THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, July 13, 1994 TAG: 9407130008
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 38 lines
Andrew Johnson (letter, June 24) writes that ``Right-wing activists and Americans in general need to realize that morals are relative. Morality is by definition the code of conduct of one person.'' It is precisely this kind of misguided and misinformed thinking that ``right-wing activists'' and Christians are trying to correct.
The ills of our society are not the result of overpopulation and class separation as, Mr. Johnson claims, nor even of the economy. They are the result of the moral relativism that Mr. Johnson is advocating. When a person determines his morality by ``What's best for me?'' there is usually little concern for others. A society that is governed by moral relativism is anarchy.
Prior generations believed that stealing, vandalism and murder were wrong, regardless of one's economic situation. Why? By believing in and adhering to an absolute set of moral standards, most of which are given in God's word, the Bible. Adherence to these standards saw our country through the Depression, two world wars and several other challenges.
Over the past 30 years, Mr. Johnson's moral relativism has gradually replaced the absolute standards of our forefathers. The result is a society with an epidemic of murder, assault, vandalism, divorce, selfishness and dishonesty, the consequences of ignoring God.
Christians and conservatives are not trying to force everyone to become Christians. However, we are trying to return our country to the standards of moral behavior that it was founded on.
PETER C. GROSSO
Suffolk, June 27, 1994 by CNB