There are certain things that we all know, deep down, are wrong. Murder and theft, for example.
A healthy society seeks to prevent injustice from happening. It is clear about moral absolutes and seeks to protect the innocent. When an offense occurs, perpetrators are held accountable but forgiven. In the optimal situation the individual is treated with dignity. The person is affirmed as good but the action rejected for what it really is – wrong.
In today’s society, we preach a moral compass that calibrates to each individual’s moral code. Our society grants permission to do nearly anything. And then, when someone actually does it, we get vindictive, harass them and sue their ass off if it happens to offend us or play to our personal agenda.
Recently nearly 32 million people were exposed as adulterers due to a hack on the (apparently wildly popular) site Ashley Maddison. The site’s moto: “Life is short, have an affair.”
We live in a sexualized society that preaches to gospel of “if it feels right, do it.” To each his own, we say. We practically celebrate adultery. Just look at the movies we watch, music we listen to, and books we read.
Yet, when it happens to us, or to someone we know, or when it conveniently meets our political agenda, we personally attack those that took us up on the offer. We strip the person of their dignity. We affirm the behavior and destroy the person.
Committing adultery is horribly wrong. But something is just as wrong when we encourage folks to participate in such behavior, laugh it off, and then criticize them to the point where they many are compelled to commit suicide when we find out that they actually did it.
Which do you prefer? To know the rules up front, or to be slandered for doing something you were told was OK?
Think about it.