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Do you agree that the words "master bedroom" are racist?Is this serious, or a troll question?Contrary to what some answers claim, the word “master” DOES NOT have its “roots” in American-style chattel slavery of Black Africans.It is much older than that.It comes from the Latin word “magister,” meaning “teacher.”Since teachers typically direct or lead their students in what to do (at least during class time, and in terms of homework and exercises), and is the one in charge (of the classroom, or of the whole school), the word also acquired a secondary implication of being a leader, director, or head executive of some enterprise or venture. And, since schooling, in medieval Europe when this word entered English, was exclusively church-based, the word “master” also came to mean a preacher who taught religious doctrine and served as a spiritual guide.We still speak of headmasters and headmistresses in the school context, for example. The Hebrew word “rabbi” and the Japanese word “sensei” both also mean “teacher” and “spiritual guide” and often imply a kind of reverential loyalty given to him by his devoted disciples — but that is a far cry from involuntary servitude. The word “magistrate” (as judge or as political officer) has the same root, as does the adjective “magIsterial,” meaning, the person to whom that label applies seems to speak with authority and seems to know what he is talking about.The law still speaks of “master and servant” as equivalent to “employer and employee.” Note that a “servant” in that context is in no way a demeaning label nor does it imply involuntariness or abuse but simply the honest act of exchanging work for pay. Even our highest magistrate, the President, is a “servant of the People,” who are, collectively, the ultimate masters of our own fate, in a representative democracy.The word “master” has also been applied to mechanical technology where one device or component controls or directs what another device or component does and when it does it. The subservient device has, yes, been called a “slave” device, and I agree THAT is unnecessarily triggering on the slavery issue and should be seen as such. But the term “servo” device or component is also in wide use, and easily replaces “slave” to convey the same meaning without the overtones of African American oppression that the word “slave” carries.The word “master” has many other uses. We speak of a “master plan” which, no, does not imply an evil genius’ scheme to take over the universe; it simply means a plan at a higher hierarchical level of authority than local, individual plans, which various local or subordinate plans have to comply with, for rational, orderly processes to occur. And a person who is top notch at his trade or profession is said to have “mastered” it, such that high ranked plumbers (authorized and licensed to run their own shop and employ “journeymen” and “apprentices” is a Master Plumber, and a person with an advanced degree in a professional field beyond the baccalaureate is a Master of Arts or a Master of Science. The work a world-class artist creates may be called their “masterpiece” — the example of the high quality of their output that entitles them to be considered an Old Master at what they do. A “master key” is one which is capable of opening any lock within a defined set of related locks — it is hierarchically superior in that way to a key that can only open a single lock, but that does not imply that the other keys are in any way “slaves” to the master key. And it certainly does not imply, as I know some people have alleged, that the person holding the “master key” is the “master of the house,” an aristocrat thinking he can exercise “droit d’seigneur” on any nearby females because as lord of the manor, “it’s not rape if I’m the one doing it.” The actual person with a master key is most likely the janitor or chambermaid, charged with cleaning up, quite a bit lower on the culturally inherited socio-economic hierarchy than the lord of the manor.How about “master bedroom”? In any family or household, there is generally one individual — or a married couple — who are the “master” and/or “mistress” (the feminine form of “master”) of that household, and its other occupants, related or not, married or not. The term “head of household” is equivalent. The “master bedroom” simply means the room which is designed by the architect to function as, OR which is actually used as, the sleeping chamber for the head(s) of the household.In such a household,parents are also masters of their minor children, who typically (in the US) are the only other occupants. At least, I HOPE parents have such control over their minor offspring. And that DOES imply a legal and moral right to tell their children what to do and when to do it — limited only by humanitarian and civil considerations against cruelty and abuse, as ANY master-servant or master-student or master-disciple relationship should be, of course.In other words, the term “master” is still quite useful in referring to a higher-level authority in ANY kind of hierarchical structure or device. The word “slave” is nowhere nearly as useful — and, indeed, could probably be disposed of altogether, except when talking about actual slavery in an appropriate historical (or present-day, in referring to societies where the practice still exists) context. “Servant” or “servo” serves just as well — and, in many languages besides English, the same word may mean BOTH “slave” and “servant,” depending on context. The involuntary, or indentured, servitude, or inhumane aspects of the practice would require a separate adjective be added in those languages to distinguish a wage servant from an owned slave.What about the history of “master” being used in connection with slavery, anyway? I respectfully suggest that, in antebellum slaveholding portions of the US, the term “master” came into common use NOT because it was originally “associated with slavery,” but because it WASN’T. The proper and direct term for someone owning another human being as a piece of chattel property is “OWNER.”But that’s distressingly direct and brutal, isn’t it? If one is a slaveholding Southern “aristocrat” trying to dress up one’s “way of life” — an economy that depends on cruel involuntary servitude — as a genteel and moral enterprise, far better (than admitting the ugly truth about the owners’ brutality) to give the false IMPRESSION (to skeptical abolitionists and even to fence-sitters on the slavery issue) that one’s control over the lives of one’s African-heritage slaves is in the nature of a gentle Jesus of a spiritual guide, or a beloved Mr. Chips of a schoolmaster, or a sentimental Geppetto of a master carpenter to his Pinocchio, the humane leader simply trying to instill in his wayward-tending disciples an appreciation for the wonderful “benefits” Western civilization has to offer them (like Christianity, and the opportunity to travel the Middle Passage), while giving them useful work (and close “in loco parentis” supervision) in the meantime. Does that sound ludicrous? Of course it does. But Southern slave-OWNERS insisted on being called “master” to give that false impression, NOT because the word “master” originally had anything to do with slavery. And it would be a terrible shame to discard a perfectly good English word just because it had been misused and sullied so badly by association with the institution of chattel slavery.If we do throw that baby out with the bath water, though, there will be plenty of other words next in line. Where does one stop? The word “boss,” I presume, should be equally besmirched, because that’s what slaveowning culture called the armed (white) intermediaries that slave OWNERS hired to be field supervisors of their black slaves and to cruelly beat them if they slacked off or misbehaved or failed to show “proper respect” by bowing and scraping toward white “betters.” Is “chief” going to be out, too, due to its association with Native Americans? “Superior” may be out, since it implies someone else is “inferior” (as they are, on the hierarchical chart, though not in any inherent sense of innate abilities and worthiness). “Honcho” is actually a Japanese word, but it sounds like it is derogatory of Mexican-Americans — a false etymology like that which causes some people to campaign to get rid of totally non-racist words like “denigrate” and “niggardly.” We might try “My Lord” instead of “master,” but we Americans got rid of the idea of English-style aristocracy at the top end of the social hierarchy (except when referring to the Deity) even before we got rid of the idea of slavery at the bottom rung of the social ladder. “Lord and master” does have a negative ring to it these days, admittedly, but more so because of the “lord” part, I suggest, which implies as-of-right domination, converting “master” into something sinister, something more than just a title of earned status as a furnisher of guidance and direction to willing disciples wanting to learn a trade or a skill or a spiritual insight.And HOW, if we get rid of all these words in polite usage, does one even describe ANY kind of hierarchical relationship of power — not only among ordinary working humans and their authority and/or skill levels, but in town planning levels designed to coordinate land uses over a broad area, in military campaigns differentiating an on-the-spot tactical decision from a theater-wide master strategy, and in ranking hierarchically arranged mechanical or electronic devices which control other devices? Soon it would be hard to find any agreed word to express any kind of hierarchical relationship at all. Imagine the confusion.And don’t even get me started on whether “woke” people can still refer to a socially masterful masterstroke of domination over an opponent (on the playing field, or on the Internet discussion boards) by saying “I owned you.” Isn’t that even worse? Think about it.Look, I do sympathize with the urgent need to do away with reminders of a terrible period in US history, especially for African-Americans, and doubly especially if those reminders carry the implication that some of what those words tried to convey back then is still alive and active today. I get that. But let’s focus on that bad word “slave” rather than the very useful, much older, and slaveowner-misappropriated word “master.”

