Posted on 11/29/2017 3:52:41 PM PST by Kaslin
The avalanche of sexual harassment claims, with new ones pouring forth daily, leads me to the wisdom of George Washington's observation in his farewell address in 1796:
"Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. ... And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be managed without religion."
You may say, "There you go again, Star. Waving your Bible."
But is there a better answer for dealing with this problem?
Society, all human life, is guided by rules. The only question before us is: What are the rules that we choose to live by?
Washington's point is crucial. In a free society, one in which we want to minimize government and political control, we must maximize self-governance. Religion, and the morality that emerges from it, provides the rules by which free men and women govern their own behavior.
I will say further that the rules that we learn from scripture provide the framework for a society based on love, respect and creativity, as opposed to power and control.
And indeed, as we read accounts of the behavior of these men of wealth and influence, who have achieved what many Americans see as the pinnacle of American success, we read descriptions of the behavior of beasts, not men.
Sexuality, outside the framework of mutual love, commitment and respect between husband and wife, is transformed from a physical expression of intimacy and beauty to the gross and crass behavior of brutes.
That this appears to be so widespread in our society should trouble us all.
So what do we do?
I am a Christian, but I do not believe that our government was designed to mend men's souls. It was designed to allow citizens to live free.
We cannot force citizens to do what Washington advises -- learn and be guided by scripture.
What's the alternative?
One is to forget it and let people do what they want. Let women fend for themselves when beastly predators with money and power threaten them.
Few will accept this option.
Alternatively, we can have politicians design our rules. But can this work? Without guidelines of scripture, how do we discern right and wrong, acceptable and forbidden?
This is the trend that has been going on for years. The less we self-govern through eternal Biblical truths, learned at home and at school, the more we grow government to control our lives.
In response to sexual harassment violations perpetrated by some members of congress, Congresswoman Barbara Comstock has introduced a congressional resolution requiring "all House Members, Officers, employees, including interns, detailees, and fellows, of the House of Representatives shall complete an anti-harassment and anti-discrimination training program during each session of Congress."
Surely, similar programs will be popping up across industry. So instead of our workforce developing new and better products, more of their time will be spent sitting in anti-harassment training sessions, learning rules designed by bureaucrats.
The Mercatus Center at George Mason University published a report last year on the costs to our economy of the vast growth in the regulatory state from 1977 to 2012. The study concludes that accumulated regulatory growth reduced the size of the American economy in 2012 by 25 percent -- $4 trillion of what it might have been.
Aside from economic costs, what are the human costs of our lives increasingly being controlled by bureaucrats?
According to research from Stanford University, 10 percent of married couples meet at work. So much for this, as men will fear giving a woman a second glance at work, let alone saying or doing anything that might hint he's attracted to her.
I see only one viable path to a healthy, free nation. Choose to heed the wisdom of our first president.
George Washington’s comment deserves the full treatment:
Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice ? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.
Thank you!
I no longer greet women with even so much as a hand shake. A nod, and thats it. Wont talk to them until spoken to.
The same goes for the farewell. I keep my hands in my pocket. Its safer that way.
Now for you gals who take this as an insult, then think on what has happened within the past 20 years or so. Even a glance, or a slight of tongue can be taken the wrong way. So, you can blame only those who have ruined the gender relationships for this.
As for the sexual predators? Take em out, nail their nuts to a stump, and push them off backwards.
Cant wait to see the cut and paste response to this.
You’re welcome! I LOVE reading the wisdom of the Founding Fathers!
I wish more people would read and know this kind of wisdom. Our country would be a better place if that were so.
Amen to George Washington!
TOO LATE TO FIX THIS, SOOOOOooooo:
GENDER-SEGREGATE THE WORKPLACE!!!, for starters AND I KNOW WHICH SIDE WOULD GET MORE ACTUAL WORK DONE!
“I no longer greet women with even so much as a hand shake. A nod, and thats it.”
I see your point, but pretty soon some feminazi buzzsaw is going to report you for refusing to shake her hand.
PERFECT!
YUP. They’ll start howling because they being ignored. And that is exactly what should happen.
You = the author.
What do you mean I’m reading to much into it? I am not the author.
Very well said.
And don't believe for a nano-second that type of craziness will be limited to ca.
Serious institutionalized immorality has been creeping into society for quit some time now.
...a republic, if we can keep it.
Very Interesting and well thought out - thank you both for your thoughts and posting of the fuller quote.
As you say, so many couples meet at work (I am suprised it is not higher) than the 10% you cite it becomes more critical that a solution allows positive interaction and we do not segregate by gender as some in this thread have observed.
This is why I find your suggestion of GW’s wisdom so fascinating.
GW addresses the civil importance of religious belief (the solemnity of oath taking) but also through example, shows the importance of religious practice. He was famous for visiting a multitude of different churches, and much like his view on foreign relations, focuses on the greater purpose (Morality with religion; Sovereignty with world affairs as opposed to dogmatism or locked alliances) rather than the narrow interest.
oh well, sorry to blather on so..
Thanks again!
“And don’t believe for a nano-second that type of craziness will be limited to ca.”
Something’s happening. I’m not sure what it is, or how it’s going to turn out, but I can feel tectonic plates grinding.
I’m not sure if we will emerge from this in 1984 or in the representative republic the Founding Fathers left us.
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