Many people have been shocked by the recent riots in London and other cities. Various explanations have been offered, and continue to be offered, as to why they occurred, with politicians and others disagreeing with each other, sometimes vehemently. My own view is that the anatomy of the phenomenon is likely to be immensely complex, with no single explanatory factor and many and various different and disparate causes. It would be better, in the light of this, to avoid some of the knee-jerk reactions we have heard. The Prime Minister’s emphasis has been on being tough with the rioters, threatening to remove people from their ‘subsidised housing’ and taking away their benefits. I disagree with him about this, not least on the grounds that exacerbating the difficulties that some of these people face is hardly likely to help to ensure that there is no repetition.
Among the various explanations for the riots are those which emphasise the sense of hopelessness and disenfranchisement experienced by at least some of those involved; and in a society in which the gap between rich and poor has been widening for many years now, this argument has to be taken seriously. Some people emphasise what they see as a general moral breakdown in society, a problem which they argue has been getting gradually worse for decades; again, there is ample evidence to support the veracity of this claim. Still others point to inadequate parenting and the scarcity of good role models, especially for boys. There are, of course, other explanations offered. In my view, they are all contributory factors and, importantly, they are all related in some way.
Many commentators remark upon a crisis in modern western culture of which all the above factors are characteristics. I believe that the cultural crisis is directly related to the rise of secularity which is not, of course, to say that in the past everything was rosy, nor that people of faith are intrinsically any more 'moral' than others. At the root of the problem, as I see it, is the fact that a secular worldview cannot give a coherent account of the intrinsic value of the human person. As Christians, we would say that every human person is intrinsically valuable because every human person is created in the image of God. By intrinsically valuable, I mean valuable by virtue of being human; and not valuable for what a person may be able to produce, or consume (such a view would see the human person as merely instrumentally valuable).
The reason why secularity cannot provide this account is because, in the absence of an acknowledgement of God and his sovereignty, all we can say about the human race is that we are here purely by chance and that any values we establish in society are purely subjective (and relative) values which can change by common consent at any time; or, more dangerously, by the consent of those who hold the reins of power or influence, whatever these might be. In this framework, there are no abiding values which can claim universal consent. So a state of affairs can easily come about in which people are valued for their ability to produce goods and profits; or for their intellectual or sporting ability, or their looks, or whatever. When this occurs, others are then inevitably undervalued, being valued in merely relative terms. There may even be a situation in which some people feel they have nothing to contribute, and consequently no real stake in society. Some, including myself, would argue that this is precisely where we are today.
Universal, objective values can only ever be established and defended within and overarching framework which acknowledges the transcendent and sees a clear purpose in human life; a framework in which every human being is acknowledged to be unique and precious. In addition to this, but inseparable from it, the framework must include an account of the ultimate purpose and rightful destiny of the human person. Without such a teleological framework (telos = tending towards an end), there can be no adequate account of the intrinsic value of the human person, and there is always, therefore, the likelihood of violence, exploitation, feelings of alienation and the like.
Given the firmly secular nature of contemporary western society and culture, this sounds like a pessimistic outlook with regard to the future, but I would hope that Christians, and other mainstream religionists, might at least influence the debates which will now take place; and that a first step towards a better future might be for those in positions of power especially to try to ensure that every single member of our society can be affirmed and valued for their essential humanity and not for what they can ‘contribute’ to society in chiefly material terms.
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