The moral values among the Indians or it can be said that among the youth generation moral values are decreasing. This is a very serious problem. I think that for this only maximum all the youths are starting taking alcohol from a very lower age and cigarettes also. One day these youths will start taking drugs. They are the future of the country and we should save them. Basically, these moral values are learned from the family. If the family and the parents are not stable the child will not get the opportunity to learn the moral values.Morality and moral development: Traditional Hindu conceptsAbstractMorality (from the Latin word moralitas that means “manner, character, proper behavior”) is the differentiation of intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good (or right) and those that are bad (or wrong). It is determined by how one's genetic makeup interacts with the environment. The development of morality has been a subject of investigation for a number of decades, and our understanding of neuro-biological and psychological mechanisms has increased manifolds in the last few decades. Development of morality has been of particular significance to psychiatric literature because of its significant contribution to the development of one's personality and it's aberration in various disorders. Cultures that have been just, equal and moral have been widely accepted and appreciated. In this review, we shall summarize the modern theories of moral development and then look into a part of our past and cultural heritage and review the traditional Hindu concepts of morality and their contribution to development of one's personality and their relevance in the current times.INTRODUCTIONMorality (from the Latin word moralitas that means “manner, character, proper behavior”) is the differentiation of intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good (or right) and those that are bad (or wrong). It is an intriguing and evolving construct. Moral values are governed by a number of biological-socio-cultural-religious underpinnings. Not everyone within the same environment ends up with the same moral values. It is determined by how one's genetic makeup interacts with the environment.The development of morality has been a subject of investigation for a number of decades[1,2] and our understanding of neuro-biological and psychological mechanisms has increased manifolds in the last few decades.Development of morality has been of particular significance to psychiatric literature because of its significant contribution to the development of one's personality and it's aberration in various disorders. The abhorrent acts of “immorality” conducted by those who are “psychiatrically unwell” have intrigued the society for long. Society is in some ways in pursuit of the “ultimate in morality”. Cultures that have been just, equal and moral have been widely accepted and appreciated. Such social set-ups promote healthy upbringing. An essence of this healthy upbringing is inculcating moral values from parents, teachers, role models, peers, colleagues and the wider society. In this review, we shall summarize the existing modern theories of moral development and then look into a part of our past and cultural heritage and review the traditional Hindu concepts of morality and their contribution to development of one's personality and their relevance in the current times.MODERN THEORIES OF MORAL DEVELOPMENTBiological theoriesMoral development doesn’t start on a blank slate at birth. Our genes determine our temperament to a large extent, although, gene expression can be influenced by one's environment. It therefore, follows that both our genetic makeup and the environment we experience would influence our overall development, including our moral development. However, further discussion on this is not the purpose of this review and therefore, we will not dwell on this further.Cognitive theoriesCognitive development theorists, Jean Piaget (hereby referred to as Piaget) and Lawrence Kohlberg (hereby referred to as Kohlberg) have shown that the moral development during childhood occurs in stages and is mirrored by other cognitive changes in the child's brain. Piaget referred to himself as a genetic epistemologist, interested in the process of development of human knowledge. He explained that Genetic Epistemology attempts to explain knowledge, and in particular scientific knowledge, based on its history, its sociogenesis, and especially the psychological origins of the notions and operations upon which it is based. According to Piaget's theory, morality is formed in two stages. The first stage is that of “Heteronomous morality” in which children are able to see rules as fixed and dictated by authority.[1] Rewards and punishment dictate one's actions. The next stage is that of “Autonomous morality”, in which they are able to move beyond the consequences and are able to see morality as linked to intentions and that rules are flexible.[1]Kohlberg further developed Piaget's theory. He described stages of moral development that depended on Piagetian stage of cognitive development. Kohlberg described three major levels of moral development that were each further subdivided into two stages making it six stages in total. The three levels are pre-conventional, conventional and post-conventional morality.[2] The pre-conventional stage is essentially the morality possessed by pre-school children and is focused on avoiding punishment and obtaining reward. The morality in the conventional stage focuses on the notions of mutual benefits, social conformity and following law and order. The post-conventional stage focuses on general internalized moral principles. The sub-stages are listed in Table 1. Kohlberg used moral dilemmas to investigate the moral reasoning of individuals and he focused on individuals’ thinking process rather than the content.Table 1Stages of moral development as described by KohlbergOther theoriesIn her book “In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women's Development”, Carol Gilligan criticized Kohlberg's theory as it was developed by studying male subjects exclusively.[3] Gilligan argued that females act from concerns about social relationships and that their moral development has elements of compassion and caring strongly built in. On the other hand, according to her, justice dominates men's morality.Social intuitionists such as Haidt[4] argue that individuals often make moral judgments intuitively and that the reasoning only comes later to justify their actions.Modern psychoanalytic theory conceptualizes the development of conscience as growth of superego through positive identification of parental values and not guilt, which was given a lot of importance by the classical psychoanalytic theory.Go to:THE HINDU LITERATUREThe most important Hindu scriptures are the Vedas, which are recorded in the four sub categories viz., Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda and contain the earliest concepts of Hinduism. These four Vedas are further divided into two parts, Karma-Kanda and Jnana-Kanda. Karma Kanda is the section dealing with rituals and prayers while Jnana-Kanda deals only with the ontological realities – the nature of world, consciousness (or self) and God known as Brahman in the Vedas. It logically analyses their mutual relationship to determine whether these are interconnected or if there is any fundamental difference between them. Vedanta refers to the set of teachings that are contained in the Jnana-Kanda section, which are culmination of the Vedas. Their vision is to present what the Vedas want us to know.Vedanta is not restricted or confined to one book and there is no sole source for Vedantic philosophy.[5] However, it is widely accepted that the three most important constituents of Vedanta are the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita and Brahmasutras. Upanishads are passages from the Jnana-kanda section of the Vedas. They are the core of Vedic wisdom and are essentially philosophical in nature. Though the authorship of many Upanishads are not known, many of them are presented as set of dialogues between teacher and disciple in logical method trying to uncover the nature of reality. Brahmasutras are intended to logically explain the teachings of the Upanishads.