As the election looms in the not-so-distant future, I see a new wave of attacks coming at those of us who hold conservative viewpoints. Whether the issue is abortion, gay marriage, redistribution of wealth, or any other number of issues, our morals and ideals are under attack.
There is a sickness in America, a dangerous infection that threatens to eat us from the inside-out. We are starting to see symptoms of it now, but many will not realize the true danger until it is much too late.
This disease is known as moral relativism.
Moral relativism argues that “moral or ethical propositions do not reflect objective and/or universal moral truths, but instead make claims relative to social, cultural, historical or personal circumstances.” Such a proposition is extremely dangerous for a society, especially when this moral relativism is disguised as “compassion” or “multiculturalism”. Believing that there is no ultimate and objective moral truth will lead to the downfall of society. Under such a belief, any action can be justified.
It is ALREADY being used to justify the atrocity of abortion. Those who call themselves “pro-choice” say “Don’t like abortions? Don’t have one!” This statement is absolutely ridiculous. Can you imagine someone driving around with a bumper sticker that said “Don’t like slavery? Don’t own one!” Abortion is not something that is wrong for people who hold a certain religious view, abortion is wrong for ALL PEOPLE, in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.
Many fear the influence of a politician’s religion on their policies. The most frequent objection of those who fear the presence of believers in government is, “What right do you have to impose your morals on us?” Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council tells them, “The same right you have to impose your lack of morals on us.”
It is our duty to stand up for our morals in public life. As Archbishop Charles Chaput says,
“People who take God seriously will not remain silent about their faith. They will often disagree about doctrine or policy, but they won’t be quiet. They can’t be. They’ll act on what they believe, sometimes at the cost of their reputations and careers. Obviously the common good demands a respect for other people with different beliefs and a willingness to compromise whenever possible. But for Catholics, the common good can never mean muting themselves in public debate on foundational issues of human dignity. Christian faith is always personal but never private. This is why any notion of tolerance that tries to reduce faith to private idiosyncrasy, or a set of opinions that we can indulge at home but need to be quiet about in public, will always fail.”
All law involves a moral decision and imposes some sort of value onto those affected. Whether this value comes from religion or from secularism, it is still imposing on the governed. The question is this; do we want the morals of our leaders to be firm and rooted in the idea that there is a Law above our laws and a Truth our own reason. Or do we want a leader whose morals are as shifting as the sands, who “understands” that people come from different circumstances, and we should therefore try to accommodate everyone.
I know which one I would choose. Sadly, it seems that many others do not.
There is a sickness in America, a dangerous infection that threatens to eat us from the inside-out. We are starting to see symptoms of it now, but many will not realize the true danger until it is much too late.
This disease is known as moral relativism.
Moral relativism argues that “moral or ethical propositions do not reflect objective and/or universal moral truths, but instead make claims relative to social, cultural, historical or personal circumstances.” Such a proposition is extremely dangerous for a society, especially when this moral relativism is disguised as “compassion” or “multiculturalism”. Believing that there is no ultimate and objective moral truth will lead to the downfall of society. Under such a belief, any action can be justified.
It is ALREADY being used to justify the atrocity of abortion. Those who call themselves “pro-choice” say “Don’t like abortions? Don’t have one!” This statement is absolutely ridiculous. Can you imagine someone driving around with a bumper sticker that said “Don’t like slavery? Don’t own one!” Abortion is not something that is wrong for people who hold a certain religious view, abortion is wrong for ALL PEOPLE, in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.
Many fear the influence of a politician’s religion on their policies. The most frequent objection of those who fear the presence of believers in government is, “What right do you have to impose your morals on us?” Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council tells them, “The same right you have to impose your lack of morals on us.”
It is our duty to stand up for our morals in public life. As Archbishop Charles Chaput says,
“People who take God seriously will not remain silent about their faith. They will often disagree about doctrine or policy, but they won’t be quiet. They can’t be. They’ll act on what they believe, sometimes at the cost of their reputations and careers. Obviously the common good demands a respect for other people with different beliefs and a willingness to compromise whenever possible. But for Catholics, the common good can never mean muting themselves in public debate on foundational issues of human dignity. Christian faith is always personal but never private. This is why any notion of tolerance that tries to reduce faith to private idiosyncrasy, or a set of opinions that we can indulge at home but need to be quiet about in public, will always fail.”
All law involves a moral decision and imposes some sort of value onto those affected. Whether this value comes from religion or from secularism, it is still imposing on the governed. The question is this; do we want the morals of our leaders to be firm and rooted in the idea that there is a Law above our laws and a Truth our own reason. Or do we want a leader whose morals are as shifting as the sands, who “understands” that people come from different circumstances, and we should therefore try to accommodate everyone.
I know which one I would choose. Sadly, it seems that many others do not.
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