Lotta lotta talk these days about culture and changing culture and culture wars. I thought it would be worth investigating to see what all the fuss was about, and I began by seeing if I could find a precise definition of the word " culture." I was .particularly curious as to what the terms "American culture" and "Judaeo-Christian culture" are referring to?
Definitions abound. The one that seems to incorporate elements of a majority of the popular definitions is this one: "A set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices that characterizes a group, institution or organization."
Problem #1. What does that mean?
What does "attitudes" mean? Attitudes about what? Justice? Freedom? Individualism? Sexuality? Homosexuality? Prostitution? Marriage? Family? Education? Sculpture?
Painting? Music? Crime? Society? Government? Etc. etc. etc.?
What does "values" mean? Compassion? Consideration? Benevolence? Rationality? Equality? Honesty? Integrity? Fairness? Etc. etc. etc.?
What does "goals" mean? Success? Wealth? Happiness? Longevity? Health?
What does "practices" mean? Social protocols? Religious rituals? Personal habits?
What does "shared" mean? Must everyone agree before it is considered "shared"? Is a majority enough? A plurality? To qualify as "shared," must it be generally agreed upon? Precisely to the last letter agreed upon? More or less agreed upon? Somewhat agreed upon? Vaguely agreed upon?
And agreed upon by whom? Every American, even if they live or are traveling abroad? Or only those physically in the United States? Including legal immigrants not yet citizens? What about illegal immigrants living here? Inmates in prison? On death row? Those in mental institutions?
Children? Over what age?
Problem #2. What if there is a conflict between a "value" and a "practice"? What if most people say that adultery is wrong but most married people have adulterous affairs? What becomes part of our culture? The value of faithfulness, or the acceptability of faithlessness?
Problem #3. Does a country's culture ever change? And if so, how? And by whom? Can it change suddenly or only over a period of time? What period? Can changes in our culture be impl emented by legislation? "Or only by voluntary choices made by free people?
Problem #4. Who is to answer these questions?
What do you say when some presumed pundit pontificates on a political issue like polygamy or same sex marriage or the torturing of terrorists and tells you that the answer can be found in the American or Judaeo-Christian culture or in our roots?
Ask him what the hell he's talking about?
And remind him that Judaeo and Christian attitudes, values, goals and practices sanctioned slavery, treated women as property like houses and farm animals, stoned infidels to death, approved of polygamy and concubines, smoked incense, did not prohibit prostitution, etc. etc. etc.
Enough said?
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