Photo by cottonbro from Pexels
I was going to title this blog post Fatal Flaws, but my family and I were laughing because over the years we have noticed a significant increase in traffic, (hits to my blog) if I have the word sex in the title. Not only is the word sex in the title, it is an appropriate alliteration to the post.
How would you respond if someone made one of the comments below to you?
• You ought to do what society says you should do.
• All religions are equally valid.
• People should have the right to make their own moral choices.
• We should never judge others.
Ever seen any statements like that before, or maybe something similar? Just spend five minutes on Facebook and you will see some. This is especially true if the hot topic of homosexuality or abortion come up and opinions differ. I listened to a lecture a several weeks ago that pointed out some of the problems with relativism. What does relativism mean? The statements above are good examples that might help you understand the views held by many that embrace relativism.
Let’s look at each of these statements one at a time and see how you could respond if you hear something like that, or if someone makes that claim.
1. You ought to do what society says you should do.
At face value, who would have an issue with such a statement? Society says we should not run red lights, but continue at green lights. Society has laws that state we should not beat our wives, or torture our children. But what if society said we could beat our wives and torture our children? Would that make it moral? In other countries, men can beat their wives so is the morality of such an action dependent on where we live, or how we were raised? It should be obvious that some cultures, (past and current), have laws that we instinctively recognize as immoral.
If we are limited in our behavior or actions by what society deems ethical, then we cannot have any moral reformers. There would not be such a thing as an immoral society. Martin Luther King should have been tossed in jail for being critical of civil rights. What the ancient Aztecs did to its own was discovered in the early 1500’s as Spanish explorers witnessed human sacrifice; had the Spanish outsiders protested they would have been in the wrong.
For those familiar with history you may know the Nazis during the Nuremberg trials said there are not any ethical duties or responsibilities that go beyond a society. No society or government has the right to judge another. No ‘ought’s’, just is. When we use the word ought, it implies a moral responsibility that goes beyond any people group. The relativist says all cultures and how they behave are equally just in how they conduct themselves. Yet it is clear that the slavery which took place in the 1800’s was wrong. Without reformers like William Wilberforce, slavery in England may have continued for another century.
2. All religions are equally valid.
Ever hear of the cult called ‘The Children of God’? They were popular in the 1970’s and 1980’s, founded by David Berg. They encouraged free love among adults, and even encouraged female members to seduce men in the hopes of converting them to their brand of Christianity. How about the Raelians also founded in the 1970’s. This is a UFO cult started by Claude Vorilhon, a retired French journalist that believes we are all descendants of an alien race who came to earth 25,000 years ago, and who wants to build an extraterrestrial embassy in Jerusalem to welcome back Elohim. When Elohim returns, he will resurrect all those who have used cloning. Needless to say this cult is a strong advocate for human cloning.1 Clearly these are not equally valid religions. Either we are descendants of an alien race or we are not. If there is a God, using women as prostitutes to seduce men to their brand of Christianity (Children of God) would be acceptable to Him, or not.
More mainstream religions have the same kind of conflicts with their basic doctrines. My brand of Christianity believes that Christ is the Son of God and one of the three persons in the Trinity. Jehovah’s Witness do not believe in the Trinity and Jesus is actually Michael the archangel and was God’s first creation. Either the Trinity is a correct view, or it is not. Jesus either was Michael the archangel or He was not.2
All religions are not equally valid and never will be. Many religions have some elements that are similar, or even the same, but it is not what we find similar between different religions as what is important, but what the differences are.
3. People should have the right to make their own moral choices.
This would work if everyone made the right moral choice. For example, Abdul Razak Ali Artan, who just carried out an attack at Ohio State university on November 28th, said he “was sick and tired of seeing fellow Muslims killed and tortured”3 so he ran over several people and then got out and tried to attack others with a knife until officers shot him.
