Posted on 12/09/2014 7:17:40 AM PST by wagglebee
“There is no right and wrong!” the angry university student said loudly, storming up to our campus pro-life display.
“Is that right?” my friend Caleb said slowly. The student came to an abrupt stop, realizing, perhaps for the first time, that his worldview was, in philosophical terms, an “argument to commit suicide.”
That anecdote is illustrative of how we’ve been letting the Cultural Left get away with murder. I’m not just referring to the institutionalized destruction of life in the womb or the “mercy-killing” of the old, but also the broad cultural acceptance—including among Christians—of two stupid and dangerous ideas that have allowed the Left to dominate the cultural discussion for decades.
Christians have not been losing in the public square because we do not have the arguments to respond to the New Moral Revolution of the Cultural Left. We have been losing because we have not been making those arguments, or have not been making them articulately enough.
First, Christians are told loudly, we can’t legislate morality.
I could point out that this argument is inevitably used to justify the legality of something blatantly wicked and immoral, like abortion. Yet, I’ve heard countless Christians tell me that while they are pro-life and do believe in Christian ethics, they don’t think trying to impact public policy or bring our message to the public square is useful because “we can’t legislate our morality.”
They’re forgetting something: All laws legislate morality. All laws are put in place because of a value judgement that something should be permitted, restricted, regulated, or banned. When Christians leave the discussion, all we’re doing is ensuring that it is someone else’s code of morality that is being enshrined into law, and someone else’s values are being used as the guiding principle for governance.
If we don’t fight for the lives of pre-born children and demand legal protection for them, for example, we’re not ensuring that the government won’t legislate morality; we’re allowing those who claim that the right to destroy human life at whim exists and is moral to seize and win the day. Eventually, the government will be paying the butchers with our own tax dollars—because a New Morality has been legislated, and ours has been definitively replaced.
A very brief look at the news cycle reveals that the Cultural Left, while silencing Christians with the demand that we cease trying to “legislate our morality,” is attempting to do precisely that. When they howl that gay marriage should be legal and accepted, they are demanding this because they say it is right and good and moral. They are stating that to deny marriage to homosexuals is discriminatory, and therefore wrong. And the solution to this, they tell us, is for the government or the courts to step in and ensure that this wrong is righted, that this injustice is corrected.
It is not that they don’t think morality should be legislated. They simply think that Christian morality should not be legislated.
Which brings me to the second argument the Left has used to silence Christians: That morality is subjective, if it even exists at all. In other words, it’s okay if you believe that, but that only means its right for you. Other people must remain “true to themselves” and do “what’s right for them.”
This is obviously nothing short of profound stupidity, but a brief jaunt on to any university campus will show you that the number of those who believe that morality does not exist (while simultaneously calling fracking and Christian ethics evil) is staggering. I’ve engaged in dozens of debates that went something like this:
Student: “Well, there is no morality.”
Me: “Okay. Do you think rape is wrong?”
Student: “Of course rape is wrong!”
Me: “Why?”
Student (nervously): “Because…you can’t just force yourself on someone.”
Me: “Says who? You’re appealing to a moral law, which necessitates a lawgiver. Who says that is wrong?”
Student (relieved to have found an answer): “The government! It’s illegal!”
Me: “While I’m glad you’ve found your source of morality, wouldn’t you agree that laws have been wrong before? What about slavery? Segregation?”
This is to illustrate, of course, that morality cannot be subjective, or it is not morality. Right and wrong cannot be subjective, or they cease to exist. Appalling crimes like rape and murder should be illegal, because they are immoral. Christians would argue that they are immoral because God, the Lawgiver, has said they are. The Cultural Left cannot claim that banning abortion, for example, is immoral—because they cannot claim anything is immoral. Inevitably, their claims that something is or is not immoral is based on one thing: How they feel about something. (When they appeal to science, they are again being fallacious: Science, of course, can only tell us what is, not what ought to be. Science can reveal to us observable truths, but cannot provide us with correlating value judgements.)
Christians have not been losing in the public square because we do not have the arguments to respond to the New Moral Revolution of the Cultural Left. We have been losing because we have not been making those arguments, or have not been making them articulately enough. We’ve often bought the laughable lies that morality simultaneously does not exist, and cannot be legislated. Both of these lies are simply a means of keeping us from fighting for what is right in the public square. In many cases, we’ve vacated the battlefield. It’s time to engage like never before—because as we see with abortion, assisted suicide, and euthanasia, lives literally depend on it.
