Optimus Template

Building American Character will resonant with the words of the founders who insisted that the personal integrity and virtue of the citizenry was essential for the nation to function and prosper. We will have seen in the presentation on The Crisis of Values the clear incontrovertible truth: as the family goes, so goes the nation. This will expound more deeply on the principle of character development as an essential building block to lasting and happy families. It is a principle that is inseparable from the idea of the existence of God.

“Character,” according to Webster, is “the distinctive qualities of a person impressed on him by nature, habit or assigned by reputation.” A fine example of character building in action is the Boy Scouts of America. The Scout Oath is replete with character-building affirmations:

Scout Oath (or Promise): On my honor I will do my best, to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.

It can also be observed in the declaration of what components of character comprise a Scout:

A Scout is: TRUSTWORTHY, LOYAL, HELPFUL, FRIENDLY, COURTEOUS, KIND, OBEDIENT, CHEERFUL, THRIFTY, BRAVE, CLEAN, REVERENT.

Simple put, good character provides the individual with the capacity to see one's self within, and with deference to, a greater whole. Such a perspective tends to compel one away from the self absorbed perspective of secular, selfish individualism and toward a sense of duty toward higher order, be it to "help other people," obeying the norms that define the social group, i.e. "obey the Scout Law or instilling a sense of duty to the nation and, ultimately to "God." This is a time-tested formula that produces good character from which is derived the actions of good citizenship.

Ultimately, building the American character is anchored in the idea of God. The potential to aspire to good character is an endowment from God to humanity. It has been declared that we have been created “in the image of God” and that God “breathed the breath of life” into us. This spiritual truth provides the basis of the declaration that “we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights.” It is the birthright of those born in God’s image with the character potential to reflect him. Otherwise, deference to the whole in its highest manifestation can only produce values that engender acquiescing to the State as the highest virtue. It would give "the State" final and ultimate authority over citizens. Such a mind-set would be an anathema to the American character.

To be “the image of God” does not refer to the evolving shape and appearance of humanity, but rather to the inner character, the spiritual nature, the aspects of the personality of the soul that reflect the nature of God: the capacity to love, to live for others, to create and the ability to discern higher, eternal value over the lesser, temporal kind. These are the fruits of good character.

Individuals of good character, therefore, are able to display heroic qualities. That is, they have the ability to put aside personal comfort and interest while taking upon themselves the hopes and dreams of others. Those that take on the hopes and dreams of the family are the heroes of the family. Those that do so for the community are called the civic-minded or good citizen. Those that do so for the nation are called patriots. The call to sacrifice for the greater social sphere challenges the character at each level. The higher dimension of our sacrifice, the higher dimension of character is displayed.

Although the icons of popular culture seem to dominate the contemporary attention of so many, it is individuals such as George Washington, Martin Luther King, Jr. or Mother Theresa that history remembers. It is because their character and actions inspired others. It means they, by the example of their own sacrifice, were able to compel others to aspire to and to achieve a greater vision of life. They are remembered for having benefited the lives of others. Benefiting others is the fruit of good character.

Character development is the process by which the authority of transcendent principles are brought to bear over the instinctual nature of self-preservation. Religion seeks to empower the "soul," the inner person, in the contentious struggle with the flesh. The individual achieves integrity when he arrives at a state of harmony between his words and deeds. He defers his own interests within the dimension of the greater good and the interests of others. He acts with integrity and courage.

This state of harmony is described in many religions as the unity of "mind and body" and is thought to be the ideal state of being. It is the contrary state to the self-indulgent, self-absorbed lifestyle.

Generally, religion is uniquely poised to guide people to develop their character. Religion introduces us to God, informs us about his nature and encourages us to partake of the glories of living for the sake of others. Also, it's religion that reveals and affirms core principles that "transcend" the limited biological agenda of self-survival. For example, the declaration of "what is sown on earth will be reaped in heaven" establishes a perspective, a philosophical justification for sacrifice via the postponing of immediate gratification. It also provides an incentive for sacrifice: the promise of a greater good on the other side of righteous forbearance.

