By Not Known
When one city decided to give out free condoms to students age 12 and older, one parent wrote, “I’m so happy, I can’t wait to celebrate.” Did this parent think that the problem with teen pregnancy was going to end with this? Instead, wouldn’t giving out free condoms be the equivalent of saying to the children of that city that it is okay to go out and have sex? Would it solve anything?
Of course, this raised plenty of issues but chief amongst them would be that our world is going through a time of heightened upside-down morality. Yet, when we talk about morality, we need to determine what morality is in the first place. Accordingly, morality refers to the differentiation of intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good (or right) from those that are bad (or wrong). Morality is not the same as the moral code, meaning that different people may consider different things as good or bad, right or wrong. As such, a moral code is simply a system of morality. Thus, one who is moral is one who practices or teaches that particular system which he or she believes in. We would still need to determine the code.
This is tough. Who lays down the system or decides on the code? Whose code do we follow? What does this code lead us to do or act?
One person defines it this way. He says: 1. People are selfish beings by nature. 2. Morals are usually based on unselfish principles. 3. People don’t want to give up the selfishness, because of its rewards. Who cares about other people anyway? That’s why they have to devise a way to make others believe they’re doing nothing wrong. In fact those “moralists” are in the wrong. Everyone that tries to live morally and ethically becomes a “moralist” or a “purist”. 4. Everyone lives happily ever after, except the “moralists” who are in the minority and don’t really have any means to counter the accusations. And if they do, well, then they’re just acting like a whiny pesky moralist again.
People are confused about morality simply because they can’t pin down the code. If they are forced to make a decision, the code that they would prefer is one that would suit their own purpose and desires, at least until someone uses the code against them.
In any case, are you a moral person? How do you see morality or ethics, for that matter? What does the Bible tell you about morality? Can being a moral person save you and bring you redemption? How would you answer these questions? The Apostle Paul in the letter to the Romans provided us with answers; let’s dig in.
Peter Poon