Of family life and values – May 18

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Of family life and values – May 18


Of family life and values – May 18 PDF Print E-mail

REGENERATING THE MORAL AND SPIRITUAL VALUES OF OUR SOCIETY

By Vernon Khelawan

The constant stream of news reports that tell of murder and mayhem, child abuse, spousal abuse, rape, robberies, gang clashes and home invasions reflect the seriousness of the challenge we face as a nation. Add to these stories the social issues of squatting, exploitation of workers and an assortment of scams, and we have a picture of a society adrift of its moral and spiritual moorings and in danger due to the almost total breakdown of family life.

While the Church is determined to do what it can to reverse the situation, it will take a national offensive to save our country.

All of the social ills which today dominate our society stem, in large part, from the absence or breakdown of family life. As we pursue the goal of Regenerating the Moral and Spiritual Values of our Society, the full importance of exemplary family life has to be appreciated.

The Priority’s guidebook states, “The ideal which the Church presents is the home with the married couple, the father and mother, along with the children. Then there are other forms like the extended family, (severely diminished at this time), the single parent family home led by the father or the mother.” Regardless of the form that the family takes, it has an “essential role” to play concerning this Third Priority.

It has always been said that “the family is the very cornerstone of society”. So to the extent that family life breaks down, a society stands on shaky ground (the cornerstone would ultimately give way – a situation which is so obvious in our society today). Therefore the guidebook advises, “It is crucial that the family, which has been referred to as the domestic Church, does its part, not only in the pro-creation of life, but also in the education of its children.”

The task of reviving the moral and spiritual values in the society cannot be the work of the Church alone. It is the responsibility of all right-thinking people living in our beloved land to embark on personal and group programmes/efforts to arrest the downward slide on the slippery slope of “anything goes”.