Did Abdul have the right to make that moral choice? Someone might counter by stating others can make their own moral choices as long as it does not hurt anyone else. This is called the minimalist ethic, courtesy of John Stuart Mill the English philosopher who believed, “… one can live one’s life as one likes so long as no harm is done to others. Thus, it becomes common to think of most ethical decisions involving no harm to others as simply ‘personal choices,’ not subject to moral judgment either by oneself or by others.”4
The problem with this view is best explained with an example. In 2015, George Doodnaught, an anesthesiologist in Toronto, Canada, was found guilty of raping or sexually assaulting 21 women while they were under anesthetics. If a women was under sedation, and raped, but did not remember anything, what is the problem? What harm was done? If couples are unfaithful, but the spouse does not know about it, what harm is there in that?
Could we have circumstances that make the minimalist ethic insufficient to capture an immoral behavior? Certainly, and the examples above do just that. If children or women are sexually abused while under sedation, but they never knew about it, then the minimalist ethic cannot explain the lack of morality we see in that situation.
4. We should never judge others.
A few years back on Facebook, a women was defending her son’s right to be gay. When some other well meaning Christians pushed back on his lifestyle choice, she replied with, “Matthew 7:1, Don’t judge or you too will be judged.” This passage is not simply about judging others, but hypocritical judging, as in: if I have a 2 pack a day smoking habit, and while I take a drag off one of my cigarettes, I tell someone else they should quit smoking.
They almost never read verses 3-5, but instead cherry pick Bible verses that support their own view. Matthew 7:3-5 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.(NIV)
In the online lifestyle magazine Amerikanki, one contributor wrote an article titled 8 Reasons Why You Should Never Judge Other People.5 She explains that most people don’t notice their own mistakes, but regardless of the reason, we ought not to judge. Of course, recognizing a mistake implies we have already judged. If someone did something “wrong”, we’ve made a judgement call.
She also suggested we hold off on judging till we know all the facts, (good advice), but it was also a confusing statement because in the same breath she told us to never judge. She writes, “Regardless of the reason, we don’t have a right to judge anyone. Most people don’t notice their own mistakes, instead they strive to find and point out someone else’s mistakes.”… “Before judging someone, make sure that you know all the facts about this person. Maybe you don´t know the whole story, you don’t know their problems and worries. It is very important to hold off until you know all facts. Instead of judging, try to help them or leave them alone.”6 Wait a minute. How can you help someone without judging their mistakes? If you think someone is making a mistake, isn’t that judging?
Our culture is full of statements and ideas that are relativistic views. Point these out to someone next time you see one. Educate yourself and those around you by looking for them and discussing them. This is especially true for those leading youth groups because our youth need to be prepared to recognize truth from error.
Sources:
1. Styles, Ruth. “We’re creating an embassy to welcome the Elohim back to Earth! Inside the wacky world of the Raelians – a cult who thinks we are descended from Aliens.” Daily Mail. Dailymail.co.uk., 9 May 2014. Web. 26 November 2016.
2. Bickel, Bruce. Jantz, Stan. “Jehovah’s Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower.” World Religions & Cults 101, Harvest House Publishers, 2002, pp. 111-122
3. Grinberg, Emanuella et al. “Ohio State University: Attacker Killed, 11 Hospitalized after Campus Attack.” CNN, Cable News Network, 2 Nov. 2016, www.cnn.com/2016/11/28/us/ohio-state-university-active-shooter/.
4. Callahan, Daniel. “Minimalist Ethic” Oxford Scholarship Online. Oxfordscholarshiponline.com, n.d., Web. 2 December 2016
5. Anna. “8 Reasons You Should Never Judge Other People.” Amerikanki. Amerikanki.com, 25 February 2015. Web. 3 December 2016
6. Ibid.
Sex Under Sedation by James Glazier is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Truth is truth, even when inconvenient and not PC? Uh oh…
Hi James,
You are a very nice man and a warm human being. I know this because I’ve met you and I’ve spent a few years interacting with you online. Which makes me all the more sad because you refuse to acknowledge that gay people are just people. Yes, they do not fit the “normal” definition of sexuality. In my opinion, however, gay people are no better or no worse than heterosexuals. They are just people.
I’m sad that you use Christianity to judge them and, I suppose, condemn them. You won’t come right out and say that you condemn them, though. Is that because it is not “politically correct” to do so?
