Social Evils

There was a comment in this week's Nursing Standard about the study into new social evils. Back in 1904 Joseph Rowntree (yep the sweet maker) found poverty, war, slavery, intemperance, the opium trade, impurity and gambling to be the social evils.
Hate to say it but they all still exist... Except the opium trade now fuels war, girls and young women are being smuggled into this country and others for sex, binge drinking is the major feature in young people's lives (and at a younger age too) and as for impurity and gambling I would love to see what he would say about most of the internet.
Today's social evils aren't all that different;
A decline of community, Individualism, Consumerism and greed, A decline of values, The decline of the family, Young people as victims or perpetrators, Drugs and alcohol, Poverty and inequality, Immigration and responses to immigration, Crime and violence. (All found here.)
Anyway apparently the state of the country hinges on the break down of 'normal' families and religion. What isn't clear about religion is whether lack of religion is the cause or the strength of some people. Clearly many wars have a base in religion. However those who believe think that atheists and agnostics are the root cause because they have no moral compass provided by religions.
Ask some and you will find that anyone that isn't white, Christian and takes no money from the state to feed them should be locked up.
I guess that makes me a social evil! Cool.... Homosexuality has already been put on a par with terrorism.
So I can cause earthquakes and now I'm a terrorist causing the break down of the country's morals too. No wonder people are scared to come out and I hide behind a screen name. Still sometimes it's funny offending people.