Unquestioned Answers

Goodbye grey sky, hello blue

Nothing can hold me when I hold you

Feels so right, can't be wrong

Rockin' and rollin' all week long

This song introduced America to the coolest guy on TV in the late 70's ... leather jacket, cycle, the hair, babe magnet ... The Fonz.  Happy Days was a nostalgic look at adolescent life in the 1950's and featured the antics of Richie, Joanie, Chachi, Potsie, and Ralph.  I'll never forget Richie's line upon returning from a conversation with his father: "Grounded for life! I don't even know what that means!"

But embedded within the lyrics of the theme song is a worldview statement ... an unquestioned answer.  "Feels so right, can't be wrong" ... Is that really the standard for morality? It certainly accurately expressed the hedonistic philosophy of the day, consistent with occultist Aleister Crowley who famously proclaimed "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law."  The only reason sin is tempting is because it "feels so right".  If it didn't, we wouldn't be tempted!

This message was recently repackaged by Pharrell Williams in his hit Happy:

Because I'm happy
Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof
Because I'm happy
Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth
Because I'm happy
Clap along if you know what happiness is to you
Because I'm happy
Clap along if you feel like that's what you wanna do

At first glance, these lyrics seem harmless enough, but is happiness really the truth?  If it makes me happy, it must be truth!  How does this square with Christ's claim - "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life"?

Unfortunately, our entertainment culture is filled with "answers" to life's biggest questions, and often those answers are left unquestioned.  Recently our students in grades 9-12 watched a presentation by AXIS (www.axis.org) where they were challenged to view their culture with a critical eye.  AXIS likes to say, "The problem we have is not unanswered questions; the problem is unquestioned answers."  At HCA we are working to help our students and families question the "answers" provided by our culture.