MOOREality

One of my favorite quotes of all time came from a newspaper clipping. The author is unknown to me, but their message lives on due to its simplistic abstractness.

The 19th century was about economic freedom. The 20th century was about political freedom. This century will be about Americans deciding for themselves what's moral and what's not.

Morality. Always a polarizing topic for debate. One could easily say that this century's America has been guided by a leader who has based his entire political party on a platform of "morality." Many others would venture to say that this very leader has led the world down a highly immoral path. And these same people might also mention that in today's social climate the time has come to jump back onto the 20th century's battle of fighting for "political freedom."

Morality to me has never had much to do with whether or not someone practiced a particular religion or dreamed about falling in love with a certain gender. But maybe I have always been wrong.

Morality is defined in Webster's Dictionary as
1. moral quality or character; rightness or wrongness, as of an action
2. the character of being in accord with the principles or standards of right conduct, specif., virtue in sexual conduct... ethics

Dictionary.com defines morality as
1. The quality of being in accord with standards of right or good conduct.
2. A system of ideas of right and wrong conduct: religious morality; Christian morality.

I had no idea that "rightness or wrongness" were so black and white. I was also never aware that morality was solely a Christian mindset. Are Buddhists not living lives in accordance with "right or wrong conduct?" Do Jews lack the ability to have "moral quality or character?" And as far as "virtue in sexual conduct" I'm not sure where to even begin. Is playful nibbling allowed? How about kissing outside the lips? Positions other than missionary? Sex between a man and woman without the possibility of procreation?

This century will be about Americans deciding for themselves what's moral and what's not.

I do not know the position of this writer. What defined morality for him? Or her? Who defines morality for me? Or you? But this past week I was struck by a line in (of all places) my sister's blog. The continuation of a sentence ended with...

is right or wrong.

is right or wrong. What? I believe that right or wrong is based on truth, honesty, kindness towards others, the desire to better yourself and the world around you, accepting that not everyone will look, act, or think like you do, taking care of this planet while we can, not starting wars when they can be avoided, not invading countries that we are aware can not hurt us, not sending young men and women to die for no reason, not taking away women's reproductive rights, knowing that there are bigger things in this world than ourselves, letting go of anger, of jealousy, of bitterness and of greed.

Morality may mean a million things to you or me. Morality is meant to not be easy to pin down, to quantify, to define. But morality is not a Christian way of living and it is not a Heterosexual way of living either.

Morality is the constant attempt to make this planet what it could be. It is going about your day in spite of everything negative around you. It is trying to bring that outside confrontation down and show it that there are other options. It is trying, trying, trying to not let the anger and fear inside yourself eat you alive. It is goodness, to every person on this earth. It is peace.

I don't however know how to define morality for this country in the year 2006. I can only define it for myself. Luckily though This century has almost another 94 years to figure out how to define the black and white of right or wrong. But I can't say I'm not afraid of where we're headed. I can not trust our leader any longer and that is certainly a dangerous way to live.

There is so little that I know I know these days. But without question I am sure that is right or wrong. is everything.