From "Moral Decline, the Media, and Natural Law" by Mike Shaw, posted at CatholicCity
The Culture and Media Institute has just released its National Cultural Values survey. 2,000 Americans aged 18 and older were asked a series of questions on moral issues.
Here are some key findings:
- 74 percent, including majorities of every major demographic group, say they believe moral values in America are weaker than they were 20 years ago.
- 48 percent say moral values are much weaker than they were 20 years ago.
- 68 percent, including majorities of virtually every demographic group, say the media—entertainment and news alike—is having a detrimental effect on moral values in America.
- 64 percent agree the news and entertainment media exercise powerful influence over American moral values. In fact, the substantial majority (74 percent) who believe moral values are weaker than twenty years ago consider the media to be the second greatest influence on moral values after parents and families.
Additional findings indicate that while most people give strong lip service to classical virtues, many don't actually walk the walk. Moreover, the authors of the study believe that there is a culture war in America, seem to agree that the media is largely at fault, and note that "Reversing America's moral decline will require a renewed acceptance of Orthodox values, which implies increased acceptance of God's authority."
What can we make of all this?
Read the rest of this article.
