Is America losing its moral framework, sacrificing ‘we’ for ‘I’?
A new book is a must read for anyone concerned about the moral compass of this nation. Pick up a copy of “Morality” by Jonathan Sacks. He is a world-renowned thinker who writes in a clear and easy style, but he still hits the big issues we’re grappling with as we try to hold onto our fundamental values — the ones that preserve our freedom and secure the future of American society.
Sacks identifies the main problem: We have moved from a “We” to an “I” state of mind, not only in America but also in the West. He argues that societies have three critical components. One is the economy, which is about distribution of wealth. The second is the state, the distribution of power. The third is the moral system, which he describes as the voice of society within the self. Sacks writes that it is the “voice that says ‘No’ to the individual Me for the sake of the collective Us.”
Is America on the brink of losing that sense of “We” to become focused only on the “I”? We are looking at so many issues, among them health care and the institutions of justice, and there are many more “We” vs. “I” challenges. Clearly, race is a fundamental problem still unresolved, as we have seen over the summer of 2020.
Religion has to be a “We” institution that provides a moral framework for the American people. When religious leaders lose sight of the “We” and become more involved in “I” issues, the entire community is diminished. Religion has to play a mighty role, not only in advocating for the issues that each denomination considers critical to its ideology, but also in figuring out how to preserve the equilibrium in American society. If we are not careful, we can destroy our own moral fiber.
Right now we are watching the nomination process for a new Supreme Court justice. These kinds of hearings seem always to bring out the worst in our attitudes toward liberals and conservatives. Liberals worry about preserving health care and reproductive rights; many conservatives are concerned about the same issues — with opposite solutions.
What happens after the justice is confirmed by the majority party, and the individual takes his or her seat on the court? We have a residue of animus between the people, and damage to the credibility of the Supreme Court. In the end, the American people lose faith in their institutions.
Religions are supposed to be repositories of the moral wellspring of our nation. Even the Bible itself is used as a political weapon to advocate for the political position of a candidate or a political party. We invoke the word of God and say that Scriptures prove our point and that we are on the right side. But is there anyone or any group in our culture willing to utter that now-frightening word — compromise, or the greater common good — in our public debates? The silencing of those voices is deafening these days.
“Society is constituted by a shared morality,” Sacks writes, and quotes Lord Devlin: “A culture of ‘We’ means a community of ideas; without shared ideas on politics, morals and ethics, no society can exist.”
What happened to our shared morality? We hear about threats of insurrection in the streets after the results of a presidential election. We hear about kidnappings of elected officials. We hear about burning and destruction of property and life itself while exercising our right to protest. I have heard community members and elected officials say to me, “Rabbi, we are in the midst of a Civil War.”
These actions and this rhetoric destroys that shared morality we rely upon to survive as a society. We are not headed in the right direction. Isn’t it time to change course? Isn’t it time that community leaders, including clergy and elected officials, become problem solvers for the common good?
If we cannot unite as a nation to protect our own people, if we protest wearing masks because they threaten our freedom, then how are going to stop the carnage of mass deaths from COVID19? Are we really willing to give up on America the “We” and sacrifice it all for “I”?
I pray that we think long and hard on this question. Time is running out.