The current malaise in our society

The current malaise in our society stems from the separation of law from morals and religion. At one time they were intermingled and with good reason.

Ultimately it is not politicians who will lead us out of this but parents. It is parents who have primary responsibility for teaching values to their children and it is the duty of the rest of us to support them as it is their duty to do it. There are shared values that can be both taught and learnt. Values are learnt in the home and then replicated in the street. If there is a vacuum of values at home, if parents absolve themselves of this responsibility, the values of the street will be replicated in the home and violence will come home to roost.


Parents must shoulder the responsibility for where their children are, who they are with and what they are doing. The state cannot do this and nor should it be expected to. We cannot at the same time complain about a "nanny state" or a "big brother society" and then expect the state to raise our children. It is not the primary responsibility of teachers, social workers or probation officers to teach values, distinguish between right and wrong, or to provide a moral compass to our young people. Each of these groups can play their part in assisting or supporting parents but they cannot replace them.


The criminalisation of generations of black men is now being accompanied by the demonisation of Asian, Muslim, men. The tendencies of the past to treat all young black men as criminals, even whilst they lay bleeding to death on the street, has led to a deep mistrust of all those parts of society who have played their part in encouraging that tendency. Criminality does not belong to one ethnic group – nor is it innate. It is learnt. It is not a 'Black problem', it is a human problem. Statistically, White men are responsible for the vast majority of burglary in our country, but we do not hide away our car keys when we see a white man walking down the street.


Physical poverty can breed the conditions in which criminality flourishes, but spiritual and moral poverty will lead to crime. As long as idolatry and rampant materialism replace faith and hope, criminality will continue to take hold of our young. Without values to guide them and the transformation of life that comes though faith, through the spiritual riches of a relationship with Christ, criminality amongst young people of all ethnic groups will continue to fester.