Thursday, November 13, 2008

MORALITY

"Believing in morality while denying God's existence is no different than believing in the tooth fairy." -- BRAD BRIGHT

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was a Russian novelist and historian. Through his writings, the world was made aware of the former Soviet Union's labor camp system called the Gulag and for these efforts Solzhenitsyn was exiled. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1970. His prophetic words, spoken more than three decades ago over the BBC radio network, have come back to haunt us today: "Since there are no higher spiritual forces above us and since I - Man with a capital "M" - am the crowning glory of the universe, then if anyone must perish today, let it be someone else - anybody - but not I - not my precious self."

We have pushed God aside and focused on self. And as we have focused on 'self,' we have lost the practical ability to 'love our neighbor' - a necessary element of morality. It is no accident that Jesus said in Matthew 22 that the two universal laws on which all the others hang are to love God and to love one's neighbor. If there is no God, then there is nothing in the universe that obligates me to love my neighbor.

But collapse of morality is not the issue, is it? It is nothing more than a symptom of a much deeper problem. Allowing abortion, homosexual behavior or any other moral issue to dominate the primary debate is like patching the cracked walls of a building that are sitting on a crumbling foundation. We'll be patching the walls right up to the day the foundation finally gives way and the entire structure collapses - patches and all. America has heart disease. Treating the symptom is no longer enough. Patching the cracks will no longer do.

We must begin re-building the foundation by making the God of the Bible the central issue of life in the minds and hearts of those around us. HE must become the dividing line of the culture. But we cannot make gains by stomping our feet that we're 'right' and by debating 'behavior' - not in the current cultural moral vacuum. We will not win that war. We have to face the fact that "Thou shalt not" just doesn't feel as good in our culture today as "Just do it!"

So - the ultimate debate is not about changing societal BEHAVIORS. Rather, it is about changing society's view of GOD HIMSELF. Our BEHAVIOR will be determined by our underlying view of GOD. If we FAIL to make God the issue, then we will most assuredly and inevitably fail on every other cultural front.

"It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible" --- GEORGE WASHINGTON

And be blessed.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I read not too long ago that we sometimes let legalism get in the way of relationship when it comes to God.

I know for a little while I became more concerned with trying to be perfect than focusing on my relationship with God and the love I feel for Him. I think the Holy Spirit will help us become more Christlike as we mature spiritually. I just never again want to lose sight of how great, compassionate and loving God is. I have missed Him terribly during this time. I am so grateful that He is with me.