Earlier to today I accessed former Senator Gary Hart's blog. He asked does the nation have a soul. It is an interesting question. In fact, I have found several interesting questions and comments on Senator Hart's blog. The link follows. Senator Hart's Blog, "Matters of Principle"
My response is the values of a soul are timeless. I was thinking of the 10 Commandments. They never change. A soul can be corrupted, but the values are constant.
A nation changes and revises its values. An example? The U.S. sanctioned slavery and segregation, but eventually accepted new values and a new interpretation. Now, we view these practices as inconsistent with the U.S. Constitution. Did the law change our values or did our values change the law? It is a hard question and one I cannot easily answer.
The Roman Empire also comes to mind. The Roman Empire was one of the greatest societies in the history of the world. From my brief read, it was destroyed largely due to corruption and diminished values. The people and leaders ceased to strive for a good/just society and replaced it with an emphasis on an individual's wants. Did the values change due to the will of the people or did the values seem less important to the people due to the practices of their leaders? Yes, I know, this is simplistic. Again, I really do not have a good answer.
Back to the original question. Does a nation have a soul? No. A soul is within a living being. A nation is a collection of souls, but that does not mean each of us is a part of one master soul. A nation can have shared values, but even if the values are dated or later proved to be wrong; the individual soul is governed by a higher set of Commandments.
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