Judeo-Christian Morality in an Ethically Pluralistic Society

Joe Carter, of the wonderful EvangelicalOutpost.com, has raised the question of "Judeo-Christian Morality in an Ethically Pluralistic Society." Here's my two cents worth:

It's tempting to frame the discussion in terms of law, specifically biblical laws and whether or not they have a place in today's society. But this leads straightaway to wails about theocracy and warnings of Jim Jones' grape drinks. (The secularist watchmen mean "ecclesiocracy," the rule of the church, but why should precision ruin a good buzzword? One would think the actual rule of God might be a good thing!)

It's also important to distinguish between a plurality and a pluralistic society. Plurality differs from pluralism the way femininity differs from feminism or community differs from communism. (I value all three "ities" and loathe all three "isms.")

Israel, for example, was a plurality, in that Jehovah God did not prohibit Gentiles in Israel from practicing their religions, short of breaking civil law (such as throwing babies in volcanoes). But Israel was not a pluralistic society; they knew the truth and stood for it as a nation. They just didn't force every Tom, Dick, and Abdul immigrant to bow with them.

Besides, law-talk misses the point. Judeo-Christian morality might ideally lead there...someday, but not until its proponents had won the respect of the nation. In other words, if we'd just BE a moral majority, we wouldn't have to name ourselves one.

Such a notion leads to Jesus' teaching that real authority is exercised through serving, that we are kings who lay aside our robes for simple ephods. This is a morality that shows itself through action, not reaction, through being defined by what we're for rather than what we're against.

Society knows we're anti-abortion, but are we really pro-life? Until we're better known for having and adopting babies than for protesting, that image won't change.

They know we're against the welfare state, but are we willing to make the bureaucracy redundant by our initiatives in helping the poor and elderly? The fact is, heavy taxation started only after faithful tithing, and the good deeds it paid for, stopped.

The secret to selling our no-absolutes nation on Judeo-Christian absolutes is to convincingly practice virtue instead of only proscribing vice. Passing laws, even good ones, won't win them, because laws are negative by nature. They are meant to cut away rotten fruit, not heal it.

This is why biblical laws are usually "thou shalt nots" instead of "thou shalts." God is willing to restrain evil, but He does not wish to mandate specific good. Instead, men are free to find creative ways to please Him and bless one another.

Jesus understood this, and thus summed up ten mostly negative commandments with two perfectly positive ones: To love God wholly and to love our neighbors thoroughly.

The defining feature of Post-Modern, ethically pluralistic America is hunger for authenticity. Don't preach to me; don't show me your menu of morality; just cook something that smells good.

They are hungry, and they will eat. Will we cook?