"Start with what is right rather than what is acceptable." ~ Franz Kafka
It's difficult to be a staunch believer in absolute truth during an age of moral relativism. "What do you mean, Harriet?" Well, I'm glad you asked. In a time when society deems right as wrong and wrong as right, living right side up is now seen as upside down, and the blood is rushing to my head. Am I saying that I'm right about EVERYTHING? Heck no! But the right thing to do is admit it! :o)
I just had a disagreement with someone about marriage. They asserted that if a couple is legally separated, then each entity within that relationship is free to do whatever they wish, including engaging in a sexual relationship with another person.
I didn't even get into the weeds of the detrimental effects divorce is having upon families and thus the very culture and fabric of America; but to believe the hype that a legal separation means you a free to move about the bedrooms of lust filled individuals is not only wrong, but unacceptable. Yet we live in a society that deems this kind of behavior appropriate. There are some who would even cheer others on in their fallacious actions as if adultery and selfishness were fashionable.
I could go on and on about the absolution of truth, but the bottom line is I would rather start with what is RIGHT vs. what is ACCEPTABLE in today's society. I get emotional about it from time to time, because hell, in some countries "intergenerational relationships" (i.e. pedophilia) is acceptable! God knows it ain't right, but doing as the Romans do, many fall for the okey doke and just accept it as normal.
How is this motivational or encouraging? Well, I would like to motivate the readers to actually THINK about what they embrace as acceptable, and ask themselves if it's right. During my time in the military, I was trained that the core values we adhered to were Integrity, Service Before Self and Excellence in All We Do. I said to myself that if I ever felt I had to compromise my integrity just to serve or excel, then I would take my uniform off, never to put it on again. That's not the reason I separated from the military, but the truth of the matter is that on any given day, we will have a million offers to do just that and accept societal norms rather than actual truths.
I typically don't put more than one quote within my blogs, but this reminds me so much of a lyric from Black Star: this kind of thinking will "make you a casualty of abnormal normalities."
What kinds of issues or philosophies have you adopted that could potentially be acceptable, but not right? What are your thoughts on issues like cheating, abortion, divorce, etc.? Tell me about it!
Harriet I just discovered your blog! But I totally agree with the concept of right vs. acceptable. Because what tends to happen is that something becomes acceptable then gradually adopted as right. It's controversial but that is the way it is with homosexual marriage. Some say to let people do it if they want to because its none of your business even if you dont agree with it. But the problem, besides wanting my fellow man/woman to fulfill Gods will for their lives but also knowing that as the unions become more popular they will eventually become widespread and deemed as not just tolerable but right. The vestiges will then infiltrate right down to the family make-up in my kindergarteners classroom books. Now it has become that much more difficult to teach my child that this is wrong when the world is telling her its right.