What does it say about Christianity, when an Agnostic/Athiest like myself is more accepting of all people than Christians are?
Best regards,
John
John said:
Hi James,
You are a very nice man and a warm human being. I know this because I’ve met you and I’ve spent a few years interacting with you online. Which makes me all the more sad because you refuse to acknowledge that gay people are just people. Yes, they do not fit the “normal” definition of sexuality. In my opinion, however, gay people are no better or no worse than heterosexuals. They are just people.
James said:
Hi John, thanks for the kind words. Can say the same of you my friend. Thanks for the reply, I have always enjoyed feed back from you.
I was wondering where in my post I refused to acknowledge that gay people were just people? I agree they are just people. Christians are just people, Raelians are just people, persons involved in the homosexual community are just people. And yes, they are no better or no worse then heterosexuals. Not sure where I may have suggest otherwise in my post.
John said:
I’m sad that you use Christianity to judge them and, I suppose, condemn them. You won’t come right out and say that you condemn them, though. Is that because it is not “politically correct” to do so?
James said:
Interesting phrasing John, that I use Christianity to judge them. I can’t help but wonder, what you use to judge people? Would you mind answering that for me?
Everyone who is religious, or at least if they take their religion seriously will refer to it especially in matters of ethics and morality. I believe that homosexuality is a sin and I am not concerned about being politically incorrect. Scripture makes it quite clear that homosexuality is a sin, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 is just one example.
John said:
What does it say about Christianity, when an Agnostic/Athiest like myself is more accepting of all people than Christians are?
James said:
Just because I think homosexuality is a sin, does not mean I don’t accept them. Where did you get that idea? Do you think I need to approve of someone’s life style to be ‘accepting’ of them? I have had plenty of friends in my life whose lifestyle I did not approve of. That does not mean I don’t accept them, care for them, love them, or want what is best for them. One of my best friends for years was an alcoholic and drug user. I did not approve of his lifestyle choices, but I was still his friend. Over the years I have had many students who were gay and they know I loved them as much as any other student. Some would return to my class to visit with their partner and I would greet, hug, and love on them as much as any other former student.
You think Christianity, which is based on the teachings of Christ is not as accepting as you are? Explain to me why Jesus made a point to mingle with the sinners? It was the scribes and Pharisees that rejected the social outcasts. Jesus touched lepers, saved those caught in adultery, forgave prostitutes, Jesus looked beyond their past, and saw their need. Mark 2:17 Many of the Christians I know do the same.
Blessings on you and your family John
Ohhh James I could say SOOO many things here.
I think I’ll let this one pass.
Well almost, society does not get to be the ultimate judge. They can try but you do not have to accept. As someone who saw society from the outside for decades that bothers me less than others.
In the end, we will all be judged by our LORD. It is his word that counts.
John makes a point about judging. Seems to me the bible had something to say on that subject.
I will say this about abortion. For decades I was a believer in the womans right to choose. Our nations position on abortion is one of many reasons the LORD was/is angry with us. We had a pretty long talk about it as I did not understand.
In the end he made me see that 2 lives were lost, the physical, and the spiritual. Plus the damage done to mother/family. He says at conception a soul is bonded to what will be the body of that new person. If that life is aborted both are gone forever.
But don’t take my word for it. Ask him yourself.
Hey Bill!
Always good to hear from you. Not sure what you mean about John’s point about judging. I will be happy to respond if I understand what you don’t agree with me about.
Say hello to your wonderful wife for me! 🙂 How is your daugher doing?
Hi James,
Thanks for your thoughtful response. To be clear, just like you, I use my moral compass to “judge” people, even though I try to be non-judgmental.
I think the difference between you and I, and is that you use the Gospel, or the Bible, or….I apologize if those are the same things. 🙂 I’m ignorant of both. I just use my sense of ethics, given to me from atheist parents, as my moral compass. They believe, as I do, that whether you are religious or not….if you treat others with empathy and compassion, you are a good person.
