Erosion of civic consciousness

With the growing complexity of society a breakdown of traditional community values has become visible. The ordered way of life of say half a century ago depended to a great extent on social control. The task of the police-force was facilitated by the cooperation of the community. Former values had their roots in religious morals. In the West it was Christianity that laid down a generally accepted conduct of living based on a distinction between what was considered good and evil. Most other religions like Islam have similar codes.

Better education has made a greater number of people look at life through scientific instead of religious spectacles. Church dogmas have become questioned and with it church-attendance has decreased drastically. Religion has made way for an easy agnosticism and indifference.
With it community values crumbled. Young people are not automatically instilled with civic consciousness either at home or at school. Instead they have been taught to question them and resist pressure from outdated social hierarchical structures.

This process dates from the late sixties when leftist views became fashionable amongst the intellectual elite that strongly influenced the media. In the wake of this kind of cynical approach towards life the feeling of togetherness has diminished in spite of appeals to 'solidarity'. Fact is that the threshold separating youngsters from crime and cruelty towards fellow-beings has been lowered in the last decades.

The loss of vision of a nation cannot but have repercussions in all divisions. In the past citizens might have been divided according to their religious affiliations, yet their outlook fitted into a broad pattern. Now that the foundations of conscience have been rocked there is no controlling factor left besides the law. Education does not instil in children a sense of being involved in a great adventure anymore calling for courage and responsibility. It does not emphasize spiritual values. Young uninformed minds may conclude cynically: "Life ends at the grave", "there is no such thing as a soul", "live for the moment as there is no accounting for one's deeds", "the clever ones inherit the earth".

There are no transcendental values left because these have never been proven scientifically. The view that our lives may have a far greater reach than we can imagine is considered outmoded. So are spiritual values and a grand vision for mankind and its place in the universe. In the materialistic outlook of modern science morality and responsibility have no actual foundation. Why should one observe these values if life ends at the grave?

Anything transcendental that cannot be proven and therefore does not fit into the ever-changing concepts of the scientific establishment, is fiercely combated by sceptic societies like CSICOP, which have a great grasp on the media.

Apparently the only cause that can rally a nation now is catastrophe, terrorism and war.