Morality in Societies Around the World ...
continued
WHAT THEN IS THE DETERMINING FACTOR?
If the choice of moral values is purely a
personal matter, then there will be many different choices. The Christian
viewpoint does not regard Morality as a kind of supermarket in which one can
shop around for the particular 'product' one is happy with. This only results
in confusion.
Frank Buchman (1878-1961) was an American
Lutheran by religious persuasion, and was converted to Christ at a Keswick
Convention meeting in 1908. He later founded a worldwide programme called Moral
Re-armament, (MRA). He attracted a large following -including influential
people -worldwide. The agenda was four Absolutes; Absolute Purity , Absolute
Unselfishness, Absolute Honesty and Absolute Love. Although he did not
particularly stress Christian doctrine or the person of Christ, his tenets did
emphasise Christian ethics and drew attention to the Bible as a manual of moral
values.
The Ten commandments recorded in the book of
Exodus (chapter 20) have always been known as the Moral Law, the elements of
which have been basic to moral codes in all civilised societies.
Tertullian, (2nd century AD) lived in Carthage,
North Africa once declared that these commandments "were written on human
hearts before they were engraved in stone". Christians do therefore regard the
Bible as a manual containing the foundations of true moral values. Jesus
Himself accepted these laws and further explained and demonstrated them in His
life. It should be noted however that true values are not merely shown by
actions but also by our thoughts. So while murder is ruled out, so is anger,
and while immorality is ruled out so is the lustful anticipation. Jesus raised
these values to anew and higher standard.
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