When You Remove God from the Picture

December 28, 2016

Carol and I really enjoy many of British television’s Masterpiece Theatre productions.  They are usually cleverly scripted and well-acted.  They also give interesting insight into how the British view life.  For instance, a recurring theme in many productions is the resentment felt by the lower and middle classes toward the “upper crust.”  Repeated pokes are taken at an upper class that is presented as narcissistic and out of touch with reality.

Over the last couple of months we have been caught up in viewing two BBC Masterpiece Theatre detective mystery series.  One is entitled “Inspector Lewis,” and the other “Grantchester.”  What has captured my attention in both series, and the reason I am mentioning them at all, is because of the way Christianity and Christian morality is being portrayed from a British point of view.  That perspective is both enlightening and a little frightening.

“Inspector Lewis” is set in contemporary Oxford, England.  The two main characters are Inspector Robert Lewis and his sidekick Sergeant James Hathaway.  Oxford University is an intrinsic part of the story.  Characters in the mysteries are often faculty or students at the University. 

Grantchester’s setting is a small English town in the early 1950’s.  The two main characters are an Anglican vicar by the name of Sidney Chambers and a local Detective Inspector Geordie Keating.  They form an unlikely alliance as they work together to solve various crimes.

As you view Christianity through the lens of “Inspector Lewis,” Oxford, both town and university, is proudly and almost uniformly atheist.  This is a point that is repeatedly made.  Intellectualism and atheism are seen as going hand in hand. Sergeant Hathaway is portrayed as having once studied for the priesthood, but he is the only remotely Christian figure on the show.  The sergeant is extremely intelligent, and obviously very well educated, but as his  character is revealed from one episode to the next, no one would accuse Hathaway of being a happy man.  He is emotionally remote and lonely, and finds frequent solace in a bottle. There is little evidence his faith in God makes any significant difference in his life.  When a clergyman does make an occasional appearance, he is either cold and judgmental or hapless. The main character, Inspector Lewis, has no use for the Christian faith and makes no bones about it.  If anything, he seems to carry a chip on his should toward God.  By the way, an interesting visual side note is that a number of nightclubs and taverns in Oxford visited by the main characters in the course of the programs were beyond doubt at one time, from their architecture and stained glass beauty, churches.  In post Christian Britain, the inference is clear: church buildings as houses of worship are a thing of the past.  They are being repurposed for much more popular usages such as drinking and carousing.

In “Grantchester” Christianity receives similar treatment.  The young vicar is handsome and smart – and a borderline alcoholic who smokes like a train and has an eye for women.  One of his favorite places to hang out is a tavern. It appears the writers for the show have little to no idea what a vicar actually does.  He is rarely, if ever, shown studying or praying or ministering in any fashion. When he is portrayed as preaching, the message is insipid and trite and delivered to a handful of bored parishoners.  Sidney’s associate is a man struggling with homosexuality who clearly has a much greater knowledge of contemporary philosophers than he does of Scripture. Sidney’s bishop is a cold, calculating monster, one of those characters you love to hate.  His best friend in seminary shows up as a sexual predator.   

The message of both shows concerning Christianity is very clear: it is an unnecessary historical relic.  It has no relevance to modern life.  Christianity in Britain today is seen as convictionless, Bible less, and soulless.  It is an interesting and sometimes frustrating anachronism – nothing more.

I believe British television can give us valuable insight into what the not too distant future may look like here in the U.S.  American culture has been aping European culture for decades when it comes to morals and faith.  The British attitude toward Christianity should be seen as a harbinger of what is to come in our own country if we continue to follow a similar path.

It breaks my heart, but the battle for the soul of much of Europe has been clearly lost to the forces of humanism, socialism, and atheism.  What is left behind is a people without faith and, it would appear, without hope.  There is a kind of resigned pessimism that seems to permeate these shows.  They are cleverly written and well-acted, but the main characters would never be accused of being happy.  Nearly all of them consume alcohol in prodigious quantities, and when not seeking to solve a crime, spend a great deal of time moping around.  I think it would be safe to say life in godless England is portrayed as being pretty bleak.

The British are now free of the trappings of Christianity.  But they are paying a horrific price for that freedom.  These shows portray plenty of sexual acting out in all forms, but few healthy relationships or happy marriages.  The British may no longer recognize the ten commandments as coming from a transcendent God, but ignoring them certainly hasn’t added to the quality of life there.  Existing in an environment where “agape” is unknown, but greed, lust, envy, and anger are commonplace is pretty dreadful. Whether within the confines of intellectual fortresses like Oxford or small towns like Grantchester, life lived without God appears to be more of a slog than a blessing.  Removing God from the picture hardly produces an earthly Paradise.  In fact, I would argue it appears to be quite the opposite.

