It is stated, 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.' The same can be said of 'tastefulness,' that showing of good judgment and appropriate behavior. We obviously notice examples of changes in fads, fashions and folkways with the passage of time. Take for example the female swimsuits. The magazine, Sports Illustrated will soon be out with its latest swimsuit edition. Examine that publication and then Google swimsuit styles of the decades beginning with the 1920's.
"I know it when I see it" is a phrase famously coined by United States Supreme Court Justice, Potter Stewart (1964) when faced with the prospect of defining 'pornography.' Predicated on our personal experiences, nurturing and teaching we develop certain guidelines and parameters to apply to the world about us. We thus seem to view that world with our own moral compass. We may not be able to always articulate a coherent definition but we nonetheless know acceptable behavior as opposed to the distasteful...in 'our eyes.'
I attended a Bible Study class recently where the lesson centered on the 7th Beatitude, 'Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.' The preacher claimed that 'we' should never be offended. He went on to state that only God has the right to be offended. Therefore it is sinful for us to assume that Deity level. I disagreed with the preacher's premise. I thought my suggestion that being offended calls us to 'caring action.' I quickly discovered his mind was having none of it. Therefore, I stifled my opinions before I said something that would offend the Good Lord if not the pastor.
If I'm seated at a sporting event with young grandchildren and a nearby group of men are inebriated and using vulgar language, I would find that offensive and thus 'act' upon it.
No comments:
Post a Comment