My Criterion of Goodness…

At a time when we are tightening up our standards on material things, it is ironic⎯tragic⎯that there should be a loosening of standards pertaining to principles, laws, morals, manners. On labels, drugs, foods, materials and equipment of every kind, there is pressure for greater accuracy and honesty, yet at the same time there is more condoning of moral laxity, more compromising of principles, laws, commandments, conduct. While insisting on precision and quality in physical products, some will say that decisions pertaining to moral laws and principles have become merely a matter of personal preference. But to judge ourselves and others and to keep ourselves safe there must be measures of what is true or false, what is right or wrong. The effect on people, their health, their happiness, must be the measure of what is good or bad. What builds the body, the mind, the spirit; what improves health and happiness is good. What impairs health and happiness is bad. What leads a man to morality, to honesty, to prayerfulness, to peace, to a quiet conscience is good. What leads him to turmoil, to quarreling with himself, to destroying his peace and self respect is bad. What is enslaving, habit forming and impairs our powers could hardly be wholesome. Robert Burns has given this guide: “Whatever mitigates the woes or increases the happiness of others⎯this is my criterion of goodness,” he said. “And whatever injures society at large, or any individual in it⎯this is my measure of iniquity.” This would seem to help us decide: Whatever relieves human problems or increases happiness, real happiness⎯the happiness of health, of peace, of goodness, is good. What injures society or anyone in it, mentally, physically, morally, is bad. There must be standards⎯for people, for principles⎯as there are for products. And there is no way of setting aside the consequences of right or wrong.