We have, within our generation, witnessed a terrible tragedy - the death of shame.

Only humans experience shame. It is a "Painful emotion excited by a consciousness of guilt, shortcoming or impropriety. . ." (Webster). Some psychologists and even some preachers say this is bad, and that everyone should feel good about himself. It's the "I'm okay, you're okay" generation. But the Bible declares that the feeling of shame, disgrace or humiliation has a necessary place in life. It is a natural emotion coupled with our sense of morality of right and wrong. It is a warning device to protect us from doing that which is wrong.

Adam and Eve in their innocence never experienced shame. (Gen. 2:25). However, when they sinned and lost their innocence they came to experience before God a deep sense of guilt and shame. However, by the time of the prophet Jeremiah their descendants had become so hardened to sin that they "were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush. . ." (Jer. 6:15). So, somewhere between Genesis and Jeremiah, something terrible went wrong with the human race. It was the death of shame. They lost the ability to blush at sin.

Could it be that this is what is happening in our own generation? In The Death of Outrage, William Bennett observes that there are things happening in our country today that ought to cause outrage. But, according to the polls, it's not happening. Is it because we have lost our sense of shame? Have we, as a people, grown to accept things that are sinfully outrageous? There is no shame any more to having babies out of wedlock. Unmarried couples live together without an ounce of shame. "Gay pride" has taken the place of shame. Shame is a warning mechanism to keep us from veering off course, but it can be over-ridden. Immorality, profanity, and lying have become acceptable in our society as it was in the days of Jeremiah. It destroys shame. It becomes impossible to blush. As in Paul's day, there are those who have "no fear of God before their eyes" (Rom. 3:18).