The canker of our age
“Relativity applies to physics, not ethics.” – Albert Einstein
Moral relativism, the idea that right and wrong are more of a personal preference rather than an objective truth binding on everyone has unfortunately permeated the entire fabric of our society. When it comes to principles of right and wrong, morality is reduced to a matter of individual preference. But when people express moral convictions they are not merely expressing a preference. They are affirming that a particular conduct is wrong, period.
Moral relativism promotes the pseudo virtues of neutrality and tolerance. But people who think they are being “neutral” and “tolerant” do serious damage. They might get a few pats on the back here and there but they send the wrong message to our children. Children grow up believing that it is simply up to them do decide what is right or wrong. Relativists are essentially sowing the seeds for moral anarchy.
Two things need to consider. One, all human beings find God’s moral law written upon their heart: “… the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness …” (Romans 2:15). A law demands a lawgiver. Without a transcendent law or lawgiver, all transgressions (sin) are nullified, but, “through the law comes the full knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:20) Two, when someone does something wrong, their conscience bears witness to the fact that they have broken God’s moral law. This creates within us the feeling of guilt because we know we have committed moral crimes against God. It is at this point that the Christian worldview makes the most sense. All have sinned and fallen short, since no one can perfectly keep the law. That is the bad news. The good news is this: we can be freely justified by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24).
Moral relativism, the idea that right and wrong are more of a personal preference rather than an objective truth binding on everyone has unfortunately permeated the entire fabric of our society. When it comes to principles of right and wrong, morality is reduced to a matter of individual preference. But when people express moral convictions they are not merely expressing a preference. They are affirming that a particular conduct is wrong, period.
Moral relativism promotes the pseudo virtues of neutrality and tolerance. But people who think they are being “neutral” and “tolerant” do serious damage. They might get a few pats on the back here and there but they send the wrong message to our children. Children grow up believing that it is simply up to them do decide what is right or wrong. Relativists are essentially sowing the seeds for moral anarchy.
Two things need to consider. One, all human beings find God’s moral law written upon their heart: “… the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness …” (Romans 2:15). A law demands a lawgiver. Without a transcendent law or lawgiver, all transgressions (sin) are nullified, but, “through the law comes the full knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:20) Two, when someone does something wrong, their conscience bears witness to the fact that they have broken God’s moral law. This creates within us the feeling of guilt because we know we have committed moral crimes against God. It is at this point that the Christian worldview makes the most sense. All have sinned and fallen short, since no one can perfectly keep the law. That is the bad news. The good news is this: we can be freely justified by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24).
