Where's the moral consistency in America?

In an ironic time in America, "Sin City" is atop the box office while cable news channels broadcast wall-to-wall coverage of mourning Pope John Paul II's death. Is this a contradiction, or merely ignorance? Maybe it is insincerity. This pope was devoted to morality, and at many times criticized Western society's immorality. Yet, even if we're lacking morality, millions of Catholics and more non-Catholics in America have flocked to media outlets in the wake of the pope's death. Why did President Bush and the American delegation travel to Vatican City this past week for the funeral? I'm sure they wanted to go, but even greater than that, they had to go. The pope, while a religious leader, is also a political leader with an influential bully pulpit.

Perhaps this situation is comparable to the fact that ABC's "Desperate Housewives" is just as, if not more, popular in red states as blue states. Or, maybe it's comparable to the popular view of patriotism: flag waving and fireworks. It's all fluff. Still, it may be that most Americans wish they had such a commitment to God, and they respect the pope for his devotion. While there are certainly devoted Christians, Catholic and non-Catholic, the vast majority of Americans have what appears to be contradicting views between what we praise and that in which we partake. My home state of Oklahoma went for Bush in every county, but our divorce rate is one of the highest in the nation.

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Why, you may ask, is this even relevant? We are individuals, not a collective. But still, our identity as Americans is something to be concerned about. The constant tension between the comfort of yesterday's traditions and the thrills of tomorrow's bleeding edge is what makes up the culture war. MTV, after all, gained fame through controversy, and on the back of this history, pop culture continues to evolve around the thrill of the "how far can you go" principle. Thus, Catholics and evangelicals alike continue a cause to curtail this trend. This evidences itself in the ongoing actions of the FCC and the boycott campaigns against media corporations like Disney.

The problem with the theology of Christian reconstructionism is not its morality, but rather its desire to impose morality on others – and this is an important distinction. I'm not saying there isn't right and wrong – there is – but I am saying it is wrong to impose moralism on others. In a free society, the standards of protection are based upon the ability of citizens to secure their property. However, standards of morality can only be based on a sense of religious worldview. The second problem with Christian reconstructionism is its goal of forcing unregenerate people to act as if they are justified. It's like forcing a young child to drink wine – they're not going to appreciate it.

While faith can indeed be dangerous since a man is willing to go to all kinds of extremes if he believes God is on his side, the flip side is that a man is willing to do whatever is pleasurable if he believes no one is on his side. The practical morality of sex education and substance abuse is evidence that some are willing to avoid the temporary pleasure in favor of a more responsible goal (i.e., avoiding prison or STDs). However, the loftier goals of overall chastity and purity are difficult to attain simply through will power, especially if there's no clear prize at the end of it.

The real question is: Where will the trend take us? The answer is sought out in rhetoric about personal freedom and apocalyptic religious theories. It appears that we as a society will continue to give lip service to the feel-good morality of right and wrong, but consistency ends when it comes to our personal lives – and entertainment choices. As if to say, sure, Pope John Paul II was a good man, and "Sin City" is a great movie. What's the problem? It's not like the slippery slope is slippery enough to continue into 24-hour programming of pornography on basic television. That's not entertaining enough.

So maybe that's a message to all of us in this moment in history: The nation changes when the desires change. Devotion to morality out of institutionally imposed obligation bears no fruit if it is idolatry.