Boundaries

It is interesting to me that so many older cultures put such an emphasis on the rules of etiquette and behavior. The correct forms for ones various relationships draw clear boundaries for ones behavior. That is to say that one should treat a parent thusly, a grandparent is treated thusly, a friend, a neighbor, a stranger, a person of higher social status, one of lower social status etc., all are treated with different boundaries in mind. All the ancient cultures have clearly defined rules regarding how people should interact.

The Bible has been the primary source for rules of conduct between people in Western culture for centuries. It was accepted by our founding fathers as THE source of moral authority because they saw the common sense in it's laws regardless of whether one believes in it's theology or not. Our constitution nowhere says: "Thou Shalt Not Murder"...what it says is: "If a citizen commits murder, the state has the right to take away their life or liberty. Our founding fathers realized the NEED for a standard beyond the constitution that we can agree on. We need a common set of standards/boundaries that we can all live by.

There are a lot of people who hate the Bible because of it's assertion that it contains God's laws/boundaries. What the Bible says, and what most older cultures believe in some form, is that freedom only lies in the willing acceptance of the rules that govern life. Take sexual laws for example: The Bible outlines strict laws against incest, homosexuality, adultery, fornication and bestiality. Those that have the desires to engage in these practices hate to be told that their behavior is sinful. These are people who simply do not want to be told what to do or not do. They believe they should be "free".

Leaving aside the questions of sin and eternal life, the laws that the Bible advocates draw clear boundaries on the, very powerful, sex drive in human beings. To adhere to these laws provides the observant society greater stability.  There would be very few unwanted pregnancies and still fewer sexually transmitted diseases in such a society. Children in such a society would know who their parents are. There would be fewer divorces with less of the destructive impact on children and society that divorce creates. There would be less need for time in the court system to interject itself into the lives of families. The stability that such a society had would be felt in many areas of life.

But, there are too many people who want to follow their impulses...because they want to follow their impulses. They give no thought to what kind of society would develop if everyone did the same. We humans are naturally hostile to being told how to live...regardless of the logic of it. We 'think' we want a life without boundaries...until some of us think it through to it's logical conclusion...chaos and confusion. Many people simply don't care what effect such behavior leads to. They want what they want.

Many such people are hostile towards anything that tells them they are wrong and anyone or anything who attempts to enforce such standards. They hate the police, they hate the Ten Commandments, they even hate God.

Some of them advocate for anarchy, believing that all men can live in peace if allowed to do what they want. The lessons of history prove otherwise. Experiments in anarchy have typically ended in disaster.

Such thinking is immature and ill-reasoned and such people should never be allowed to be in authority over other peoples lives. Such people don't think about the long range implications of their behavior. The reality is many such people ARE in in authority in this country. The results have already proven disastrous...

A great many of the problems people have in relationships comes from having unclear boundaries. This is a simple truth that most counselors can tell you. It's a little harder to actually maintain those boundaries though. All of us have impulses. Not all of us have the same degree of control over them.

As Americans we like to think we are above such rules. We argue that we should be able to do what we feel. We may think that recognizing no such rules of etiquette/behavior gives us a greater degree of freedom. I posit here that all it gives us is a greater degree of chaos. History and psychology are on my side of the argument.

We NEED to bring back a common set of values that guide all our lives. I argue for the Bible, of course, because I believe it is God's Word. I don't believe it's necessary for every individual to believe that. I do believe that, as a society, it can only help us to have a belief in God. Just think of how the behavior of individuals changes when they believe they are being watched. I know we are being watched.

And I know I have to stand before God one day. That hasn't made me a perfect person...but it has made me a better person. It has given me a standard of behavior to aim for. I have a clear template for personal and spiritual growth in the scriptures. Not everyone will agree with me but the logic that we NEED a common standard is undeniable. We need boundaries...

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