Category Archives: Morality

No God? No Morals.

No subject of any magnitude can be intelligently addressed that first does not, at some level, acknowledge that God exists. The world we live in has to be explained for us to understand it and anything else in it. But that explanation cannot be advanced until the primary question of origins is answered. If one proceeds in any endeavor based upon faulty assumptions, the end result will be skewed and could, in fact, be very harmful. For instance, if a doctor assumes your dizzines is the result of an inner ear infection instead of a stroke, the results could be disastrous for you. Basic, underlying assumptions, then, are obviously very important.

Fortunately, the answer to the question about ultimate origins is actually very simple in that it can only have one of two answers. Either God does exist or He does not. But setting aside for the moment the actual arguments for His existence, it is important to understand the implications of either of those propositions. Both propositions imply very different, alternative worldviews.

If God does not exist, then certain things follow. First, if God does not exist, then all questions of morality are subjective. By “subjective” I mean that there would be no objective truth–that is, realities external to the mind–to be discovered only personal positions to be advocated. When Israel did not acknowledge the law of God during the period of the Judges, it is said that “every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6; 21:25). This is so basic a truth, a first-truth, if you will, that it hardly demands any defense.

Yet some have attempted to deny the force of this truth by saying that even if there were no external, objective moral standard given by God, that we could all agree on what we consider to be right and wrong and that that agreed upon view would then constitute the “objective” standard by which we are to decide all moral issues. However, even if everyone in the world were to agree on a particular view, that view has the potential of changing over time through the changing of the individual opinions of the people who make up the deciding group, in this case the world.

But clearly, no standard could be considered objective in any real sense of that term–i.e., existing in reality, external to the mind of the thinker–that is liable to change based upon the mere whims of fancy or opinions of vast multitudes of disparate peoples.

In addition to this point, it would also have to be true that whatever view was decided upon as the standard for morality for all people would have to stand the test of broad practical application across a broad spectrum of people. These alleged accepted “moral” principles would have to be quite distinct from the kinds of laws we find in the legal codes of the many coutries of the world. These laws are all localized and fitted to the particular population to which they apply and without notable acception, all of them continue to grow in size and volume.

But moral principles would have to necessarily transcend these local statutes. But man has not shown the slightest indication that he is capable of fashioning a principle that is both universal in nature and also comprehensive in scope. That makes the word of God so much more incredibly wondrous when you consider that within the pages of God’s word, the little book we call the Bible which we can hold in one hand, we find principles that have guided all mankind all over the globe throughout the centuries since it’s creation. These principles have never been improved upon. What is more, it is not a mere coincidence that whenever man tries to develop principles to govern man’s moral decisions they very often resemble what we already know to be true from the Bible. That is because it is not in man to direct his own steps and he must plagerise God’s word to have a semblence of credibility.

It is clear that if God does not exist then there is no objective standard of right and wrong and anything that we might call immoral or evil would only be so in name, not in reality. If God does not exist, then everything that we would call vile could also be called good. Child molestation? Only a preference. Rape? Only a choice. Torture? Just someone’s idea of a fun.

No one in complete or even partial possession of their faculties believes these previous, final, few statements are true. We know that morality lies not in the uncertain and unstable opinions of man but in the immutable counsel and omniscient mind of God. That part of the mind of God that we need to know for our life in this world and for our salvation is revealed to us in His inerrant, plenary, word revelation to us in what we call THE BOOK, the Bible. If God does exist and He has communicated to us through not only the created world but also His Word, then that fact underlies and is the true foundation of all knowledge.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7).

Eric L. Padgett

WHAT IS WRONG?

What is wrong with our society? We are destroying historical monuments to erase our history. We allow men, dressed as weird, gross caricatures of women, to read to our children in public libraries in order to confuse them about the distinct line between the gender boundaries. We allow men dressed as women, many who are sex offenders, to enter into women’s restrooms. People are mutilating their bodies and claiming to be some gender other than their biological gender. We are legalizing vices that were once off limits to any decent society. What is wrong with us?

