Lack of respect for ritual

    More and more people are losing their respect for ritual. For example, Remembrance Day has become an embarrassment, unless you are at an official function, and even then, it can be challenging. Society does not like to be told what to do, especially if it infringes on its phone, texing or workout time.
     I was at the gym at the time of the two minute silence at 11:00 am sharp, November 11, 2011, and many people continued working out even though there had been a public announcement. There was rap music playing in the background, and it was very difficult to concentrate on the immense sacrifices which had been made for us over the years, and to give thanks. It was as if people were saying, "Who cares?" I found this very demoralizing and difficult to accept, and it affected my own concentration and sincerity very much.
     But then again, this lack of respect for ritual seems to be a result of the secularization of society. People are afraid to use the word "God" in public, and to be seen standing at attention, and seemingly praying for two minutes in public is almost an offensive act. Where will this all lead us? If we cannot pay our respects to the thousands of soldiers who gave up their lives for our freedom, then what is the meaning of freedom in the first place? And what value does freedom really have if we are afraid to show our deep gratitide to God, even at national ceremonies, which are covered by national television, and which seem to be deleting any reference to God, and the afterlife more and more as the years go by?
    Many of our veterans died for both God and country. Even in a secular society, we would be sadly remiss if we did not acknowledge this on Remembrance Day, by respecting ritual and praying with reverence to Almighty God. Otherwise, we insult the memory of our veterans, and we desecrate the meaning of the freedom we all enjoy every day.