Traditional Values

Why do people often boil traditional values down to sex or no sex? I should think being honest or a law abiding person is more valuable than no sex until one is married, or not dressing sexy. For that matter, what is sexy and what is too sexy and what is decent? Who sets the standard? Is nudity immoral or the cause of bad behavior? Is sex before marriage immoral or the cause of other bad behaviors?


This issue reminds me of the fast food argument. Some people say the government has no business telling us what to eat or setting standards in calories for restaurants. People argue that it's the individual's responsibility not the restaurant. So no matter how many calories, how cheap, or how good looking that cheese burger or chocolate cake is advertised, it’s really up to the individual to decide to act or not act, right? Would those same people use that argument for premarital sex or modesty? Doesn’t fast food kill? Isn’t it bad for children and adults? Shouldn’t we prosecute adults who feed their children too many high caloric foods, or call for their repentance at church?

For some people the burka is the ultimate in traditional values. Who sets our traditional values and standard? How far it too far in adopting any value and how do you know? If premarital sex is so wrong and the reason for so much evil or immoral behavior, then make it a law that every women should wear a burka and every person should have to wear devices that keep them from having sex unless they are married.

I’m not setting a standard, just asking questions. Of course I hold onto the value that we should do no harm and give people liberty to be themselves. How much liberty, in my opinion, should be based on actual harm caused by a person’s behavior, actions or beliefs? Harm is a matter of feeling for some people, but harm isn’t about feelings. It’s about real harm, not perceived or believed harm. It’s about actual facts and evidence of harm. Years ago we had a couple of presidential commissions on porn. The conclusion from both commissions was simply that porn can not be linked to the cause of rape, violence against women or illegal behavior. Try as they might, there wasn’t a link.

We need to link values with things that we can prove help us and don’t hurt us. We need to link values with responsibility for our young and give solid reasons for why we do what we do. If we don’t care to adopt values based on sound principles then women should wear burkas so men and boys don’t lust and sin against someone’s god, or worse yet, cause them to commit a crime.

Bill J.