Multiculturalism occurs when differing people groups are combined for some reason, often by an external force to at least one of the groups. When the values of each group differ, the pressure from opposing sides to conform is increased. Ethnic strife resulted from these situations throughout human history, none more obvious than what we refer to as the Civil War 150 years ago. The United States has continued to add more people groups, with widely varying traditions since. Many urban areas still have neighborhoods referred to as Chinatown, Little Italy, or neighborhoods referred to as barrios. The integration brought about by Civil Rights legislation and desegregation activities blended the customs and cultures over time. The USA is now a multicultural society.
The favorability of values sometimes differed between the people groups, causing friction and concern. A tolerance movement spread throughout the country suggesting that all values be universally accepted for the peace and civility of all concerned. This thought process morphed into acceptance of all morals and a societal view making everything desirable and worthy of esteem. The problem is that the distinction between what is right and what is wrong can’t come from a societal majority, or societal acceptance. Failure to do what is right is called sin. God sent the law to ensure we understood we are not righteous. No culture or society should ever determine our morality. Absolute truth never changes.
Inclusion of all values or rejection of all values in a multicultural society leads to the same disastrous result. Shared values are those acts and customs that can be agreed upon via compromise or reasonably universal acceptance. Scheduling Christmas on December 25th is an example. Rejected values are those acts and customs that violate civil right laws and can’t gain legal status. Forced teenage female circumcision is an example. Between the two sides of shared and rejected is a vast area that includes not only legal status considerations, but ethical and moral as well. Each citizen has rights, and in a free country the ability to exercise those rights. When the exercise of those rights restricts the rights of another it is wrong. If it only offends them, it is freedom, a value worthy of esteem.
Traditional values usually refer to the origin of the values. The origin of the USA came from a declaration that led to a revolutionary war, and a constitution that led to a country. The tradition of slavery changed slower than the wording of the constitution that called men free. The tradition of federalism came with the results of the civil war that freed the slaves, but has massively grown since. The multiculturalism of races, religions, orientations, and genders has included political values along the way. The varying views of proper values by the electorate are often shaped by media portrayal of parties, candidates, or legislation. The changing media delivery has coincided with a polarization of views regarding proper values and the government decisions that affect all citizens.
Businesses will often publish a list of values, and sometimes refer to them as shared values, suggesting all employees should agree. The U.S. Army lists seven values: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. Respect for the values of others does not mean acceptance or agreement with those values, so the proper place for the three branches of government is to ensure freedoms that don’t restrict others are protected. Taxation of all citizens for the common good of some is a slippery slope. A key cause of the revolutionary war was taxation without representation. Taxation to ensure freedoms for only some citizens, but restrictions on others, is tyranny to the one being restricted but taxed. Jesus said in response to the tax question “Render unto Caesar what is Caesars, and to God what is God’s”.
God is absolute truth, a standard to measure our values against. Absolute truth, defined in the January 2007 edition of this blog, is “that which is true for all people, for all times, for all places". Excellent guidelines, rules, ordinances, beliefs, resolutions, laws, traditions, and perceptions must never be at the same plane as the truth. Values that come from these societal standards may not be bad, but may not be universal. Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth, and the life”, so my values should not conflict with His. I claim the basis of my values from the Bible as a Christian, but also the Constitution as an American. I also claim as the basis of my values my life experience that differs from many other people. The 60 previous entries in this blog cover in detail what they are. What are your values, why do you claim them, and have they changed from reading mine?
