- somebody with high moral standards: a follower of a strict moral code
- critic of moral standards: somebody who seeks to regulate the moral standards and behavior of others
- specialist who studies morality: a student or teacher of morals as an academic discipline
I identify most with the third definition. Philosophy and the study of morals and morality are my greatest passions. I do try to live high moral standards and believe that it is important to encourage others around me to seek to live higher moral standards as well.
People often consider me a conservative. But I refuse to identify with either party. My sister wrote an excellent piece on political parties and their problems (which you can read if you click here) and my feelings mirror hers. People get so caught up with who is right and who is wrong. They get stuck on their "causes" or their platforms. It inhibits them from seeking what is most important: truth.
And that's my platform: seeking truth.
Some may argue that all truth is relative, and that there is no absolute truth. I laugh at that because that very statement disqualifies itself. If you say "there is no absolute truth" then you are actually saying "there is no absolute truth, except for this one statement" but if that one statement is true, then there IS absolute truth.
There are absolute truths out there. And yes because we are human and not all knowing we often interpret them according to our own subjective views of the world. However, just because we see things through a subjective lens, doesn't mean that there are no absolute truths.
I will not align myself with one party or the other because rather than focusing on the ever changing values of political parties, I want to focus on real, absolute values and focus on finding truth.
That is my goal. And I plan to blog my findings. Feel free to join me in the quest for truth, because in the end, the "truth shall set you free." (John 8:32)
I couldn't agree with you more. My feelings exactly. I will be following your blog. I was just discussing morality with a friend today. Thanks for your post.
ReplyDeleteAwesome Blog.
ReplyDeleteI love your heroes also.
It is wise to stay aloof from the parties, as I have seen that currently neither party really seems to base their philosophies on Absolute Truths, nor on lasting moral principles, but rather they seek their own private, self-serving ends, albeit those private ends are vastly different.
hey, i thought you would like this quote from a talk by Elder Oaks! He is one of my favorites!
ReplyDelete"Those who enjoy the blessings of liberty under a divinely inspired constitution should promote morality, and they should practice what the Founding Fathers called ―civic virtue.‖ In his address on the U.S. Constitution, President Ezra Taft Benson quoted this important observation by John Adams, the second president of the United States: ―Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.‖ Similarly, James Madison, who is known as the ―Father of the Constitution,‖ stated his assumption that there had to be ―sufficient virtue among men for self-government.‖ He argued in the Federalist Papers that ―republican government presupposes the existence of these qualities in a higher degree than any other form.‖
It is part of our civic duty to be moral in our conduct toward all people. There is no place in responsible citizenship for dishonesty or deceit or for willful law breaking of any kind. We believe with the author of Proverbs that ―righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.‖ (Prov. 14:34.) The personal righteousness of citizens will strengthen a nation more than the force of its arms."