In the movie Captain Phillips, the US cargo ship Maersk Alabama, which is 508 feet long, over 80 feet wide, with a deadweight tonnage of over 35 million pounds, was attacked by Somali skiffs that are open hull boats about 30 feet long, with a narrow beam, usually weighing under 1,000 pounds. When you think about the vast difference between those types of vessels, and the fact that cargo ships sit high above the water line even when they are fully loaded, and the boat that attacked Maersk had a pirate crew of 4 while the Maersk had a crew of 20, how in the world did the Somalis board and overpower the ship and crew?
The first reason is that when you are on a big boat sitting tall in the water, you feel safe. The security you feel is obviously false, but it’s still present in the minds of those on the big boat. Secondly, you represent a big, powerful company and they always do their due diligence to make sure you are safe, right? And third, can 4 or 5 pirates do that will hurt you on that big, safe boat?
The pirates are never the problem. The problem is lack of preparation, knowing how to respond, having a plan in place, and executing the plan effectively. Those ships move along slowly and the din of sea and engines dulls the senses to just about everything.
And so it is with morality. Morality refers to a set of principles or a code of conduct that determines what is considered right or wrong, good or bad, appropriate or inappropriate within a particular society, group, or by an individual. It involves intentions, decisions, and actions. It is based on philosophy, religion, culture, and individual values handed down through generations.
People with high morals generally act in the best interest of those around them; i.e., the majority. People with low morals almost always act within a very small sphere of influence and could care less about the greater good.
What has happened in Western culture, North America in particular, is that individuals and small groups with perverted morals have begun to influence the greater good by attacking like the pirates. They started small and worked their way up. They smiled and cooperated for a while to get their foot in the door. Then they began to redefine terms to suit their agenda. Then, when the “big” guys weren’t paying attention, they brought out their big guns for a takeover.
Admittedly, they have done a pretty good job. Thankfully, the people who live quiet lives, work hard, and care about their neighbors, have awakened to the moral perversion. Companies, individuals in small town, and even celebrities are calling out the hijackers.
What is going on around us in a society of otherwise peaceful people, is a bunch of thugs and sexual deviants who want their way regardless of who they hurt. They are like the sexually aberrant men in the biblical story of Sodom, from which, by the way, we get the word sodomy. The mindset was give us what we want, period. If you don’t, we will tear down your door and take it anyway.
And so it goes in every society that forgets God. Oh yeah, here it comes. The mythical creature in space who looks down an punishes. No, not really. Instead, the great God of the universe who loves mankind and wants what is best for him/her. As has been said many times, the moral slide in America began when prayer was removed from schools and further perpetuated when Americans fell for the lie of separation of church and state.
But there is always hope if those who believe in morality stand up and defend the historic meaning of the word against those who seek to destroy it.
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