Recently, the non-governmental organization “World Population Review,” based in the United States, released a research report stating that Australia is the second most promiscuous country in the world.
Other studies have indicated that Australia has a serious gambling issue. In fact, New South Wales in Australia is known to have the second-highest number of gambling machines in the world, after Nevada in the United States where the gambling haven Las Vegas is located.
Moreover, against the backdrop of COVID-19 lockdowns, Australia has become one of the most alcohol-intoxicated countries globally.
As a professor with over thirty years of teaching experience in higher education, I am well aware of the realities behind these phenomena. During my time in Australia and the United States, I have come to realize that university campuses are no longer a sanctuary.
On these campuses, drug use has evolved from the common practices of alcohol consumption and occasional soft drug use to alcohol abuse and the use of hard drugs like methamphetamines and cocaine.
Currently, the impact of gambling on students may not be very clear, but the emergence of online gaming and easily accessible gambling applications is certainly a trap.
In the face of these escalating trends, one cannot help but ask: will these students be happier under the influences of sexual freedom and substance abuse?
The answer is clearly “no.”
I have witnessed numerous young lives being destroyed by toxic relationships. Especially young women, who tolerate casual sexual encounters hoping for relationships that will never bear fruit.
I have also seen too many young people being forced to reside in hospitals long-term due to drug addiction.
In reality, promiscuity and substance abuse leave many suffering and physically weakened.
These issues not only affect the youth. Studies show that women and children living in intact families experience significantly less domestic violence.
According to a report from the U.S. Department of Justice, researchers Brad Wilcox and Robin Wilson pointed out, “Women who are married are significantly safer than unmarried women in terms of male-female relationships, and girls raised in families with married fathers are far less likely to be abused or attacked than girls without fathers.”
Similarly, research from the University of Pennsylvania indicates that intimate partner violence mostly occurs among dating partners rather than spouses, with these partner relationships being the most common source of interpersonal violence.
Political correctness and the so-called “woke” ideology are powerless in addressing these issues. The sexual revolution of the 1960s abolished the big laws that had governed civilized society for centuries.
However, as noted by the renowned British writer Gilbert Keith Chesterton, “When you break the big laws, you do not get freedom; you do not even get anarchy. You get the small laws.”
The sexual revolution has proven to be a failure. It rebelled against the “big laws” and promised freedom to people.
Many have indulged in an illusion of anarchy. Yet, what we ultimately obtain is not freedom but suffering, as we suffocate under the weight of the multiple “small laws” imposed upon us from above by political correctness.
Reflecting on people’s experiences, I am more convinced than ever that the core of the human spirit yearns for transcendence, or what we may call a desire for “higher goals.”
Humans are never satisfied with mediocrity or the mundane. When they strive for noble pursuits, such as in God, politics, or family, these desires are positively channeled.
However, when these desires are expressed through casual sex and other means, people inevitably feel disillusioned and unsatisfied. As a result, they attempt to achieve their goals by increasing the number of sexual partners or engaging in novel practices.
This may partly explain why young women in universities often lament that they have to endure morally compromising and potentially unhealthy sexual behaviors under pressure.
Simultaneously, when people feel dissatisfied and cannot pursue “higher goals,” they turn to alcohol or other drugs to momentarily mask their pain. And as the suffering intensifies, their use of alcohol and drugs becomes more severe.
Interestingly, promiscuity, excessive gambling, and substance abuse also apply to certain authorities.
In reality, distracting people with these vices paves the way for government expansion.
As early as 1949, George Orwell predicted in his seminal dystopian novel “1984”: “Films, football, beer, and above all, gambling filled their minds. It was easy to control them.”
Therefore, Australia gaining the title of the “most alcohol-intoxicated country in the world” during the COVID-19 lockdowns was no coincidence—an indicator of the extreme control exerted by the government at that time.
Undoubtedly, this is all bad news.
However, as mentioned earlier, the good news is that people are inherently inclined towards transcendence.
If people recognize the hollow promises of promiscuity and other vices, they will find liberation and be able to pursue “higher goals.”
In doing so, they will not only experience true freedom but also find genuine peace and happiness.