The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1959-12-11
JOSEPH BREIC-
Our Virtue
Rugged Too?

l don't suppose that a nation can examine us
collective conscience. But | do wonder about the re-
actions to disclosures of rigging in some TV shows.
Was our anger virtuous, or was 1t selfish and a bit
contemplate?
Monday.morning moralizing. as found in news
paper reports of Sunday sermons, leaves a bad taste.
| am unimpreSSed by clergymen who, apparently with
an eye on the public prints, hitch their messages to
whatever everybody is talking about at the moment.
Real religion is much deeper than that, and has a
far profounder mission. 1t seems to me preferable that
the man in the pulpit should talk about the tempta-
tons and faihngs of those who are present, rather than
those who are absent.
WE WOULD ALL be better people, I think, if we
emerged from church somewhat uncomfortable rather
than complacent; dissatisfied with ourselves rather
than critical of others, and humbled and c~hastened,
rather than feeling superior.
The trouble with our periodical national orgies
of righteousness whether the cause be vicuna coats,
"influence-peddling, or whatever) is that they tend to
make hypocrites of us-and this so subtly that we are
unaware of our deplorable spiritual state.
| cannot, however, see eye to eye with those who
trumpet that the TV misdeedS were symptoms of an
American moral breakdown. That seems to me to be
generalizing entirely too much. Indeed, it strikes me
as offensive breast-beating.
Conversely, | do not agree that the outburst OF
condemnation was necessarily evidence of a magnifi.
cent American basic moral sense, upon which we ought
to be congratulating ourselves.
COUPLE of questions occur to me. Was our in-
%dignation really due to the fact that ethics had been
violated-that truthfulness had been brushed aside in
the process of pretending that certain shows were
something they weren't?
Or was the reason for our agitation rather
the annoying and humiliating fact that we had been
taken in, had been gulled and boobed, like rubes
sWindled by a shellgame operator at a carnival?
Put it this Way-Were we upset because we care
about God, and about the fact that men are NEAR. to
be Gods images, or because we had been made to look
like fools? Were we moved by virtue-or by wound
ed vanity?
THERE IS NOTHING more conducive to the
health of the soul than an objective, courageous, OPEN
eyed look at our motivations, without Self-deception
or self-admiration
| do not think that hinges of fingerpointing-
which seem to be part of the American Scene-are
good for us. They allow us to indulge in the unhealthy
spiritual luxury of concentrating on the mote in the
other fellows eye while ignoring the beam in our own.
The people who rugged the TV shows shouldn't
have done it. They were guilty of deceiving audiences.
They should be made to realize that, and to stop such
practices. But the uproar was all out of proportion,
relative to other and much worse evils in our society.
Newspapers which played up the TV rigging
story, and lectured the TV people, are the same publ.
cations which frequently offend against decency in
news stories and pictures, and with pious cries about
freedom of the press" obstruct every effort to curb
pruriency in print and in the films.
THEY ARE ALSO the same newspapers which in
certain areas of the news can almost be depended
upon to slant their reports, either because of bias or
culpable ignorance. And this is more dangerously dis
honest than the rigging of quiz shows.
will feel much better about the moral and spirit
ual condition of public opinion, and of those who help
to form 1t, when there is as much agitation for in-
stance) against Sums, against exploitation of migrant
labor. and against selfish exclusion of refugees from
our shores, as there is over vicuna coats or the coach
ing Of quiz show participants.
Until then, / will take the liberty of having my
doubts about our right to assume a conspicuous pos
ture of moral superiority, and to preach as loudly and
r1ghtously as we do when anybody is caught Judging.