Is Morality Dead?

Morality means conformity to the rules of right conduct. It goes further into manner, character and behavior. It’s a sense of behavioral conduct that differentiates intentions, decisions, and actions, those that are good and bad, or right and wrong.

Here is where it gets tricky. It is developed around a moral code, which is a system of morality based upon a specific belief, religion, culture, or philosophy. The problem we have is defining the moral code based upon which guidelines are used.

Obviously society comes to a silent agreement concerning what is most offensive. When someone does something that offends the overwhelming majority we call their actions morally offensive. That would be to the majority of the people. Even though we don’t know exactly where that ball balances, we know that it finds its own level, just as water does.

In spite of our many different philosophies and belief systems somehow a natural gravitational point becomes the moral code. That overall scale is what appears to be lowering more and more with the passage of time.

Morality is not dead but it is certainly descending ever lower. What was once offensive is becoming more flexible, tending to become somewhat normal. Many facets of our entertainment have lowered the code so greatly because what is popular seems to have taken over what is considered as morally decent.

Nudity, graphic violence, foul language, blasphemy, demoralizing statements about women, demigod statements, and the like have become the new norm. . Once there was a natural and general reverence for God, women, children, the church establishment and other things we called sacred, but that bar has been lowered to the extreme..

It is one thing for individuals to exercise their rights and go completely against the moral code regardless of the consequences. These were formerly the "bad eggs" of our society and not that long ago. However, today they are the “bad boys or girls,” which are socially fashionable and considered to be pop culture icons.

Why the sudden turnaround? It is because some of the top financial institutions will finance what is popular regardless of its offense. Companies that we consider to be our media giants will broadcast of publish things that are morally repugnant and reprehensible. If these are now our gatekeepers, then God help us.

If the moral code was previously at ten on the Richter Scale, it is now down to and below five. Things that were embarrassing and deplorable just a few years ago are now fashionably acceptable. Morality may not be dead, but it certainly is evolving into a new creature that barely resembles what it used to be.

Chances are what we once called the moral code is dead. I can’t see it coming back as it was. Now that the cat is out of the bag it will not go back in. Where does that leave us?

I was once a young man and thought as one. Now that I am older I no longer think the same way. It appears that with each passing generation the bar is lowered. What does that mean for the elders? In all probability we will all die and leave the world differently.

We were part of the cause of lowering the morality code when we fought against the system. We wanted and demanded that things be different and far removed from the strictness of our parents. Now the question is, where will all this rebellion end?

Is morality dead? You tell me.