“Wherever an altar is found, there civilization exists.” Joseph De Maistre 1753-1821, diplomat

If you think back one just one hundred years ago, we were very much an agricultural, agrarian styled culture. People worked their farms and stayed much closer together. The extended family was an important part of a young mother's base of operations where she could turn to help should the need arise.

The second leg of our illustrated triangle was the church. Religion played an important part in moral training that told children, in no uncertain terms, what was expected of them in God's plan of life. They were told the Ten Commandments and expected to memorize them and observe them. There was no question in anyone mind where they would be spending Sunday mornings. If they weren't in church, they were on their deathbeds.

The third leg of a mother's operational triangle was her husband, who was by his own religious training, was expected to be considerate to his wife, and treat her with respect (1 Peter 3:7). Failure to do so would "hinder your prayers." Now, remember I'm speaking of one hundred years ago.

Today, we have single mothers, who seldom have time for church and don't depend upon their extended family because they live miles away. There is a deep-set belief in this country about the separation of church and state; children receive no moral training in the school or home. Children do not know how to act, and given a period of time like this for the child to mature, a mother could become fearful of her child's value judgments. The cliché "boys will be boys" is a lame excuse for the actions a lot of young teenage men.

So what can we do? We can't turn back the clock. There has been a "back to the Bible" moment that could help both mothers and children. Morality has to be an important part of today's instruction. Children should be allowed to receive, during a structured timetable, instruction in the religion of their choice as part of their school curriculum. Failure to do so will only cause the downfall of the American system as we head toward a godless society.

K.