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Among the many problems that beset modern Western societies,
and ours not least, is the lawlessness, thuggery, thievery,
and wanton destruction that is reeked on them by children
and young people. Our society is affected in so many ways
by a criminality that demands in responses what takes away
from those services which are of utmost importance to its
welfare. When we pay for the often horrific effects of lawlessness
we spend what is needed to tackle weaknesses and deficiencies
so apparent in education, health and social services especially.
We are well acquainted with the thinking of experts, and
ordinary people, on the reasons for the bad behaviour of children
and teenagers - lack of parental control, of discipline in
schools and communities, too lenient treatment of convicted
offenders - are used frequently. But to know the reasons for
what is going on is to question what needs to be done to change
a situation which brings suffering, distress and despair to
many of our most vulnerable people. As an organisation with
a commitment to high ethical standards of conduct and behaviour
we deeply deplore what is happening in this society.
We contribute to its well being in advocating and maintaining
attitudes to life based on the Christian Faith and what it
gives to us and demands from us in the practice of that faith.
Junior Lodges have encouraged youngsters to appreciate values
that make for good character and conduct and to avoid what
is hurtful to them and to people generally.
Our contribution is the reminder that a loss to this society
has been the lessening of the influence of organisations,
mostly church centred, whose influence for good, in their
strengths, was inestimable. The reasons for their disappearance
in many places are well known. Time was when the churches
had their effect on the lives of nearly everybody. Now in
the urban situation the churches may have little or no influence
on the life of anybody.
Whatever else may be said on the matter the reality is that
as the influence of the churches has been eroded and so society
has lost ethical values which had been the enriching of it
in other days. This means that the churches, if they are to
survive in an increasingly secular society, must do much more
in their efforts to make the Christian message meaningful
to people; to emphasise the life changing and enabling power
of Christ and the benefits of the faith in the everyday and
everyway experiences of their lives. We have looked at the
problem and we ask what can we do to change the awful situation
confronting us?
We can use our influence as citizens in supporting every
effort being made to help affected parents to fulfil their
obligations to their children, to road them in the right directions,
while recognising the hard struggle they have in environments
entirely unconductive to proper parenting.
There is always need for sympathy and sensitivity people
to parents, that goes, also, for teachers and schools in their
extraordinary difficult task to teach the sometimes determinedly
unteachable. Appreciation and congratulation may be called
for when there are successes and some are educated in spite
of their difficulties and dangers.
While children can be changed, redirected, we may hope for
the future. Because Christianity is at its best when it is
at its most practical we must support and help, in whatever
way we can, those plans and purposes of government. Local
government and all other agencies who are working for the
well being of this society and for the peace and prosperity
of all its citizens.
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