Humanists and Progressives would have us believe in this brave new world there is no place for Christianity.  What is truly sad is that in that same world there is also no place for grace or mercy or peace. 

Post Christian England has a message for us if we’ll just pay heed.  Recent statistics indicate that less than four percent of the population of Britain now attend any type of worship service on a Sunday. England is filled with huge, beautiful, empty cathedrals.  The British may have successfully shut God out of their country, but they have also closed the door to the blessings His presence brings.    

      

Some Frightening Trends

December 20, 2016

Allow me to share with you three incredibly important stories that aren’t being covered by the major media… These are going to shape our future in ways that are hard to imagine.

One

We are moving toward a world in which relationships with human-like robots will increasingly be substituted for a relationship with a male or female.  No, this is not science fiction.  It is already beginning to occur and gaining steam.  Why bother with a wife or husband, boyfriend or girlfriend when you can have a substitute relationship with an A.I. (artificial intelligence) that never is moody or argues with you or questions what you’re doing?  Check out this story – and in particular pay attention to the video at the end.  It is a creepy indication of what will become the norm.  Japan is already facing what amounts to a crisis as a higher and higher percentage of young males are indicating they have no desire to have a relationship with a woman.  Pornography and electronic substitutes for relationships are reshaping their culture. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/12/19/rise-sex-robots-will-make-people-appreciate-real-thing/   

Two

We are all aware of how ipads, smart phones, tablets, and other electronic devices are reshaping everything from how our children learn to how we interact and communicate.  Increasingly verbal communication is being replaced by texting and twittering.  I watched two young people sitting side by side the other day in a restaurant.  They were not looking at each other, but rather at their cell phones.  It was obvious they were texting.  What was bizarre was they were texting each other!  That was made clear when the young woman suddenly looked up, obviously responding to what she was reading, and placed a kiss on the cheek of her date – then went right back to busily texting.

A troubling article recently appeared in the New York Post concerning young people and their addiction to electronic devices.  Unintentionally, we are creating a problem that only now is really beginning to be recognized.  This article, by a medical doctor, is warning parents to not allow their children the usage of smart phones, tablets, video games and such until the age of ten.  Our brave new world is filled with unintentional consequences associated with our exposure to devices and situations unique in human history.  Allowing these devices to babysit our children for hours at a time may well come back to haunt us.

http://nypost.com/2016/12/17/kids-turn-violent-as-parents-battle-digital-heroin-addiction/

Three

The Islamic takeover of England, France and other European countries has been virtually ignored by the mainstream media (MSM).  The recent Brexit vote in Britain was driven by a populace tired of seeing their country and culture being undermined by Islamic immigrants who have no desire to assimilate.  Membership in the European union was forcing Britain to accept whatever immigrants came their way from other countries.  Voting to disassociate themselves from the European union meant they could restrict who crossed their borders – a right many believed was critical if Britain is to survive.  Are you aware that London now has a Muslim mayor?  That the most popular name for a baby boy in Britain is Mohammed?  That there are large areas of London that are “no go” zones unless you are Muslim?

Unlimited Muslim migration has been a disaster in Europe.  The terrorist attacks we read about are horrifying, but they are nothing compared to the quiet takeover by Muslims of larger and larger swathes of the cities they inhabit.  How many people in the United States are aware that large areas of Paris are also now “no go” zones for anyone who is not Muslim?

Europe’s secular/humanist culture, with little or no religious beliefs or convictions, is being taken over by a religion that militantly advances its beliefs and will defend them, literally, to the death. The countries of the European Union are now basically defenseless against an enemy that despises their unbelief and its resultant hedonistic culture.   Europe has thrown away as worthless a heritage of hundreds of years of Christian belief.  Now the Muslims are militantly filling a moral and ethical void left by Europe’s betrayal of its Christian heritage. 

We had better pay attention here in the United States.  Regardless of whether militant Islam becomes an increasing cultural and religious force in this country (and it is), its impact on Europe and our relationship with European countries is going to be enormous.  The day will come, if things don’t rapidly change, when we’ll be negotiating with Caliphates in Europe as well as the Middle East.  Think of all the implications, culturally and economically, that will have.  We’d better learn, and learn right now, from Europe’s mistakes, or we’re going to face the same disastrous consequences they are facing.

