God is dead – or at least he was proclaimed to be by Friedrich Nietzsche, a famous 19th century philosopher. While we continue to watch our society slip into decay, the question must be asked – did morality die with him?

Nietzsche argued that with the advancement of science and Europe’s move toward secularism, there was no more room for the idea of a God. Nietzsche said people will eventually accept the death of God, and it will lead mankind to ultimately abandon all sense of objective moral truth.

It would seem that Nietzsche was as much a prophet as he was a philosopher. How accurate his prediction that we would lose all sense of moral objectivity.

Have we not found ourselves right in the middle of a country that has lost all sense of objective truth? Broken homes and violent crimes are part of our daily lives.

A universal human bond of morality has given way to relativism. We are raised by the media to have an egocentric world view – your own self interests are all that should matter.

Such is the society we live in though. In America, almost no topic is taboo, except religious teaching. Talk about the weather, talk about school, talk about music, talk about your new iPhone, but for the love of God, do not talk about, well, God.

It is no coincidence that we are we are losing our children to school shootings, depression and suicide at an alarming rate. Our cultural movement toward relativism – along with the death of God – cannot be overlooked as fuel to this violent fire.

Is it possible that our alienation from the divine has led us down this path of increasing violence? Has our media-induced craze to buy, buy, buy all the newest technology – which is supposed to bring the world together – actually torn us apart? Who has not sat for hours on end talking to unknown people in chat rooms and briefly forgotten about real human communication and compassion?

Religious philosophy, from all backgrounds, can teach us an enormous amount about ourselves and our relation to the world. These philosophies teach us to live in a world guided by morality and a collective respect for others. With so many potential benefits that come from studying these ideas, it is bizarre that many are attempting to stigmatize religious and moral dialog.

We are bombarded with self-help books and new-age “inner-peace” gurus telling us to look within to find truth and happiness. Ask yourself this though – what basic human desires can be fulfilled from within? When we are hungry, we eat. When we are thirsty, we drink. When we need to learn, we listen. When we need love, we reach out to others. Is it so absurd that to find a very needed human necessity – morality – we should look beyond our own self-interests?

His Holiness, the 14th and current Dalai Lama, wrote about a universal responsibility that mankind has to bring about peace in our world. He said, “I believe that despite the rapid advances made by civilization in this century, the most immediate cause of our present dilemma is our undue emphasis on material development alone. We have been become so engrossed in its pursuit that, without even knowing it, we have neglected to foster the most basic human needs of love, kindness, cooperation and caring.”

The great responsibility of mankind to promote peace can be found in almost all other world religions, such as Christianity. Jesus Christ taught, ” Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you .” Christ also taught one of Christianity’s most well known ethical standards, the Golden Rule: “So, whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them .”

The teachings of both Christ and the Dalai Lama are quenching words to the fire of hate and violence taking over our country. So, why do we refuse to talk about them publicly?

It is about time that we open up the discussion about objective morality, and listen to those who are trying to teach us about it. Jesus Christ and the Dalai Lama may both be religious leaders, but the morality they proclaim can resonate with all people, regardless of a personal faith or particular set of beliefs.

God is dead – believe that if you wish. But to stigmatize the teachings and teachers of objective morality on the grounds that they are religious is to silence a valuable asset in confronting the ever growing violence in our country. It’s time we opened our eyes – all three of them.

– Chris Potratz is a junior in

journalism and mass communication from Dallas, Texas.