Session 17 - Introduction to Issues of Ethics & Morality

What is morality?

 If you ask people today about morality as a concept, or even specific moral issues, they will be able to define what they consider to be moral or right. However, when you begin to ask those same people the question of "why?" the water begins to become much more murky. Murder of an innocent person is instinctively wrong to anybody - it's such an extreme that we can all agree that it is immoral, even if we do not share the same reasoning for why.

Why is it wrong to steal? An atheist may be able to tell you that it is because it causes some kind of harm to another person, but then we need to ask - why is it wrong to harm other people? There's certainly situations, such as self defense, where we may deem it necessary to cause another person harm. For a Christian, we seek to understand the heart and law of God, using this as the basis of any of our morality. For an atheist, there is no person or thing for them to seek moral rule from. Morality is the system in which we define what is right and wrong, but who determines what is right or wrong?

Nihilism is an atheistic philosophy which came into prominence in the 19th century, with one its most famous proponents being Frederich Nietzche. The basis of nihilism (from the Latin "nihil" meaning "nothing") is that there is no objective truth. It claims that there is no God, no meaning, and no morals. This may seem extreme but it is a logical conclusion to the rejection of God and spirituality - if there is nothing beyond ourselves, how can there be a greater truth or morality which we are all bound to? If we are just matter without a soul, how could we consider ourselves to be more than just biological robots?

For all of Nietzches' faults, he was one to recognize this. In his time it was becoming more popular to reject God, however, many rejected God while still holding on to aspects of Christian morality. Neitzche realized that if one is to reject God, they have drained the meaning out of everything - God is the center, source, and sustainer of all in Christian belief. Nietzche lays out this idea in what is called the "Parable of the Madman." This is the source of the infamous "God is dead" quote, however, it is not intended to be a triumphal statement but rather a sorrowful one reflecting on the upheaval of life itself. This is part of what the madman says -

"How could we drink up the sea? Who gave us the sponge to wipe away the entire horizon? What were we doing when we unchained this earth from its sun? Whither is it moving now? Whither are we moving? Away from all suns? Are we not plunging continually? Backward, sideward, forward, in all directions? Is there still any up or down? Are we not straying, as through an infinite nothing? Do we not feel the breath of empty space? Has it not become colder? Is not night continually closing in on us? Do we not need to light lanterns in the morning?"

Many will turn to what is known as "relativism" which is the idea that even if there is no absolute truth, such as God, we can still determine our own morality and meaning by looking at life around us. But this is rather empty, because if there is no absolute basis to determine what is right and wrong, how could we govern ourselves? How can we ever agree on what should be legal or illegal? How can we even determine that which has meaning in our lives? We could base it on what brings the most overall "good" or happiness, but how do we determine what is good, and why should happiness be a determining factor? There are many things in life which are difficult and make us unhappy, but we recognize they are right. Rejection of belief in God brings to question everything in our lives, and for an honest person to reject God they would have to face up to these questions which have no answers.

What is Christian morality?

The basis of Christian morality is that we were created by a loving God, who decided to make each and every one of us in His image. Our true purpose is to glorify God, which can be done in many different ways. God is eternal, omnipotent, infinitely wise, and infinitely loving. Because we were made in His image we contain part of his wisdom and love, and we strive to attain more of it in our lives. Because we are finite beings and we recognize God's ineffable wisdom, we know that if we walk in the path God desires us to walk, then we will achieve eternal life. If we choose to reject God, He will allow us to do so, as free will is part of what makes us to be in the image of God. Because God is the source of life, if we choose to reject God, then God has not condemned us to death but rather we have decided to condemn ourselves to death.

You may face the question (if you haven't already) "why does God care if I do [x] thing?" It may seem inconsequential for us to fall into many sins, especially if they do not cause direct harm to ourselves or others. The answer to this is that Christian morality is not about following a set of rules or laws so that God does not get angry with us, as many perceive it. Sin itself is uncreated - you can think of it as a direction. The path to God is a straight line, and sin causes us to stray away from that line. If we stray too far, we become lost. In this sense, obeying God's commandments has nothing to do with following arbitrary rules but rather everything to do with keeping us attached to God, the author, source, and sustainer of our lives. Sins are things which are against God's (and by extension, our) nature. God did not decide to Himself at the beginning of time that murder would be wrong, but rather, murder is something which is inherently against who God is. This is true for all that is considered sinful, which is the basis of how we determine that which is moral.

We live today in a world not without morals, but in a world which struggles to be able to find and agree on what is moral. As society continues to distance itself from its Christian heritage, we find it more difficult to come together and agree on what is right and wrong. This affects each of us personally in school, work, our political systems, and even our relationships with those around us. It is important for us as Christians to be able to know what is moral so that we can glorify God and live righteous lives, while helping others to do the same out of love for one another.