"Situation Ethics versus Biblical Morality"

Two seeming straight lines which appear parallel that are even a millionth of a degree in difference, if followed far enough will eventually be miles and miles apart.  The same is true of what might appear to be simple and similar pathways as one makes life’s choices.  When such choices are pushed out to their logical end points where does one arrive?  Is that the place you want to be?  Fortunately, even if one finds themselves in such a situation there is hope!

The following is adapted from a post by a Russian Orthodox Abbott...

“Situation Ethics versus Biblical Morality”*

(In part)

“Situation ethics has become the norm for our times, having replaced the biblical ethics of past generations. In situation ethics as long as no one is hurt one can do as one pleases. Taking drugs, watching pornography and aborting the unborn child, all can come under the flag of situation ethics.

The (Church) Fathers knew that even the secret sins committed by people had an effect on the whole of the cosmos. The people who promote situation ethics would have us believe that nothing that is done in private hurts anyone. Biblical ethics tells us quite the opposite.

Love in Christ,

(Name withheld)

The Outcomes

Man is vested by God with the power to make choices but man is not vested with the power to control the outcomes.  Think for a moment about the consequences of the choices you’ve made in life. 

Some choices may have seemed slightly off track at the beginning and you knew they were wrong.  Perhaps it was, after all what is a little pleasure among friends, a small drink, a little peek, a moment of irresponsibility or any of a number of other decisions one makes.  Some seems quite innocent appearing yet were and are wrong.  Some who read this will nod in agreement that later outcomes have been most disappointing, troubling—even devastating.

Romans 1 tells the reader that God eventually is abandoned and abandons—that is God defers to a person’s choice to abandon Him.  Only God knows how many made some small choice but down range it ended in a major and catastrophic eternal failure. 

Choices!  Yet until one dies, there exists the opportunity for choosing a different pathway.  Jesus call is to all, “Come unto me all you who labor and are heavily laden and I will give you rest.”  God’s way or man’s way, at times it seems but a simple choice but the consequences are enormous and pushed out to their logical ends are eternities apart.

*Full article may be found at "Morning Offering" check blog list at right.  As well in most of my writings current cultural values are described by mores and morals as opposed to ethics which are eternal, transcendent, objective, etc. realities.

Christianity: Is it a Faith Driven by Fear?

Over the past several months, several times I’ve heard it said that people are manipulated into Christianity by being threatened with the fear of eternal damnation in the fires of Hell.  Recently I read writings by one Chaz Bufe, as he attempted to use such an argument to disparage and disprove the veracity of Christianity. 

This fear view, was offered as the first reason and perhaps the prime reason that he could not accept the legitimacy of the Christian faith.  The interesting thing is that he failed to do his homework.  But then he is not alone.

He begins his pamphlet, 20 Reasons to Abandon Christianity[1] by  postulating that Christianity was and is based upon fear and in fact states “...the motor driving Christianity has been—in addition to the fear of death—fear of the devil and fear of hell.”  With a very broad brush he employing largely anecdotal "evidence" and then goes on to generalize about the Christian faith.  What one will find most interesting is the assumptions that he brings to the discussion. 

“The Fear of Death”

An assumed, "Fear of death?"  Very simply if one’s truth paradigm does not give some sense of peace about and reconciliation with one’s ultimate demise, then it might be well to embrace one that does.  An example is found in one who was no friend to Christianity, Christopher Hitchens.  Though he claimed no faith, he by all accounts left this life in peace for it appears that he lived and died in keeping with the truth paradigm he had chosen.  As well reports would indicate the same about Carl Sagan's at his death.

Therefore, it is incumbent upon the individual to find peace in the belief system that they have chosen to embrace.   If such is not so then one should continue the search until they find a truth paradigm that will provide such peace when this earthly journey is nearing the end.

