- by Harold W. Anderson, Ph.D., M.A., M.Div.
- Colossians 3:12-17
- December 17, 2000
As many of you are aware, I have been teaching philosophy and ethics for the past years, and a written response I received from one of my ethics students was as interesting as it was informative. The student wrote:
“Ethics is based upon knowing the good, knowing the good inside each one of us. What is right for one is not right for another. This is based upon knowing from knowledge and intelligence what is right and good. What would be right and good for each individual is what would be right in an abortion. That decision would have to be up to each individual. If you believe that it is wrong, it is wrong. If you don’t believe that it is wrong, that is a correct thought process. We each know what our goodness is based upon our knowledge base and intelligence.”
While the paragraph is poorly written and philosophically inconsistent, these problems cannot hide its meaning. For this student, the way we have sifted through all that we have been taught; the way that we have organized our subjective light of knowledge, is that which tells us when our moral compass points North. That is, the way I perceive the world dictates what I hold to be right or wrong at any given moment. If, given the circumstance, the morality of an abortion whether it’s for me or a person I love, an abortion seems wrong, it is wrong. If, however, the circumstances change or are different for someone else, then an abortion may at that time be good. At one point, abortion is wrong; at another, it is right with no apparent contradiction. If in that moment you “believe” it is wrong, then it is wrong, but if in a different situation, you “believe” it is good, then it is good. Ethics is not a matter of reason, but rather it is a matter of belief and therefore contrary beliefs yield no contradiction. Morally, then, abortion is both right and wrong based not upon rational thought, but upon belief, and if this is what a person believes, then the words of a Crosby, Stills and Nash song ring prophetic: “Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong” (“For What It’s Worth,” originally sung by Buffalo Springfield). Or, conversely, no one’s wrong if everybody’s right.
One might call this a type of “moral relativism,” or “moral subjectivism” and it is not unique to this student but seems to represent the majority of those to whom I teach ethics. Why do students find this type of relativism or subjectivism so enticing? The cynics among us might suggest that underlying this type of thought is an “anything goes” permissiveness that gives young people permission to do anything they wish. If you like it, do it. If you believe it’s right, it is.
However, I think this sort of cynicism is misplaced. It fails to take seriously the complexity of a student’s world and dismisses the way they attempt to wrestle with this complexity. Contrary to the cynic, then, I would suggest that there are deeper yet more disturbing reasons for a student’s embrace of this type of moral ambiguity.
The youth of today are—as I did when I was a youth—searching to understand right from wrong. But as any young person who is willing to think deeply about this issue soon realizes, ethical issues are horribly complex, and answers are not easily ascertained. There are so many ideas; there are so many perspectives. Who is right? Who is wrong? If we are to think ethically about any issue, we must first realize that ethical thinking requires a moral compass to direct us in the path of goodness. Too often we mistakenly believe that a moral compass is defined by categorical statements such as “Thou shall not kill,” but even a cursory examination of ethical ought statements reveals the weakness of such a flawed postulate. Surely there are times when this moral mandate simply does not apply. One thinks of times of war, self-defense, and perhaps even abortion. Because of these ambiguities, the complexity of the matter exceeds the simple nature of moral mandates. If then, a moral compass is not located in ethical mandates, what should be the moral compass guiding us through life? The moral compass of life is found in our ability to participate in and contribute to the discussion of what is right and wrong in our communities with well-reasoned moral arguments. That is, the moral compass of ethics presupposes the ability to think critically about moral issues.
I remember a conversation I was having with an educator one day. I was complaining that many of the students that attend colleges are…well…not adequately prepared for college courses in general and philosophy courses in particular. “What’s the problem?” the educator asked. “Well,” I said, “to put it simply, they can’t think.” “What do you mean by that?” the educator inquired. “Well obviously they can think, but they don’t know how to think critically and that is a basic requirement for a college course.” To my astonishment, the educator asked, “what is critical thinking?” I explained to him that critical thinking is the ability to take a step back from the problem, look at it from differing points of view, and then, drawing a conclusion from what one has observed, come up with a well-reasoned argument for why the conclusion is ‘true.’” With a wave of hand, the educator grunted “Humph! I don’t even think our teachers can do that!”
Therein lies one of the tragic pedagogical problems of today. Many students—and I am willing to bet, many people in our country—cannot think critically. What does this say about the subjective bias of my student? What educators have touted as “critical thinking” is really a group hug where all involved sing “kum ba yah” and think happy, happy thoughts about each other no matter how contrary their beliefs may be. Education then becomes a way of acknowledging differences without having to tell a person they are wrong. Students, today, have not learned how to do the difficult work of academic research and, absent of hurting another person’s feelings, they exchange rigorous analysis for a flaccid relativism where we are all right and, at times, we may be all wrong. If I’m not hurting you and you are not hurting me, it does not matter what you believe.