[6] They attempt to systematize the various strands of the Upanishads, which form the background of the orthodox systems of thought.It is also important to mention that there is a lot of literature for children, to help in their moral development, from an early age. The Panchtantras,[7] which are an ancient Indian inter-related collection of animal fables in verse and prose, are a wonderful example of using social stories to communicate the principles of Dharma (morality) to children. The original Sanskrit work is believed to have been composed in the 3rdcentury BCE. The Panchtantras continue to be very popular in India as children stories.The moral dilemma in Bhagavad GitaThe Bhagavad Gita has always been of utmost importance and is arguably, one of the most revered religious texts of the Hindus. It consists of 700 verses divided in 18 chapters. It is considered to contain the essence and spirit of Hindu philosophy and is also a literary masterpiece because of its superb poetry. The great Hindu reformer Ram Mohan Roy referred to the Bhagavad Gita as the essence of all Hindu scriptures. To understand Bhagavad Gita, it is important to understand the context within which it is placed. It forms a part of the great epic, Mahabharata which is traditionally ascribed to the sage Vyasa.[8] It revolves around the fight for the throne of the kingdom of Hastinapur. This battle is fought between the Pandavas (five sons of King Pandu) and the Kauravas (hundred brothers who are descendants of King Kuru) who are related as cousins. Pandavas have the legal right to the throne, but Kauravas take over the kingdom by cheating the Pandavas, in a game of dice. The Pandavas have Lord Krishna on their side as their guide, but he has vowed not to use any weapons in the battle. Lord Krishna is considered to be the incarnation of Lord Vishnu who is one of the Gods in Hindu mythology and considered to be the creator of this world. There are numerous moral dilemmas contained in Mahabharata that make it a very meaningful and interesting read. The Bhagavad Gita is centered on the moral dilemma that is faced by despondent Arjuna (one of the Pandavas) in the midst of the battlefield. Lord Krishna is Arjuna's charioteer in the battlefield but essentially his spiritual guide. Just when the battle is about to begin, Arjuna is burdened with severe self-doubt about what he is just about to engage in: a bloody war with his cousins over a kingdom! His dilemma is whether it is appropriate for him to kill his own cousins Kauravas and other close associates for the sake of the kingdom, despite it being his legitimate claim. It is then that Lord Krishna enlightens him through the teachings that together form the Bhagavad Gita. These teachings comprehensively bring out the essence of Vedas, primarily Upanishads, in a language that is less terse than that in the original Upanishads. The main intention of these teachings is to help humans, with the task, which is, perhaps the most difficult, that is, to discriminate, choose and perform actions that are moral and righteous, especially when one is going through an emotional crisis. One of the tenets of Bhagavad Gita's philosophy is Karma Yoga that translates into “path of union through action”. It emphasizes on performing selfless actions with an attitude that is not influenced by one's likes and dislikes.In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says:“tasmad asaktah satatam karyam karma samacara asakto hy acaran karma param apnoti purushah”[9] which translates into “Therefore, without being attached to the fruits of activities, one should act as a matter of duty, for by working without attachment one attains the Supreme”.Arjuna finally decides to fight the Kauravas. However, it was not because he didn’t like them for cheating him and his brothers. It was because that was the most logical course of action based on his Dharma (morality) that demanded that by fighting the Kauravas and defeating them, he would ensure that justice had been delivered.The Purusharthas (human endeavours)The teachings of Vedas and Vedanta focus on the understanding of two aspects: Ontological nature of existence and Dharma (which approximately translates into morality). It is vital to have a clear understanding of Dharma and their various facets that would eventually help to get a more philosophical insight into nature of reality. We will discuss Dharma but as it is not a straightforward topic, we will first place it in context within the four Purusharthas (human endeavours) as expounded in the Vedic tradition. Purushartha refers to a goal, end or aim of human existence. It is a key concept in Vedic tradition that one needs to be clear about. By fulfilling the Purusharthas, man gets fulfillment for life as well as sustains the society.Purusharthas can be broadly categorized into four major categories:DharmaArthaKamaMokshaDharma is a concept of central importance in Hindu religion and philosophy and is defined in The Oxford Dictionary of World Religions as “the order and custom which make life and a universe possible, and thus the behaviours appropriate to the maintenance of that order”. Dharma embraces every type of righteous conduct, covering every aspect of life, both religious and secular, that is essential for the sustenance and welfare of the individual, society and creation. It emphasizes the need to perform one's duty with sincerity. Artha and Kama are pursuits of securities and pleasure, respectively. Artha means looking after one's material and social needs and translates into earning money, social recognition, power, control or its equivalent. The pursuit of Artha gives one a sense of security. Some of these pursuits can also be viewed as Kama because they also give a sense of pleasure although generally, Kama implies pleasure seeking and mainly refers to fulfillment of sensual pleasures.In its true sense, Dharma should be the basis for Artha and Kama. If a man pursues Artha and Kama with Dharma at its core, his endeavours will not only help him evolve as a responsible human being, but will inevitably benefit the society at large. The Hindu system makes it clear that the ultimate human endeavour is to attain Moksha in the form of total ending from seeking any of the other Purusharthas on its accomplishment. What it would practically mean that even though one may continue to seek Artha and Kama with Dharma as its core to carry on with life, one doesn’t have to be attached with it in any form. Moksha, in other words, refers to the freedom from travails that are associated with any pursuit, which is only possible through right knowledge about the nature of one's own consciousness (see the section on “Dharma as related to Moksha” for further elaboration of this).A similar concept was proposed by Maslow.[10,11] He described a “hierarchy of needs” model in which he divided human needs into basic (physiological, safety, love, and esteem) and growth needs (cognitive, aesthetics and self-actualization). Although this model is conceptually similar to Purusharthas, there is no concept of attaining Moksha as a human endeavour.DharmaThe concepts of Dharma, as expounded in the Vedas, are based on an intrinsic higher order. They are not only confined to human pursuits but also include the nature in totality. Everything that exists on the planet earth, other planets, the solar system, galaxies and indeed the entire universe is governed and sustained by the laws of Dharma. Thus, the laws in empirical science would also be a part of Dharma. There are differences between how the laws of Dharma, if one were to call them laws, apply to the universe as compared to the human beings and to a certain extent, to the animal kingdom on earth. Human beings are born with the unique mental faculty of being able to discriminate and choose. This is a blessing indeed, but is also a curse, because choices create conflicts, which are moral dilemmas for a conscientious person. One's attitude when making these choices and acting accordingly determines how moralistic one is; that is how much one follows the laws of Dharma. So while the universe may naturally and unquestioningly follow the laws of Dharma, human beings may choose otherwise. Whenever Artha and Kama gain excessive importance for humans, they knowingly or unknowingly, deviate from the laws of Dharma. This creates conflicts, which are evident both within individuals and in the wider society. It gives rise to passions of greed, desire, jealousy and anger that give rise to all forms of conflicts and social disturbances.Dharma as selfless actionThis comes out in teachings of Karma Yoga in the Bhagavad Gita. It states that one has the ability to choose actions, but the individual does not govern the results of these actions. There is emphasis given to selfless action that is not influenced by one's likes and dislikes and without concern for the outcome. The outcome is then accepted as Prasada (gift from God), whether it is desirable or undesirable. This allows the individual to focus on action completely without allowing his mind to be affected with the anxiety and exhilaration invariably associated with its consequences. This also allows actualization of one's full potential.Dharma as universal moral principlesCompassion and empathy form an extremely important part of Dharma. It comes out in various principles of Dharma. In following Dharma, a number of values and attitudes are listed in the Hindu scriptures as necessary for a human being, for example absence of conceit, absence of hypocrisy, speaking the truth, harmlessness, accommodation, straightforwardness and compassion for all beings. Ahimsa (Non violence) is often regarded as an absolute Dharma. However, the Sanskrit phrase is “Ahimsa Paramo Dharma. Dharma himsa tathaiva cha” that translates