Lately, I've been thinking about the apparent 'lack' of conscience that I've seen and heard of. A 3rd grade teacher told me that the thing that bothers her the most in recent years is that the kids seem to have no conscience. This is not a 'Christian' woman who made this statement. It was a simple observation of her students, after teaching for many years. Recently, in the news, there were two stories about kids who exhibited no conscience. In one, a girl was beaten in a locker room, and later, when the abusers were arrested, they showed no remorse. In the other, 3rd grade (did you hear me say 3RD GRADE?) students plotted to kill, or at least hurt, their teacher. A whole group of them had different assignments, one to tie her up, one to close the classroom curtains, etc. Why? Because the teacher had reprimanded one of their friends. (I'll see if I can pull up these stories and post them here.)
So what is it that is changing in our society? Why is this apparent lack of ability to understand the lawfulness or unlawfulness of our actions increasing?
Sorry, no answers yet. But I'll be looking at this. It seems to me that we must first understand what conscience is, how it operates, how it is hindered or damaged (assuming it can be).
Another question has arisen due to a thread on a forum that I frequent. A young man whose threads I watch posted the idea that man cannot reason to morality. Hm. Interesting topic and it will be included in this discussion of conscience.
But before I go on, I must study. This is not a subject to be taken lightly.
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1 comment:
I have thought about this as well and found some very good insight from a great gem of a book by Harvey Newcomb called 'How to be a Lady'. In his chapter titled 'Education of the Heart' he goes in depthy into how we educate our conscience. One of the ways he shares about got me really thinking about our current society. He wrote:
"Another means of educating the conscience is, the habit of thinking with approbation of what is right, and putting out of the mind with horror all thoughts of what is wrong. The most hateful things, by becoming familiar to the sight, lose much of the horror which they excite at first. A person who had never seen an animal killed would be deeply affected at the sight; but a butcher thinks nothing of it. So by thinking much of what is wrong, the conscience becomes defiled; while, if kept familiar only with the good, it would revolt instantly from the bad."
The things children see on TV and in movies and even going on in their own homes has desensitized them to horror of many evil things like hurting and even killing one another. Children's movies and cartoons have people getting killed throughout them anymore (like Disney's 'The Incredibles').
Great post and I look for ward to reading your findings.
Blessings,
Mandi
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