Sophs #4 journal: Blue Laws and Honor Codes

NOTE: THIS IS A JOURNAL ASSIGNMENT, BUT YOU SHOULD NOT POST YOUR RESPONSE. PRINT OUT TO HAND IN AT THE END OF THE QUARTER WITH THE REST OF YOUR JOURNAL WRITINGS.

In 1723, Jonathan Edwards wrote seventy resolutions for personal growth that he reviewed once per week.

Here are two resolutions that I'd like you to examine:

Resolved, never to speak anything that is ridiculous, sportive, or matter of laughter on the Lord's day.

Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.

Puritans kept holy the Sabbath, the Lord's day. This meant not only attending services and suspending the daily workload, but also, in some communities, observing a more strict code of conduct that forbade activities like dancing. Some of these laws remain on the books today --they're known as Blue Laws, laws that essentially legislate old-fashioned religious beliefs.

Puritans also believed in public censure, publicly and formally naming, condemning, and sometimes banishing sinners and criminals. So it was perfectly fine "to speak evil of someone" if "some real good" would come from it--like the discovery of a cattle thief, a cheater, or even a witch. Some schools, mostly religious and service academies (like Brigham Young University and West Point), have honor codes, where the entire school community is in charge of policing virtues like honesty and chastity. What you might call "snitching" might be considered a moral duty to keeping the community clean.

Respond to one of these three prompts:

1. Research blue laws and/or honor codes to find where they are still present today. Even better would be to find recent news articles where these legacies of Puritanism have been tested (hint: try Google News). Write a synopsis of your research and/or discuss the pros and cons of any of these blue laws or honor codes that you have found through research. 

2. If you're a man or woman more interested in providing solutions than in researching problems, then, as an alternative assignment, tell me how you think an honor code (one that promotes academic integrity and NOT stealing) might (or might not) work at St. Mark's. Got integrity, anyone?

3. Again, like #2, you want to be proactive. Brainstorm and then write your ideas to foster a climate of integrity at St. Mark's, going beyond the Honor Code idea. How can we foster integrity in everything that we do? Clubs, sports, performing arts, academic classes, general behavior?