers, they would be joining the resistance. They would be rescuing as many children as possible from these godless indoctrination camps. If they were “good” teachers they would be working to shut the government indoctrination camps down.

And....I am not exaggerating about the coming death camps. If you doubt me, listen to the Yuri Bezmenov videos and listen carefully about he says about “demoralization” of a nation.

[stuartcr]

Nature takes it’s course? What does that have to do with someone opinion?

[MrB]

I know you’d LIKE to believe that, so you can define your own sense of right and wrong (Gen 3:4-5),

but “perhaps” you’re making a really foolish bet (eternity vs doing what you like right now) on your own ability to do so.

Read those first chapters of Genesis, especially chapter 3, and compare that to your continually repeated philosophy of “I can define right and wrong for myself and tell myself that that is how God wants it to be.”

You’re being lied to, you’re lying to yourself, and you’re simply justifying it. You have nothing on which to base an argument to the contrary of my assertion. Nothing, that is, besides an assumption of what you’re trying to prove as a proof that that assumption is correct.

See the problem? Or will you just ignore it and blissfully drive off the cliff?

[stuartcr]

My sense of right and wrong comes from God, just like everyone elses’.

[MrB]

The Law is written on our hearts
it says so in God’s Word (Rom 2:15), - you know, the Word, the way he lets us know what He’s like and how he wants us to live.

Check it out to make sure your tendencies, which are corrupted by the fall, are in line with the Truth.

[stuartcr]

I believe God’s word differs with each individual He creates. It’s obvious in all the different religions there’s been throughout history.

[Celtman]

This is not a surprise.

For generations now, too many young people have been growing up without any morals at all - that is, they are not immoral, they are amoral.  Whatever sense of ethics they have is derived from the mores of their contemporaries - who are mostly also amoral. 

By definition, morality only comes from faith or religion.  Ergo, government schools cannot teach morality, since they are prohibited from teaching religion.  Churches, synagogues, and parents should be teaching morality.  But every generation for years, more nnd more parents have grown up without morality themselves, and parents cannot teach what they do not themselves understand.  Too many chrches have been polluted by liberalism and "moral relativism."  The false idea of the "moral equivalence" of different religions now pollutes society.

I believe the only answer is widespread spiritual revival.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

"as something that emerges in the privacy of your own heart"

Sounds like a major variant of Chritianity I heard about. I think it's called Protestantism.

[baa39]

In every school in the country, there are boys ridiculed and bullied. That is not right, but it also rarely leads them to commit suicide. This child’s ego formation is the problem, along with some recourse to an understanding, or even just a supportive, male role model, such as a brother, father, uncle or neighbor. The sexuality is not the issue, that will resolve itself if he has a normal man to relate to. But most children now are in “single mom” homes...a disastrous situation for boys and girls.

[LomanBill]

[Nature takes it’s course? What does that have to do with someone opinion?]

Survival of the fittest.

[angcat]

The girls are worse than the boys. No morals and no future.

[LomanBill]

>>If you doubt me, listen to the Yuri Bezmenov videos

You mean like the one I transcribed?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2095202/posts

[stuartcr]

That doesn’t really make much sense, but ok.

[LomanBill]

It makes plenty of sense to observe that an individual's worldview (and the resulting behavior thereof) impacts the long-term reproductive fitness of the individual -- and the culture who tolerates it.   The Bible repeatedly demonstrates this is historicaly true.

 

Another the book homosexual activists don't want anyone to read...

http://www.amazon.com/Sex-Evolution-Behavior-Martin-Daly/dp/0871507676

How's that demoralized Liar Loan a$$paper sandwich produced by Ken Mehlman and the other progrethive Fithcal Conthervative termites infesting the Log Cabin woodwork working out?

Viable Republics have rules - just like viable economic infrastructures do.   Violate the basic rules, and nature takes its course --- and flushes the toilet.

[ctdonath2]

Of course it doesn’t exist for them. There are no consequences to him for any wrongs he may do. Insofar as there may be consequences to others, near all such events occur to people who don’t exist to him, no different than watching a movie character suffer (brief amusement, followed by apathy and swift amnesia).

[wintertime]

Definition of Protestantism: Christianity.