Do you believe western civilization is in a state of moral decline?

[helloworldtomorrow]

Yes. I believe that in the pursuit of trying to be more "intelligent", western civilisation is using science to try and explain everything. Unfortunately, science is unemotional and lacks humanity, it only explains things on a superficial and "mathematical" level. It doesn't really take morals or values into account and while it provides tangible proof to many mysteries, it still lacks that "something extra" that makes us human - the soul (which includes morals).

 

[max]

In particular places like the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, and those countries typically associated with the west.

 

[bskelkar]

Nope!!!
They have finished the decline and are the lowermost level not on the decline!!!
To those who think Nuclear attack on Japan during WW2 and killing millions, was moral or to keep on making nuclear weapons and telling other countries not to do it, is moral or attack on Iraq was moral, I want to say nothig.

 

[shintake]

Why is terrorism becoming rampant these days? Do you honestly think that these so-called terrorists did what they have to just because of simple hate? No! I think their hate has turned into grudge - a product of the long ill-feeling of these people or nations to the greed of the first-world countries of the west. It has started way back in history. Their imperialism is now gaining its dreaded consequence. These western "civilized" nations claimed they showed care and offer help to poor or third-world countries. Or is it? Again, no! They are just doing that because they want to gain something in return. Take US for example. Why do they keep meddling in the affairs of other countries like Iraq? Not because of terrorism, no but because of oil. They want to rule the world and they are doing that implicitly. As the current Pope has said, "Greed will destroy the world!"

Another point: Christianity blossomed in Europe. People respect their beliefs. But that was before. Their magnificent churches are now empty with worshippers but packed with travellers. During world wars, they are very close to their beliefs but now that they gained wealth as nations, they already forgot what they believed and what they have fought for. It's now legal to do abortion. They condemned the killings during world wars but now, do you think they value life by killing the pre-born? So where is moral ascendancy in that?

 

[bloggersvilleusa]

"Patriotism, a casualty of the anti-Vietnam War movement, was replaced with relentless anti-Americanism. Old-time American reliance on family and home was engulfed by radical feminism, which vehemently denied that a woman's most important role in life could be motherhood. Abortion became widely regarded as a right protected by the Constitution of the United States.

An "anything-goes" attitude pervaded society. It soon became the motto of a whole generation far more likely to demand unending fun and comfort than to agree to the hard work and self-sacrifice for family and nation that had characterized earlier generations and which had led to American success and prosperity of the West. At least that's how conservative intellectuals have viewed what's happened during the last 40 years."

 

[MICHAEL B]

No more than usual. Civilisations change their moral habits all the time. Once we though it immoral to refrain from hanging murderers, now most of us believe the opposite. In my lifetime I have heard gossipping women excusing a man imprisoned for molesting a little girl on the grounds that "At least it's normal," - by contrast with those disgusting homosexuals who did unspeakable things to other grown men! Now of course the reverse is the usual moral response.

The test (in secular, social terms) of a morality is whether or not it works; whether or not it creates conditions in which the mass of people may live fulfilled lives. It is clear that a huge variety of systems might do this, if accepted by the people of the community.

Even religion, despite its claim to be eternally valid, usually progressively bends its rules as time goes on. We no longer burn heretics, for instance, and the churches' attitudes to family and sexual life are not what they were even 50 years ago.

What we should rightly be terrified of is any moral system, religious or secular, which fails to adapt to changing circumstances. Having no choice, we must live in the world as it is, and regulate our behaviour appropriately - we cannot, and should not try to preserve outdated systems of ethics.