Where Elderly Fit in Society
What can an older person do to be a productive member of the human race? What can he do to avoid poverty, ill health, loneliness, and housing problems?
For some of these problems there just are no ideal solutions in the present structure of society. Something is wrong with society — but human leaders haven't learned what it is that needs correction. Governments are desperately struggling to provide merely the physical needs. They have little or no time to worry about providing a meaningful existence or a place in society — or to question whether society needs to be changed. Governments usually just appropriate money and then wonder why the problem doesn't vanish.
The "philosophy of aging" — the role of the elderly in our society — is an enigma to government leaders. There are definite REASONS why.
"A secure position for the aged can exist only under conditions that CANNOT BE FOUND in a modern industrial society," wrote Ben Seligman in his book, Permanent Poverty, An American Syndrome.
"If the aged owned or controlled property," he continued, "on which younger persons depended, if they were transmitters of culture who held key blocks of knowledge, if they provided significant links to the past, if the extended family were still central to our mode of life, if our society were tradition oriented, and if the output of the aged were in any way economically useful, then the aged would still be honored" (pages 64-65).
There you have it, in a nutshell. Here stated are the vital ingredients to a society in which the aged could have the dignity, respect and place necessary to life. And yet, these very ingredients are generally not to be found in our modern, technologically oriented society.
These ingredients can be found only in a family-oriented society.
Role of the Aged Past, Present and Future
In the past, the attitude toward the aged members of society has differed greatly from culture to culture. The ancient Hebrews and Greeks, among others — and the Scots, Irish and Chinese until very recently — operated under patriarchal societies and showed great respect for the elderly. The influence of that system is still felt among many of their descendants.
Among other civilizations, on the other hand, it was the accepted custom to abandon the aged and leave them to die. Among the Chukchi Siberian tribe, for example, it was the sacred duty of the son to take his own father's life when his powers began to wane. The father encouraged his son to carry out this obligation. The Eskimos at one time froze their old people to death. Other societies marooned their elderly at sea, or left them to die on a mountain top.
Every nation and every epoch has found its own method of dealing with its old-age problems.
The Method of the Ancient Hebrews
The most workable and truly honorable system historically recorded is that of the ancient Hebrews. The Hebrews had a "national philosophy on the aging" which provided a "meaningful place in society" for the elderly.
In effect, the Hebrew law fulfilled everyone of Ben Seligman's points previously quoted. The aged did own and control property. As a matter of fact, there was a law that forbade the selling of one's inherited family property. Their law stated, "The field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession" (Lev. 25:34). The head of the family controlled the family estate until he died.
This one law alone is far-reaching in its effect. Where there is land, there is the possibility of food from the land. This law also controlled what we might term "Modern Technology." Industry was spread out in family shops, which gave industrial families the same social structure as those in rural areas.
The real key to success for the ancient Hebrew nation was a strong emphasis on "family unity"! The elderly were well cared for and the grandchildren received priceless training.
When Elderly Are Important
In effect, the Hebrews utilized a "Patriarchal System" in which the elderly owned and controlled the land. When they died the land inheritance went to the eldest son, or was divided among the children. There were no retirement villages, no segregation by age. The young depended on the old and they loved their grandparents as long as they lived according to the law.
The elderly were transmitters of culture, and they taught the young. They held key blocks of knowledge. The elderly were encouraged to study, keep themselves active, and continue learning so they would be wise and able to offer counsel. The most important job the elderly could possibly do was teach the young. This forced them to keep their minds active and alert.
For the ancient Hebrews, the past was important. They realized the importance of history. They taught and retaught the lessons learned in their history. Traditions were handed down from father to son, or grandfather to grandson. Thus history did not need to repeat itself, mistakes did not need to recur. The elderly held and provided these significant links to the past. They preserved not only national history but family history and genealogy which gave everyone a sense of unity and made life more meaningful.
The family was the center of their mode of life. Their society was tradition oriented . . . and the output of the aged was economically useful. More important, they were respected, honored and loved. There has never been a nation in which the elderly had more honor, respect and dignity than in this ancient nation of Israel. The Scots, Irish and Chinese applied the same principles in more recent times with the same benefits.
Parents Providing For Children
Care for the aged was strictly commanded. “Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honor the face of the old man" (Lev. 19:32). Respect was commanded and rigidly enforced as long as the law was followed.
Today we point the finger at the children and say, "You ought to be providing for your parents"! The Hebrew Law stated: "For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children" (Prov. 13:22; II Cor. 12:14). Today, in modern America, the children are taxed to care for their parents. Thus the elderly have to be provided for by their children. What honor is that?
No government today has been able to care adequately for all its older people. That is and ought to be — where possible — a family matter, and should be handled as such! The proper principle, if there is need to care for the elderly, was laid down by a student of the Hebrew law, the Apostle Paul: "But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel" (I Tim. 5:8). In short, family ought to care for family!
But what of those older people having no family? This also was taken into consideration. Rather than an elaborate tax system reaching into the pockets of the citizens for huge percentages of their incomes, this ancient Hebrew nation, Israel, had a specified percent of the income of the nation assessed to cover areas of need for those with no visible means of support (Deuteronomy 14:28).
In ancient Israel, the elderly held key positions in the community, as "elders" who handled many public responsibilities requiring judgment. As a result they had the esteem, respect and honor of those around them. Old age was something looked forward to, "the latter years, for which the first were made."
Respect for parents was considered so important it is one of the Ten Commandments. The fifth commandment says, "Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee" (Ex. 20:12).
Precepts of sound finances and detailed health laws were commanded to be diligently taught. As a result, poverty could be virtually eliminated and citizens had good health — even throughout their senior years.
This ancient Hebrew system attacked the ROOT CAUSE of the problems of the elderly. Its laws could be applied today. Except, as mentioned, it would require a revolutionary new approach to problems. And few are willing, much less able, to put sweeping reforms into effect.
If our nations were willing to do so, we would literally be the talk of the world. Other nations would marvel — be eager to understand HOW we resolved the seemingly unresolvable problems of the elderly.
We, like the Hebrew nation who was instructed in these basic concepts would be a model nation to the world. “Keep therefore and do them" — the Hebrews were told concerning the various statutes — "for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people" (Deut. 4:6, 7).
Unless and until those laws are applied we shall have our elderly poor, our elderly with health problems, our lonely and non-productive old people.
Obviously, you as an individual cannot change all of society. However, personally, you can do something about YOUR situation. The most important action you can take is to discover how to make your life successful while there is still time.
If you would like to understand the principles of success — and how you can apply them in your life now — write for our FREE booklet The Seven Laws of Success. It will help you get started on the right track.