The perspective of religious faith provides character the internal authority to exert control over the powerful desires of the instinct. However, from a strict biological perspective, subjugating instinctual desires does not make “natural” sense. There is no justification for it within nature. Early 20th century Anarchist Emma Goldman expressed frustration bluntly:

“Can there be anything more outrageous than the idea that a healthy, grown woman, full of life and passion, must deny nature’s demand, must subdue her most intense craving, undermine her health and break her spirit, must stunt her vision, abstain from the depth and glory of sex experience until a “good” man comes along to take her unto himself as a wife? That is precisely what marriage means.”

John Adams clearly affirmed that a religious and moral perspective is a prerequisite in order for the American form of representative government to function. In other words, we must be a people of “American character” for America to endure and prosper.

Alexis de Tocqueville observed this integration of morality and faith in the American character. He also observed that our liberty was the attributable result: “Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith.”

God, therefore, is essential to the building of the American character, which longs for liberty and looks to God, rather than the State for all good things.

Noted atheist, Richard Dawkins admits in his book “The Selfish Gene,” we are born selfish and our biology makes it so. He recommends that an ethical system be fabricated to compensate for this biological reality. So far, in the history of humanity, no one has been able to form a lasting society whose cultural myths did not embrace some form of the Divine. Sadly, his recommendation for more knowledge of ethics or moral philosophies will fall short. It appears atheists will need, for the foreseeable future, the moral system of the theist in order to have a society in which they can espouse their ideas. If humans are biological only, then indeed, “survival of the fittest” is the only valid ethic that remains.

“You can expect little help from biological nature. Let us try to teach generosity and altruism, because we are born selfish.”

George Washington, like Adams, and like Benjamin Rush concluded that religion was the resource of the necessary principles that could serve as the basis of national morality.

"Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

This was because Washington, as a man of faith, recognized the two dimensions of human structure; the inner and outer aspects, the human as a composite of physical AND spiritual elements. Washington knew that religious truth was the only perspective that could contend with the intense power of the instinct …Only religious faith had the compelling power to alter the natural inclinations of the outer man; the selfish biological man of whom atheist Dawkins speaks.

Without religion, Washington knew, the nation would not long endure.

People of faith, perceiving the two distinct human components of inner and outer selves, ascribe two distinct values as a result; one reflecting our material reality, the other reflecting our spiritual reality.

The perspective of most faiths tend to place priority on the eternal pursuits of the spiritual self.. In fact, one could make the case that an essential purpose of religion has been to resolve the stalemate of contending interests between the inner and outer selves. This hope has been described in various religions as "inner peace," "nirvana" "becoming a temple of God" In every case, the path toward that end entailed placing priority on the matters of the spirit over the temporal interests of the flesh. Such a focus could be derived from significant words that empowered the conscience at the crossroads of those contending interests.

Words, such as, “what would it profit a man if he gained the whole world, yet lost his soul,” would convey a specific impetus toward behavior in defiance of the urges of the outer self, the biological self. If the outer self could submit to the impetus of the spirit, a greater good could be achieved.

The maintenance of that state of virtue requires the steadfast adherence to spiritual principle. It provides the strength of character to defer immediate gratification while envisioning a future of greater personal fulfillment. This is the soul of virtuous living and causes the true American Character to blossom.

This is the values perspective that gave the Pilgrims the moral empowerment to endure starvation their first winter at Plymouth. They chose starvation rather then consuming the stored grains that were to be used for that coming Spring planting. They would rather die, hoping for tomorrow, than to give up the future, in desperation, in order to live for only a few more days. That's the American Character.

Again, such behavior does not make natural sense, especially if life and consciousness terminate at physical death. How can one ever refuse immediate gratification if there was no future of ultimate reward. What possible incentive could society fabricate to justify altruism and sacrifice of self? This was Dostoevsky very question, noted in a letter to a friend in 1878:

“Now assume there is no God or immortality of the soul. Now tell me, why should I live righteously and do good deeds if I am to die entirely on earth? ... And if that is so, why shouldn’t I (as long as I can rely on my cleverness and agility to avoid being caught by the law) cut another man’s throat, rob, and steal?”

He was pointing out that any moral or ethical code beyond survival of the fittest would be a travesty if life were not eternal and there was no God.