Here’s just one article of many illustrative of the Muslim takeover in Europe.

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/7151/britain-islamization  

THINGS YOU PROBABLY WON'T SEE IN 2017

December 1, 2016

I am neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I am an interested observer.  Mr. Trump’s ascendancy to the presidency has given heart to many moral and fiscal conservatives.  However, I would urge you to curb your excitement about what is to come, particularly as that applies to moral issues.  Mr. Trump’s economic agenda is much clearer than his social one.  I see no indication that his focus is going to be on so-called “values” issues.  We may well be on our way to an economic renaissance.  I pray that’s the case.  For millions of working Americans, that will be a blessing.  But a major change in the way moral issues, such as homosexuality and abortion, are viewed is another matter.  Here are some things you may wish for, but probably won’t see, in 2017…

I don’t believe we’ll see any change in the government’s stance on abortion.  The holocaust that should cause us all deep shame will continue.  Individual state’s efforts to regulate this horror will remain ongoing, but federal judges will do all they can to undermine these legislative efforts.  Remember, these federal judges are appointed, not elected.  The judicial system and its obvious prejudice against Judeo-Christian ethics in regard to value of the life of the unborn has not been affected. The war being fought in the courts over abortion “rights” will continue.

 While the selection of the next Supreme Court justice will be hugely important because of its ramifications for the future in matters such as the possible overturning of Roe v. Wade, until we see who fills the vacant slot, I anticipate little meaningful change.  (By the way, this appointment needs to be a matter brought daily before our heavenly Father because the lives of millions of the yet unborn literally rest in the hands of the one who will be chosen.  I anticipate a rancorous battle if a true conservative is nominated.  The abortion industry has a great deal to lose if a pro-life Justice is seated.  Who Mr. Trump nominates will tell us a great deal about his true convictions).

In the matter of gay marriage and LGBTQ rights, I also envision little change.  There may be some slowing of what has been a breathtakingly aggressive push by the government at all levels over the past few years.  However, Mr. Trump, as President Trump, has given no indication of a willingness or interest in reconsidering or retracting these issues.  Cities and states who have aggressively pursued prosecution of those whose moral values would preclude them from approving gay marriage and transsexual bathroom nonsense will probably continue to do so.  In fact, militant progressives, particularly on a local level, may be more aggressive than ever in this regard out of resentment and fear after the recent election.

I know few, if any, who expect media coverage of a Trump presidency to be any fairer than coverage was of a Trump candidacy.  The progressive leftists in this country hate the man and his supporters.  The negative coverage of President-elect Trump’s cabinet is a clear indication that the MSM war against him and his “deplorables” will continue unabated.  What you will not see in 2017 is a “fair and balanced” picture of anything that smacks of conservatism.  For instance, isn’t it interesting that the prediction of a stock market disaster should Trump be elected has proven to be not just wrong, but incredibly wrong.  However, have you heard any of the MSM link Mr. Trump’s election to the market rally?  The silence in that regard has been deafening.  I listened this morning as one liberal pundit snidely dismissed Carrier Corporation not moving a thousand jobs to Mexico as merely “symbolic” and meaningless in the larger scheme of things.  That negative spin on any success of a Trump administration is not going to go away.

We are in a culture war.  The recent election was a battle in that war.  The outcome of the battle surprised everyone.  It heartened some and enraged others.  What you will not see in 2017 is that war cooling off.  More than ever, through prayer and seeking to be light, we must share with others the only thing that will save this country – a recognition of the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  

TROUBLESOME TIMES ARE HERE

October 28, 2016

     For Christians, our times of sailing with the wind at our backs is over.  Difficult times lie ahead.  While we enjoyed decades of being culturally venerated, then accepted, then tolerated, those days are over.  War has been declared against us, and there is no sense in hiding our heads in the sand or making happy talk about how things aren’t as bad as they seem.  Yes, they are.  And they’re only going to grow worse.  The enemy has spent decades getting us to this point.  The control of the media, the judiciary, the educational system, did not happen overnight.  Nor, did it happen accidentally.  It came about because of the systematic efforts of true believers whose belief system is pretty much the opposite of Christians.  The enemy has now achieved the power and positioning to make life miserable for those who oppose their agenda (us).  Many of them make no bones about how it is time for “payback” to Christians who, rightly or wrongly, they see as having persecuted and held them back.  They are out for revenge.  They want their pound of flesh.  And we better prepare for what’s coming.

