More Ethics:

On Second Thoughts …

Lets cross that bridge when we come to it !

Yes I know thinkers like Hobbes and Locke started by trying to construct a theory of … well “government” for want of a better word, as their starting point. I recall that I didn't agree with them when I first read their works and here I am about to fall into the same trap!

I also suspect that one of the mistakes we have made for some time in “Western” cultures is to not separate out ethical behaviour as applied to the individual from ethical behaviour (of perhaps even the same individual) when acting in an official capacity – say as a judge.

Just think about that one example for a moment.

The Bible is pretty clear throughout that we should not seek vengeance. From Genesis 50:15ff where Joseph assured his brothers that he was not going to exact revenge on them saying “Am I in the place of God!”. To Jesus teaching on forgiving one another and on to the New Testament letters the message is loud and clear that we are not to take personal revenge! (I will devote a lot of time to this further on as it is a common failing of people who profess to be Christians! But for now I am just doing a quick mention)

Does this apply to a judge in the courtroom? Definitely not!!

The reason once again, I will just mention here leaving detailed discussion to later on. But a clue is given by Hebrews 10:30 “For we know the one who said 'vengeance is mine, I will repay' it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” So it is not that repaying evil is against God's character, just that he reserves it as his prerogative.

Romans 13: 4 gives another clue: “for (the government) does not bear the sword in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer.”

The judge is (whether he/she acknowledges it or not) acting as God's servant charged with the task of dispensing I little of God's retribution.

That, as I said is so contrary to the popular moral philosophy of our time that I will need to systematically prove it. But later!

For now I am merely putting this up as an example of my belief that what God's character instantiated in our personal lives may turn out to be different to God's character instantiated in government leaders, judges, police, military and so forth acting in their official capacities.

So for now I will sidestep the very important question of the duties of “the government”, the question of the proper role of Christian ethics in a modern democracy, and the role of Christian ethics in framing laws in a society part professing Christianity, part secular, and part professing other religions. As I said, we will cross that bridge when we come to it! By then (I hope!) we will have discovered much about reflecting God's moral character in our personal dealings that will help us tackle these questions.

So where to start? I don't know. I expect the thing is to just start somewhere. So starting next post I will look at the Ten Commandments.