Culture Wars Article - Week 1

Christian Ethics V. Worldly Ethics

– Ashley Moore, Teaching Pastor Upstate Church Mauldin

Fighting for a Christian ethic in a post-Christian age.
The well-known strength challenge “tug-o-war” involves two individuals or teams positioned at opposite ends of a long rope. Each team attempts to pull hard enough to drag their opponents across a designated “line in the sand” and win. Usually, raw strength determines who wins in a game of tug-of-war.  
In the fight over ethics, physical strength isn’t the key factor. This battle takes place in the realm of ideas. The two sides in this struggle represent opposing worldviews: Christianity and secular humanism. The first is based on a historical, biblical view of reality, with the character of God serving as the objective standard for ultimate authority. The second is built on a worldview that centers on the individual as the primary focus of their universe.

Defining Ethics
The endless flow of information, personal beliefs, subjective opinions, and posturing by those discussing ethics can overwhelm the mildly interested reader. How can ethics be summarized in a short article without losing its importance? The best way is to identify the source of both a Christian ethic and a worldly ethic. What is the origin of these two opposing worldviews that shape society’s ethical framework?
Twentieth-century Christian author and philosopher Francis Schaeffer, in his classic work, How Shall We Then Live?, defined ethics as “moral absolutes rooted in the unchanging character of God.” Pastor, author, and scholar John Stott identified the foundation of Christian ethics as being Christocentric and Bible-based, emerging from a relationship with Jesus and grounded in Scripture. A prominent figure in the evangelical movement, Carl F. H. Henry, argued that Christian ethics must have a basis in God’s revealed will, providing a foundation for both personal and social morality. Essentially, Christian ethics arise from a personal relationship with God and obedience to His written and revealed Word, the Bible.
The term “secular humanism” can seem intimidating to some. To ease concerns, the word secular refers to something or someone as worldly, of this age, or irreligious. Humanism is the belief or action in which human interests are the main focus. Taken together, secular humanism elevates humanity’s interests as the key factor in determining what is true, valuable, and moral.
The secular humanist worldview focuses on the individual as the source and shaper of truth and reality. Prominent figures who have supported this worldview include the Chinese philosopher Confucius, the Renaissance humanist Erasmus, the British philosopher Bertrand Russell, the theoretical physicist Albert Einstein, and the astronomer and cosmologist Carl Sagan. The secular humanist philosophy believes that morality comes from shared human experiences, emphasizing values such as compassion, fairness, integrity, and responsibility to guide actions that benefit humanity.  

The “Line in the Sand”
A more precise understanding of the fundamental differences between the Christian and secular humanist worldviews allows us to see the contrast in how each grounds its ethics and morality becomes quite evident. A secular humanist worldview relies on subjective reality to interpret truth. What is best for the individual determines that interpretation and, consequently, shapes the framework for what is right and wrong.  
For Christians, all reality is defined by the Creator God, who has established Himself as the standard of truth. This objective standard is rooted in God’s character and clearly shown in His Word, the Bible. Therefore, the framework for a Christian to determine right and wrong begins and ends with their understanding of who God is and what the Bible says about Him. The Bible has much to say about how a Christian should act in light of God’s self-revelation through Jesus, the second person of the Godhead.  

Biblical Integration
A key passage that helps define the framework for a Christian ethic is Romans 12:1-2. In this letter to the Christians in Rome, Paul encourages them, as “brothers,” to dedicate their lives to God, rejecting the self-centered philosophy of the world and embracing the transforming power of God that works to renew their minds to desire what is “good and pleasing and acceptable” to Him. These two verses convey rich truths, but one key aspect related to ethics is the contrast between conforming to a worldly way of behaving and adopting the sacrificial mindset of a believer.

Practical Implications
When our source of truth is based on the objective reality of a self-revealed Creator, it influences how we think, believe, and act. Key parts of our lives, like family, work, and finances, are directly affected. For example, in family dynamics, when we aim to serve one another rather than ourselves, husbands and wives prioritize each other’s well-being over their own needs, and children choose to honor their parents through respect and obedience rather than dishonor them through selfishness and rebellion.  
At work, employers lead their employees by example rather than by orders and demands. Employees understand that those in authority over them deserve their respect and obedience, actions that come from a selfless attitude rather than a demand for personal rights. In our finances, a Christian ethic recognizes that all we are, including financial resources, come from God, so how we spend money matters. If our worldview centers on what is best for me, my finances will show that mindset.

Conclusion
Every ethical decision we make daily is not explicitly outlined in the Bible. These dilemmas can involve issues of truth versus loyalty, the individual versus the good of the community, or justice versus mercy. Business decisions that create conflicts of interest, such as deceptive advertising or loyalty issues[,] like reporting misconduct or staying loyal to a friend, complicate our lives and require a solid foundation if we are to develop a Christian ethic. If we can establish a foundation that begins with the self-revealed Creator God and His purposes in the world, we can build a framework that enables us to behave in a way [ways] that reflects the heart of God in a fallen world (John 17:14-16). [The question you must ask yourself is: Am I relying on the truth of God’s word as the framework for my life?]