     The government is not going to protect us.  Our federal, and many state, governments have made it clear that their agenda is now owned by the moral progressives in this country.  That means that governments will continue to do everything they can to eliminate God and his influence.  They will persecute and prosecute His people at every opportunity.  From federal mandates seeking to enforce “rights” for the sexually deviant, to states prosecuting those who are seen as discriminating on the basis of moral values, to cities seeking to silence churches and preachers who would oppose their leadership’s immoral agenda, government has become our enemy, not our friend.

     All forms of media are actively striving on a daily basis to make our belief system not just unacceptable socially, but viewed as vile and obscene.  It’s not just that we’re increasingly becoming the butt of jokes on nightly television, consistently portrayed as narrow-minded bigots who are determined to make life miserable for everyone else, but we’re being portrayed as harmful, cruel, heartless fanatics who enjoy destroying the lives of others whose values don’t match ours.  A “fair and balanced” view of Christianity is out the window.  Honestly.  Check out Google, Yahoo, MSN and other websites and tell me they are anything other than blatantly, openly, hostilely, anti-Christian.  Watch a few of the “family” shows on cable and then argue that the traditional family is not under full blown attack and the object of absolute ridicule. Understand that as Christians we now wear the black hats.  We’re the villains, the bad guys, the enemy. 

     The courts are now among the most active persecuters of God’s people.  After years of effort on the part of the left, judges with an agenda are the rule, not the exception.  And that agenda is anti-God and anti-Christian.  Increasingly the courts are legislating from the bench against Bible believers.  And if a case comes before the court in which opposing moral values play a role, as in matters sexual, just look at the consistency of the decisions that are being handed down.  They are consistently on the side of the immoral.

     The upcoming presidential election does have huge implications for the future.  And I am going to hold my nose and vote for Donald Trump for president.  But regardless of who is elected, please understand that does not change a system that has become deeply and thoroughly corrupted.  As Christians, we are facing an enemy who now holds the reins of power and will not hesitate to ruthlessly apply that power.  One man, or woman, cannot change a judiciary, an educational system, a media, that is now clearly in the hands of those who would erase our God, our message, us…

     However, now please allow me to share what lets me sleep at night and gives me hope for tomorrow.  While I am arguing strenuously we should not ignore the reality of the challenge we face, as formidable as that is, that does not mean the battle is over.  In fact, I believe in many ways it has only begun.  Let me share a couple of observations I believe are apropos that come from the dark days of Israel.

     In 1 Kings 19, after Elijah’s great victory on Mount Carmel, he is chased into the wilderness by Jezebel.  Exhausted, he is ready to thrown in the towel, to give up.  He believes he is the only one left who is faithful.  What does God tell him?  That there are seven thousand in Israel who have not bowed the knee to Baal.  The remnant is faithful.  The unsung heroes like Obadiah, who is sheltering and caring for a hundred prophets at great risk to himself (see 1 Kings 18:4), are still there, still faithful.  He is not alone.

     There are still tens of millions of people in this country who believe in God and seek to follow His inspired word.  They have not given up.  They are not going to quit.  I believe we can look forward to a time when people of faith will unite in ways they have never before to take a stand for God and following His will.  There is still, in this country, a powerful force and voice for what is good and what is right.  I do not believe that voice will remain silent. 

     Above all, our God is an awesome God.  He rules and he reigns even as the Ahabs and Jezebels that pollute this earth arrogantly sit on their thrones and disdain Him and persecute His people.  God’s mighty hand guided an arrow to the chink in Ahab’s armor and turned Jezebel into dog food.  When judgment time came it was swift and absolute.  Those who blaspheme and oppose our God have no idea of the calamitous mistake they have made.  As with the arrogant Nebuchadnezzar (see Daniel 4), they will be brought low. 

     As with Elijah, we are called simply to be faithful.  Through thick and thin, victory and defeat, good times and bad, we must be faithful.  God’s victory over the prophets of Baal and Ashtoreth came because Elijah was willing to put himself on that altar.  He risked it all because of His trust in God.  We are called to do exactly the same (Romans 12:1,2). If we, like Elijah, are willing to present ourselves as living sacrifices, we shall see amazing things in the days to come.

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9,10).

MARANATHA!!!

ARE YOU AS EMBARRASSED AS I AM?

October 18, 2016

            Are you as embarrassed as I am?  Is the best the greatest country on earth can put forward for selection to the highest office in the land a couple of narcissistic misfits? Really?  A potty-mouthed self-obsessed billionaire and a coldly calculating Jezebel are the cream of the candidate crop?

