The great role reversal

We live in a world of changing values - it doesn't take any great genius to see that. But values are changing so much and so fast that they are being turned on their heads. A while back in the Irish Independent there was a great article by Mary Kenny on this subject. She writes about the 'Great Law of Reversal' where, "whatever was held to be truthful in the past is now regarded as the opposite and will be reversed - almost anything you were taught in your childhood that was wrong, is now right."

You'll recognise some of her examples:

"The moral and social education we were given in the past is virtually useless, because all the moral and social rules have been reversed. Girls were taught, for example, to prize virginity. Now virginity is seen as something young people worry about being rid of. Then, 'virgin' was itself once a sacred word: now it's just another brand name, with its very own logo."

"Ladylike conduct was once praised, this is now called 'repression'."

"Where discretion was once a virtue, it is now a vice - it is called hypocrisy. Where vulgarity was once a fault, it is now an attribute - it is called honesty."

"Apply same to nearly every sphere of morals and manners. Once it was shameful to "live in sin", but acceptable to smoke. (Doctors recommend "Craven A" for your throat," went one advert of a brand long gone.) Now to smoke is widely stigmatised - in California, virtually illegal - while cohabitation is regarded as altogether sensible."

To many, this is a sign of progress and of advancement. And so we are treated to shows like Big Brother, where we see this lived out - one contestant bares his backside to the camera and outside the house his parents (mid 50s) are cheering and proud of his exploits.

This isn't progress - not by any standards, least of all God's standards. He has his opinion on the matter:

"Destruction is certain for those who say that evil is good and good is evil; that dark is light and light is dark; that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter." Isaiah 5:20

"When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their depraved minds and let them do things that should never be done - They are fully aware of God's death penalty for those who do these things, yet they go right ahead and do them anyway. And, worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too." Romans 1:28,32.

It is deadly serious. Ireland is in the middle of this - God is abandoning us to suffer the consequences of our abandoning him.

This is a wake up call; we need to act before it is too late.