into “Non-violence is the ultimate Dharma. So too is violence in service of Dharma”. In the great epic, Mahabharata, Arjuna's decision to inflict violence on his cousins Kauravas was therefore, in accordance with his Dharma.Dharma as related to MokshaDharma assumes more significance due is its complex but invariable relationship with the fourth Purushartha, Moksha. Dharma says that there is an inherent relationship between everything in this creation that is built on mutual interdependence based on unseen laws. If these laws were flouted, then the one who is responsible for this would be penalized through ways that do not lend easily themselves to logical scrutiny. Therefore, Dharma involves faith in intrinsic intelligence of creation and that the world is not as inert as it apparently appears to be. Following Dharma for a sustained period of time leads to purification of mind that becomes free from strong likes and dislikes. A purified mind can ask fundamental questions of life and is capable of discovering the basis of creation called Brahman in Vedic philosophy. Discovering Brahman as one's own self is Moksha. This discovery is of enormous significance as it brings with it a deep sense of fulfillment that is difficult to be expressed in words. It is extremely important to understand Brahman to understand the meaning of Moksha, as understood by the Vedas. Brahman is the basis of the creation. The Creator or God is both the intelligent cause and the material cause. This means that God is not separate from the world. It is within you and within everything. The knowledge that your own consciousness is one with God, the Brahman, is called Moksha. Wig[12] discussed this as differing with the concept of God in a number of other religions including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In these traditions, ‘God’ is the Creator of the universe and everything in it; thus the Creator, in a way is ‘outside’ this world, which he has created.CONCLUSIONThe Vedic principles have influenced the Indian psyche for many centuries. These principles have underpinned the socio-cultural-religious framework for the development of individual and social moral principles. The Indian psyche and society is in a phase of rapid evolution. Pursuit of Artha and Kama are overtaking the responsibility of Dharma. The moral structure of our society is at an interesting crossroad. Prosperity has given rise to greed and corruption. Reminding oneself of our glorious past and enriching scriptures and understanding their essence can bring back the necessary balance for us to develop and evolve into mature beings. This would not only benefit the Indian society but also the world at large.REFERENCES1. Piaget J. The Moral Judgment of the Child. New York: The Free Press; 1965.2. Kohlberg L. Moral stages and moralization: The cognitive developmental approach. In: Lickona TE, editor. Moral Development and Behavior: Theory, Research and Social Issues. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston; 1976.3. Haidt J. The emotional dog and its rational tail: A social intuitionist approach to moral judgment. Psychol Rev. 2001;108:814–34. [PubMed]4. Gilligan C. In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women's Development. Cambridge: Harvard University Press; 1982.5. Brodd J. World Religions. Winona, MN: Saint Mary's Press; 2003.6. Radhakrishna S. Brahma Sutra, The Philosophy of Spiritual Life. Greenwood Press; 1960.7. Edgerton F. The Panchatantra Reconstructed (Vol. 1: Text and Critical Apparatus, Vol. 2: Introduction and Translation) 2-3. New Haven, Connecticut: American Oriental Series; 1924.8. Fowler JD. The Bhagavad Gita: A Text and Commentary for Students. Eastbourne: Sussex Academy Press; 2012.9. Bhagavad Gita. Chapter 3, Text 1910. Maslow AH. A theory of human motivation. Psychol Rev. 1943;50:370–96.11. Maslow A. Motivation and Personality. New York: Harper; 1954.12. Wig N. Mental health and spiritual values. A view from the East. Int Rev Psychiatry. 1999;11:92–6.Morality and moral development: Traditional Hindu conceptsIt is the responsibility of the teachers also to keep some debate or activity on these topics. We know that science has changed our life, without science we cannot live such a luxurious life today but it doesn't mean to forget the moral values. I didn't forget the moral values. My parents have told to do this and that and I know that this will make me a perfect. At last, I should say that 'SAVE THE YOUTH, SAVE THE COUNTRY.'.

QUEBEC once a highly denominated French environment is suffering of the super low birth rate all around…North America. Quebec is no different than anywhere else in Mexico or Caribbeans, Central America …low birth rate.Back in the early 1830- Quebec had Canada one of the highest birth rate due to the French Catholic church dominance over the economy and political scenery. In North America they are the only minority left speaking french in 80% of the Quebec areas. You can travel to Quebec City or Montreal and the French atmosphere is present as much as traveling in France, Montreal and Quebec are one of the only n America or Buenos Aires that fully express the French colony. Buenos Aires is considered the Spanish Paris french of South America.July 29, 2017By Paul Malvern|What is the reality in Canada for immigrants?For most of my life I have had a serious love affair going with Quebec, the predominately French-speaking region of Canada. But, as with most affairs of the heart, this particular romance has had its ups and downs - frequently in response to the breathtaking twists and turns of Quebec politics. Even so, it is a romance that has stood the test of time - and decades later it remains as heart-felt as ever.But just because I’m fascinated by Quebec doesn’t mean that I fully understand everything that goes on in the place. Far from it in fact! And one of the biggest mysteries for me has always been how decades back Quebec could have gone from being one of the most Catholic nations on earth to becoming one of the most anti-Catholic areas of the planet - a change that seemed to occur more or less overnight.One day Quebec was an adoring elder daughter of Rome. The next day it was an anti-Catholic nightmare crawling with militant secularists determined to erase every last vestige of the Province’s religious past.Québec is ripe for a profound new evangelization, which is already appearing in certain areas through important catechetical initiatives, and also through common efforts to return to the sources of our history. Spiritual and cultural renewal is possible if the dialogue among state, society, and the church resumes its course, constructive and respectful of our now pluralist collective identity.Searching History for the TruthAs is so often the case with important historical events, the circumstances surrounding the Catholic Church’s fall from grace have too often been obscured by mythology - in this case involving a narrative in which the Church, starring in the role of the arch-villain, Snidley Whiplash, gets blamed for pretty much everything that ever went wrong in Quebec.Of course, not all of this narrative is false. For the Church did make mistakes - some of them quite grievous. Not that great a surprise really, given that it was led - and continues to be led - by fallible human beings, not all-knowing deities! And human beings inevitably fall short of the mark. But to ascribe nothing but harm to the Church - as all too often is the case among Quebec secularists - is to distort reality beyond anything reasonable. For it is equally clear that in spite of its faults, the Catholic Church also did a world of good. And rather than having been the all-powerful institution imagined by many, the role played by the Church was often much more nuanced. For, as we shall see, the Church’s hold on power and influence has varied enormously from one period to another and its hold on the Province has at times been anything but a sure thing. And even when it did play a dominant role, this was sometimes forced upon it by events rather than the result of some overweening lust for power and control.But rather than simply take my word for it, let’s take a quick look at the history of the Church in Quebec with an eye to examining what it sought to achieve during each period, the challenges it faced, how it impacted the people under its care, and how some of its mistakes - teamed with larger societal trends - ultimately led to its demise.The Early YearsTo begin with, it’s important to recognize that the Catholic Church has been a part of the story of French Canada from the very first moment Europeans set foot on the shores of the New World. It all began on July 7, 1534 when a French priest accompanying explorer Jacques Cartier celebrated Mass for the first time on what was to become Canadian soil. And with the founding of Quebec City in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain the colonization that was to lay the basis for the colony of New France began in earnest.iDuring this early period - which was to stretch from 1608-1663 - the Church played a key role in the development of the colony, performing many of the functions that should have been handled by the State. This was in large measure due to the lack during this period of any of the administrative functions normally performed by a civil government. Forced to step into the breach, the Church provided many services in the areas of education, medical care and social services, to name but a few. In