            I don’t find it difficult to believe at all that the U.S. is increasingly a laughingstock among the nations of the world.  When the focus of the presidential campaign centers around the two candidates tossing around terms like “crook” and “misogynist,” when the spotlight falls on either candidate and what is revealed is essentially a moral leper, when you have two camps arguing, not over incredibly relevant issues like crippling national debt, runaway illegal immigration, and frightening foreign policy challenges, but instead over who groped or raped whom, we reveal just how morally bankrupt this country has become.   

            As a nation, we used to command the high moral ground.  We were admired as a beacon of liberty and freedom.  Increasingly, and deservingly, we are seen as a selfish, neurotic, unpredictable mess.  We’re spending money like a drunken sailor even though for all practical purposes we’re bankrupt.  We make promises and commitments to foreign countries that we apparently have no intention of keeping.  We treat our long term allies with disdain and go out of our way to honor our sworn enemies.  It appears one of the few things we’re still successfully manufacturing in this country is pornography.

            I don’t know how it is in your neighborhood, but I’ve observed something very telling in mine.  In the past couple of presidential elections, there have been lots of yard signs in front of houses advocating for candidates.  Not this year.  There is not a single sign for either Trump or Clinton.  Not one.  I’m also a bumper sticker reader.  Once again, I don’t know how it is in your area, but in mine I’m struck by the lack of stickers for either candidate.  I’ve noticed very few this year, by far the least I’ve ever observed during a presidential campaign. 

Why is this?  I believe it is because it is difficult to be enthusiastic when you have to hold your nose to vote for the candidate of your choice.   When the best reason you can come up with for voting for a candidate is something along the lines of the analogy of “Well, would you rather select the candidate with the gun that you know will shoot you or the candidate with the knife that may stab you but might just let you live?” 

More than ever, I am grateful to be a part of a holy nation (1 Pet 2:9) whose guiding light is agape (John 13:34,35).  I am thankful to serve a leader of absolute purity of whom I am rightly proud, the lord Jesus Christ.   It is with heartfelt appreciation that I am privileged to associate with brothers and sisters in Christ whose moral and spiritual foundations are solid and sure.

 I am incredibly blessed to be a part of a kingdom of which I am not ashamed.

May God continue to bless His people, and may He show mercy toward the United States of America.                  

Extorted Into Silence

October 7, 2016

As I have watched the federal government in recent years becoming more and more anti-Christian in its laws and regulations, like many other Christians the specter of what the future holds has weighed heavily on me.  As the father of four and grandfather of six, I am extremely concerned about the cultural and spiritual atmosphere in which my children and grandchildren will live.  I ache to think of their freedoms of religion and free speech being stripped from them.  And that effort is undeniably already underway.  I am frightened by the thought of the day coming when they could be thrown into prison because of their “hateful” Christian convictions.  But who would deny that such a possibility is increasingly real?

            As Christians, what can we do?  An obvious answer is to insert ourselves loudly and forcefully into the political process.  Our elected officials are going to be the ones who legislate in a way that is either going to protect or attempt to destroy Christianity.  That is an undeniable fact.

            So why is it that most Christians have chosen to remove themselves from the political process?  Why is it that church’s voices are muted to the point of silence?  These elections are literally determining the future for our children.  So why are we wringing our hands and basically doing nothing to influence who will be elected?

            I believe we are allowing ourselves to be bullied and extorted into silence.  “Conventional wisdom” in regard to Christians abstaining from politics is playing right into the hands of the progressive extremists who would love to legislate us out of existence.

            Most Americans have bought into the idea that non-profits should stay out of politics.  If any organization is given tax exempt status as a religion or charity, they should not be able to express support for specific candidates or, increasingly, specific moral stances.  Their charitable status has, effectively, muzzled them.  To retain their charitable status, they must sacrifice their right to speak out on political and moral issues.

            Has anyone stopped to question the logic and validity of this stance?  Why is it okay for a for profit company to spend incredible amounts of money to support candidates and legislation that would be favorable to them, but non-profits have to keep their mouths shut and purses closed?  What’s the difference between a for-profit corporation furthering legislation or regulations that would provide them tax breaks, and a non-profit pursuing legislation aiding them in furthering their aims or values?

            Why is it all right for the government to take moral stances on various issues, i.e. gay marriage and drug use, but not the citizens who pay the taxes supporting that government?  Of course, the argument immediately made is that the non-profits are receiving a preferred status from the government and thus should not be allowed a voice in the government.  Why not?  If I was to argue that people who pay no taxes because they are retired or out of work or whatever should not be allowed to vote, there would be screams of moral outrage.  But if they are the beneficiaries of a preferred status courtesy of government largesse, and they are, why is it okay for them to have a voice but not okay for a charitable organization?

