CUT FLOWER CULTURE

 

CUT FLOWER CULTURE Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you, so that you may command your children to carefully follow all the words of this Book. For they are not idle words to you: these words are your life. Deuteronomy 32:46-47 In 1962 and 1963, Prayer and Bible reading were banned from school classrooms in the USA due to Supreme Court decisions. In effect, Christianity was severed from our educational systems. A long, slow trend toward secularism and socialism in American society began to take firm hold. American philosopher Will Herberg, coined the term "cut flower culture" in 1951. The metaphor warns that a society which separates its moral principles from its founding cultural or religious roots will eventually wither and die. In his 1951 book, Judaism and Modern Man, Will Herberg described the spiritual rootlessness of modern American and European society. He argued that secularist thinkers attempted to keep the moral principles of Western civilization—such as freedom, justice, and personal dignity—while disengaging them from their scriptural, religious context. "Cut flowers retain their original beauty and fragrance, but only so long as they retain the vitality that they have drawn from their now-severed roots; after that is exhausted, they wither and die." The "cut flower" metaphor suggests that a society can appear beautiful and moral for a time, even after it has severed its connection to its foundational values. However, this vitality is temporary and will not be sustained without the deeper, nourishing roots. THE PHRASE SUGGESTS THAT: Moral principles are not self-sustaining: Ethics and values are not innate and must be supported by a deeper source. Severing roots leads to a slow decay: A society that rejects its traditions and religious history will eventually experience a decline in its moral foundations, even if the effects are not immediately apparent. A society can become spiritually hollow: A society that abandons its spiritual heritage is headed towards spiritual rootlessness. America needs a spiritual renewal. We must recognize the essential value of FAITH in our own personal lives, and acknowledge that our culture cannot move forward successfully without the treasures of the Bible to guide and sustain us.