addition to attending to the “here and now” needs of settlers and native inhabitants alike, it also responded to the call to spread the Gospel in this new continent and minister to people’s spiritual needs. For this was a Church which possessed a deep spirituality and great missionary zeal - qualities not always obvious in later periods.But, as the saying goes, nature abhors a vacuum. And nowhere is this truer than in the area of politics and government. Which in this case led to what historians call, “the Gallican period” stretching from 1663 to 1760.2- During this period, a civil government was at last in place in New France - which changed the relationship between Church and State profoundly, stripping the Church of many administrative duties and making it subordinate to the State. While it remained responsible for most matters relating to education, health and social services, it now performed them under the watchful eye of government officials. Still, not all of this was negative. For under this new arrangement, the Church was financially supported by the State and held a position of great respect in the colony.Of course, all of this changed yet again in 1760 with the fall of Quebec to the British - an event which threatened both the future of the Church and the survival of French language and culture in North America. For with the fall of New France, the Church suffered a series of important losses - not the least of which were the loss of State protection and financial support and the breaking off of contact with France - which effectively separated Quebec from France and prevented it from bringing in more French-speaking immigrants and clerics from that country. Teamed with this was the banning of a number of religious orders - most notably the Jesuits. And the loss of favoured status and financial support from the State forced the Church to seek acceptance by the British Government. This new situation was particularly galling since it forced the Church to act in ways that would have been unimaginable previously - such as: urging respect for established authority (i.e. their new British masters), supporting the British during the American invasion of 1775, and cooperating with its new colonial masters to gain acceptance as a trusted partner in government.While this collaboration did work in the short run, it was to have long-term negative repercussions since it blackened the Church’s name with the more nationalistic or liberal elements among the population. This became particularly serious when the radical ideas generated by the French Revolution began to infect the growing middle class made up of doctors, lawyers, and other professionals. These new ideas presented a significant challenge to the Church and its claim to being the truly authoritative voice in French-speaking society. Eventually this conflict came to a head with the uprisings of 1837-38 - whose failure proved to be a blessing in disguise for the Church. For the Church could now claim that its approach was the correct one - an argument which proved highly effective in restoring its position as the dominant force in society.Even so, it was not all clear sailing for the Church which was faced with another even more daunting problem - namely, that of keeping up with the rapid increase in the population, which during this period was doubling every 25 years. Simply put, the Church did not have enough priests and religious to serve each and every community and segment of population - a failing which reduced its influence and control in many areas of the Province.Happily for the Church, this shortage of priests proved to be only a speed bump on the road to becoming the dominant force in Quebec society - a situation which had become increasingly evident following 1840 as each year saw the Church exercise greater and greater political influence and control over Quebeckers’ lives.The Glory YearsHaving bested its liberal opponents in the battle for the hearts and minds of Quebeckers, the Catholic Church now had a clear field ahead of it and was determined to consolidate its position and firm up its hold over the cultural, social and political life of the Province. And press ahead it did - as can be seen by the rapid increase in the number and size of religious orders and the setting up of classical colleges from which some 50% of graduates eventually entered the priesthood. Even more significant was the increase in the percentage of Catholics who did their ‘Easter duty’ (going to confession and communion at least once during the Easter season). It rose from 50-60% in 1840 to 98-99% in 1896.3- Not surprisingly, this newfound power and influence brought with it many privileges. For example, the only schools permitted in Quebec were confessional schools. Civil registries were kept by the Church. Divorces could only be obtained via an act of Parliament. Church corporations were not taxed. And the Church by and large controlled education, health services and charitable institutions. All and all a very impressive show of strength!In spite of this, the Church’s hold was still far from unassailable. For there remained some liberal holdovers from the past who continued to be a thorn in its side, finding frequent expression in the media and political system. However, by the turn of the century, even this opposition seemed to evaporate. Which resulted in the more or less total victory by the Church whose influence would now be seen in almost every facet of life in Quebec - and whose excesses would eventually lead to its undoing.The Triumphalist PeriodDuring this period - which stretched from the beginning of the 20th century to the emergence of the Quiet Revolution in 1960 - the Church dedicated itself to Christianizing (as it understood the term) every aspect of Quebec society. And no detail, it seems, was too small to escape the attention of Holy Mother Church.To the modern mind, some of these details seem petty and even comical in a dreadful sort of way. One of my favorite examples was contained in a university lecture I heard recently where the Professor in question asked students if they knew why stairs between floors in older apartment buildings in Montreal are on the outside of the building rather than inside as is the case elsewhere. The answer to that riddle, he said, was that many decades back the Catholic Church lobbied the City of Montreal to require staircases on the outside - in hopes of discouraging extramarital sexual relationships between tenants of such buildings. While I have no idea if this is actually true or simply an urban myth, it clearly is a great story. And the fact that it is still being told and taken seriously is a good indication of just how crazy the Church’s interference in people’s private lives became during the period - and the extent to which memories of the Church’s interference in peoples’ personal lives have become burnt into the public consciousness.Of special interest to those living in our current sex-obsessed culture are the Church’s past efforts to encourage couples to be fruitful and multiply. In short to have children - and lots of them! Judging from the number of times I have heard Quebeckers complain about this, it clearly was a very galling issue for those alive at the time. For time and again people have regaled me with stories about how some bossy priest had pressured their grandparents and great grandparents to bring lots of children into the world.Looking back on it with the benefit of hindsight, it is hard to know how true these stories are and how embroidered they might have become with the passage of time. But what clearly is real is the passion people inject into this story’s telling and its prominent place in Quebec’s national mythology. Indeed, I wish I had a dollar for every time someone has told me the story about how some parish priest visited their grandparents and strong-armed them into having 16 children or some similarly high body count.But is it true? Or is it just one more secularist fairy tale to scare small children?In some cases, I suppose these things probably did happen. For every religion has its share of foolish and intrusive clerics - Catholicism being no exception. So it’s reasonable to assume that Quebec did have a number of religiously-motivated busybodies. But in fairness to these much-maligned priests from the past, they did have a point since the Christian faith has always considered children to be a great blessing. And it is true that, were French-speaking Quebec to survive as a cultural and linguistic entity, it was going to need lots of Francophones around to hold back the evil Anglophone tide. So little wonder that some priests - quite possibly with the blessing of some local bishops - would try and communicate the love of large families to their parishioners. Then too we also need to consider what Quebec was like at the time - namely, a largely rural society. Given the nature of farming - where many hands to the plough is a good thing - it’s likely that having large numbers of children was an easy idea to sell to many rural parishioners. All of which suggests to me that many of these interfering priests may not have had to twist rural couples’ arms very hard when it came to reproduction.But whatever the truth of this particular ‘blast from the past’, it remains an undeniable fact that the Quebec Catholic Church did inject itself into many areas of people’s personal lives - with a somewhat mixed record of success.Still, this tendency for the