Article of the Month
"The Universal/Christian/Bible Values"

By Dr. John Williams

I. Introduction
A set of Values in which a person believes in, will  examine all Areas and Aspects of one's life and what happens in a Society or a Country in Economic, Social, Political, Religious and Cultural Realms or Spheres.  Some important Universal/ Christian/Bible Values such as the following should be seriously considered and adopted for the Good of the Society as a whole: 

• Loving our Neighbors 

• Having Peace and Tranquility in Life

• Having Joy and Excitement in Life

• Having Good Health and Longevity in Life

• Having Success in Life

• Achieving our Goals in Life

• Making Contributions and Sacrifices to the World

• Having Satisfaction and Fulfillment in Life 

• Having Eternal Life in Heaven

• Having Universal Brotherhood

• Having Fellowship and Friendship with others (which is the very purpose and reason why God created Man-Kind)

• Maintaining Community Welfare

• Doing Social Service

• Taking Initiative in Developing Rural Areas

These kinds of Universally accepted Values have been articulated by several individuals and Institutions using a wide assortment of terms using different nomenclature and jargons.

Other terminologies used in various discussions which several individuals and organizations had in the past, to come up with  a list of Universal Values are too numerous to mention but a few examples are cited below:

Caring Citizens
Good Themes
Appropriate Actions
Good Ideas
Commercial and Guardian Moral Syndrome
Civic Values and Virtues
Peace
Order
Security
Social Justice
Dignity
Human Rights
Ethical Standards
Non Violence
Respect for Life
Not to Injure, Torture or Kill Human Beings
Justice and Solidarity
Integrity, Honesty and Fairness
Giving all people all opportunities to overcome Poverty, Malnutrition and Ignorance and Inequality. 
Assuring Dignity, Freedom, Security and Justice for all people
To develop Talents of people 
To give access to Educations and to Meaningful Work
To lend support to the needy, disabled and to the victims of the discriminated
Freedom of Media
The right to Privacy and to personal and professional confidentiality

It is important to seriously think about our own Value Systems, and prayerfully and seriously consider making necessary changes in our Values in order to conform to the Biblical / Spiritual / Christian / Universal Values, listed above which I believe, will help us to have Peace, Joy, Prosperity, Health, Safety and Success in our life, and to have Peace, Tranquility and Order in the World.  

It is important to note, the set of Values that we have right now, in any Culture, Society or Country, is the result of a Combination of Factors, such as the Tradition, Family Background, Culture, Custom and Social Mores, the Environmental Influences we have had, our Childhood and Past Experiences, Religious Beliefs we hold, the Education that we have had, the Moral and the Legal Principles and Codes that we are bound by and subjected to etc.  

It is important to recognize the fact that, right now the whole world is in a state of Chaos and Confusion, and is exposed to the risk of being attacked by Terrorists or getting wounded or harmed in some way in the environment in which we live.  It is needless to add that as prophesized in the Bible, there are Wars and Rumors of Wars, in the End Times in which we are living.  During this Cataclysmic Hour the only way people can have the assurance of Peace and Happiness is  by instilling into the minds of the people some Good Values as mentioned above.  It can be done only by some of the ways suggested below:

• Emphasizing and Taking Seriously the Moral and Christian Education even from the I st Grade.

• Intertwining this Moral/Christian Education with the General Education Program, in all Disciplines until Students Graduate.

• Fabricating this Moral Fiber in all of our Legislations, Policies and Programs. 

• Publicizing and Giving Special Emphasis to these Values in every way, to Indoctrinate Every Citizen of Every Nation.

• Prohibiting, Penalizing and Forbidding every Act, whether it is Economic, Social, Political, Cultural or Sports/Games.

• Motivating, Encouraging or Awarding Good Moral and Ethical Standards maintained in any Area of Activity.

II. Adopting a Set of Universal Values
    For developing a Value System, as suggested above for Adoption, Dissemination and Enforcement, effectively and successfully, it is important that a Special Commission is appointed by the Highest Political Authorities or Bodies of the Government, at the National Level or by the appropriate International Organization, such as the United Nations or one of its duly appointed appropriate commission to undertake this task.  

III. Instilling and Disseminating the Universal Values
The Values should be communicated effectively to all people concerned in a variety of ways which are too numerous to mention.  It is interesting to note that a search in internet using the words "Universal Values" produced 2,77,00,000 websites.  It is interesting to note that thousands of individuals and organizations at all levels all over the world have been discussing, researching, debating, deliberating and disseminating information on the subject of Universal Values in order to indoctrinate people all over the world in all cultures and nations with these ideologies, so that these values will become the Universal Values acceptable to people all over the world.  When one's people are educated and convinced of these values, and how they can and the world has a whole, can benefit by achieving peace, order, happiness, health, prosperity, long life etc., they will subscribe to these values, and adopt a life style which would help facilitate the process of making these Universal Values Real in the world as a whole.  Some of the specific ways in which the values can be instilled into the minds of the people all over the world are listed below:  

• Appointing Commissions at all levels to work on documents listing all universal Values which are acceptable all over the world.

• Circulating this list of values to all organizations and institutions at all levels for review, adoption and implementation.

• Sending to all Educational Institutions at all levels by the appropriate Government Agencies to instill these values into the minds of students from the Kinder Garten level until they receive the Highest Degree in their Academic Discipline.

• Circulating it to all organizations of all kinds both Public and Private, to incorporate these values into their constitutions by Laws, Administrative Rules etc., for implementation.

• Ensuring that these values are widely publicized using all means and methods of mass communication across the land, so that no one can have no excuse for not being aware of these values.

These are just a few general ideas and suggestions but it is a  humongous task to translate the kinds of Universal Values which are listed above into action.  A task force or a committee has to undertake this responsibility.  By no means all these details can be fitted 
into a small article of this kind.

Of course several efforts have been made or being made continuously all over the world, along these lines, by various Institutions, Governments, and International Bodies, to develop a set of universal values and take up measures to both instill in the minds of people and to disseminate the values, so that every person will be knowledgeable and be quite aware and conscious of these values.

IV. Enforcing the Universal Values

This section can be handled under two sections. 

1. The positive approach - The Things that should be done (To Do)
2. The Negative Approach - The Things that should be avoided (To Refrain from Doing)

        a. Legislative Measures to  penalize those who violate the Universal values and to give wide 
            publicity to ensure that ignorance of Law will not be an excuse.

        b. Measures to be taken specifically to ensure that no one produces any materials of any kind to
             which the public will be exposed, such as films, videos, Video Games, Magazines, Books,
            Advertisements etc., which will have the influence of giving ideas to people which will induce
            or motivate them to use those ideas  which will be contrary to the universal values, and which
            will have the tendency to influence them to indulge in such activities.

        c. Measures of other kinds, which are appropriate and necessary for this purpose should be taken 
            by the Government.  

V. Summary and Conclusion

The whole article is summarized below in a Practical and a Simple way, but if this is seriously taken and implemented effectively, we can make a difference in the world in which we live:
(Some of the Key Values that should be universally propagated and enforced are listed below)

• Loving our Neighbors as ourselves

• Peace at any Cost

• Gentleness and Goodness

In these three Values, perhaps all the other terminologies that are used to describe literally, hundreds of what is called "Universal Values" are contained and compressed.  The answer or the solution to every problem pertaining to human beings living on this planet Earth is wrapped up in these Primary and Essential Values which is the core of all Moral Principles, Ethics, Philosophy, Religious Beliefs, Social Justice, Human Rights, Ethos of the Society, Professional Standards etc.

- The End -