Our national conscience lacks the moral base

In his book, 'Moral Responsibility', Joseph Fletcher noted that: - “That the loyalty needed to keep modern people chewing to the line of old ideal must therefore be born out of grace, out of the spirited power of conviction.”

In the same vein I want to state that the current generation has failed to hold into good grounding ideals for her children and her children’s children. My point is that, good groundings founded on the foundation of religion. In this case I mean Sunday school and madrasas.

These foundations guided a child and gave the parents the necessary grace and spiritual conviction of the children's future good morals. I still argue that, without these foundations as I have observed, our children's lives can get into such a mess that correcting them will be like dismantling a mountain of hay one straw at a time.

On the other hand, the society where the child is a product has abdicated her oversight and responsibility of enforcing good morals in him or her. It has allowed our children to be free spirit roving, with bad company, and think they are angels. We can’t be more wrong.

The society now brings to mind the broader picture of the country Kenya. Case in point is the burning of boarding secondary schools dormitory that was witnessed almost in every part of the country.

It cannot be for nothing else other than lack of morals to have pupils behaving in such uniform and incriminating manner. By the time parents realize it, the damage is done.

My observation hence is that, one of the most important aspects that is lacking in our national conscience is the moral base.

Today children are born in homesteads, where the purveyor of discipline (grandfathers) is not around; parents are not playing their role and have forgotten to take their children to Sunday school and madrasas while discipline in schools is outlawed. Hence, the responsibility of instilling good morals is left to the uncaring world.

That is why, I look at old days with nostalgia, where our fore bearers took charge of code of conduct of child from childhood to adulthood. This is where charity began. So, it’s high time we go back to the roots of good morals.

Otherwise, our children will be wasted because we lack the moral fiber to say enough is enough.

Look at the following sentiments:-

“As long as you are in my house you’ll abide by my rules.” It sounds so irrational and intimidating from parents but reasonable to the intended child (ren) since it drives the point home.