Whatever Happened to Morality? A Conservative Lament in an Age of Relativism, By Mrs. Vera West

In the whirlwind of modern life, where social media dictates trends and progressive ideologies reshape institutions overnight, one can't help but ask: whatever happened to morality? From a conservative perspective, the answer is stark and sobering — morality hasn't just faded; it's been systematically eroded by a culture of relativism, secularism, and unchecked individualism. What was once a shared bedrock of Christian values, family structures, and personal responsibility has been supplanted by a fluid, feelings-based ethic that prioritises self-expression over self-restraint, diversity quotas over divine order, and government mandates over God-given rights.

Let's start with the family, the cornerstone of any moral society. Conservatives have long argued that strong families — built on marriage between a man and a woman, committed to raising children with discipline and virtue — are essential for transmitting moral values across generations. Yet, over the past few decades, we've witnessed a deliberate assault on this institution. No-fault divorce laws, popularised in the 1970s, turned marriage into a disposable contract, leading to skyrocketing rates of broken homes and fatherless children. Add to that the normalisation of cohabitation, single parenthood by choice, and now the redefinition of marriage itself through same-sex unions and gender fluidity. The result? A generation adrift, more prone to anxiety, addiction, and aimlessness because the moral anchors of fidelity, sacrifice, and biological reality have been cast aside. As conservatives see it, when society celebrates "my truth" over objective truth, we lose the plot on why families matter — not just for happiness, but for moral formation.

Education, another pillar, has fared no better. Public schools, once places where character education reinforced home-taught virtues like honesty, hard work, and patriotism, now often serve as indoctrination centres for progressive agendas. Critical race theory and gender ideology curricula teach children to view the world through lenses of oppression and identity rather than merit and morality. Books promoting traditional values are banned as "hateful," while explicit materials on sexuality flood libraries under the guise of inclusivity. From a conservative viewpoint, this isn't progress; it's moral vandalism. We've replaced the Ten Commandments with trigger warnings, fostering a victimhood mentality that excuses personal failings and demonises dissent. No wonder test scores plummet and civic literacy wanes — without a moral compass, knowledge becomes weaponised rather than enlightening.

Then there's the media and entertainment industry, the great amplifiers of cultural decay. Hollywood and Big Tech peddle a steady diet of violence, promiscuity, and moral ambiguity, where heroes are anti-heroes and villains are sympathetic victims of "the system." Streaming services glamorise abortion as empowerment, transgender transitions as heroism, and cancel culture as justice. Conservatives point to this as evidence of a broader war on virtue: when profit trumps principle, society normalises what was once taboo. Remember when prime-time TV upheld family values? Now, it's drag queens reading to toddlers and algorithms pushing radical content to impressionable youth. This isn't freedom of expression; it's the deliberate dismantling of decency, leaving a void filled by relativism where "if it feels good, do it" reigns supreme.

Politically, the decline is perhaps most insidious. Leaders who once appealed to moral absolutes, now pander to identity politics and entitlement programs that breed dependency rather than dignity. Abortion on demand, once a moral outrage, is now enshrined as a "right," with conservatives decrying the loss of over 60 million lives since Roe v. Wade (overturned in 2022, but the fight rages on). Euthanasia, drug legalisation, and open borders further erode the sanctity of life and rule of law, prioritising convenience over conscience.

So, what happened to morality? Conservatives argue it's not gone — it's been supplanted by a counterfeit version that serves elite interests and sows division. The path back requires a revival: recommitting to faith, fortifying families, reforming education, and demanding accountability from culture-shapers. It's not about imposing theocracy but restoring a shared moral framework that made Western civilisation great. Without it, we risk not just societal chaos, but the soul of a nation. As G.K. Chesterton warned, when men stop believing in God, they don't believe in nothing — they believe in anything. Time to choose wisely, before it's too late.