Steeplecock News - March -2012

Lent - A Time for Moral / Ethical Consciousness -

            In this present age of moral / ethical relativity, it's important that those who call themselves Christians, stand over and against the prevailing wisdom - almost always abject foolishness - that teaches that issues of right and wrong and of good and evil, are relative. By relative, I mean relative to the individual's own personal opinions, insights, values, beliefs and preferences. From this perspective, something that's right for you may be wrong for someone else - and vice-versa. Yet in this kind of pseudo-intellectual, politically correct thinking, both moral / ethical positions are held to be equally valid and right.

            The flaw in this kind of thinking could not be more obvious.  For instance, if it's wrong for a Christian to kill someone who rejects the faith, is it not also wrong for a Muslim to kill a nonbeliever?  Or if it's right for a Muslim to behead someone who rejects Mohammed, then is it not also right for a Christian to do the same to a Muslim who rejects the Christ? Obviously (but sadly, NOT obvious to everyone!) both positions are relative to the absolute commandment from God, Thou shalt not kill. (Self-defense has always been the exception.)

            Please do not ever claim that all religions are the same and that all lead to God. As I have said on so many occasions, the worst thing that a Christian can do to a non-believer is to shake the dust off your feet.  In Islam, beheading a non-believer is law - a law that glorifies Allah. I will be bold to say that the Christian position is absolutely right and the Muslim position is horrendously wrong.

            Do not insult your own intelligence - or anyone else's - with such an ignorant - and let me just say it, stupid - statement regarding religious, moral, ethical or spiritual relativity. But MOST IMPORTANTLY, do not let anyone else get away it either. You and I, as Christians, have a responsibility to proclaim Christ's TRUTH over and against the deception - often mortal deception - of other belief systems. Such a proclamation is a REQUIREMENT, not an option.  This may cost us a friend. Many will ridicule us when we stand up for the One True Faith. But our Lord told us that this would happen. We may not like it but it remains our job. 

            But I know many people - some of whom identify themselves as Christians - who reject anything absolute from God. They fill in that empty space with their own tragically flawed but self-serving values.  Many of these people have raised their children in this ridiculous relativity. Yet they express shock and surprise, anger and disappointment when their teenaged or young adult children indulge destructive drug use, reckless sex and / or other aspects of personal corruption only to find themselves living in hopeless misery.  Such persons have not only ruined their own lives but the lives of others as well. And on top of that, the immoral and unethical offenders want to be free from the consequences of their bad behavior as they demand that someone else pay for it. All of this absurdity has become institutionalized in secular law - all a part of the current lowest common denominator value structure of the present age. 

            During this Lenten season, our job is to take a moral and ethical inventory of what we really believe regarding that which is truly right and truly wrong, how that stands up to God's Biblical revelation and then adjust anything self-serving in us to Christ's revelation. If we are at odds with Him, then He demands that we repent, believe and follow Him.

            Christianity calls for our highest and our best. God gave His highest and His best - His own Son, Jesus Christ. Our job is to serve Him with our highest and our

best. That's all we have to give Him who gave Himself for us.

            One last thought. It's not enough for us simply to improve ourselves, however essential to faithfulness that may be. We must also require it of others, especially of the power brokers of our society and of the world.  The hour is late.  But the time is now.

                                                                                    Blessings, JHC