Shifting Truth Paradigms 

Is it possible then that a person on such a search is going to change?  It likely depends upon how much one has invested in his truth paradigm.  (Little investment, great potential for change.  Great investment, little potential for change.)  For example should one have expected in the final moments of his life that Christopher Hitchens would change.  Not likely since he had invested much of his life and thinking in the truth paradigm he had chosen to embrace.

Such a notion for change is characterized by two things.  First is that this need for change is obvious to all except those who are so bound by bias that the viewing other truth paradigms is lost to them.  Second though the focus is upon those who choose faith, one cannot deny the opposite to be true.  There are those like Stephen Hawking who it is reported has shifted his views away from God.

Distortion Based Argument

One can take any belief, faith and otherwise, cite a few of the excesses plus a distortion or two and then present it in its distorted form and then set about disparaging it.  Such a treatment of Christian faith is illegitimate and fails even rudimentary logic.  The sad part is that such a person will mock and ridicule a “straw man” Christian faith and then congratulate themselves for finally putting the Christian myth to bed. 

Bufe’s assumption like so many others is based in a false notion of Christianity.  His bias is found in the introductory words to his pamphlet which gives his purpose as listing, “…the most outstanding misery-producing and socially destructive qualities of Christianity in one place.”  He certainly is not alone in his thoughts.  If, however, what he lists is indeed accurate in its portrayal of Christianity, I would quite agree with him and abandon the Christian faith.

However, contained in his statement is a rather glaring problem.  Has Mr. Bufe exhausted every book, article, and argument for and against the Christian faith to know what he says goes beyond his opinion? The likelihood of such is so miniscule as not to be considered.

Unanswerable Question

Assume for the sake of argument that the thesis is true, that Christianity is a religion of fear.   Those who conclude such to be so, begin their journey into such a position because of a certain skepticism.  Is such a skepticism reserved for a special few?  No of course not!  

Also consider that such a “fear” statement takes an exceedingly low view of people.  While some people are gullible most are not.  The reality is the most people have an internal alert system composed of doubt, cynicism, and skepticism, which offers protection.

The problem in the argument is a treatment of that skepticism is left out of the discussion.  It seems more likely that such skepticism as is common to man would steer a person away from being manipulated and victimized by fear or any other truth paradigm with which they are not comfortable.

If such was not so, one would fall prey to every slick talking magazine salesman that happened to stop by one’s home.  One’s skepticism mitigates against such being so.  

So it is when I see every porch everywhere I travel, covered by magazines, I shall give serious consideration to this notion of fear causing people to enter into the Christian experience.

Care Based Faith

The reality is that Christianity is a care based faith.  That is to say that a very basic plank of genuine Christian doctrine is the care of others.  The founder of the Christian faith spoke of “loving God and loving others,” of care for others, and that such can involve the “denying one’s self.” .  

At the end of His follower's life one would find it inconceivable that the doctrine of care would end at one's death.  No, such care extend beyond this life into the next.  As a matter of fact such a care based faith would view such a faith as described in the article referenced in opening words of this post as abhorrent and out of step with genuine Christian faith.

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[1] Pamphlet available at http://www.seesharppress.com/20reasons.html#numberone

"Christian? What is Christian?"

Though much has been written and taught on the subject, such questions as are in the title may be reduced to a very simple response.  As response we will consider in a moment.

Being Christian is not a class of religious movement, though it involves a religious movement.
Being Christian is not about church, though it involves church.
Being Christian is not a worship style, though it involves worship style.
Being Christian is not a knowledge--a set of facts, though it involves knowledge.
Being Christian is not faith, though it involves faith, sometimes great faith.
Being Christian is not a matter of mercy, grace, etc., though it involves these things.
Being Christian is not a belief, though it does involve belief

Being Christian is a life-style--it is the way one lives when one is a genuine follower of Jesus Christ as Lord!

It is the way one lives because of being totally committed to the Lord, Jesus Christ living in and through his life.  It means just as Jesus' followers in His day followed Him 24-7, so too the Jesus follower of today, seeks to emulate, to conform his life to the Jesus life and His teachings.  When?  All day, everyday, in all ways.

