Every parent wants his or her child to grow into a fully capable,
knowledgeable human being. One way we seek to accomplish this is to make
sure our children have a proper education, beginning with what has colloquially
become known as the three "Rs": reading, 'riting, and 'rithmatic. These three Rs
are not simply basic skills. Reading allows children to take in knowledge,
writing allows them to communicate and distribute knowledge, and arithmetic
provides the basis for not simply mathematics, but logical comparison and a host
of other concepts. Together, the three Rs have become a shorthand way to
reference a complete foundational knowledge all children need to build upon for
a successful education.
However, there is another set of three Rs that are at least as foundational to
the development of successful human beings as those with which we're all
familiar, and I've noticed that not only are these three Rs not taught to
children today, but young adults who are deficient in understanding them are
causing major repercussions in our university system. These aren't three Rs of
education. These are three Rs that distinguish us from animals. They are the
three traits that make us civilized human beings and if the next generation
doesn't learn them, society will regress as it has already begun to do.
The three Rs of being human are Reason, Regard, and Reverence. Let me briefly
explain each of them below:
Reason
Reason is an incredibly important skill human beings are capable of
developing, and it is one that makes us uniquely human. Animals operate off of
their appetites, desires, and drives. Bonobos are very sexually active and much
more socially open, so much so they are called the "hippie apes."
1
But bonobos also
cannibalize their young.
2 They operate off their
drives and instincts. Humans use their reason to overcome their drives. This is
what being civilized means. But left-leaning political movements today
have been pushing to return to basing our decisions on our desires. We have
become
men without chests, flabby, and looking more like animals and less like
rational beings.
Regard
Another concept that is being lost on the next generation is the Golden Rule.
Many people give lip service to the idea of doing unto others as you would have
them do to you, but it seems that a whole lot of college kids think the rule
comes with an asterisk, acting as if it only applies when that other person
agrees with your position. But Jesus put it in context, declaring "Do not
resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to
him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him
have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him
two miles" (Matt. 5:39-41, ESV).
The concept of recognizing and extending honor to people because they are also
human beings
is uniquely Christian.. It recognizes that people are flawed and no one is
beyond redemption. It is a practical way to show humility as opposed to
arrogance. Given the protest culture we increasingly find ourselves in today,
humility has become a rare commodity.
Reverence
Lastly, we need to teach our children the crucial aspect of reverence toward
God. No one should believe he or she is the center of the universe. By
recognizing there is a higher moral law to which we all are accountable, it
further serves to help us realize both our fragility and dependence.
Thomas Aquinas, in his
Summa theologiae, recognized that human beings alone
weigh their actions through reason, seeking to attain "the good" or the highest
level of happiness. As Shawn Floyd summarizes, Aquinas believes "human actions
are those over which one has voluntary control (ST IaIIae 1.1). Unlike
non-rational animals, human beings choose their actions according to a reasoned
account of what they think is good."
3 Aquinas argues that each of us seeking
happiness can only find its ultimate fulfillment in the ultimate good, which is
God. Without recognizing God, we are doomed to seek only immediate and imperfect
pleasures, diminishing our capacity to be truly human by finding the ultimate
good.
Losing Our Humanity
It's become popular to bash the medieval as people who were stuck in the Dark
Ages and ignorant. However, Aquinas understood what it meant to be human
rather than an animal and he strove to live out that difference. Today, our
society is
regressing, operating more on
feeling than facts and
comfort over truth. They would rather have us behave more like the bonobos,
indulging our sexual passions whatever they may be.
If we don't start teaching the three Rs of humanity, we are in real danger of
our culture becoming truly debased, one not fit for real humans to live in.
References