I don’t agree with you that gay people are sinners, although I understand why you do believe it. I just think that you are mistaken. As, I’m sure that you think I’m mistaken. 🙂
I can certainly agree to disagree. I wish you well, and please say hello to Gloria and your beautiful children for me. Believe it or not, Atheists care about people, too. We just believe in our fellow humans, and don’t believe in a supreme diety. Personally, I think we are very similar in our morals, with a few exceptions. 🙂
John said:
Thanks for your thoughtful response. To be clear, just like you, I use my moral compass to “judge” people, even though I try to be non-judgmental. I think the difference between you and I, and is that you use the Gospel, or the Bible, or….I apologize if those are the same things. I’m ignorant of both. I just use my sense of ethics, given to me from atheist parents, as my moral compass. They believe, as I do, that whether you are religious or not….if you treat others with empathy and compassion, you are a good person.
James said:
Hi John! Thanks for being transparent and sharing your thoughts. 🙂 What would you call a world where everyone did what was right in their own eyes? Anarchy. As you pointed out my moral compass is scripture. It is outside of me, it is an ‘objective’ truth or morality, not ‘subjective’ morality. Had you been raised by Nazi parents, you may have used your moral compass to decide that gassing Jews was the right thing to do.
What I am trying to point out is if you are using your own internal compass to decide who is good, then everyone else has the right to do the same thing.
What’s unique about Christianity compared to all other religions is it is not ‘works based’. Do a bit of research and you will find that if you want to go to heaven, you have to work for it in any other main stream religion. Christianity points out that we are ‘all’ sinners, we all fall short and have not hope to remain in God’s presence. Not just homosexuals, not just murders, not just liars, but you and me. Romans 3:23-24 Not for a moment do I think I am better than anyone else. Sure I try to be good, as you do, but take a peek into my thoughts, and often my selfish actions and you will see how fallen I am. Christians simply recognize their fallenness John, and want to point that out to others. Unfortunately the world often receives the Gospel as intolerant and judgmental.
As to the difference between the Gospel and the Bible, the Bible is made of 66 book or letters written over a span of roughly 2000 years by over 40 different authors. It is divided into the Old and New Testament. The Gospel is an old English word that used to mean good story, now most translate it to ‘good news’. Simply the gift off salvation offered to all through what God did for us in Jesus Christ. A free gift offered to those who fall short, and we all do.
John said:
I don’t agree with you that gay people are sinners, although I understand why you do believe it. I just think that you are mistaken. As, I’m sure that you think I’m mistaken.
I can certainly agree to disagree. I wish you well, and please say hello to Gloria and your beautiful children for me. Believe it or not, Atheists care about people, too. We just believe in our fellow humans, and don’t believe in a supreme diety. Personally, I think we are very similar in our morals, with a few exceptions.
James said:
I could be mistaken, but of course don’t think I am. I don’t think that just ‘gay’ people are sinners, I believe everyone is, without exception. I have not doubt that Atheists care about people. Some quite frankly have been kinder to me, more respectful, than some of the ‘Christian’ parents I have to deal with. What does that say about Christianity? Nothing, but it does point out that we should never ‘judge’ a religion on the merits of its people. Rather look a the truth of the message and see how it stands on its own. Would be great if we could, but I don’t believe that our fellow humans are basically good. I don’t have to list the millions slaughtered in wars in the last century, you know them better than I do. What does that say about human nature? Just turn on the news John, how can you possibly put your trust in human morality? Do you lock your door at night? Lock your car? Avoid some neighborhoods? So do I.
You’re a good man John, not good by God’s standard, but good by human standards John. Do you think people who commit moral crimes ought to be punished? I do. Have you and I committed moral crimes? Yup. Where does that leave us? Not in a good place when standing in the presence of an almighty God who is perfect in his judgement, but we are not there yet, as in you and I, (in our discussion). You don’t believe in God, so it is of little purpose for me to point to Him as the perfect standard for objective morality.
John, if I mailed you a book would you have the time to read it? It is called Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Will not be offended if you said no. It is a short read, but goes a long way in explaining some of the deeper subjects we have chatted about. Let me know and I will get one in the mail to you.
Love you buddy! I always enjoy hearing from you! Sorry for the long reply, I could have said so much more, but I really try to keep it to the point and be brief.