Do you feel as I do? – the “Me Society”

Bill Lambert

I wonder how many of you feel as I do these days – a stranger in our own society, an alien in my own land?

We grew up in a society which was generally governed by Christian values. We were a united community, concerned for each other. Self-sacrifice was upheld as a virtue. Human life was cherished. The Christian moral code was generally accepted. Most of us believed in God. We were a conforming society and - I admit it - somewhat intolerant to those who wanted to be different..

Now we have the ‘me’ society, meaning that your own interests come first, second and third. Our God has been replaced by the idols of sexual freedom, gourmandising, violent entertainment, and all the new tech-age toys and prestige symbols you can aspire to.

Political correctness with its feel-right superiority and slithery language has replaced the Ten Commandments. We mustn’t offend people of other religions by having hot cross buns or saying “Happy Christmas”, but it’s OK to blaspheme in front of Christians. Makes you wonder who’s behind this political correctness…..

Women’s liberation has persuaded their sisters that they should all have the right to go out and have careers in the world. The clever women have certainly benefited, but for most it has meant the drudgery of working in a supermarket and sending their babies to be looked after in crèches.

Instead of having a 40-hour week with weekends free for recreation and family life, people now have to work seven days a week, and often extended hours each day.

Human life is no longer held sacred. We have nearly 18000 abortions a year on the general pretext that the mental health of the mother-to-be is endangered. Can you believe it - one pregnant woman in four is going to go off her mind if she has the baby! They call it ‘pro choice’ – no choice for the baby. Health boards deny women seeking abortions the right to see a scan of their unborn baby – in case they change their minds

At the other end of the life scale we are being pushed toward ‘death with dignity’ – a euphemism for killing off people who are seriously ill or mentally deranged.

Morals have gone right out of fashion. The kids are shacking up from their schooldays and virgins must now be a pearl of great price. If a girl under 16 gets pregnant, then she can have an abortion without her parents being informed.

(This variety of sexual experience probably has some influence on the statistics that one marriage in three under the age of 25 ends in divorce.)

And as for the “death do us part” bit, the law says all you need to do to have a divorce is tell your spouse you want a change.

Prostitutes have now been promoted to ‘sex workers’ and brothels are legal. Homosexual relationships have been put on a par with with marriage- “civil unions” they are called. Now they want to put their couplings on a par with marriage. Too bad for those of us who don’t want our marriages downgraded to their level.

Don’t you dare smack your own children when they misbehave! If you do so they are likely to inform the police and you’ll end up in court. There have been a number of such cases and though they are usually thrown out by judges the parents still end up with a hefty legal bill. So in future, just shake your finger!

And how do other people feel about these issues? Public opinion surveys consistently show that a majority of us don’t want abortion on demand – but that is what we have. 64% want a law passed for women seeking abortions to be advised of the health risks. 79% believe parents should be informed if their teenage daughter is going to have an abortion. 87% are opposed to the anti-smacking law. Most folk don’t want brothels in their neck of the woods. I’d suspect there are a whole lot of people who feel they are being pushed around.

If you feel as I do, it is because we are disciples of Christ who find ourselves in a post-Christian society, estranged from the new morality. Christ did not promise it would be any different. Our only response is to stand up for who we are, and against all these pagan unchristian elements any way we can.

So what can you do about it? You can write protesting letters to your Member of Parliament, the Minister of the Crown concerned, or to the media. It might not achieve much but it will get it off your chest.

See, I feel better already!