SITUATION ETHICS

"LOVING EXAMPLES?

Cathy and Bill have finally told their parents about their living

arrangements. The older folks were shocked. But the kids exclaim, "We only

wanted to make sure we were meant for each other. Hasty marriages create

divorces. Can't you understand we only want to do the most `loving' thing?"

Margie has just received an affirmative on her pregnancy test. She's a

full time student who works a part-time job. An abortion is the answer!

Would it be fair to bring an unwanted baby into an already over-populated

world? Anyway, she could never give the child proper attention or time with

her busy schedule. In this situation Margie's solution seems "kind and

practical" to herself.

Robert, who has always been an excellent student, finds himself

unprepared for a crucial scholarship examination. His excuse is righteous-

death in the family. He contacts a friend who gladly gives him a secret copy

of the test's answer sheet. Rationalizing if circumstances had been normal he

would have make the grade anyway, he cheats. It was the only "right" thing to

do?

BUT CONSIDER THE CIRCUMSTANCE

None of the above people would have thought of their actions as sin.

That would be "leagalism." Unknowingly, many have fallen into the attractive

philosophy of situation ethics.

Situation ethics is a conglomeration of relativism, universalism, and

humanism.

Relativism denies absolutes, saying that right or wrong is conditionally

determined by its relationship to the individual circumstance.

Universalism is a mixture of wishful thinking and modern theology. All

men are saved by Christ's atonement whether they know it or not. Besides,

would a loving God send anyone to hell?

Humanism declares man's basic goodness and denies the doctrine of

original sin. Give us the right environmental factors with a "good"

conscience for guidance and man can be righteous on his own accord.

Situation ethics basically claims that man is capable of making "loving"

decisions without a set definition of what is loving.

It denounces leagalism and any rigid behavioral rules. Simply consider

the situation, what seems best for you and do the most loving thing.

DOES EVERYBODY HAVE GOD?

Even though situation ethics distorts most orthodox Christian beliefs, it

claims to be Christian. What is meant by "Christian" is never clearly

defined, but strong inferences are made. A quote from Joseph Fletcher's book,

Situation Ethics, states, "The Christian situationist who is also neighbor or

person concerned: `Your love is like mine, like everybody's; it is the Holy

Spirit. Love is not the work of the Holy Spirit, it is the Holy Spirit-

working in us. God is love, He doesn't merely have it or give it: He gives

Himself-to all men, to all sorts and conditions: to believers and unbelievers,

high and low, dark and pale, learned and ignorant, Marxists and Christian, and

Hottentots.' "

In other words, all humans have the Holy Spirit and God in them

regardless of spiritual condition and this enables them to make the right

decisions.

One problem, if this is true: how come there is so much "old-fashioned"

sin in the world? Do our rising crime, dope, and divorce rates indicate man's

ability to decide for himself? Maybe we do need help.

Jesus told us the way to living was through Him and the only true love

came from God. He also said that unless a man was spiritually born again he

would never enter the kingdom of Heaven. Every man has to make a personal

decision to receive salvation. Jesus said that man must follow Him on the

narrow road and deny self to be a Christian.

IGNORED PRINCIPLE

One obvious flaw of situation ethics is the way legalism and true

Christian ethics are confused.

There is a vast difference between Christian ethics and legalism.

Christian ethics is the biblical law supported by the love of Jesus. Legalism

is the law upheld by people and their traditions.

Jesus never said the Ten Commandments were to be disregarded but that the

law without love was hypocrisy.

When the Pharisees caught a young woman in adultery they brought her up

before Jesus thinking they could trip him up on a legal technicality.

The law clearly said to stone her. Jesus did not deny this but simply

said, O.K., the man who has not sinned throw the first stone. They left one by

one. Jesus and the woman were left standing alone. He could have cast the

stone rightfully but didn't. Why?

Jesus knew about forgiveness. The little principle ignored when

situationists discuss Christian ethics. He did not say that's all right,

maybe it was a justifiable act considering her position. He plainly called

her adultery sin but said He forgave her and to go and sin no more.

Previously, Jesus had re-defined adultery. Even if a man looks at a

woman lustfully he has committed adultery with her in his heart.