            I believe the progressives in this country who want to do away with Christian influence in government, period, are very aware of the power of the Christian voice in this country.  They know how much influence churches could wield should they be given an opportunity to speak out in the public market place.  Thousands of churches representing millions of Christians seeking to influence elections in a way that would protect and advocate their values has to frighten the left big time.  There is no question that it is to the advantage of anti-Christian forces to do all they can to muzzle the voice of pro-Christian forces.

            So, political and moral progressives have extorted the silence of churches and charitable non-profits by threatening to take away their tax exempt status should they speak out.  It is a strategy that has been undeniably effective in recent years.  This, even as they relentlessly inflict their immoral and amoral values on a hapless public.  Is it any wonder that the anti-Christian voices seem to be prevailing?

            I absolutely believe our God is King of kings and Lord of lords.  I believe he sets up and takes down rulers.  I also believe in the power of prayer.  There is not a day that goes by I do not bring before the Father my concerns about this country and its future.  However, I am increasingly convicted that we have been sold a bill of goods when it comes to the influence that we, as Christians, can have on the future direction of this country.  Why should we collectively allow ourselves to be bullied or extorted into silence?

            I am absolutely willing to give up a charitable tax deduction for my church contributions if it means the collective voice of millions of Christians can be heard.  I’m sure that’s true of the vast majority of God honoring, Bible believing people in this country.  If I have to pay more tax to have a voice in the future welfare of this country and, in particular, of my children and grandchildren, I will gladly do so.

            Maybe I’m wrong, in fact I hope I am, but if things don’t change dramatically, the course I see this country taking will lead to one of two ends:  overt physical and financial persecution of all those who do not sign on to the progressive, anti-Christian, agenda, or a civil war.  Both those possibilities nauseate me.  But if we just buy into the progressive agenda and allow them to dictate when and where we may speak out, I see little hope for any other future.

            May God grant us wisdom, courage, and faith in dealing with what is to come.       

A MORALITY OF THE MOMENT

August 26, 2016 

As the warfare unleashed by “progressives” against traditional moral values continues to ramp up, I am very concerned about the ongoing efforts being made to re-define what is moral.  In the new world envisioned by the progressives, morality would no longer be defined by a single transcendent standard recognized by the majority of society – i.e. Biblical morality or Judeo-Christian ethics.  Instead, what is being advocated, and advanced at an alarming rate, would be a fluid standard defined by each individual rather than a societal norm.  For years this has been referred to as a “situational” ethic.  I would characterize it as a morality of the moment.

It is undeniable that there is a situational aspect to morality.  As much as I would like “right” and “wrong” to be issues of “black” and “white,” it’s not always that way.  Time and again, the morality of an action is, to a greater or lesser degree, very much determined by the context in which the action occurs.  Take, for instance, the killing of another human being.  Suppose a suspect shoots and kills an elderly clerk at a neighborhood grocery store during a robbery.  When the suspect is apprehended, one of the charges brought against him will be murder.  He is considered to have committed an act that is heinous and indefensible.  The suspect, if found guilty, will be punished as severely as the State allows, including possibly the forfeiture of his life by execution.  On the other hand, if that elderly clerk had been armed, and in an exchange of gunfire killed his assailant, he would most likely be exonerated of any wrongdoing; his actions seen as justified. The context of the taking of the life of another human being is very important.  It literally determines the morally acceptable or unacceptable nature of the action.

Those who would trash traditional moral values and replace them with what, in comparison, would be at best an amorality, love to exploit what they see as a weakness in the traditional standard.  They would argue all morality should ultimately be seen as situational rather than covered by a single, transcendent standard.  In an attempt to sever morality from such a standard, the “situational” ethic argues that what is moral or immoral should always be determined by what is “right” in the moment, rather than by some standard or code of conduct.  If what is done is “loving” (a very spongy, indeterminate standard), then it is right.  Thus, would it really be wrong for a woman to commit adultery with a prison guard at a concentration camp during WWII if it would allow her the possibility of escape and being able to return to her family? Would stealing bread from a store in order to feed his starving children make a desperate father a thief?  Would it be senseless and wrong not to lie if a convicted felon who has sworn vengeance against your father appears suddenly at the door and asks if he is home?  Such questions are designed to blur and denigrate absolutes, to create “grey” areas in values, and to seek to justify the argument that all morality should be viewed as situational in nature.  By setting up moral “straw men” and framing each dilemma in the context, not of right and wrong, but emotion (love), a situational ethic is presented as being superior to one which would condemn or forbid the actions in the examples just cited.