What is wrong with the church? We are replacing a thus saith the Lord with movies, theater, plays and exercise classes and other social events. Churches that wear the Lord’s name are using translations that once would have been avoided. Things are happening today, both in society at large and in the church, that we never would have believed could have happened just a few, short years ago. It is as if we are witnessing the methodical and purposeful erosion of our culture. It seems to be spiraling out of control. How could this have happened?

One reason this has happened is that we have seen our society turn further away from God than ever before. A Pew research study released in October 2019 found that only 65% of American adults describe themselves as Christian. That is down twelve percent over the last decade. Is it any wonder, then, that there has been an increase in immoral and godless behavior? Even Richard Dawkins, a well known atheist, very recently admitted that those who believe in God, especially Christians, are more likely to engage in moral behavior. Of course, the Bible is clear about this. When people move away from belief in God they open the floodgates of depravity (Rom. 1:18-32; Psalm 14:1-7).

Not only was the United States founded upon Judeao-Christian principles and values, all of Western culture was, as well. It is these values that have made America the greatest nation, in many respects, to ever exist. Those values have formed the basis of our law and culture and have been a blessing not only to ourselves but to the whole world. But the further we turn from God to a more secular based society the more chaos ensues and the less unique we become. Those on the left criticize traditional values and tout post-modern, liberal culture and consequently are overseeing the dissolution of western civilization. When we turn away from God anything goes and that is exactly what is happening. And we seem to be letting it happen all in the name of tolerance.

Second, there no longer seems to be a concern for truth in our society. According to a recent Gallop poll, nine in ten Americans say they have lost trust in the media to tell the truth. The internet is rife with lies and half-truths. We once taught our children the importance of being honest. George Washington, for instance, was held out as an example of the virtue of honesty. We taught our children he said “I cannot tell a lie, I chopped down the cherry tree.” We used to hail the example of “Honest Abe.” Now we teach our children these were lies and encourage them to use lying as a survival strategy.

This all is a direct result of turning away from God. When there is no God there is no objective ground for the truth. Everything becomes relative. It is true that Relativism is not a new doctrine. It has been around at least since the fifth century before Christ. A Greek philosopher by the name of Protagoras said that man was the measure of all things and, in fact, denied we could know that God even exists. But today this view is very pervasive. For example, a child who has a Christian message on their t-shirt is disciplined by a public school but a child who dresses like the opposite sex is protected and even encouraged as brave. Many examples like this could be multiplied.

This became a serious issue in the church, as well, when certain brethren began saying that for all we know we may be wrong about this doctrine or that. Therefore, they said, we should not be dogmatic about any particular doctrine. They took up Protagoras’ view and ran with saying we could not even know if God exists. These men have taken up the relativists banner and changed the truth of God into a lie (Rom. 1:25). But the Bible is clear that we can know the truth and it will make us free (John 8:32).

Finally, because truth is no longer important, westerners are embracing false, eastern religions like never before. Islam, in particular, is making inroads into our culture at an alarming rate. Alarming because their stated goal “in America is a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and ‘sabotaging’ its miserable house” (http://www.theoakinitiative.org/pdfs/teamb/15-Shariah-The-Threat-to-America-Team-B-Report-Web-285-308.pdf). When you read their intent it is alarming to know that, as NPR stated it, “a record number of Muslim Americans ran for statewide or national office this election cycle, the most since the terror attacks pf Sept. 11, 2001.”

What is needed is a modern intellectual, moral and spiritual crusade to take back the values and traditions that are our heritage. We need to give an answer to every man for the hope that is in us with meekness and fear (I Pet. 3:15). Maybe it is because we have not sanctified the Lord God in our hearts that we are unwilling or unable to defend the truth and those values. Many of us will remain faithful to the Lord no matter what happens to our culture but we will have to do it in greater isolation and at greater peril if we do not make up the hedge and stand in the gap now (Ezek. 22:30).