Jesus over and over said, "Come, follow me...."  That is the key to this Christian thing--the key to being a genuine Christian!

As surely as joining a monastic order is a lifestyle, so too, being a genuine Christian, a Jesus follower, is a lifestyle--a "what would Jesus do, think, believe, say, etc. in this situation," lifestyle?

It is the Jesus who said "If I be lifted up I will draw all men to me."  Was that the cross, He was talking about?  Well, yes, but importantly it was the "cross heart" that is the heart that says, "No sacrifice too great or too small to be a genuine follower of Jesus."

So the next time you see some excess that carries the label Christian, may I challenge you to ask yourself one question, "Is this a real and genuine follower of Jesus or is it some facsimile?"

A FURTHER THOUGHT

By Richard Johnson

"Far too often we treat Christianity as if it is primarily a set of acquired beliefs or convictions. This approach is even fostered in our churches at times. True Christianity is an adventure, a journey, and a lifelong process of growing, changing, and becoming more like Christ. Christianity means discipleship - a nurturing, learning, transforming relationship with the Spirit of Christ living in us. It may be scary or intimidating to answer, but when and how profound was the last change motivated by Christ in your life? How’s that new life and new creation in Christ thing going for you?"

Note:  Pastor Johnson does not to this point have a blog.  Even so to read more of Pastor Johnson's writing you may connect with him through my fb account and request to be added to his email list.

"Enslaved by Freedom!"

The Apostle Paul was no stranger to plenty and certainly no stranger to want.  He writes a piece that suggests how one should live out his faith. It is in these various circumstances that he finds contentment.  Such contentment then gives him freedom.  He writes,

"Not that I speak of want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.  I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need..  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:11-13).

There is one thing that this man understood and it was and continues to be what allows the Christian to enjoy contentment and comfort in the most dire of circumstances.  It is this "God is God and I am not!"

How can this be?  It is all in building a trust relationship with the Heavenly Father.  Paul understood that point quite clearly and in fact such trust underpins much of what he writes about.  He understood that in that trust relationship he was a slave to Jesus--he had freely made the choice to be in a slave-master relationship with God!.  Here is this very trained and accomplished man with accolades beyond number who counts it all as "refuse" and assumes the position of a slave.

While many have chosen to employ the word servant in order to attempt to take the sting out of the original word, however translated or mistranslated it is, in the original the word is "slave." The interesting point is that everyone is a slave to someone or something.  One cannot be a slave unless one has a Master.  Such being so, one must choose carefully one's master whether it be Jesus Christ, the insatiable self, or the evil one.

So it was that the Apostle, vested with great power and authority in the first century church, still understood that he was but a slave--a love slave under the tutelage and direction of his Master, the Lord, Jesus Christ.  It is from that perspective that he sets the example not just for Christians of his day but for every Christian who has named Jesus as his Master!

People of that day unlike we in the west today, would understand the meaning of this since a high percentage of the Roman economy and culture was based in the owning of slaves.  Within that population there were those who chose to be permanently attached to their master and as such never sought freedom.  They freely gave themselves most often it was to a benevolent master.  What a picture of the Christian's relationship with Christ.

Therefore, once one is born again it is into the relationship with Jesus Christ.  As noted then one is to becomes a slave with Christ as the benevolent Master.  So it is that one would sell himself into slavery with Christ thus we might well say, Jesus is Lord and Master, I am not!

Jesus Christ does not demand that anyone enter this relationship.  In fact, if it is not a relationship entered freely and without reservation, no Christian relationship exists.  But here is the key.  If one chooses to be a slave of Christ, he then chooses a life style of obedient service.  Some years ago the USAF had three core values.  "Service before self,  Integrity, and Excellence in all we do."  What great core values for the slave of the Lord.


However, if one does not become a slave of Christ, Jesus it is very likely that he will become a slave of another.  It begins with being enslaved to self and self gratification.  Even those who are altruistic in effort when quarried will often respond with "Serving makes me feel so good."

