For the Love of the Truth
How honest is our society? That’s an important question is it not? After all, without honesty our society is at risk. Without integrity among those in our work force our bridges could collapse, our money could disappear, or our health could be threatened.
In February of 2007 an article called “U-Fraud” was featured in McLean’s magazine. The front cover reads: “With more than half of Canadian university students cheating, all degrees are tainted. It’s a national scandal!” Inside we read: “44% of profs turn a blind eye to cheating.” “Studies suggest that unethical students become misbehaving employees.”
I mentioned this article to a graduate student. Her response shocked me. She said, “Oh, I used to write papers for students. They paid me for it. It helped me get through and it helped them get through.” She validates the point made in the article: Cheating is no longer viewed as dishonesty. It’s viewed as the way to survive the system.” Is this not symptomatic of a moral darkness in our society?
MacLean’s then asks: “Why don’t the schools put a stop to it?” Apparently, part of the reason is because it’s hard to control. Or it’s too much trouble. It could reflect badly on the universities and so they don’t want to know about it. In other words, they prefer to stay in the dark.
A student recently told me, “I try to figure out what my professor wants to hear, and then I tell him, even when I don’t agree. I just want to get my degree so I can get a job.”
Is this not a subtle compromise of integrity, just another shade of dishonesty? It is game-playing; it lets everybody off the hook. Maybe this doesn’t look like a problem because it is normal in society. It is pragmatism, where the end justifies the means.
Obviously it is impossible to eradicate cheating. Still, surely we have to draw the line somewhere. But even if we tried to make laws against cheating, laws cannot make dishonest people become honest. Laws can’t change the moral conscience.
Someone said: “When you lose the law of God, you end up with a society of lawyers.” Do you think there is some truth in that? After all, the Christian God is described as light – a light that exposes anything false or impure.
Many have been eager to put aside the religious oppressiveness of their past. I can’t blame them! But, I fear that too much gets tossed – like throwing out the baby with the bathwater. It merely leaves us in the dark, and we are no better off.
Surely, truthfulness is something worth trying to preserve – no matter what the cost.
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This passage goes in two directions from here: One for the local paper, and one for the church audience. In the paper, I entitle it, "For the Love of the Truth”. However, since SI is primarily a church audience, I will take that path, and eventally, the reason for the Title, “A Light that Won’t Go Out” will become self-evident.
Feel free to add comments at this point.
Diane