Church to stick its nose into other people’s business was only a small part of a much bigger picture. For the Church hierarchy had much bigger fish to fry than losing sleep over small-time sinning at the parish level. And it was these larger issues that would create the biggest problems for the Princes of the Church.One major issue facing them involved the survival of Quebec as a French-speaking entity - not an easy task given the political, economic and cultural dominance of the huge mass of English-speakers that surrounded it. This required the Wisdom of Solomon as they responded to challenge after challenge - a good example being the First and Second World Wars, where conscription was a huge - and vastly unpopular - issue among francophone Quebeckers.Equally trying was the question of how it should respond to the transformation of Quebec from a rural and deeply conservative society into a modern industrial state with a growing working class facing many social and economic difficulties. (This last one was to cause some of its most enduring headaches and would play a major role in the Church’s demise.)And how were they to relate to a federal government whose agenda was far from Christian?None of this was easy - but the Church did its best with the resources it had at its disposal. Sometimes it managed this well. Sometimes it failed. And sometimes it succumbed to the temptation to make what seemed like deals with the devil - as in the case of its alliance with the government of Maurice Duplessis.The End GameTo many in the Quebec Church hierarchy, Maurice Duplessis (the Premier during the years 1936-39 and 1944-59) must have seemed like a dream come true. He was a strong leader. He viewed Quebec as a Catholic society. And he was prepared to do whatever it took to keep it that way. But as with all deals with the devil, there was a catch. And the catch here was the man’s character and his governing style, which combined authoritarianism, political patronage and unsavory political practices into an unholy trifecta. Was the Catholic hierarchy aware of the regime’s dark side? Almost certainly, given the education and sophistication of those who guided the Church at the time! Did they approve of all that Duplessis did? Probably not but they may have seen their silence and collaboration as the price they had to pay to retain the goodwill and active assistance of the Province’s political masters. And in fairness to them, their strategy did work well for a time - until it no longer did. But when that terrible day finally did arrive, the Church would pay a high price for having compromised its principles.Sadly for the Church, Duplessis was only one of their problems - and maybe not even their biggest headache. For a far greater long-term challenge was the socio-economic transformation that took place in Quebec during the first half of the 20th century, which changed the Province from a very traditional rural society with the Church at its heart into a very urban, highly industrialized society where the old rules no longer applied. Part of this involved the growth of the urban working class - which led to the rapid growth of trade unions and calls for greater social justice from all segments of Quebec society.For a time the Church responded well and with great creativity to this new challenge - by championing working class causes, promoting community development and social justice at the grass roots level, and encouraging the growth of the trade unions, many of which were avowedly Catholic. For example, the rapid growth in the number and size of trade unions following the end of the First World War led to the formation of the Canadian Catholic Confederation of Labour (CCCL) in 1921, many of these unions having a priest assigned to them to act as an advisor. Quebec Jesuits were especially active in promoting social justice in the Province - as seen by the establishment in 1912 of the École sociale populaire in Montreal and the founding some eight years later of annual conferences on social justice called the Semaines sociales du Canada.4 - While such social change and community development initiatives proved highly successful in improving peoples’ lives and raising the consciousness of Catholics as to the social and economic problems facing the Province, their very success placed the Church in an awkward position. For while many in the Church strongly supported the fight for social justice and good working conditions, the Church hierarchy nevertheless wanted to keep things from getting out of hand. This was clearly going to prove tricky. For, as the Church was to discover, encouraging social change can have many unforeseen consequences - one of the most obvious being that the movements you have a hand in starting may not always continue to follow your lead or stay faithful to their original principles. Nor are there are any guarantees that these movements, once powerful, will not come back to bite you. Which is exactly what eventually did happen when activists were exposed to more radical and at times very anti-Catholic ideas. The words of the great 16th century scholar, Rabbi Loew of Prague, who noted that, “He who touches may also be touched”, ring particularly true here. For by encouraging social justice movements and trade union activism, the Church was to inject itself with an ideological virus that would cause great internal dissension and weaken its ability to respond forcefully when faced with the challenges of the Quiet Revolution in the 1960s. And the first sign of trouble was to occur in 1949 with the Asbestos Strike - an event of such importance that nothing was ever the same again.The Asbestos Strike of 1949While revolutions often are the result of long years of injustice or oppression, most can point to one particular event that really started the ball rolling. In Quebec that event would almost certainly be the Asbestos Strike of 1949. Initially, it was just your run of the mill industrial dispute where workers claimed to be underpaid and the employer saw things differently. In normal times it would have been resolved - eventually - and life would have returned to normal. However, in this case, events spun out of control quickly catching the attention and sympathy of much of Quebec society. True to form, Duplessis sided with the company and then the real fun began with other important groups - including the Catholic Church - taking the side of the workers. This was significant because the Church, while sympathetic to workers, nevertheless had traditionally opposed most strikes, instead urging both sides in labour disputes to settle their differences as amicably as possible. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen here and things rapidly moved past the point of no return - eventually forcing the Church to take a clear stand. And it did - in favour of the workers. Its unequivocal material support for the workers won the day for the union. But it also severely damaged the careers of a number of Church figures - most notably that of Montreal Archbishop Charbonneau who had been especially vocal in his support for the workers. And it ended the informal alliance between “cross and crown” that had existed for hundreds of years. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the Catholic unions in the Province learned important lessons from this strike which were to make them much more militant and which would eventually result in their freeing themselves from the restraints of the Church.5- In short, the fat was now in the fire and the process of radical change had begun. When it came to fruition, the old order would be swept away - and with it the key role of the Catholic Church.Miriam Oviedo, described the birth of her daughter Maxine as the "best birthday present" since she herself was born on December 31st.While Rome Talks, Québec Has Already Been LostIt was the most Catholic region of North America, but today is the most secularized. It's where Cardinal Ouellet is from, a relator general at the synod of bishops on the Word of God. And Benedict XVI is also looking to it, as to a new missionary territoryAnd he added:"Could not the same thing happen in our time? Nations that once were rich in faith and vocations are now losing their identity, under the harmful and destructive influence of a certain modern culture."It can be guessed that, among these nations that once were exuberantly Christian but are no longer so, Pope Joseph Ratzinger is thinking of Canada, and more precisely of Québec.Benedict XVI entrusted to the archbishop of Québec, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the task of introducing and closing the work of the synod with two general addresses. And Cardinal Ouellet is one of the best-informed and most critical witnesses of the metamorphosis that over a few decades has turned the highly Catholic Québec back into missionary territory.Québec is Canada's largest province by area, five times bigger than Italy, but with fewer than 8 million inhabitants. They speak French, and until the middle of the last century they preserved a strong Catholic character. The rivers and villages there bear the names of saints, there are many churches, and almost all of the schools and hospitals were the result of religious initiatives. Vocations also flourished.But beginning in the 1960's, all of this collapsed. Without fanfare, a "quiet revolution" put Québec in the vanguard of secularization. Today less than 5 percent of Catholics go to Mass on Sundays. There are few religious marriages, most funerals are civil, and baptisms are increasingly rare.And the laws ratify this state of affairs in the name of a secularist fundamentalism that has gone so far, this year, as to impose on all state and private schools in Québec – the first instance of its kind in the world – an obligatory course on "ethics and religious culture," with teachers who are forbidden to present themselves as believers and members of the community of faith. The course gives information on the major world religions and discusses controversial topics, like abortion and euthanasia, with the obligation of taking no position one way or another."It is the dictatorship of relativism applied beginning in elementary school," Cardinal Ouellet charges. But his is an isolated voice. 