However noble its beginnings, without Christ such slavery spirals downward into bondage and other forms of incorrect enslavement.  These are not without spiritual elements and thus one become enslaved to the Kingdom of Darkness and to its malevolent master, Satan.

In other words, one is either knowingly a slave of the benevolent Christ or one tacitly is enslaved to self leading to one's enslavement by the malevolent evil one.  Either way such slavery shapes one's life-style.  Such brings changes in thinking--both content and process.  Changes in thinking then brings about changes in attitudes.  Relationships are scaled up or down according to whose slave one might be.  The list goes on and on as to the effects upon the slave.

The notion that to come to faith in Christ and to enter such relationships as He has designed is to lose one's freedom is in fact not true.  It is the one who demands his own way and then becomes enslaved to that way that loses his freedom.  Said another way, in giving one's self to Christ Jesus and then living out life in the power of His resurrection grants true freedom--freedom from bondage, oppression, etc.  Freedom to contentment, faith, trust, and confidence in God.  It is these latter things that once established in one's life grant freedom no matter the circumstances in which one finds himself.

"Journeying Onward to Change by Faith or Sight"

Attempting to live out our faith in the strength of our own resources has the disadvantage of blocking our view of the spiritual.  How easy we find it to walk by sight (understanding, our own human enlightenment) and not by faith and yet Paul under the direction of the Holy Spirit challenges that notion when he writes the following.

2 Corinthians 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight --NASU

 Most certainly this is but a small part of a greater thought.  However, as with many things in Christian faith, the small and simple are profound and broad in impact.  The point is that we, like those believers of that day  in the Church(s) in the City of Corinth along with Paul were challenged by God to walk not in their human understanding of this thing we call Christianity but by faith.

In comparison to faith, how easy it is to walk through life moving here and there based upon feelings.  In comparison to faith, and though more difficult than feelings, how easy it is to walk through life based upon what we know.  Or, again compared to faith, how difficult it is to live out life in the strength of one's will.  The degree to which we live out our lives based upon these things, is the degree to which living out lives out in faith pays the price.

In other words, when called upon to follow some course of action or another which makes no sense, and if we rely upon our understanding, our feelings, or our will to take action, it very often is at the expense of a decision made out of faith.  Walking by faith in the uncertainties of life is God's design for the one who would follow Him.

However, that is not God's plan for the Christian.  Remember that,

Hebrews 11:1 "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

Though often quite difficult, it still remains the task of the Christian to step out in faith.  It seems then that the hope and conviction to which this verse refers is a much deeper hope and conviction than something one's conjures up out of one's will, belief, or feeling.  These are spirit level activities that come only as the Holy Spirit of God move within the human spirit and create these things in the face of what seems possible.

Finally, all live by faith of some sort.  The question to consider at this juncture is just what is worthy of your faith.  In particular one does well to not place his faith in those things that are temporary--things that will pass away.  For example, there are those who place their faith in governments, yet one does not look far to see that governmental power corrupts (e.g. the disparity between the benefits that the Congress has voted for themselves and what they have voted for the military, other government workers, etc.).

Then too consider the governments one finds across the world where corruption and graft are a way of life.  How deep the disappointment must be for those who place their trust in government.  However, there will come a day that there will be only one government--that presided over by the Lord, Jesus Christ.  Indeed His rule will be fair and just.

We also find people place their faith in movements such a the climate movement, environmental-green movement, equal rights movements, etc.  Though some of have produced change, such change is neither genuine nor is it deep.  There is one exception that is found throughout the history of the world.  It is spiritual revival.  Over and over, culture to culture, and people to people when the social movement is occasioned by spiritual revival (e.g. Billy Sunday, D.L Moody, Charles Spurgeon, etc) there is genuine deep and lasting changes.

Again it all comes back to the question of where I place my faith.  A faith that comes from hearing and that hearing which comes is in conformity to what God's Word says (Romans 10:17)