He said this to establish everyone's guilt and to expose the futility of

reaching God by works. Man needs something beyond himself to keep him right.

He needs to be changed inside through the saving power of Jesus Christ.

HEDONISM

The theory of situation ethics sounds reasonable, but does it work? Take

a closer look around. It seems when restraints are taken away we feel no

moral obligation to exercise moderation. Social nearsightedness takes over.

We become sensualists, relying on natural instincts of desire for

guidance. Hedonism and antinomianism are the most common forms of sensualism.

The hedonist lives for pleasure and happiness, making these his goals in life.

Because happiness is actually a by-product, not the substance, of a purposeful

life, he is never satisfied.

The hedonist tries to make the result the means. Thus lacking real

purpose in life, he is denied his very goal of happiness by his own self-

centeredness.

Henery Sedgwick, a pioneer in developing the modern hedonistic view,

coined the phrase, "pleasure sought is pleasure lost;" the hedonistic paradox.

PLEASURE - THE ELUSIVE BUTTERFLY

Despite what many modernists claim, we have found ourselves caught in the

proverbial treadmill. Wanting to be free and independent we have become

enslaved to our lust.

C. S. Lewis, well-known Christian writer, stated in The Great Divorce,

"The sensualist, I'll allow ye, begins by pursuing a real pleasure, though a

small one... But the time comes on when, though the pleasure becomes less and

less and the craving fiercer and fiercer and though he knows that joy can

never come that way, yet he prefers to joy the mere fondling of unappeasable

lust and would not have it taken from him. He'd fight to the death to keep

it. He'd like well to be able to scratch; but even when he can scratch no

more he'd rather itch than not."

ANTINOMIANISM

Even though the situationist denounces antinomianism as an undesirable

system of ethics, many time he sinks to this. Why? Situation ethics gives no

motivation to take responsible actions.

Antinomianism literally means "against the law." The term was first used

to describe a religious view of Christianity. The view reasoned that since we

are saved by grace, not by works, why repent of immoral actions and adhere to

right living? Otherwise, burn the rule book.

Antinomianism gave birth to the modern day philosophy of existentialism.

The existentialist believes there are no valid principle and no universal laws

for human conduct. The "now" and the present experience is all that matters.

No purpose in the world or congruency between one day and the next can be

found. No experience connects with the next. Every situation is unique and

individual.

The philosophy is totally self-centered with no concern with the present

actions' affect on the future.

This view-point is a total cop-out from responsibility. Rules and laws

become meaningless. Many frustrated people have adopted existentialism only

to find themselves reverting to lawlessness and antinomianism.

A good example is this generation of young adults. First, honestly

searching for what is right, disregarding established Christian ethics, we

gave way to self-indulgence and blatant immorality resulting in complete

lawlessness. Lawlessness produced everything this generation was protesting

in the first place.

REVIVE AN OLD CONCEPT

What can we do about the mess we have already created?

First, admit that you aren't God and have done wrong. Dr. Menninger,

highly acclaimed American psychiatrist, feels the only way to present day

moral repairs is to revive the concept of sin. In his book, Whatever Became

Of Sin?, he writes that sin is " a transgression of the law of God;

disobedience of the divine will; moral failure... Sin has a willful defiant,

or disloyal quality; someone is defied or offended or hurt."

God has been saying this to us for centuries. "For all have sinned and

come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23. Since God is the creator, and

we are the created, perhaps His solution to sin and how to make decisions is

best.

God sent His only son, Jesus, to earth to pay the consequences for our

sins. Jesus was the sinless sacrifice on the cross who arose victoriously

over sin and death. If you trust in, rely on, and cling to Jesus, you can be

forgiven of your sins and given eternal life.

Once you have accepted Jesus Christ as the way out of your sin problem

then look into His plan for living the Christian life in the New Testament.

Accept God's absolutes as your standard for living. Go to Him daily in

communicating prayer, asking for forgiveness and guidance in doing the loving

thing.

"No man is free who is a slave to the flesh." - Seneca

"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life..." "Ye shall know the truth and

the truth will set you free." - Jesus

 

 

Jesus People USA

407 N. Malden, Chicago, IL 60640

(c)1984 JPUSA Productions


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