80 percent of families continue to ask for the teaching of the Catholic religion, but only one, Loyola High School in Montréal, has appealed to the supreme court against the obligatory course now imposed by law.Georges Leroux, the philosopher at the University of Montréal who designed the new course, maintains that "the time has come to think about the transmission of religious culture no longer as faith, but as history, as the universal heritage of humanity."It should be noted that the laws that stray the farthest from Church teaching were ratified in Québec not by radical majorities, but by moderate ones. The law on the obligatory teaching of "ethics and religious culture" was approved by a conservative government, which includes Catholic members.The Quiet RevolutionThe year, 1960, marks a key transition point in the history of Quebec and the Catholic Church in that Province. For it was in this year that the newly elected Liberal Government of Premier Jean Lesage embarked upon an ambitious plan aimed at modernizing the Quebec economy and society. Brandishing the slogan, “Maîtres chez nous!” (Masters in our own house), the Lesage government launched wide-ranging reforms which included nationalizing key sectors of the economy and dramatically increasing the ability of the State to impact the lives of Quebeckers through a significant increase in the size and scope of the Provincial Government. Special areas of interest included education and health care, which up to this point had been largely the responsibility of the Catholic Church. In short order these responsibilities were taken away from the Church - which dramatically reduced its profile in Quebec. Teamed with this was a push to secularize Quebec society which was to see the Church removed from its central position to become simply one group among many - if that.Vatican IIThe 1960s were not kind to the Church’s position in society in another important way. And that involved the work of Vatican II which called on churches around the world to respect the autonomy of the political sphere and not rely on the past strategy of using the power of the state to make Catholicism the primary religion. The effect on the Quebec Catholic Church was profound. For as one political scientist commented, “ just as the Quebec state was declaring its autonomy from the Church, the Church was itself affirming the autonomy of political society, the freedom of individual consciences in political matters, and the need for citizens to involve themselves in the important debates and projects of their societies.”6- To make a long story short, Vatican II made any counter-attack against the secularist tsunami virtually impossible. Surrender to the spirit of the times thus seemed like the only available option to many in the hierarchy - which is exactly what happened.The legs had been cut out from underneath the Church and all that remained was to make the best of a bad situation.The FalloutRevolutions - ‘Quiet’ or otherwise - are hard on people and societies. As noted by the ultimate revolutionary, Mao Tse-tung, who declared that, “A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another.”7- That certainly was the case with the Quiet Revolution. There was little or no physical violence, of course. But there was most definitely emotional and cultural violence. And there was an overthrow of one class (encompassing the main elements of traditional Quebec society, most notably the Church) by another one (led by an alliance of bureaucratic, professional, academic, media and trade union elites). This was not a small matter. Rather it was a struggle for the very soul of the Quebec nation. And the cost for the losers was enormous.The Damage to the Catholic ChurchCertainly, the damage done to the Catholic Church has been huge. For if some in the Church believed that the Quiet Revolution and Vatican II might somehow magically revitalize the Church, they were sorely mistaken. Sadly, quite the opposite has happened. For rather than bringing about a new reawakening, these two events instead created a series of shocks that caused the implosion of the Church.Take, for example, attendance at mass - an excellent indicator of the state of engagement by the faithful. Prior to the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s, Quebec had one of the highest attendance rates in North America - if not the world. Now it has one of the lowest.8- And all of this happened very quickly - as noted by former Bloc Québécois leader, Gilles Duceppe, who stated that, “Before Duplessis died, we’d all go to church and make our sign [of the cross], and a year later we didn’t go to Mass anymore.”9- Just how rapid and precipitous this decline was is clear from the statistics. In the early 1960s, the percentage of Quebec Catholics who attended mass once a month or more was over 80%. By 2007 weekly attendance had dropped to 15%.10- And the damage continues unabated, as seen by the observation by veteran Vatican watcher, Sandro Magister, who notes that, “Today less than 5 percent of Catholics go to Mass on Sundays. There are few religious marriages, most funerals are civil, and baptisms are increasingly rare.”11- But it’s not just the drop in the attendance that is a problem. Rather it’s also the damage done to the Church itself, its personnel and its infrastructure - with churches closing and the ranks of its priests being thinned by death (many are now elderly), the desire to build a new life in the secular world, and a reluctance by young men to enter the priesthood. A good example is the Archdiocese of Quebec (the area around Quebec City) which saw the number of priests drop from 1565 (453 Catholics per priest) in 1966 to 634 (1676 Catholics per priest) in 2014 with the number of parishes falling from 275 in 1966 to 207 in 2014.12- Similar declines have been seen in every part of the Province.These declines in the number of churchgoers and priests have created huge problems for the Church - not the least of which what to do with those buildings and properties that are no longer needed and how to pay for the maintenance required for those that are retained. Responding to this challenge, the Church has tried various approaches - including closing churches and parishes, finding alternate uses for church buildings and seeking the assistance of the State by having churches declared historic sites. Sadly, this trend continues today - as seen by the fact that between 2003 and 2014, some 400 churches, mostly Catholic, closed in Quebec. And many are being considered for new uses such as health clubs or cultural centers.13- The Fallout for SocietyOf course, not all of the fallout from secularization and modernization has been restricted to the Catholic Church. For it goes without saying that rapid social, economic and cultural change inevitably brings with it significant stresses and strains for which individuals and society as a whole inevitably must pick up the tab. And this fallout has been particularly evident when it comes to that key social institution, the family.Back in 2011, Andrea Mrozek, Catherine Benesch and I wrote an in depth report for the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada on the state of the family in Quebec entitled, A Quebec Family Portrait. In it we outlined a number of disturbing trends observed in that Province which included: out of control government spending, a low fertility rate which threatened the very future of French-speaking Quebec, a growing preference for co-habitation over marriage, and high rates of sole parenting, out of wedlock births, divorce and abortion. None of which augured well for the happiness of individuals, strong families or social stability.Of particular concern for us was the state of marriage in the Province - which has not done well since the 1960s. We found an institution that has fallen out of favor with many Quebeckers. For example, at the time of our study, married couples made up 54.5% of families in Québec, as compared with the Canadian national average of 68.6%, Quebec’s marriage rate (the number of marriages per 1000 people) was 2.9 compared to 4.4 nationally, and Québec had the highest divorce rate (e.g. the risk of divorce in Quebec by the 30th wedding anniversary was 48.4% in 2004 compared to 37.9% nationally in the same period). By contrast, co-habitation was much more common in Québec (34.6% of couples) than the rest of Canada (13.4%). And not surprisingly Quebec led the country in out of wedlock births (in 2000, 60% of births in Quebec were to unmarried mothers versus 1 in 3 in Canada as a whole).14All of which is troubling since study after study has shown that marriages tend to be more stable overall all than common-law