Eric L. Padgett

Morality

Evolutionary scientists have a difficult time explaining how morality, especially altruistic behavior, developed by means of mutation and natural selection. The “holiest” doctrine of evolution–survival of the fittest–is the very antithesis of altruism. “You would expect those who are best at cheating, and taking but not giving, to be coming out ahead. Their genes should be on the rise while altruistic genes would be going away.”1 But though this is what evolutionary scientists would expect, this is not what has happened or is happening.

In an attempted explanation of this problem, Richard Dawkins stated in his 2006 documentary The Root Of All Evil “Our true sense of right and wrong has nothing to do with religion. I believe there is kindness, charity and generosity in human nature. And I think there is a Darwinian explanation for this. Through much of our prehistory, humans lived under conditions that favored altruistic genes. Gene survival depended on nurturing our family and on doing deals with our peers.”2

Notice, first of all, that Dawkins stated he “believes” morals have nothing to do with religion. This use of “believe” is an odd way for someone who condemns faith to speak. But he must speak this way because there is no science for his position. Further notice that he says he believes “there is kindness, charity and generosity in human nature.” We all know this is true. What we want to hear is an explanation of how morality began without God. Furthermore, it is odd to hear the author of the Selfish Gene to speak of kindness, charity and generosity.

Finally, his attempted answer to the problem is not only based on many assumptions but it is counter-intuitive to the theory he espouses. If I sacrifice my life for you, is it not more likely that your genes will be passed on rather than mine? Why don’t we only help those who can confer some tangible benefit to our genetic pool? Why do we help the helpless and weak? What advantage can their genes confer to us? Furthermore, evolution is purposeless and not guided toward some end or goal. A group cannot know if an act will confer some benefit down the road or not. It would be a waste of energy and time to help the helpless if evolution was true. If nature selects for the kind and the good, then why is there so much evil in the world today?

Two final points on this. First, morality is real. The very fact that evolutionists have problems explaining morality via mutation and natural selection demonstrates the reality of morality and the problems it poses for materialists. If it was not real and experienced and understood by the evolutionists themselves, they would not go to so much trouble trying to explain it away. For example, “Charles Darwin was profoundly perplexed by the fact that young men voluntarily go off to war and die for their groups. This obviously didn’t fit with his general idea of natural selection as being individuals pursuing their self-interests.”1

Second, in order for morality to be real, there must be some objective standard by which to judge what is right and wrong. It will not do to say that morality is a cultural construct. If something is moral for you now but not moral for you tomorrow, or, in other words, the standard of right and wrong changes according to circumstances, then there is no real, objective morality, which we have already seen is not true. Murder is objectively wrong. Lying is objectively wrong. Stealing is objectively wrong. These practices must violate some real, objective law, not merely cultural agreements.

Evolution has to fall back on relative cultural agreements to explain morality but the Bible gives us a different answer and it begins and ends with God. God’s nature is to be holy. He is the high and lofty One Who inhabits eternity and Whose name is holy and dwells in a holy place (Is. 57:15). All the holy angels proclaim the inherent holiness of God. “Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah of Hosts” proclaimed the seraphim (Is. 63:3; Rev. 4:8). God is of purer eyes than to behold evil (Hab. 1:13). He is glorious in holiness (Ex. 15:11). He is simply holy (Ps. 99:5).

The Bible also says that we are created in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26-28). Therefore, because God is inherently holy and we are created in His image, then we, too, must be holy. God’s nature and the revelation of that nature and His divine will are the standard by which we determine right from wrong, good and evil. Morality is not something which evolved; it is inherent in creation. In fact, God demands that we be holy as He is holy (Lev. 20:6-8; I Pet. 1:15,16).

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one (Psalm 14:1-3).

Eric L. Padgett

  1. Gambino, Megan, Smithonian.com, May 3, 2012, How Humans became Moral Beings https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-humans-became-moral-beings-80976434/#TjTbTc1GSZAudiHj.99
  2. Richard Dawkins, The Root Of All Evil (aka The God Delusion), Jan. 9, 2006 tv documentary