The choice is clear. Live by principle or by example; by the word or by sight; by the law of God or by the law of the group. Does the group or society decide what is right and wrong or does God’s LawWord decide morality.
“Community standards” as a handy phrase has gained prominence in our day when it comes to judging matters of morality and law. If this had been the case 50 years ago, people of color would still be riding in the back of the bus. The tyranny of the 51% (or less, if the leaders know how to work the system) is being felt across our society, from schools to neighborhood associations.
Soap operas don’t preach morality but they communicate it loud and clear as do music videos and movies. Copycats are not restricted to criminal actions reported in the news. Our society is made up of copycats who get their daily marching orders from their media masters.
Peer pressure is the ultimate authority in many people’s lives. They send their kids to school to make sure they get put under, and learn to respond to, peer pressure. The answer for many is to get their family into a better peer pressure group. Its a handy system for making people into whatever you want. Whether it is the liberal left with an anti-Christian agenda or church leaders with a much more Christian sounding agenda, group-pressure with group morality is the order of the day. The culture war we are in is between the leaders of these two groups.
The result of all this is what Cornelius VanTil called “integration downward into the void.” After many years of this kind of acculturation into the group as the source of morality (5-7 hours of TV a day) there is no ability left to stand against the crowd in any matter. Just the perception that the crowd has changed the standard in some area is all it takes.
Faith has wained so all action is taken on the basis of seeing the examples of the powerful and mighty. Thus they have the need to change their styles of dress, language, worship, diet and morality, to whatever other people expect of them, to what the “stars” are doing.
The end is conflict, law-suits, broken relationships, divorce, disease, and death.
What is God’s answer to all of this? “Not by might, not by power, but by my spirit saith the Lord of hosts.” Those who live by faith do not get their marching orders from the group, from their circumstances, but from God. Thus we do not despair but live and work in the glory and hope of God, bringing into the world the effect of our faith. This enables us to stand.
“Who has despised the day of small beginnings.” Biblical patriarchy is a small beginning today.
So who is the source of your morality, your definer of right and wrong. It is God or the group; is it theology or politics. What reigns in your life: Christ through His LawWord or political correctness?