relationships. And it suggests that perhaps not all of the Church’s moralizing in the past was totally without merit.Of course, that’s only part of the problem. For the rapid decline of the Catholic Church also removed the most important intermediary institution between the State and individual citizens - which meant that the State could now do pretty much anything it wanted, without any counterbalancing force to restrain it. And the result has not always been a happy one.Interestingly enough, this very issue was very much on the minds of some Catholic intellectuals back in the 1960s and early 1970s who warned about the growth of an all-powerful Quebec State, now liberated from the restraint of a powerful intermediary body such as the Catholic Church. For such critics this new, enormous and largely unfettered Quebec State would have enormous resources and power which could potentially be used to oppress people rather than liberate them. Fears of just such a possibility were expressed by critics such as François-Albert Angers, who warned that, “When the state is master in every domain, the people are masters in none. The phrase, ‘We are the state!’, which we have not ceased repeating here, is the greatest load of rubbish ever proposed to put the people to sleep and to give the dictatorial green light to all [government] ministers who are, by definition, budding little dictators.”15- While these words would prove prophetic decades later, such warnings eventually died out as people accustomed themselves to this new reality and grew to appreciate the benefits that accrue from having a modern welfare state and a strong government capable of preserving the linguistic and cultural integrity of the Quebec nation.But nothing is ever cost free, is it? And certainly that has been true in the case of Quebec. For, while much can be said in favor of the security provided by the welfare state, there is inevitably a price to be paid in terms of personal freedom. Part of this flows from the very size of many of these programs - which makes it virtually impossible to allow for those individual differences that make each one of us who we are. If such programs are to function in an efficient and cost-effective manner, governments inevitably must resort to a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach - an approach that all too often reduces people to little more than ciphers on a page that can be manipulated as program needs require it.Of course, such a danger is not restricted to Quebec. Rather it is a reality facing virtually every country in the industrialized West - one that each and every one of us must learn to live with.Finally, there is the moral, ethical and spiritual fallout that has occurred as a result of the Church’s sidelining in the Sixties - which, while seldom commented on by journalists and academics, nevertheless is a serious problem in present day Quebec. This was noted by Cardinal Marc Ouellet, former Archbishop of Quebec, who noted that: “Québec’s real problem is the spiritual vacuum created by a religious and cultural rupture, by the substantial loss of memory, which leads to a crisis in the family and in education, leaving citizens disoriented, dispirited, vulnerable to instability, and attracted to fleeting and superficial values.”16 - Writing as someone who used to live in the Province, I would have to say that the Cardinal is onto something here, since there does seem to be a profound spiritual vacuum in Quebec. For while Catholicism may have been largely removed from the public square, other forms of worship are prominent - such as materialism, hedonism and a variety of secular religions disguised as political movements.Even so, this picture is far from totally bleak. For there are a number of hopeful signs. To begin with there do seem to be the early signs of a revival of Catholicism in Quebec - as new religious congregations are set up and immigrants and some young people begin to fill the pews left empty by the flight of older native born Quebeckers. One additional bit of good news, spiritually speaking, is that Catholicism is no longer the only game in town - as seen by the Evangelical revival that occurred in Quebec during the 1980s and the fact that Evangelical churches continue to thrive in that Province even now. I can personally attest to the strength of this movement since I experienced it first hand when I got saved (or ‘racheté as they say in French - that is, ‘redeemed’) in a French language Pentecostal church in Quebec City in the mid-1980s. While some strict Catholics may not see this Evangelical resurgence as a good thing, the reality is that it has been of great benefit to both Catholics and Protestants in a number of ways. For example, it ensures that the Christian message continues to be heard, no matter who does the preaching - which must surely be a good thing. And it allows people to rethink their negative attitudes toward Christianity since Evangelical churches were not associated in the past with the Duplessis regime, as was the case with the Catholic Church. Finally, there is often a spillover effect from Evangelicalism which benefits the Catholic Church. For I recall my pastor at the time saying that one of the benefits he saw flowing from his church was that young people would get saved and then start encouraging their parents to get serious again about their faith. This would give their parents and other relatives a bad conscience. However, being ‘good Catholics’, they could not consider going to a Protestant church. Instead they would return to the Catholic Church and become regular mass attendees. In short it was a win-win situation for all concerned.Summing UpThe story of the rise and fall of the Quebec Catholic Church is a remarkable one - which contains the elements of a great epic novel. There is a passionate but tragic love affair - in this case between a nation and a great religious institution. There is betrayal - with blame to be laid on both sides. There is the sweep of great historical movements - in this case involving the death of the old very rural, very conservative, and very Catholic Quebec and the rise of a modern, urban, high-tech social democratic State. There is the rise of a seemingly nihilistic and materialistic secular order - and the tantalizing early outlines of a possible spiritual revival.In short it is a tale worthy of a remarkable people - which Quebeckers most definitely are.I wish them well in the future - and look forward to seeing what lies ahead for them.A-photo credit: The Library of Congress Church of Ste. Anne de Beaupré (LOC) via photopin (license)1. Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. History of the Church in Canada. Retrieved from:http://www.cccb.ca/site/eng/church-in-canada-and-world/catholic-church-in-canada/history-of-the-church-in-canada2. Claude Bélanger. The Roman Catholic Church and Quebec. Retrieved from: http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/quebechistory/readings/church.htm3. Ibid.4. Terence J. Fay. A History of Canadian Catholics. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, [c2002] p. 304.5. Ibid. pp. 252-253.6. David Seljak. “Why the Quiet Revolution was ‘Quiet’: The Catholic Church’s Reaction to the Secularization of Nationalism in Quebec after 1960". CCHA Historical Studies, 62 (1996). p. 111.7. Mao Tse-tung. "Report on an Investigation of the Peasant Movement in Hunan" (March 1927), Selected Works, Vol. I, p. 28. Retrieved from: https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/works/red-book/ch02.htm8. Reginald Bibby. Religion À La Carte in Quebec: A Problem of Demand, Supply, or Both? p.14. Retrieved from: http://www.reginaldbibby.com/images/Quebec_Paper_July07.pdf9. Preston Jones. “Quebec after Catholicism”. First Things. June 1999. Retrieved from: https://www.firstthings.com/article/1999/06/quebec-after-catholicism10. Reginald Bibby. Op. Cit. p.111. Sandro Magister. While Rome Talks, Québec Has Already Been Lost. Retrieved from: http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/207117bdc4.html?eng=y12. The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church. Archdiocese of Quebec. Retrieved from: http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dqueb.html13. Graeme Hamilton. “What's happening to Montreal's churches? Quebec finding new ways to preserve its heritage in a secular age.” National Post. July 25, 2014. Retrieved from: http://nationalpost.com/holy-post/whats-happening-to-montreals-churches-quebec-finding-new-ways-to-preserve-its-heritage-in-a-secular-age/wcm/419f8d6a-c470-4c7b-b222-891298dc345714. Paul Malvern, Andrea Mrozek and Catherine Benesch. A Quebec Family Portrait. Ottawa: Institute for Marriage and Family Canada, 2011. pp. 20-22. Retrieved from: https://www.imfcanada.org/archive/247/qu%C3%A9bec-family-portrait15. “Hauteur et mauvaise foi envers nous de ‘l’État c’est nous!’” L’Action nationale, 55, no. 3, (November, 1965). p. 331. Quoted in David Seljak. Op. Cit. pp. 116-117.16. Marc Ouellet. “Where is Québec going? On faith and secularism”. Published in Vita e Pensiero, the magazine of the Catholic University of Milan. Retrieved from: http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/207117bdc4.html?eng=yCulture Witness:We provide commentary on the cultural decline of the Western world, from a conservative perspective.While Rome Talks, Québec Has Already Been Lost‹ More outrageous than Trump: the frightful rise of intoleranceKaty Perry and the New Evangelization ›