Rampant deceit in America’s youth

One indicator of the trend in our society to accept lies and deceit from our leaders as a natural course of good leadership is revealed in the latest national survey of high school students. In a voluntary survey of nearly 30,000 students at 100 randomly selected high schools across the country, 64 percent admitted they have cheated on tests and 35 percent said they have stolen items from a store.

In response to the findings that showed the current generation of students may be less honest than previous generations, one educational leader said the following:

“The competition is greater, the pressures on kids have increased dramatically,” said Mel Riddle of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. “They have opportunities their predecessors didn’t have (to cheat). The temptation is greater.”

The most interesting revelation is that 93 percent of the students claimed they were satisfied with their personal ethics and 77 percent said their moral values were better than most people they know.

The most surprising reaction from educators responding to the survey results was this remark by Mel Riddle:

“We have to create situations where it’s easy for kids to do the right things.”

Dying faith?

If we are to believe that most American families are professing Christians, then what does this survey say about the influence of Christian ideals and principles? Or to put it bluntly, how much impact does faith in Jesus have in our nation’s youth … or does such faith even exist in a majority of America’s youth, whether or not they profess to be Christians?

Truth seems to hold far less relevance in America today. The leaders we elect to Congress and the White House lie routinely. Yet, lies and distortions of truth seemingly have little impact upon their supportive constituents. We are far more apt to want to hold political opponents accountable than those leaders who we supported. That trend is evident in Christian voters across the spectrum.

Accountability is another lost quality, along with integrity. Winning has become the ideal, regardless of the costs. And, as the spokesperson for the National Association of Secondary School Principals said, students have greater temptations and greater opportunities to cheat today than ever before. Without a solid bedrock foundation of moral values that do not change depending on circumstances, these students will grow up to be the next generation of lying, cheating leaders of a lost nation.

And America will likely still consider herself better than all others, just as these students consider their ethics better than everyone else they know.

Of course, this trend could be broken.

If only there were some core group of people with a rule book that provides proven ideals by which we could teach our children how to live … .

Posted on November 30th, 2008 by MikeGreen
Filed under: Truth & Christians, thebook

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