Rotary's Fourfold Test

 

Friend Xerxes laments the “mob mentality,” and advocates Rotary’s fourfold test as the antidote.

Before saying anything, according to that fraternal organization, you must consider:

1. Is it the truth?

2. Is it fair to all?

3. Will it build goodwill?

4. Will it be beneficial to all?

This is, however, I submit, itself an example of the “mob mentality.” Or, as I prefer to call it, the herd instinct.

Whenever you create a formal group or organization, you are creating a herd. Anyone outside of the herd is “other.” You are violating, of necessity, the universal brotherhood of man. 

This is not blameworthy so long as there is an honourable reason for the group. 

What is the reason for Rotary?

The official reason is to do community service. 

But the real and original reason is to bring businessmen together for mutual support. “A way for professionals to connect, exchange ideas, and form meaningful, lifelong friendships.” Fraternal brothers will favour one another in business; a little cartel against competitors, by extension against the public interest. The community service bit serves for legitimization.

The problem with belonging to any herd is that in doing so, one may easily surrender one’s conscience to the group. One ceases to act morally, but just goes along. 

The Bible makes plain in many places that this is a bad idea. Most directly, in Jesus’s warning:

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

This is also the story of all the prophets, up to and including John the Baptist: they are solitary figures, “voices crying in the wilderness.”

It is the story of Noah and the ark; of Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah; of Moses in Egypt; of Job and his comforters; of Eve persuading Adam to bite the apple. And it is the story of the mob who condemned Jesus to death.

Whether or not, under the influence of the herd, one goes on to do something else immoral, simply going along with the herd without making your own choices is immoral.

The proper Christian test of speech is not fourfold. It is simply 1: Is it the truth? 

For the truth shall set you free.

The rest of Rotary’s four tests are there to enforce the herd mentality.

If you believe in God, the Christian God, you also believe that the truth and only the truth is fair to all. You believe that the truth and only the truth is ultimately of benefit to all; a lie never is. Adding these additional two tests seem only to subvert the truth.

And Rotary’s test 3 is most troublesome. Of course the truth does not always lead to good will. That is the usual excuse for a lie: to go along with the herd. To preserve “social harmony.”

In doing so, you may be required to condone sin, to condone evil. And this is as evil as doing the evil yourself. “All that is required for evil to prosper is for good men to do nothing.” If good men stood up to resist, evil would be gone tomorrow.

The Rotary test advocates that you keep silent.

The Church has always been suspicious of Rotary; priests were once banned from joining ot attending meetings.

I feel there is good reason.