Society can focus on the propagation and preservation of the species including its spiritual development, or on providing the maximum opportunity for the individual to pursue self-gratification. It cannot do both.

The former creates cooperative action on the part of the people that produces a cohesive society, whereas, the latter produces self-indulgent personal action that leads to the breakdown of society.

I will first give examples of the beneficial effect produced by a society that focuses on the propagation of the species. Members of such a society have a strong family orientation and sense of helpfulness and sharing. There is an understanding of natural gender rolls in which the woman brings life into this world and nurtures it, while the man provides the environment and means to make that function possible. Such a society exhibits relative joy among its members regardless of their economic condition.

I have been told by many that the extremely poor in India live in the streets and in the trees, but have a strong family orientation. The tree people can be heard singing all night and the street people exhibit joy and friendliness in their interactions with others. The wife a former missionary doctor in Tanzania told me that when one man in a village gets a job the neighbors eat at his house, when another gets a job the neighbors then eat at his house. The people are joyous and sing and dance a lot even though they have few material possessions.

I was raised in the depression, mostly in the poor immigrant sections of society. The two major immigrant groups during the years immediately preceding the depression were German and Italian. I can remember in the German neighborhoods the people going to the beer halls on Saturday nights dancing and singing. The men would play horseshoes during the day, play pinochle or go to the local soccer game. The Italians would drink their vino, play bocce, play cards, and sing songs. In the Greek community I spent a lot of my childhood and youth going to weddings and Christenings, events always followed by feasts, dancing, and singing. The 25% unemployment that one reads about during the depression did not occur among immigrants, because immigrant peoples came from strong family backgrounds that provide motivation to survive and care for one another.

As a young man I remember leaving my overcoat behind on the then New York Central. When I returned to the train a Hispanic train worker accompanied me on a search of car to car, and when we finished I offered him a few dollars for his help. He refused any sort of compensation. He did what he did out of his concern to help his fellow man.

A few years ago I joined a story telling group known as the Pearls of Wisdom, which consisted of elderly people who told stories of their youth to various community organizations. They all agreed that while they had poor childhoods, they never felt poor because there was always family around them that provided love, care, and activity. All of the Pearls came from immigrant homes or were African-Americans.

The aphorism “The meek shall inherent the earth” represents a great spiritual truth. Among those raised in strong family environments there is a sense of giving and sharing regardless of their economic circumstances Even though poor, they inherit the joy of living in God’s world.

A look at our materialistic and self-gratifying society indicates conditions opposite to those of peoples whose life centered about the family. The prison population rose 20 fold since the depression, divorce affects 50% of marriages, and mental illness has become the number one health issue of our nation. Children are told to get an education so that they can make money more easily and be somebody. Money equates with status and that is considered to be an end in itself.

Recently, I tripped on the sidewalk and fractured my right arm. About half of the people whom I shared this event with asked me if I was going to sue. Get what you can, is the attitude of our society. People want payment for whatever they do. Jars asking for tips are now ubiquitous on the counters of retail establishments. Leaders of our nation equate our supposed well-being with Gross Domestic Product.

In a society in which financial gain became equated with success and having children or getting married inhibited the ability to “doing one’s thing,” all people wanted the right to pursue financial gain with equal opportunity; hence male and female equality in the workplace and at the ballot box. Naturally feminism blossomed under these conditions, as did the absence of ethics, the collapse of moral standards, and the general misery of the populace.

While the nation espouses a belief in God, its actions pay tribute to Mammon. The pursuit of matters material thrives while the spiritual well-being of the nation deteriorates.

No legal activity will rectify these conditions; only a change in personal values can improve society. Men, who understand the purpose of life and their role in it can bring about change, provided they have the courage to do so.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 15th, 2007 at 8:08 pm and is filed under Vox Populi. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. | 10 views | Trackback | Print this page |

I'm also the Chief of Men's Action to Rebuild Society, an organization that not only addresses the issues confronting you, but takes action to resolve these issues. | More from Elder George

Society can focus on the propagation and preservation of the species including its spiritual development, or on providing the maximum opportunity for the individual to pursue self-gratification. It cannot do both.