Tying moral standards to feelings rather than law codes has become very popular.  It permits one to act in ways which are contrary to traditional moral codes yet still be considered “moral.”  So, in our current moral climate, if a man suddenly decides he is gay and is in love with another man, many would defend his decision to divorce his wife and traumatize his children with the breakup of their family in order to be “true” to his feelings.  They would argue it would be more immoral for him to live a “lie,” by denying his true sexual feelings, than to destroy his marriage and family by “coming out.”

But changing the basis for making and evaluating moral decisions is a double-edged sword.  While there are many defenders of the “situational” ethic and the “freedom” it is seen as engendering by allowing “feelings” to determine what is moral rather than “law,” it also creates some appalling dilemmas; dilemmas I believe are destructive and dangerous.  It produces a fog of uncertainty and doubt rather than clarity.  It complicates rather than simplifies moral decision making.

Allow me to share with you a recent example.  In a nearby town, a man was arrested for exposing his genitals to two young girls.  He was charged with indecent exposure and jailed.  If that same man had walked into the women’s bathroom at the local Target store and exposed himself to those same two girls, if he claimed to be transsexual or even just unsure of his sexuality, not only would no charges be brought against him, but if the girls or their parents expressed outrage over his actions, they, not the man, would be viewed by many as being in the wrong morally because of their intolerance and lack of sympathy.  So, in one situation the man is a criminal and a pervert, and in the other situation the girls are the ones with the problem if they say anything.  If that is not illogical and downright confusing, I don’t know what is.  Welcome to the brave new world of the morality of the moment.  

Another major issue with this approach to morality is that, contrary to all the claims, “situational ethics” or the “morality of the moment” ultimately cannot genuinely be an individual standard.  There is no way a society can function if each individual within that society is genuinely free to “roll their own” morality.  Nothing less than absolute chaos will be the result.  There must be a set of rules mutually agreed upon by society as a whole or everything from business transactions to stop lights become perilous to the point of paralysis.

In reality what is occurring is not a push for individual moral choice; it is rather a re-definition of morality according to a non-Christian, pagan standard.  This standard is not being determined by majority vote.  It is being determined by those who are at the top of the food chain at the moment. It is posited, pushed, and defended by those in the government and media with the power and position to advocate it.  This “new” morality is just as arbitrary, and just as binding, as the traditional standard.  The enforcement of these standards is being ruthlessly carried out.  The punishments for disobedience are very real.  The difference is, and it is a huge one, that the moral standards are generated, not by God, but by men.  They are not transcendent, but simply reflective of the values of those in power.

So, according to the latest version of what is moral, smoking a toke is acceptable, but smoking a cigarette is not.  Advocating sexual perversion is honorable, bringing up its consequences is offensive and hateful.  My gender is fluid but I can be fired for lying about my age.  I can’t compliment a woman for how she looks or I’m guilty of sexual harassment.  I can put any obscenity laden screed I wish on a bumper sticker, but I can’t put the Ten Commandments on a sign in a public park.  The bottom line is moral law has not disappeared at all.  It has merely been reshaped to reflect the mood of the moment.

We are watching moral teachings that have guided societies for thousands of years being spurned and rejected.  In many cases, what was once moral is now seen as immoral, and what was once immoral is now moral.  This revolution in standards and values, again, is not without serious consequence.  Biblical standards of morality, many would argue, have been put in place and enforced because they provide protection from those who would do others, or themselves, harm.  Revising those laws on an emotional, spurious basis strips society of protections and opens the door to multiple dire consequences. 

The morality of the moment has gifted us with soaring teen pregnancy rates, tens of millions of abortions, millions of single parent families, marriages and relationships being destroyed by pornography addiction, horrifying STD rates, increased drug and alcohol abuse, horrifying suicide rates, and increasing random, violent crime.  The new “freedom” to do whatever feels good at the moment is extracting an unbelievable price in the misery that goes with it.

This battle over morals is one that, as Christians, we may appear to be losing.  But I would argue it is a battle we must fight and keep on fighting with the same relentless fervor that has carried the other side to victory after victory.  We must never stop fighting for what God and common sense has taught us is right.  The welfare of our children and grandchildren depend on it.

