matter what. What would you counsel a young person to do in such a situation?
How is that young person going to make good decisions in an imperfect world?
How do we make good decisions in an imperfect world?
There can be a parallel, of course, to our relationship to our country. In
a broader sense the fourth commandment calls us to honor the leader of our
country, other government officials, and all the ways our country as a whole
nurtures and protects us. In direct and powerful language True Christian
Religion asserts: “It is the parents themselves who need to give honor to the
country and those who serve it, and to implant this habit in their children.”
(Ibid.) We know all too well that in many circles of modern culture it has
become acceptable to denigrate the country and its leaders.
Compared to many countries in this world both present and past, citizens
of the United States have much that they could be grateful for. In too many
countries corruption makes both local officials and the police unreliable.
There are clear historical examples of countries whose leader or leaders are
dangerously destructive to the individual welfare of people and to the welfare
of all. When we believe something is wrong in our country we almost always
have had tremendous freedom to express our protest. This is true about our
country now but will it still be true in 10 or 50 years?
Our knowledge of the spiritual history of this world can give us pause as
we watch the continued unfolding of events around us. The advent of the New
Church into this world promises greater spiritual freedom for all. We know
that the Lord is working with infinite love and wisdom in every human being’s
life to lead him or her away from evil loves, false ideas and the behavior they
lead to.
But we are also given a picture of a continuing decline due to the false ideas
in traditional Christian doctrine and the life to which they incline a person. In
addition there is a growing number of people who apparently feel no restraint
about being apathetic or even antagonistic to spiritual principles and values.
Many of us are aware of the power and influence of relativism or the
assertion that there is no objective
truth but only opinion about the value
of everything. Consequently people
with this perspective react against
any assertion of spiritual truth or
expectation of a demanding morality.
Another negative influence is the
power of what the Heavenly Doctrine
calls natural good. Natural good can
lead to a short-sighted concern that
people feel happy and content in their
Our knowledge of the
spiritual history of
this world can give us
pause as we watch the
continued unfolding
of events around us.
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