new church life: september/october 2016
demoralized
If Uncle Sam went to see a psychotherapist today, the diagnosis might well
include such terms as: disheartened, dispirited, discouraged, depressed,
disturbed, disconcerted, fazed, confused, thrown off balance and rattled. In a
word . . . “demoralized.”
We can see in that word the “root cause” of the malaise that has the postChristian West in its grip. “Demoralized” is generally used to describe a person
or community suffering from a loss of confidence and hope, but we can see in
the word a more essential meaning that explains the cause of the affliction,
namely, loss of morality.
A culture that divests itself of “traditional morality” in favor of a “new
morality” (formerly known as immorality) is likely to find itself demoralized
in every sense of the word.
“Optimism” is often put forth as the solution to what ails us. But for it to
be genuine, there has to be something to be optimistic about. To be uplifted we
need to believe in forces for good which are higher, stronger and more reliable
than our own schemes for advancement – namely, heaven, Divine providence,
the Word of God, and the moral order derived from the Word that connects us
with this help from above.
(WEO)
improving government
Human beings are the only creatures with the ability to change their own
nature. A horse is truly a horse from birth, but our potential to become fully
and truly human requires our cooperation in order to be realized. We are born
natural and ignorant, but with the potential to become spiritual and wise.
Animals are governed by instinct, but the government we humans devise
for ourselves is designed to restrain our natural instinct to act selfishly, and
help us become useful to others.
When individual human beings exercise spiritually enlightened reason to
govern themselves, they make a conscious effort to restrain their baser impulses
and impose spiritual order upon their natural lives. Civil government, ideally,
does the same, thus assisting individuals in their quest to become better people.
Not just better fed, housed, and cared for when sick – but better spiritually. The
best civil government helps us in our quest to become better human beings.
“If men were angels, no government would be necessary,” James Madison
wrote. He was speaking of earthly government. In heaven, the angels are
governed, but from within, by their love to the Lord and of their neighbors.
They are governed by Divine truth and gladly submit to its leading. The more
we on earth embrace this kind of free and rational self-government, the less
external governance we will need and the more perfect it will be.
(WEO)
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