Stand to Reason Blog

The Right Kind of Person

I was thinking about some events of this past year that involved ethical issues, and the question that we often asked:  What is the moral thing to do?  And I realized that that question is insufficient. A more complete question is:  What would the moral person do? 

One of the most influential classes I took in my philosophy graduate program was a course on virtue ethics and Aristotle.  It was a paradigm shift in my thinking about ethics.  It's important to do the right thing, but it's even more important to be the right kind of person. Our actions flow from the kind of persons we are, and our moral judgment improves as our character improves.  Focusing on actions only can lead to legalism. 

God is interested in us doing the right things, but I think he's even more interested in us being the right kinds of people.  Think about some of the Psalms and Proverbs - they focus on the righteous person, not just in terms of salvation, but in terms of the life they lead.

I mentioned a few days ago an old verse of "Away In a Manger" we sang on Christmas Eve:  "Fit us for Heaven to live with Thee there." We must be fit persons to live with God, that involves our character, not just our actions.  Only through the Holy Spirit can we develop virtuous characters that fit us for eternity with God, and make us fit instruments for His Kingdom here on earth.

I hope the question that more readily springs to mind next year is: What would the virtuous person do?  And then strive to become that kind of person with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Kong

I know, the critics raved.  Yes, the monkey is very cool.  He gets my Oscar bid.  And Jackson’s recreation of New York City in the 30s—from skyline to street level—is almost worth the price of admission.  But a guy can suspend credulity only so long.

There’s just too much melodramatic, over-the-top, silliness:  vine-swinging t-rexes, brontosaurus “train wrecks,” man-eating locusts (I thought locusts were vegetarians), zombie Zulus, and a dazzling blonde who falls head over heels in love with an ape on the first date.  The ordeal ends—appropriately, in my view—with the dopiest movie line since “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” 

Ten bucks will buy you three hours of high level visual pizzazz, but you’ll have to endure all the rest.  And don’t bring your kids.

Can We Live without God?

I saw that special on TV the other night.  Lauren Green, of Fox News Channel, was interviewing Michael Shermer of the Skeptic society, an evangelistic atheist.  His answer to the question of the program was, We do already.  He went on to argue that morality is the result of evolutionary processes to help us survive. 

Of course, that's changing the subject.  When we talk about morality we're not just talking about behavior, which is all there is in an evolutionary theory of ethics.  Shermer deftly changed the meaning of the word, which must be done to give an evolutionary account of morality.  Morality is about what is objectively true, not just a pragmatic arrangement between a species and nature. Morality is an objective standard that places an incumbency on our will, character, and actions to conform.  Behavior is involved, but morality is not mere behavior.

Atheists often mistake the challenge posed by Christians to morality without God.  Can we be good without God isn't the question.  Obviously atheists can be good.  The question is can we ground good without God?  Can we explain what good is and where it comes from without God?

Shermer went on to ridicule believing in the miracle of a virgin birth.  But what kind of miracles must Shermer believe in?  The miracle of life coming from non-life.  The miracle of design and information coming from randomness.  The miracle of something coming from nothing.

A miracles go, I'll take a virgin birth, which has an adequate explanation.  Something evolution doesn't have for its miracles.

Shermer often begins debates with a question to the Christians in the audience whether they will abandon their faith given counter-proof.  He did this at a debate STR sponsored.  What he offered didn't at all rise to the level of proof challenging Christianity.  You can purchase the recording of the debate from the STR store.   

The Reason for the Season

Christmas is a favorite holiday for many of us.  The religious and secular aspects combine to make a joyous, cozy, happy celebration.  There is much that is cheerful and bright about the season.  The church I worshiped at Christmas Eve was beautifully decorated with sparkling trees, deep red poinsettias, and glowing candles. 

As we worshiped, though, I was struck by a deeper aspect that we don't usually focus on but underlies the entire reason for the season:  Sin.  It's the reason the baby was born in Bethlehem.  It was present in the liturgy and hymns we sang Christmas Eve.  Behind the beauty and peacefulness of the holiday is a dark truth.  The baby came to save lost sinners.

Oh, come, oh, come Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice!  Rejoice!  Emmanuel
Shall come to you, Oh, Israel!

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie.
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by;
Yet in they dark streets shineth the everlasting light.
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

We sang an older version of a verse of Away in a Manger:

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
And fit us for Heaven, to live with Thee there.

We aren't fit to live in Heaven until the Son of God makes us so through His sacrifice for our sin.

