Family Is Essential

I need to add a little detail to follow up on Wednesday’s post. In the list of scandal-ridden Republicans, the only one who has remained in office post-scandal is David Vitter. I had only done a quick search to recall his case, but yesterday was reminded of more. His scandal involved seeing a prostitute twice, seven years before the scandal broke with the DC Madam’s list, which purportedly contained a number of Democrats whose names were not released, only Vitter’s. He immediately called a press release, admitted to the wrongdoing, told what he had done to correct the error seven years before, and showed that with the help of his wife he was leaving that wrong behavior long behind him.

In addition, even if the Republicans had wanted to remove him, they were not in the majority.

So, am I backtracking on whether his behavior was despicable? No. But I think the mitigating circumstances do show that, rather than wait until the problem became public and then show sorrow for getting caught, he began the repentance process privately, in conjunction with his wife, and by reports was successfully rehabilitated by the time the story hit. Should he have admitted the fault and stepped down earlier? Maybe. But since he didn’t, and since the outcome is what it is, he doesn’t qualify as a sinner who blatantly, in-your-face, refuses to step down after a scandal. I thought the additional information was worth noting.

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After all the scandal talk this week, I thought I’d go back to a part of the Spherical Model theory for civilization. One of the purposes of this blog is to expand on those ideas, and show examples. So it helps if readers go there and read the 50 or so pages on the website. Part II of the Civilization section is called “Family Is the Basic Unit of Civilization.” I’m including just the introduction to that here:

Civilized societies value family as the most important and basic unit of governance. Alternatively, a hallmark of totalitarian regimes, which are savage, is the replacement of the family with the state. Totalitarianism resents loyalty to any societal unit other than itself. And it is this absolute weakness that will always prevent a totalitarian state from offering true Civilization as you’d find it in a free strong-family society. 

This is particularly important to know for people living in a sub-civilized society. As long as families are allowed to live among themselves (children are under the care of their own parents), it is possible to have a civilized society that is just one family in size. Then, if that family can find additional similarly civilized families to associate with, their society grows. If it could grow to the size of a village or township, all the better. The goal of the founding fathers was to have that civilization spread through the United States (and if that experiment worked, have other sovereign states adopt the plan). But a family doesn’t have to wait until the world changes; the family can live the laws of civilization and enjoy man y of the benefits, at least within the walls of the home. 

Families have the responsibility to safeguard women and children for the greatest benefit of both current and future generations. Families provide food, shelter, clothing, education, spiritual guidance, and training in how to live a civilized life in a civilized society. Elderly are honored for their wisdom. Youth are honored for their potential. Women are honored for giving and nurturing life, among their other abilities. Men are honored for providing and protecting, among their other abilities. Families are the main economic force, as well as the very means whereby civilization can perpetuate. Civilized societies therefore protect The Family as sacred. 

A hallmark of civilized society is the importance of marriage as the only acceptable place for sexual relations. Every society that decides to try devaluing fidelity in marriage eventually (and often quickly) sinks into decadence. Sex within marriage not only provides offspring, it cements the bond between the two parents, so that the child will grow in a home of love and protection and guidance. No other situation is even remotely as beneficial for a child. 

Humans being mortal, there will be incidents where some children will be raised without both parents. Ideally, there should never be divorce (a necessary evil in response to decidedly uncivilized behavior). But there will be death, which is inevitable. Nevertheless, in a healthy, peaceful society the abundance of intact, healthy families can help compensate for the few homes that don’t have the child’s two living parents. 

It is probably possible to quantify what percentage constitutes a critical mass of functional families that can compensate for a smaller percentage of problem homes without an undue toll on civilization. But, in general, the more family health, the more civilized the society.