Apparently, today, men the world over are quietly celebrating a milestone in human history - for disturbing reasons. As I am told, today was Miley Cyrus' birthday, and she is now 18 years old. This quiet celebration is one of the more disturbing sides to American mores, as men all over the world now believe that it is morally acceptable for them to lust after this young woman. Apparently, this socially established norm declares that the 18th birthday constitutes a barrier which, once broken, entitles men the world over to let their minds run wild over this young woman.Society is composed of individuals, the majority of whom disregard Jesus' command not to lust after someone. In fact, society at large has augmented the command to "thou shalt not lust after someone who is under age."
Secular man is a tremendously effective moralist - provided he be allowed to set the rules. If you don't believe this, simply watch an episode of Dateline: To Catch a Predator. If there is one group of monsters which Americans are happy to lynch unmercifully, it is pedophiles. Americans can all agree that pedophilia is wrong, and they will jump on the first person who has sex with a person who is under 18 years old. And yet what of lust in the heart?
Don't misunderstand me. I am not trying to minimize the horror or evil of pedophilia. Pedophilia is gross and perverse. Instead of minimize the ugliness of pedophilia, I am actually trying to maximize the evil of lust in general and demonstrate how Americans set boundaries within which they can feel moral in exercising their lustful cravings, so long as they don't cross their own established line.
To relate this thought with the current subject, many men feel that they are 'behaving themselves' if they wait until a woman is of a particular age before thinking sexual thoughts about them. A version of this belief is actually tolerated by women as well, and so men alone cannot be blamed for our present state of affairs. Both genders create and tolerate their own mores. All things then considered, we actually live in a society of prudes and moralists who are very proud that they are obeying their own laws and who will utterly and mercilessly disembowel those who break their rules.
Our own society, while bragging of its tolerance and kindness, has a list of its own wrongs which it will not forgive. If John Hathorne was an unforgiving monster, then modern man is ten times the monster to those who break its own rules. But these rules are easy to follow, providing you are not a pedophile, a Christian, a serial killer or a bigot.
Question- Where have the dads gone. We know what draws the eyes and yet many let their daughters advertise that which should not be for sale.
ReplyDeleteChris Matthews