Christian Ethics Study Series: Lesson 1

NOTES

An Introduction to Christian Ethics

Introduction: Our period in history is marked by increasing lawless-ness
and social unrest. The problem of crime (especially among youth) is of special concern, and there is growing support from grass-roots society to return the teaching of morals and values to the secular classroom. But exactly who decides what is right or wrong or good and evil in a culture that has left its foundational Judeo-Christian absolutes and has cast itself adrift into a sea of relativism (to be explained later)? This lesson will briefly explore some different ways people view right and wrong, and how our society has moved so far from a biblical frame of reference.

I. Some Necessary Definitions:

Ethics may be defined as accepted RULES of CONDUCT, i.e., what people consider to be good and evil, right and wrong. These opinions flow out of the presuppositions an individual holds. Presuppositions are IDEAS a person holds (sometimes factual, sometimes not!) that are taken for granted, or assumed beforehand. It is crucial when discussing different points of view to be able to detect the other persons presuppositions, since the strength of their argument often depends on the validity of these preconceived notions. Presuppositions, in turn, often flow out of an individuals worldview. A Worldview is the personal way in which an individual INTERPRETS or UNDERSTANDS the world around him or her. It depends on such personal factors as family upbringing, the culture one has been brought up in, education, and experiences. It colors the way a person looks at life. Everyone has a worldview, and there are presently 3 major and competing worldviews in our nation, which will be discussed later: JUDEO-CHRISTIAN, where truth is based on the Scriptures MODERNIST RATIONALISM, where truth is based on human reasoning (objectivism) POSTMODERNISM, which is based on relativism and pluralism (subjectivism)
Ethics01Ldr.doc 1 Trinity Baptist Church, Renton, WA., ARR.

Absolute Truth is that which is UNIVERSALLY and OBJECTIVELY true for all people, in all places and times. Relativism, on the other hand, holds that there is no absolute truth but that truth is relative, i.e., what is true for one may not be true for another. Relativism is the DOMINANT VIEW promoted in our schools and universities today.

II. Different Approaches to Deciding What Is Right and Wrong

ANTINOMINIANISM (Grk: anti = instead of + nomos = law). There are no objective moral laws or principles by which an issue can be judged as being right or wrong, good or evil. Such issues must be decided subjectively (personally), or pragmatically (i.e., does it work?). This is the logical conclusion of atheism. GENERALISM - There are general laws but no universal or absolute laws. These general rules may occasionally be broken. SITUATIONISM - There is only one law or norm, and it applies universally. This rule typically states that in any situation one must do the loving thing, or the thing which brings the greatest good to the greatest number of people. ABSOLUTISM - There are absolute, universal laws. This is the biblical approach, although a form of absolutism known as natural law, which holds that certain laws of conduct are universally known by reason or intuition apart from special revelation, has been supported by theists and unbelievers alike (see Rom. 1:18 32 and 2:14-16). Christians view absolutism one of three ways: UNQUALIFIED (non-conflicting) absolutism believes in many

absolute laws that never conflict and should never be broken. IDEAL (conflicting) absolutism believes that universal laws do sometimes come in conflict, and although one may be forced to break one law (e.g., err or sin) to keep another, doing the lesser evil is excusable or forgivable. GRADED absolutism (hierarchicalism) believes that universal laws are divinely graded as to their significance, and when they come in conflict we are responsible to obey the higher law.

III. A Biblical Basis for Decision Making

Ethics01Ldr.doc

Trinity Baptist Church, Renton, WA., ARR.

Among Gods attributes are that He is the GOD of TRUTH (Psalm 31:5), He SPEAKS only the truth (Isa. 45:19), and that truth is UNCHANGING (Mal. 3:6). His truthsfor instance, those dealing with salvation and the nature of mankindwere never intended to be taken as relative, but are universal, absolute, objective and binding upon all. Note Jesus dogmatic assertion that he was THE TRUTH (John 14:6). Given the above, this means that what Godand His prophets in Scripturesay about ethical issues of right and wrong, good and evil is TRUE, and that any other belief system which contradicts Gods laws and principles is FALSE! The biblical principles of purity, justice, honesty, love, etc. which form the basis of biblical ethics flow out of the NATURE of GOD, since God is love, just, truth, etc. Biblical ethics, therefore, are a reflection of and are grounded in the Creator Himself.

Note: It is obvious that many of the ethical issues we deal with today (and in these lessons) are not specifically addressed in the Bible, since the writers of Scripture did not live in a day where, for instance, the control of certain aspects of life and death medically (or via genetic engineering) was possible as it is today. However, there are principles set forth in the Scriptures by which such contemporary ethical issues may be evaluated, as will be seen in later lessons.

