Here's One Reason We Think the Earth Recently Tilted Off Its Axis
Growing up we learn that the earth rotates on its "axis," which is an imaginary line around which any body rotates. As a child learning this, I could envision this line and using my imagination picture our globe slowly turning one full rotation every 24 hours, which accounts for the alternation between light and dark, that is, day and night, every 24 hours. I even remember learning that the actual time of a full rotation, rather than 24 hours, was actually less: 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4.1 seconds. (I had to Google this to come up with the exact seconds; it's not something I remembered.)
Along with this certain recurrence of the earth's rotation and other important facts and principles about the material world , the good nuns who taught us in Catholic grammar school also drummed into us those certain religious facts and spiritual principles that could guide our souls each day as surely as material knowledge and understanding could guide our bodies. And so this story in the Metropolis Section of the Wall Street Journal struck me as yet another sign that if the world itself has not materially tilted off its axis, it has spiritually:
Worse than the behavior of the knuckle-headed officers is the fact that academy staff members were apparently attending the party:
But rather than just grouse about yet another example of our society's moral decline, let's ask ourselves what sort of education these miscreants received that could leave them bereft of not only a moral compass, but also the reason and common sense to know that their behavior was completely unacceptable, even in our spiritually challenged secular humanist world? In addition to deficient education, we might also wonder about their personal experience, specifically what sort of behavior they encountered growing up.
To make something good out of something bad, we might finally imagine the disappointment, if not despondency (albeit deserved), of these nine offenders after being dismissed from their chosen profession. Not only could we hope and pray this awful turn of affair might lead to a personal reformation in the case of the nine expelled officers, but we ourselves might look at our own behavior, as well as that of our family, relatives, friends and neighbors. Do our words and actions provide good example to those around us, those whose lives we touch every day? If not, it's time to consider a personal reformation of our own lives. Can a society consisting of people who not only engage in indecent or immoral acts but also combine this with a lack of basic reason and common sense hope to survive, let alone prosper?
Along with this certain recurrence of the earth's rotation and other important facts and principles about the material world , the good nuns who taught us in Catholic grammar school also drummed into us those certain religious facts and spiritual principles that could guide our souls each day as surely as material knowledge and understanding could guide our bodies. And so this story in the Metropolis Section of the Wall Street Journal struck me as yet another sign that if the world itself has not materially tilted off its axis, it has spiritually:
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said it is firing nine of its police force’s rookie officers following an alcohol-fueled, post-graduation party in August.
The party, which took place Aug. 23 at Texas Arizona, a Hoboken bar, was one day after the authority graduated a class of 249 new officers for its approximately 1,800-strong force. The bar is near the New Jersey Transit Hoboken Terminal and PATH station.
Representatives of the Texas Arizona bar didn’t immediately return a request for comment.
The newly-minted officers involved were found to be drinking heavily at the bar, harassing patrons and sexually harassing women, according to people familiar with the matter. One person said there were a couple of punches thrown, but no reported injuries. “It clearly was a party out of control,” this person said.
Worse than the behavior of the knuckle-headed officers is the fact that academy staff members were apparently attending the party:
“We are extremely disappointed by the conduct of the probationary officers involved and appalled by the poor judgment of the academy staff members in attendance. The Port Authority is justly proud of the history and dedication of its police department and views the conduct in question as deeply troubling.”We could dismiss this behavior as gross stupidity, but we might also consider it as symptomatic of the dwindling sense of right and wrong that infects even those commissioned to uphold the law, which, after all, must be based on a sense of right and wrong. With this in mind, can you see the appropriateness of the image of our planet tilting off its axis?
But rather than just grouse about yet another example of our society's moral decline, let's ask ourselves what sort of education these miscreants received that could leave them bereft of not only a moral compass, but also the reason and common sense to know that their behavior was completely unacceptable, even in our spiritually challenged secular humanist world? In addition to deficient education, we might also wonder about their personal experience, specifically what sort of behavior they encountered growing up.
To make something good out of something bad, we might finally imagine the disappointment, if not despondency (albeit deserved), of these nine offenders after being dismissed from their chosen profession. Not only could we hope and pray this awful turn of affair might lead to a personal reformation in the case of the nine expelled officers, but we ourselves might look at our own behavior, as well as that of our family, relatives, friends and neighbors. Do our words and actions provide good example to those around us, those whose lives we touch every day? If not, it's time to consider a personal reformation of our own lives. Can a society consisting of people who not only engage in indecent or immoral acts but also combine this with a lack of basic reason and common sense hope to survive, let alone prosper?
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