Circular Needs The Sacred Analysis

In his article “Why the Secular Needs the Sacred,” William Kirk Kilpatrick correctly explains why society needs the sacred. Kilpatrick states that the secular cannot manage without the sacred because the sacred defines life and provides structure. Kilpatrick shows two views of authority: a contract between two parties, or roles given by the sacred. He claims that without the sacred, there is no basis for morality. Kilpatrick also cautions that if authority is not derived from the sacred, parents and children cannot perform their roles. He emphasizes that sacred-given authority is more likely to be upheld compared to socially constructed authority. Kilpatrick declares that contractual societies lack vision, and cannot cultivate morality, loyalty, …show more content…
He states that children require love (153). The sacred instructs parents to love their children. In Ephesians 6:4, Paul admonishes fathers to “bring them [children] up in. . . nurture and admonition”. In Titus 2:4, he instructs women “to love their children”. The sacred also requires respect. Kilpatrick states that when sacred authority is eradicated, children no longer “owe any particular honor, respect, or obedience” to parents (153). In Ephesians 6, Paul commands children to “honour thy father and mother” and “obey. . . parents”. The sacred is necessary for families to thrive. Although Kilpatrick recognizes that the sacred is vital, he neglects to state the source of the sacred. He does refer to religion, claiming that “worldly order was thought to reflect a natural order or a heavenly one,” but he does not mention the Bible (151). In 2 Timothy 3:16, Paul explains that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable. . . for instruction in righteousness”. Kilpatrick needs to explain the sacred’s origin because society cannot successfully follow the sacred without specific guidelines. Kilpatrick’s neglect of the Bible’s sacred authority is