IV. The Historical Decline of Biblical Ethics

(How We Got Where We Are) Western culture (Europe and America) was once characterized by a Judeo-Christian ethic; the Bible dictated the norms and absolutes that men, women, and society in general lived by. Scientists, mathematicians and philosophers presupposed a Creator and merely sought to discover His truth and design which were already inherent in nature. Thus, not only morality but the very concept of TRUTH ITSELF was grounded in the character and nature of God. The arts were employed primarily to reflect His glory, and theology was considered the queen of the sciences. A number of historical movements or periods eventually led to the gradual abandonment of the this biblical ethic, and are summarized as follows:

Ethics01Ldr.doc

Trinity Baptist Church, Renton, WA., ARR.

The RENAISSANCE (12th - 16th centuries) - shifted the focus of learning and the arts from glorifying God to the exalting of human dignity and achievement. The ENLIGHTENMENT or Age of Reason (17th - 18th centuries) - human reason replaced divine revelation as the basis for discovering truth. The INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (18th - 19th centuries) during this period of phenomenal progress in technology men and women began to lose their dependence on God and look to themselves for sustenance and guidance.

These historical trends, in turn, created a fertile ground for the revolutionary thoughts of several men whose ideas have greatly impacted the 20th century: CHARLES DARWIN (1809 - 1882) - his popularizing of the theory of evolution in many peoples minds eliminated the need for God to explain how the universe, life, and even man came to be. Atheism was now respectable; it offered a reasonable alternative to theism. His ideas formed the philosophical basis for Karl Marx and Frederich Nietzsche. KARL MARX (1818 - 1883) - proposed a materialistic (atheistic) theory of history and society. FREDERICH NIETZSCHE (1844 - 1900) - the architect of the God is dead philosophy who ruthlessly attacked all religion (and Christianity in particular) and insisted that man was free to create his own values. His writings profoundly influenced Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini. SIGMUND FREUD (1856 - 1939) - insisted that man was a higher animal and attributed human behavior to influences over which we have little control.

The philosophies of these men (and others) effectively removed God from serious consideration in higher institutions of education. Values were now relative and man-made. Since there was no God, there was no higher authority to appeal to than the individual himself. This laid the foundation for the two prominent non-Christian worldviews that have ruled Western society during the last half of the 20th century:

Ethics01Ldr.doc

Trinity Baptist Church, Renton, WA., ARR.

Modernism - a merger of SCIENTIFIC NATURALISM, which holds that life is the product of impersonal, random processes acting through time, and LIBERAL RATIONALISM, which realizes that, since man is on his own, he makes the rules. Whereas scientific naturalism provides our modernist culture with its view of reality, liberal rationalism provides the ethic. In our society, this liberal ethic focuses on individual rights and autonomy almost to the exclusion of group concerns. Postmodernism - a philosophy that has emerged during the last two decades of this century. Whereas postmodernism agrees with modernism that there are no absolutes, it rejects modernist rationalism and any insistence on truth. Intellect is replaced by the will, and emotions (feelings) take precedent over reason. What was considered historical reality is now DECONSTRUCTED (changed) to suit preconceived liberal biases. Morality and truth do not exist objectively but are constructed by the individual society. MULTICULTURISM is promoted; the concern of the group takes precedence over the individual.

V. A Biblical Response
In response to the assertions above, a Christian might counter with one of the following approaches: Challenge their PREMISE (presuppositions) - Grant their premisethat the God of Christianity and the Bible is unreal (the myth of a prescientific imagination)and anything goes so far as ethics are concerned, with virtually any form of immorality being justified. But if God (as revealed in the Scriptures) does indeed exist, then their view of reality is warped and they will ultimately face the consequences of offending a holy God. This approach rests on the authority of Scripture and finds support in Christian apologetics, which is outside the realm of this series. Challenge the CONSISTENCY of their Worldview - If there is no higher authority than the individual, and especially if reason cannot be appealed to, then who can say, with any authority, what is right or wrong? Hitler justified his ethic of genocide, and the question of rightness or wrongness is purely a matter of opinion! Or as Yale Law School professor Arthur Leff notes, the
Ethics01Ldr.doc 5 Trinity Baptist Church, Renton, WA., ARR.

response to assertions of authority in our society is the grand sez who. Right becomes defined by who has the most might! Challenge the FRUITS of their Ethics - Since the JudeoChristian (biblical) ethic has been discarded by more relative, liberal norms, crime has soared, suicide has mushroomed among youth, sexually transmitted diseases have become epidemic, and the list of social blights goes on. The grim consequences of our changing values will be spotlighted in future lessons.
Suggested Further Reading: Reason in the Balance by Phillip E. Johnson (Intervarsity Press) Lifeviews by R.C. Sproul (Revell) A Shattered Visage by Ravi Zacharias (Baker Books) Can Man Live Without God by Ravi Zacharias (Word Publishing) Postmodern Times by Gene Edward Veith, Jr. (Crossway Book

Ethics01Ldr.doc

Trinity Baptist Church, Renton, WA., ARR.