Throughout the message of the Christmas account and carols is the hopeless condition we find ourselves in alone, without God.  But then God comes to be with us, Emmanuel, to pay our debt for us.  What relief!  What joy!

I thought ahead to the account of Jesus' presentation at the temple eight days after His birth when Simeon and Anna saw the Savior they'd waited for, and generations had waited for (Luke 2: 21-38).  Their responses, songs, express the great hope and relief at the salvation this baby would accomplish.  Their words echo my joy and relief that my sins are forgiven.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining
'Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, a weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees
Oh, hear the angel voices.
Oh, night divine,
Oh, night when Christ was born!

The Incarnation of the Son of God

John 1:1, 14  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God....And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

Philippians 2:6-8  "...Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in Heaven, and on the Earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."  (See Is. 45:23)

Colossians 1:15-22  "And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation.  For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created by Him and for Him.  And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together....For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him...."  (See July/August 2000 Solid Ground)

Jesus accomplished, as a man, what mankind itself was supposed to accomplish in the first place.

Christmas Carol Meditation

Christmas carols have profound theology.  Take some time to read the carols below to focus on the theology, the deep meaning of the Incarnation.  And when you sing them at church, meditate on the great truths expressed in these carols.  And there are many others Christmas carols that reflect on the awesome gift God gave us on Christmas.  It's a wonderful chance during this season to be edified by these lyrics.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Refrain
Hark! The Herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King!

Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.

Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.

Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem

O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.

O holy Child of Bethlehem!
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in,
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel.

Joy to the World!

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

 

The Best Christmas Song

(as opposed to Christmas carol) is White Christmas.  Even for someone like me who grew up with 80 degree Christmases in So. California, it evokes the atmosphere and sentiment of Christmas.  And it is the theme song of my favorite Christmas movie that brings tears streaming down my face at the nostalgic beauty during the climactic scene in the movie.  Here's some of the back-story to the song and a musing on why it has been a favorite for decades.

Here Come the Brides

Just take a look here and here.

Can anyone spell S-L-I-P-P-E-R-Y S-L-O-P-E?

Which Religion?

The judge who decided the Dover intelligent design case said that I.D. was just a guise to introduce religion into the public school.  Here's my Constitutional question:  Which religion?

Catholicism?  Lutheranism?  Jehovah Witness?  Islam?  Mormonism?  Anglicanism?  Those are the religions the Founders were speaking of when they said that the Federal government could not establish a religion.  I.D. favors none of these religions.

The implication of I.D. is theism, but that's not a religion.  It's a philosophy.  A general religious category. 

I.D. establishes no religion in the Constitutional sense.

Is Anyone Watching?

In an interview promoting last night's special on the afterlife, Barbara Walter's repeated a point she had found interesting.  While many people think the afterlife promotes accountabiity in this life, it's actually the idea that this is all there is that causes one to take life more soberly and morally. 

That's an idea I've heard more frequently lately.  While it might have some resonane at first hearing, it doesn't hold up well under a few moments of thought.  If there is no eternal accountability, there's no morality, so why be moral?  It requires an exceedingly optimistic view of human nature that believes people will do their best when no one is checking.  What is good and why be good if I'm my own master, or simply a slave to physical processes?

This maneuver is based on a mistaken understanding of grace in the Christian's life.  It's not a "free pass" card.  We are no longer our own.  We are obliged once we realize we've been bought for a great pirce.

Mark Steyn addresses this same issue in a recent column, "O Come, Al Ye Faithless" (registration required):

'Sceptics and atheists can say what they like about religion, but it’s hard to deny that the fear of an afterlife where one will be judged has likely kept hundreds of millions from committing acts of aggression, if not outright horror. Nothing clears the conscience quite like a belief in eternal nothingness.’...

[I]n practice the lack of belief in divine presence is just as likely to lead to humans avoiding responsibility: if there’s nothing other than the here and now, who needs to settle disputes at all? All you have to do is manage to defer them till after you’re dead....When you think about it, that’s actually the essence of the problem: hyper-rationalist radical secularism reduces the world to one’s own life span. Why try to ‘settle disputes’ when you’ll be long gone? Faith is one of those mystic cords that binds us to our past and commits us to a future. So I’d say Polly’s got it all wrong. The meek’s chances of inheriting the earth are considerably diminished in a post-Christian society: chances are they’ll just get steamrollered by more motivated types.

George Washington had a thought on this topic in his "Farewell Address" at the end of his presidential term:

Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports....And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion.