Morality, Not Civility, Is the Basis of the Social Order

American Thinker.com ^ | September 26, 2017 | E. Jeffrey Ludwig

[Kaslin]

I would like to propose a hypothesis: "If a society loses its belief in God and Judeo-Christian morality, it will go down the drain faster than you can flush a wad of toilet paper." We shall test this hypothesis in a laboratory.

We shall have two teams of rats in cages. In each cage, there will be four rats and two pieces of cheese. In cage A, the rats will be allowed to fight over the cheese. In cage B, the rats are allowed to fight over the cheese but are required to say "please" before grabbing the cheese. If our hypothesis is correct, the rats in cage A will kill each other for the cheese faster than the rats in cage B.

America is now more like cage B. There is a minimal form of civility attempting to pass as morality. Thus, we remain intact somewhat longer than other societies. But the civility we mistakenly call morality is still such a futile exercise and devoid of spiritual power and enlightenment that mutual destruction is assured even if delayed.

This belief that common courtesy is the equivalent of morality is supplemented by a belief that the law – our written statutes and legal system – defines social order when civility fails, such as when there are rape-murders or, in civil cases, when construction companies are paid but do not do the job they were contracted to do. The adjudications that arise in these and a myriad of other criminal and civil conflicts restore the fairness or equilibrium that is otherwise lacking. Egregious harm to others, while sometimes called "evil," is evil not in some religious or dogmatic sense, but in that it is far from a norm of civility that has replaced Judeo-Christian morality.

[indyreb]

excellent article

[Hugh the Scot]

Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they can be impolite without having their skulls split open, as a general thing.

[proust]

“Morality, Not Civility, Is the Basis of the Social Order”
Taliban makes the same argument.

[Tomato lover]

“Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they can be impolite without having their skulls split open, as a general thing.”

Hugh the Scot,

Worth posting twice. Thanks for stating what I see as the obvious.

[robroys woman]

Bkmk

[Hugh the Scot]

Another favorite, this one from Robert Heinlein:

An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life.

[Albion Wilde]

America is now more like cage B. There is a minimal form of civility attempting to pass as morality.

Know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. —2 Timothy 3:2-7

[going hot]

How are the B rats going to be taught to say please, with shock or cheese?

[sparklite2]

[Jacquerie]

From Machiavelli's Discourses on Livy, “just as good customs necessitate laws in order to be maintained, laws require good customs in order to be observed.”

Christian morality is indeed essential to the civil society of a republic.

[Tomato lover]

Hugh the Scot,

Thanks for this one, too.

Robert Heinlein: An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life.

Words matter. . .

[Poison Pill]

I would like to propose a hypothesis: "If a society loses its belief in God and Judeo-Christian morality, it will go down the drain faster than you can flush a wad of toilet paper."

Rome deteriorated as it became more Christian.