Why the eleventh commandment should not stand in any civilized society
Globally, there are those who say that the law has no place in their lives at all irrespective of their religious beliefs and position in the society. These are popularly referred to as antinomians, which simply means “against the law.” They reject socially established morality by operating outside the law of the land.
Anywhere they are, they do things to please themselves. This category of people wants to satisfy themselves first before any other person. When they are advised to operate within the confines of the law, they simply say- “do your worst”. These are the people who want to operate the eleventh commandment- “Please yourself”.
An eminent historian, Paul Johnson, wrote a book “Modern Times” that chronicles the events of the Twentieth Century. He points out that one of the most important events that century was the publication in 1905 of Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity.
Johnson brilliantly notes that ever since the theory of relativity was accepted as fact in the world of physics, others have been trying to make it work in every imaginable discipline including ethics and religion. It has been one gigantic experiment, testing whether man can live without absolutes. The response according to some scholars is yes, man can live without absolutes, but not very well.
Please, do not misunderstand this writer and think that he is one of those who blame the society’s slide into anarchy and relativism on Albert Einstein. In fact, Albert Einstein drives home his point when he expressed his fear over where this movement will lead us to when he said, “Relativity applied to physics, not ethics.”
Yet for the greater part of the Twentieth Century, people were willing to listen to the voice of a person like Karl Marx, who insisted that man is controlled not by the absolutes of God but by economic factors. Some scholars ignorantly nodded in agreement to Friedrich Nietzsche’s proclamation that “God is dead,” and therefore, the only thing that controls man is the quest for power.
Men also, marvelled at the wisdom of Sigmund Freud, who maintained that man is controlled by sexual desires and not by the laws of God; and Charles Darwin, who vowed that the only law that really matter is the “survival of the fittest.”
We are in an age where anything can happen, according to the novelist, Salman Rushdie. Yes, anything can happen. George Floyd, the African American has just been murdered in Minneapolis, USA
What is left of the legacies these men handed over to humanity? The Communist empire that was built on the wisdom of Karl Marx lies in shambles. The theories propagated by Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud, Darwin and others have failed woefully. Psychologists and scientists have at one time or the other considered some of these theories archaic.
President Donald Trump’s “America First” will stand if it is rooted in love for humanity. President Buhari’s philosophy of “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody” will stand the test of time if it was rooted in love for country. We must accept the truth that there is a God who created the universe, just as the Holy Book says. And the truth is that God’s laws are not relative. They are absolute and immoveable. Any legacy that does not take its root from the Greatest Commandment – “Love your neighbour as yourself,” will fall like a pack of cards.
We are in an age where anything can happen, according to the novelist, Salman Rushdie. Yes, anything can happen. George Floyd, the African American has just been murdered in Minneapolis, USA. There is “rape pandemic” and banditry on a large scale in some parts of Nigeria. Citizens are scared. It has led to peaceful protests. Innocent citizens are slaughtered in most northern states of Nigeria. But in all these, justice is very scarce.
Salman Rushdie, you may recall went into hiding after a fatwa from Ayatollah of Iran, over his 1988 novel “The Satanic Verses.” Recently, Salman Rushdie warns of American autocracy. In a recent article in Washington Post, he noted intolerant leaders of India and Pakistan. “Extreme narcissism, detachment from reality, a fondness for sycophants and a distrust of truth-tellers, an obsession with how one is publicly portrayed, a hatred of journalists and the temperament of out of control bulldozer: These are some of the characteristics. President Trump is, temporarily a tinpot despot of this type.”
President Donald Trump is not the only leader one can refer to as a tinpot dictator. There are so many of them in other parts of the world particularly in Africa. Trump is on his way to despotism as he tries to polarise public debate, elevating concerns about violence and looting above the message of peaceful protest. He has threatened to use the military against American citizens. A threat one might have expected from any leader in Africa, but certainly not of the United States of America.
Trump has opened the floodgate of reactions from American generals. In fact, one retired Admiral Mike Mullen, former Chairman US Joint Chiefs of Staff under presidents George Bush Jnr and Barrack Obama, has this to say:
“I remain confident in the professionalism of our men and women in uniform. They will serve with skill and compassion. They will obey lawful orders. But I am less confident in the soundness of the orders they will be given by this commander in chief, and I am not convinced that the conditions on our streets, as bad as they are, have risen to the level that justifies a heavy reliance on military troops. Certainly, we have not crossed the threshold that will make it appropriate to invoke the provisions of the insurrection Act.”
“Even in the midst of the carnage we are witnessing, we must endeavour to see American cities and towns as our homes and neighbourhoods……“ “They are not ‘battle spaces’ to be dominated, and must never become so……Our fellow citizens are not the enemy, and must never become so. This is not the time for stunts. This is the time for leadership,” Mullen continues.
This writer was stunned reading Abubakar Dangiwa Umar’s recent letter to President Buhari titled “Mr President: Please belong to all of us.” Part of Umar’s letter reads: “Nigeria has become dangerously polarised and risk sliding into crisis on account of your administration’s lopsided appointments which continues to give undue preference to some sections of the country over others. Your skewed appointments into the offices of the Federal Government, favouring some and frustrating others, shall bring ruin and destruction to this nation….” This advice is to enable Mr President polish his leadership style.
It takes a generation of committed leaders to build a nation. Thank you!
