The discussion about bible studies at school is a reaction to our realising that we have lost our moral compass as a nation. Because we remember the days of pre-independence as being without this type of lawlessness, it is easiest to point to a single change, such as the removal of bible studies from schools, and say we should reinstate this and then things will become better.
Unfortunately this is too easy an argument and might even detract us too long while these things continue to occur in our communities.
We need to tackle the root of the problem directly; There is a lack of godliness in our culture since we embraced our Independence. By this I refer to the feeling that as individuals we are aware that our deeds on earth will be judged when we pass from this earth. This feeling is the one that makes you look around when you are about to do something wrong. That feeling that makes you come to the defence of those more vulnerable in our community, that feeling that makes us give of our time, money and even possessions to make life a little easier for those around us.
This feeling of fraternity, or brotherhood, is not natural to being human. At birth we are naturally self-centred and believe ourselves to be the centre of the universe and that everyone around us is there to serve our needs. As we grow our parents and community teach us that we are part of the human race, and need to invest into our relationships with those around us to also receive something in return. This education is part of growing up and provided by our parents. It starts with our Mothers’ teaching us to no longer drink from her breasts but to eat on our own and eventually be able to earn our own living to enable us to purchase our own food.
In the same way, our parents have to teach us that we are not the centre of the universe in terms of possessions or earthly goods but rather that “we should love others as we love ourselves”.
This is what gives us human beings our godliness: Our ability to understand that we must respect and cherish all that is around us on earth. This includes our partners, our children, our institutions and even our natural world. If we can teach this awareness of godliness from birth we will soon have s society that we can all be proud of.
Godliness is thus not about a specific religion, or book, but the universal teaching of us treating each other as the gods we all are.
A sense of godliness in each of us will see
less need of laws stopping the
- abuse by companies of consumers,
- abuse by men of women in relationships,
- abuse by those in power of the trust of those who put them there, and
- abuse of the very earth and its natural surroundings that is the Land of the Brave.