They still believe the lie of him being “severely conservative”
No. That was Ritchie Valens.
Christians have too much apathy. That is why millions are dying.
too much empathy maybe
I meant apathy...noun
noun: apathy
lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.
“widespread apathy among students”
synonyms: indifference, lack of interest, lack of enthusiasm, lack of concern, unconcern, uninterestedness, unresponsiveness, impassivity, dispassion, lethargy, languor, ennui;
rareacedia
“widespread apathy among the voters”
Did you watch all those videos I blasted you with on facebook last night? Hey, I found more!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-4tYNQr9M8
These people call themselves “Christian” and condone even allow abortion? It floors me! Gerry I have more videos you really need to see/hear!!! This is just unreal.
They are just empathising with the enemy, as Hillary said
It’s more than that. I have seen in these videos church people curse at this man for holding up pro life signs! I mean cursing that would make a sailor blush!
Even more people will pull over and destroy the signs. Saying as an excuse they don’t want their kids to see it. We all know that is not the reason. They are offended by what is going on. Instead of attacking the murderers doing the killing they attack the messenger delivering the message! I have seen in this video “Christians” from all faiths just say “Go away” and “I don’t want to see that”. I mean just wow. Apathy at it’s worst.
Jesus said if you deny me now I will deny you in Heaven.
Honestly, I agree with what you said...and again I explained to you why I voted the way I did (back in 2012).
And NO...I don’t have a 100% commitment to Christ since I’m a sinner, just as you are. Nobody has ever kept a 100% commitment ever.
You can stone me now /s
I have felt since the 2012 re-election of Obama that the United States is a dead man walking. I have no hope that our nation will ever turn back toward sanity and righteousness.
My only hope is that God, and why He would do this I have no idea, takes mercy on us once again and sends a revival back toward Him. I know He can do it, but why would He? Look at our materialism, our 50+ million abortions, homosexuality, . . .
I think at some point we have to just live for God in our own family, community, and town/city - speak the truth, live a sincere Christian life. I still vote, and yes, even for the “lesser of two evils” because at least one of them is possibly a little less evil, and I’m for “less” evil. But, I don’t put much hope in the political realm.
I mean look at the arguments we have here on FR - “You’re not a REAL conservative” - “Yes, I am!” - “No, you’re not!” We can’t even agree among ourselves - how can we ever influence the nation as a whole? The truth is there is NEVER going to be a perfect candidate. Renaldus Magnus (Reagan) was my hero, but even he had his issues. Would he get the support of the majority of us on FR?? I wonder.
It seems like no matter who is suggested as a possible conservative candidate there comes the inevitable “He/she is not conservative enough on _________ issue - therefore, not acceptable!” Or, they don’t have enough experience, or they’ve never served in government before, or, they’ve been in government so long they don’t know the real world, or he/she is just a professional politician - it doesn’t matter who is suggested - no one will will be acceptable by the majority here for one reason or another.
And, when someone does rise to the top in the primaries - NOPE! Not gonna vote for that one!! He/she is exactly the same as the enemy!!
Therefore, my thesis is - we are finished as a nation. It’s over. All that is left is living our lives for the Lord and come what may - understand that He will get us through, even if it means we die in the process. We will still be with Him in Heaven one day. That is the only hope I have left anymore.
I don’t know, but the music died.
You, however, have been singing my song throughout this thread. Thank you for your well thought out arguments and posts.
“It seems like no matter who is suggested as a possible conservative candidate there comes the inevitable “He/she is not conservative enough on _________ ..”
Which is exactly why conservatives will continue to lose. We will never agree unlike libs and the name-calling and accusations of “you’re not conservative” or “you’re not a Christian” get tossed around like a salad. It’s gotten to the point where if you dare have a differing opinion, you’ll be accused of being a “troll” or worse.
I’m over it! Like you, I’ll live out my days for Christ to the best that I can in this flesh.
>>They sow seeds of reason in those who hear them, which eventually may bear fruit.<<
Maybe true in the long run. However, by then, it won’t matter; the damage will be done. Witness Grubner and DeathCare.
Besides I don’t have that many years left on this planet to be that patient.
Your assertion is a delicate issue here where theory and principle are seemingly at odds with each other.
Welcome to FR.
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