Life, most come to understand, is hard. In the existential ebb and flow of everydayness a great deal of offense occurs whether it be circumstance, work, love or friendship, and there are many hard blows given by life that sting the recipient with an unrelenting and unswerving resolve. To live in the world requires a toughness that refuses to give in to the difficulties of life. It takes a determination grounded in robust mental resolve that does not shy away from disagreement and that is not afraid to speak truth to difference. It is this type of toughness, this keen acuity and resolve that comes with the ability to think critically and enter into challenging debates where a person must risk being wrong. If one learns to embrace these hardships; if a person learns to appreciate the intense examination that pursues truth that “loves to hide” as Heraclitus put it, then one learns the difference between destruction and edification; between tearing things down and building them up. If we are to build up, if we are to edify, then we must admit that some things are just wrong while others are right; it matters little what we might believe. Group hugs are not the pathway to a strong, vibrant and successful society; they are instead a slippery slide into chaos, confusion and a pathetic acquiescence to moral license devoid of truth. Because group hugs avoid offense, they tend to sacrifice moral integrity and open the door to a society incapable of condemning the moral evils of life.
But doesn’t it say somewhere in the Bible that we are not to judge others? What does this mean except that we withhold our moral judgments of the evils we believe to be inherent in the life of others? Considering the biblical prohibition of making judgments, wouldn’t my student be correct in allowing some to believe abortion is right and others wrong?
If we are to understand the biblical caution, we must distinguish between making a judgment and being judgmental. Accordingly, a judgmental person is a person who tends to habitually and negatively judge others, often without sufficient reason. The judgmental person, then, is one who is overly critical, makes quick decisions based on limited information, and has a strong need to voice their opinions in opposition to others. This type of behavior is problematic, and it is, the Bible tells us, contrary to the lifestyle and spirituality of one who seeks to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Rather than love, judgmental people tend to stir up hate; rather than empathy, judgmental people condemn; rather than being a bringer of peace, judgmental people create only chaos. Hence, the Bible warns us not to be judgmental.
However, this is different from someone who is prone to the judgments of critical thought. These judgments are not made from afar; they are the result of engagement. These judgments are based upon our ability to talk to one another, examine each other’s point of view with the hope of arriving at a common understanding, an understanding more likened to a bridge rather than the treacherous moat of a judgmental person. For those who make judgments, reason is the guide toward a more just and equitable agreement.
While reason is important to a person of faith, a person of faith—Paul tells us—is held to an even higher standard, that of “edification.” While reason can be cold and distant, edifying reason is marked by the love, compassion and forgiveness found in the teachings of Jesus. Colossians 3:12 – 17 helps us understand this new standard of reason. Hear the words of Paul:
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christdwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Paul lists many values in this passage: compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, harmonious living, love, thankfulness, etc. But these seem to lack the level of abstraction denoted by ethical mandates. There is something organic about Paul’s words. They are not simply ideals to be pondered rationally. They are qualities with which the one who walks in the footsteps of Jesus lives. They are not commands. They are those things that occur when one finds themselves living as Jesus lived. Indeed, the central thought of this passage is found in verse 16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly [so that you can] teach and admonish one another in all wisdom…” The essence of a spiritual lifestyle, the wisdom of the ages, the meaning of what it means to be a good person is found in one word: “edification.” When edification becomes our standard, when it is our moral compass, we engage others in edifying discourse so that we can forgive more fully, love more completely, shun haughtiness and arrogance by being humble, and express our gratitude for life through a spirit of thankfulness. Living in a community where edification is the guiding principle is to live in a community shaped and sustained by the spirit of Christ. We do not shy away from telling others we think they are wrong. We do not fail to praise others for when they are right. But in all these matters, we engage each other in spirited debate that the light of wisdom might shine brightly in all we do and an attitude of forgiveness reigns when we are wrong. As I tell my students, the beginning of morality, the depth of our spirituality is found in these words “Gee, I’m sorry. Maybe I’m wrong.” And then join again in the discussion to discern what is right.
Imagine such a society, imagine living in a community like this. What holds us back? What keeps us from becoming the incarnation of Christ’s spirit in our world? Perhaps it’s not wanting to hurt each other’s feelings. Perhaps it’s not wanting to think too deeply. Perhaps we just don’t want to wrestle with the thorny issue of finding God’s moral compass and following it into goodness, into compassion, love, forgiveness and peace. I hope that our sloth is not cause for living in a world absent of Christ’s spirit. I implore you, says Paul, to reconsider. Put on the clothing of Christ and begin now. Begin living an edifying life as we build together an edifying community.
If one could rid the words of my student of moral relativism, there may be some truthfulness expressed by them. The world we should desire is not one of a judgmental attitude where mean-spirited people tear down the efforts of others; where arrogance stands in the way of justice and inequality becomes a poor substitute for turning away those with whom we may not agree. Rather, the world my students hope for and that one we are called upon to build is one of acceptance where forgiveness marks our relationships with each other and the only demand is that we entertain differences in life not as our enemies, but as the spice that helps us to understand the moral compass of life, a compass defined by edification.
My prayer is that during this Advent season we might find our moral compass as we commit ourselves to an edifying discourse, a discourse based upon compassionate reason and the ability to admit when we are wrong that we might ever strive for what is right. This moral compass is not defined by the certainty of moral platitudes but by our efforts to make that which is suitable, better; ground that which is right more fully in truth; and face the uncertainty of tomorrow with the assurance that in all things, we are a people of thankfulness for the opportunity to build each other up in love. Amen.