In 2011 George Jonas wrote in the National Post, “Don’t let Western civilization—the best and most humane form of civilization developed by mankind—perish by default.” I saved that quote. And today it is one of the most important quotes in my newly released book BACK TO THE ETHIC: RECLAIMING WESTERN VALUES from Mantua Books, an award-winning publishing company in Canada.
Not only are we under attack from those who hate our way of life, our Western culture is crumbling from internal pressures: from idolizing tolerance, inclusion, and accommodation to the point that we welcome beliefs, customs, and rituals that undermine our democracy—in the name of democracy!
Look at what is happening in Europe and particularly in Sweden. “Since the Parliament decided in 1975 that Sweden should be multicultural and not Swedish, crime has exploded. Violent crime has increased by more than 300%, and rapes have increased by an unbelievable 1,472%. Sweden has allowed a huge influx of people who are not familiar with western culture into the country and these people refuse to acculturate -to take on the values of Sweden. Sweden is falling apart. “The politicians, however, ignore the people's fear completely. It is never discussed. Instead, the people who express concern about what kind of country Sweden has become are accused of xenophobia and racism.”
Progressives want us to believe that there is such a thing as universal values when in truth values are particular to a culture. Our culture, our western civilization, is rooted in the Bible, in ethical monotheism, often called the Judeo/Christian ethic. It is the foundation of all of our freedoms and laws.
The Bible is a book of laws that have become the foundation of Western government and justice. From out of the wilderness, a new form of nation emerged. New laws were decreed to make living together possible. There were laws about the legal rights of women, ownership of land, the waging of war, and the design of courts. Leviticus 5:1 decrees that one must offer testimony if one has important information; Leviticus 5:21–23 says one must return property taken dishonestly; Leviticus 10:8–11 says a priest may not enter the sanctuary or render a legal ruling while intoxicated; Leviticus 18:21 is the prohibition against sacrificing children; Leviticus 19:10 contains prohibitions against greed—one must leave a portion of one’s harvest for the poor; Leviticus 19:11 prohibits stealing.
There are prohibitions against delaying payment to a day laborer and against judges who may favor the rich over the poor. And then there is the obligation to defend victims of violence, as one is not allowed to stand by while another’s blood is shed. There are admonitions against giving false evidence (perjury), and requirements that more than one witness is mandated to convict someone of a crime (Deuteronomy 19: 15–16). “If you have resident aliens in your country, you will not molest them. You will treat resident aliens as though they were native-born and love them as yourself, for you were once aliens in Egypt” (Leviticus 19:33–4). There are laws about safe building practices (Deuteronomy 22:8). There are laws about business: “You must not keep two different weights in your bag, one heavy, one light. You must not keep two different measures in your house, one large, one small. You must keep one weight, full and accurate” (Deuteronomy 25:13–15).”
We are living in dangerous times. We are dealing with another culture whose values are diametrically opposed to ours. Though we are admonished to “treat resident aliens as though they were native-born and love them as yourself, for you were once aliens in Egypt” we are not required to give up our values for the values of others. If we don’t teach our children and grandchildren the source of their values and freedoms they will have no ability to defend their own culture. And as George Jonas wrote it will “perish by default.”
Janice Fiamengo, Professor of English, University of Ottawa wrote about
BACK TO THE ETHIC: RECLAIMING WESTERN VALUES
“Why do some cultures support freedom and individualism, while others are repressive? Why do some value the inherent dignity of each human being, while others sacrifice millions for dubious ends? Back to the Ethic: Reclaiming Western Values is Diane Weber Bederman’s cri de coeur, her passionate call to renew the Judeo-Christian heritage of the west before it is swamped by utilitarianism, secularism, and moral relativism. It is also a wide-ranging personal reflection and marshalling of specific references that link the stories and injunctions of the Bible to the deepest values of ethical monotheism. Most of all, the book is an invitation to readers to return to the Bible to ground a principled and compassionate ethical system, one that neither petrifies into a rigid fundamentalism at war with science or intellect, nor opens itself to dissolution through excessive tolerance or reliance on feelings. Both religious believers and non-believers will find much to engage and provoke in these pages, which distill a lifetime’s worth of thought and insight.
You can purchase Back to the Ethic: Reclaiming Western Values
Diane Weber Bederman is a blogger for ‘Times of Israel’, a contributor to Convivium, a national magazine about faith in our community, and also writes about family issues and mental illness. She is a multi-faith endorsed hospital trained chaplain.
