What once was black and white now
has grayed lines, and blurry edges. I can hear you say, Matt, you’re over the
hill and need to get your vision checked. Yes, you may be right. However, I am
not speaking about my ability to see, but that of society’s ability to discern
between right and wrong. You see, what once was very clear, has now developed
some gray and blurry areas. For example, it was once believed that murder is
wrong period. But 45 years ago, abortion (murder) was legalized,
based on the definition of when human life begins. Thus, we can still
wholeheartedly agree that murder is wrong, but some say that abortion is ok,
others no.
How far will we allow the rules to
be bent? In the past, slavery and atrocious acts to those individuals were
accepted simply because they were considered sub-human. Likewise, Hitler
convinced the German population that Jews and others sub-human to the degree
that over 6 million were slaughtered. Hitler was angry, blamed the Jews for it
and got away with murder. Literally.
The bottom line is that we are
changing the rules for our benefit. But this change can bite. However, we
may not realize the implications of this until we get bit. Several years ago
when I worked as a foreman for a heating and cooling company, I was given the
job of installing a gas fireplace in a new home. As an individual who has held
a builder’s license, I quickly recognized that the fireplace chase was
improperly built. There was about 4,000 lbs. of weight positioned directly
above where I was to install the fireplace, and all of that weight was held by
just a handful of nails. I recognized the gravity of the situation (pun
intended). The builder was cutting corners to save time and money. It was
situationally right for him, yet morally unethical. Would you have responded in
the same way as the builder? Then again, what if you were on the other side of
the coin? What if this was your house? Would you still say it was ok for the
builder to cut corners?
Without a moral law-giving
God, objective morality is not possible. Even atheist philosophers like J.L.
Mackie have said that, “Moral properties were not likely to arise without a God
to create them” (https://www.youtube. com/watch?=9txl6lA_z30).
While we may be ok with redefining
basic moral issues like murder, rape, etc., when it becomes personal, things
change. But at what point do we hit the point of no return? Instead of being
lulled into the blurred edges and gray lines of subjective morality, I urge you
to consider what Paul wrote in Romans 12:2 “Don’t
copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a
new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s
will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” It is our
responsibility to recognize when the objective black and white is becoming
subjective gray and blurry and to take society to the eye doctor’s for a
check-up.
In His service,
Matt
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