A Major Problem I See with American Culture Today

Last updated on: July 11, 2015 at 9:11 am by Roger E. Olson

A Major Problem I See with American Culture Today 2015-07-11T09:11:39-05:00 Roger E. Olson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

We (America) claim to be a pluralistic society; we celebrate “otherness.” Of course there are individuals and subcultures that strongly oppose pluralism and want to impose their worldview, form of life, on everyone. In fact, that is exactly the problem I see and here decry.

We pretend to be pluralistic when, in fact, we are not. Sure, in the grassroots, pluralism abounds. In public spaces, however, the two values that are expected of everyone are consumerism and tolerance of every point of view and lifestyle—even to the point that people who wish no harm to anyone but who have strongly held personal opinions about right and wrong are looked at as intolerant, as enemies of “freedom.”

We have by-and-large confused tolerance with relativism. If a person or group holds and expresses strong beliefs about right and wrong, especially about behaviors that are assumed not to hurt anyone, he or they are widely criticized as intolerant.

The key here is “assumed not to hurt anyone.” What hurts people is a matter of profound disagreement—based on worldviews. Our contemporary American worldview is that the only things that hurt people are physical abuse and limitations on their absolute personal freedom of choice. And we have come to believe (with exceptions, of course) that even expressions of absolute morality, right and wrong, somehow limit others’ personal freedom of choice.

The word “wrong” is largely disappearing from our public discourse—except when it is used to criticize people who think others’ lifestyles and behaviors that are legal (or should be legal) are wrong. Even then…

I have observed a growing tendency for especially younger Americans to ignore traffic laws—especially when they think that behavior will not harm anyone. I see people running red lights all the time. Just yesterday, as I was driving on a divided highway near my city, I came to a stoplight. As I sat waiting for the red light to turn green three drivers in a row ran the red light from the lane beside me. They slowed just enough to determine that nobody was coming along the cross street. All three were young women in their twenties—no doubt in a hurry to get to work (it was about 7:45 AM). A few months ago when I saw a person run a red light and knew it was willful I followed her a few blocks into a parking lot. When she stepped out of her car I rolled down my window and said “You shouldn’t run red lights.” She gave me an obscene gesture and walked away. (I am not picking on young women; I see young men and some older people doing this all the time all over town in virtually every city I visit.)

A growing attitude in American society is that even breaking the law is not wrong so long as you don’t get caught and nobody is harmed. Along with that is a growing attitude that those people who believe in absolutes of right and wrong outside of behaviors that directly harm people are intolerant—especially if they dare to express that belief.

We are increasingly becoming a lawless society and one that puts on a pedestal people who violate traditional norms and mores, excuse those who break laws when nobody is hurt by that, and criticize and even condemn people who hold beliefs about moral absolutes of right and wrong and dare to express them.

We are not truly pluralistic. As a society we are crawling closer and closer to what philosophers call “anomie”—a social condition lacking any sense of right and wrong. Except with regard to tolerance of virtually anything and everything—except perceived intolerance.

The question this raises, of course, is whether a social order, a culture and community, can exist solely on such false pluralism. Is it possible for a culture to thrive when its only values are personal freedom and consumerism? Some years ago a character on the television sitcom “Family Ties” declared that her philosophy of life was “I shop; therefore I am.” It was meant to be comical, of course, but it well expressed the value-orientation of many, perhaps the majority, of Americans. Look at commercial advertising? What are the main appeals—even of even products that have nothing whatever to do with these values? Freedom (“no limits”) and personal success and happiness based on buying the product. Americans have come to believe, seduced by commercial advertising, that fulfillment comes from buying and possessing merchandise. And they have come to believe that fulfillment lies in having the absolute, unfettered freedom to live and behave in any manner they wish without fear of shame.

This is, of course, false pluralism because anyone who stands out and apart from this emphasis on personal freedom and who dares to express shame on people who flagrantly flaunt behaviors that are illegal or sinful are looked upon as either “old school fuddy-duddies” and/or intolerant bigots.

That is not true pluralism. Pluralism includes, requires, learning to live with multiple worldviews and belief systems—including ones you don’t like. Pluralism includes permitting a hearing for those who have traditional beliefs about morality.

So, appealing to pluralism, I will step out on a limb and declare here and now, very publically, that I consider the adage “An ye harm none, do as ye will” (the so-called Wiccan rede) an extremely pernicious moral code and one that is becoming normative not only for neo-Pagans for but for many Americans. In my opinion, which you must tolerate even if you disagree, “An ye harm none, do as ye will” is a baby step from Aleister Crowley’s “Do as ye will shall be the whole of the law.” (Yes, I have read attempted explanations of both that claim to explain them as meaning other than what they clearly say; I am not convinced.) Both are expressions of anomie. A well functioning culture needs a moral vision stronger than individual self-fulfillment (“Above all, be true to yourself”) to sustain itself.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

July 8, 2015

Reconsidering My Statements about Pope Francis

Next Post

July 14, 2015 Announcing My Newest Book: Counterfeit Christianity...

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Against Liberal Theology Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Thrown overboard in a storm, I spent three days and nights inside what creature?

Select your answer to see how you score.

A great fish Leviathan A sea monster A giant squid