Smith: Failure to identify right, wrong

photo Robin Smith

A few years back, I read a compelling argument that without the judgment of God that declares specific acts, behaviors and thoughts to be wrong, he, in turn, cannot declare that which is right, good, decent and blessed.

The recent focus regarding the lack of respect toward authority figures and a disregard for others may find its roots in this argument.

The philosophy that discounts and rejects moral absolutes and embraces the secular call to "coexist" and "whatever" lies at the core of the cultural mess we find ourselves in during 2014. Individuals determine their own definition of right versus wrong, decency versus indecency, and define "justice" on the plane of social equality that seeks equal outcome versus equal opportunity.

Without an agreement of right versus wrong, we endure media stories of a woman knocked out by a professional athlete on a video recording with the absurd question posed with a straight face: "Will Ray Rice's professional football career continue?"

Without a sense of "justice" that rewards acts that are "good" and "right" while swiftly punishing that which is "wrong," we deal with the objectifying of men, women, at-risk teens, and even children as sex toys due to the pornography industry, which is flush with profit and sells human life and dignity for the personal gratification of perverts and sex addicts under the protected banner of "speech."

In Chattanooga, there's amazement at victims of shootings who, one after another, refuse to cooperate with law enforcement in identifying their assailants or refuse to assist in coming to a resolution in our society's framework of justice. Instead, a subculture of criminal enterprise and vengeance is the tool for the redefined justice of those willing to reject the law rather than pursue that which is good and right.

One has to wonder if, instead of some sense of a desire to appear magnanimous in our "tolerance," our society is actually committed to finding ways to cope with our own moral failings.

You see, if no one points out that lying, adultery, murder or cheating the company with which you work are wrong, no one is held accountable for their wrongdoing. We just excuse our "shortcomings."

There's talk about the failure of our public schools with finger-pointing to a lack of funding, the federally mandated curriculum or testing, or class size. In reality, too many children leave their homes and mouth-off to teachers with no fear of parental discipline, show up to class with no desire to learn but, instead, to disrupt, or are defended by parents when wrongdoing is identified in the classroom.

Hey, parents, if you don't "live" and teach right and wrong at home, don't expect schoolteachers to do your job.

In recent days, we have witnessed the beheading of two innocent Americans at the hands of Islamic terrorists who have proclaimed their goal to achieve a caliphate -- a political-religious state that will govern all Muslims worldwide -- in an Islamic state.

These same extremists have been quartering and beheading Christians, yet President Barack Obama said, "ISIL is not Islamic," in his Thursday night, nationally televised speech addressing this Islamic terrorist group.

Redefining right and wrong to ensure self-esteem and to avoid being labeled "judgmental" or "intolerant" has sown the seeds of diluted truth. We now have a bumper crop of dangerous cultural consequences.

St. Augustine said, "Right is right even if no one is doing it; wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it."

Truth ... with consequences.

Robin Smith, immediate past Tennessee Republican Party chairwoman, is owner of Rivers Edge Alliance.

Upcoming Events