What the Heck was I Thinking!?

One of the many blogs I read posted recently on the article Mark Steyn wrote in the Chicago Sun Times on the 3rd of September:
Why abduct us? We cede our values for free

In the article, Mr. Steyn poses the key issue of our times for the West:

 

And, to the Islamist mind, a society with nothing to die for is already dead.

It’s hard to argue against such a case as Mr. Steyn makes. Liberal Westerners appear to place little value on truth, none on a person’s faith, and only value power. Even that, the liberal wants to take away from any organized group. Only the individual, the ‘me,’ has any legitimate claim to the exercise of power. Organizations - governments, churches, etc. - are condemned before trial.

 

Don’t get me wrong, there are many institutions around the world that deserve condemnation. It’s condemnation after the evidence has been considered, though. The UN has demonstrably failed to do that for which it was set up. Other organizations and institutions have done things that invalidate any claim to moral authority.

That doesn’t mean moral authority is an empty phrase, or that every organization, by dint of the fact that they are an organization, must be illegitimate.

Moral authority does demand one thing, though. Some set of standards must be in place. It must have some anchor that maintains bearing for the adherant. The ends cannot justify the means - that’s moral relativism in its naked form.That has been the failure of the socialist and communist ideologies.

The Nazi ideology rested on claiming to be the anchor itself. That’s a state version of the imperial, "L’etat, c’est moi," rationalization. No royalty, just party apparatchiks and political officers.

The new form of this "L’etat, c’est moi," moral relativism is the Islamo-fascist. He claims Allah guides him. All actions are sanction by a god who only communicates to a select group of people in furtherance of their goal - a caliphate. That’s just another name for a king. The jihadists show every sign of being the latest version of the polical officers of the movement. You are either a fully loyal follower, submitting without question, or you are an infidel or apostate, worthy of death.

What do we have to say to that challenge?

The range of answers reminds me of the quote:

"Give us clear vision, that we may know where to stand and what to stand for - because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything. ~ Peter Marshall, US Senate Chaplain, 1947."

These words also showed up in the C/W song of the same title, written by Aaron Tipton.