SOME THOUGHTS ON POLITICAL WARFARE

August 10, 2016

War is a hideous business.  It is one group of human beings trying to take by force that which another group of human beings possess.  The aggressors wage battle to gain more; the defenders battle to protect what they have from being taken.  There is little that is noble or good about what occurs.  There is much that is revolting and heartbreaking.

Mankind has made attempts through the years to paint a façade of civility on war.  For instance, the four Geneva Conventions were designed to establish rules of conduct which would regulate how enemies treated each other. That those conventions have been shredded repeatedly in the heat of war is a matter of history.  War has never been about humanitarianism.  It has always been about the skillful use of lethal force to defeat the enemy.

In a very real sense, war is thievery.  It is taking from someone by force what is theirs by right of law.  Wars, in miniature, are fought daily in this country.  When a robber enters a convenience store with a gun, when a rapist invades a victim’s apartment, these are, in a very real sense, acts of war.  The perpetrator’s purpose is to take from another what they have no right to take.  Wars between gangs amount to the same thing.  One group of thugs is trying to dominate and control another group of thugs.  The only difference between these acts and nations going to war is the scope of the action, not the motive behind it.

At its root, war is not only about seizing someone else’s territory or possessions, it is very much, perhaps even ultimately, about power.  That intoxicating drug of power drives some humans to use unspeakable means to reach awful ends.  One of the heartbreaking truths about war is that it is inflicted upon the many by a few who will go to any end to get what they want – whether it be an armed robber or a dictator.

You see, the heartbreaking true story of any war is written, not just on the battlefield, but in the suffering of the innocents.  The Syrian refugee crisis, which has turned Europe and North America upside down, has been brought about by a few monsters whose lust for power trumps any concern over destroying a country in the process.  Farmers and shopkeepers in Syria who just want to work their farms or run their businesses have lost everything.  They didn’t vote for war.  They didn’t ask for war.  They didn’t want war.  They just have to pay the price for it in economic devastation and dislocation.

Not all wars are about building physical empires or seizing physical assets.  For instance, we now find ourselves, in this country, in the midst of what can only be called a political war.  It is not being fought with rifles and bombs, but it is just as real, and capable of delivering its own form of devastation.  Political wars are pursued by the few who, lusting for power and the ability it brings to enforce their values and agendas on others, will do whatever it takes to achieve that power.  

These last few months we have seen the fruits of political wars in this country.  I have watched with great sadness as ruthless, amoral people without honor or integrity seek to destroy their political opponents.  I have viewed both parties, driven by those whose lust for power knows no bounds, adopt a kind of “scorched earth” policy toward opponents they view as the enemy.  There is no nobility in this battle – only naked aggression.  The ultimate goal is not the good of the American people, it is to seize or hold on to positions which, in many ways, allow one to rule the world.

There have been a few lame attempts to justify what has become an incredibly degrading process.  I have heard it argued that more than a few presidential campaigns in the past have degenerated into ugly, mudslinging messes.  That history teaches presidential campaigns can be a blood sport.  True.  And it’s argued that the country survived it.  Also true.  But is there any sense in which we have been made better or nobler for it?  I would argue that children being subjected to watching their mother and father berate and degrade each other in a custody fight certainly does harm the children.  No matter how well-intentioned or self-justifying the parents attacks on each other may be, the ultimate result is going to be children who are scarred, and whose attitude towards both parents is negatively affected by what they have experienced.

No matter who “wins” this political war, with the way it is being fought, it is inevitable that the American people’s respect for, and trust in, our government is going to be lessened.  Wars are not fought without casualties, and those casualties are not always physical.  Just as many of our soldiers have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan suffering from PTSD and other psychological issues associated with war, so the bitter divides that now afflict this country as one side demonizes the other are only going to worsen.  The paranoia and downright hatred that characterize these divides too often lead to physical violence – riots – which are often correctly characterized as “race” or “culture” wars.  Those who would seek to divide and conquer must bear the responsibility for the hideous fruit their efforts produce.  

One final observation…  I really am of the conviction that “what you see is what you get.”  We should not expect some sudden, miraculous transformation in a candidate once he, or she, takes office.  True character is revealed under pressure.  I can think of few things more pressure filled than running for public office – particularly the office of the presidency.  As I watch two people who will apparently do just about anything to win that office, I find it difficult to believe they will function any differently in office.  I believe what we are now experiencing in this presidential campaign from the candidates is merely a foretaste of what we’ll see when they take office.  Frankly, that gives me little comfort.

May God, PLEASE, bless America with the leaders we need, not the ones we deserve.