The former creates cooperative action on the part of the people that produces a cohesive society, whereas, the latter produces self-indulgent personal action that leads to the breakdown of society.

I will first give examples of the beneficial effect produced by a society that focuses on the propagation of the species. Members of such a society have a strong family orientation and sense of helpfulness and sharing. There is an understanding of natural gender rolls in which the woman brings life into this world and nurtures it, while the man provides the environment and means to make that function possible. Such a society exhibits relative joy among its members regardless of their economic condition.

I have been told by many that the extremely poor in India live in the streets and in the trees, but have a strong family orientation. The tree people can be heard singing all night and the street people exhibit joy and friendliness in their interactions with others. The wife a former missionary doctor in Tanzania told me that when one man in a village gets a job the neighbors eat at his house, when another gets a job the neighbors then eat at his house. The people are joyous and sing and dance a lot even though they have few material possessions.

I was raised in the depression, mostly in the poor immigrant sections of society. The two major immigrant groups during the years immediately preceding the depression were German and Italian. I can remember in the German neighborhoods the people going to the beer halls on Saturday nights dancing and singing. The men would play horseshoes during the day, play pinochle or go to the local soccer game. The Italians would drink their vino, play bocce, play cards, and sing songs. In the Greek community I spent a lot of my childhood and youth going to weddings and Christenings, events always followed by feasts, dancing, and singing. The 25% unemployment that one reads about during the depression did not occur among immigrants, because immigrant peoples came from strong family backgrounds that provide motivation to survive and care for one another.

As a young man I remember leaving my overcoat behind on the then New York Central. When I returned to the train a Hispanic train worker accompanied me on a search of car to car, and when we finished I offered him a few dollars for his help. He refused any sort of compensation. He did what he did out of his concern to help his fellow man.

A few years ago I joined a story telling group known as the Pearls of Wisdom, which consisted of elderly people who told stories of their youth to various community organizations. They all agreed that while they had poor childhoods, they never felt poor because there was always family around them that provided love, care, and activity. All of the Pearls came from immigrant homes or were African-Americans.

The aphorism “The meek shall inherent the earth” represents a great spiritual truth. Among those raised in strong family environments there is a sense of giving and sharing regardless of their economic circumstances Even though poor, they inherit the joy of living in God’s world.

A look at our materialistic and self-gratifying society indicates conditions opposite to those of peoples whose life centered about the family. The prison population rose 20 fold since the depression, divorce affects 50% of marriages, and mental illness has become the number one health issue of our nation. Children are told to get an education so that they can make money more easily and be somebody. Money equates with status and that is considered to be an end in itself.

Recently, I tripped on the sidewalk and fractured my right arm. About half of the people whom I shared this event with asked me if I was going to sue. Get what you can, is the attitude of our society. People want payment for whatever they do. Jars asking for tips are now ubiquitous on the counters of retail establishments. Leaders of our nation equate our supposed well-being with Gross Domestic Product.

In a society in which financial gain became equated with success and having children or getting married inhibited the ability to “doing one’s thing,” all people wanted the right to pursue financial gain with equal opportunity; hence male and female equality in the workplace and at the ballot box. Naturally feminism blossomed under these conditions, as did the absence of ethics, the collapse of moral standards, and the general misery of the populace.

While the nation espouses a belief in God, its actions pay tribute to Mammon. The pursuit of matters material thrives while the spiritual well-being of the nation deteriorates.

No legal activity will rectify these conditions; only a change in personal values can improve society. Men, who understand the purpose of life and their role in it can bring about change, provided they have the courage to do so.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 15th, 2007 at 7:08 pm and is filed under Vox Populi. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. | 0 views | Trackback | Print this page |

I'm also the Chief of Men's Action to Rebuild Society, an organization that not only addresses the issues confronting you, but takes action to resolve these issues. | More from Elder George