"It is always wrong to judge anyone!” Many folks, even some "Christians” have echoed these sentiments, without recognizing the contradiction in that statement. In our nation, and even our culture, for least the past one hundred years or so, there has been a determination to eliminate the very concept of God. We could probably assign many reasons for this move against God, but the chief one seems to be the liberating of mankind from any kind of restrictions. As a result, there can be no right or wrong. An attitude of uncertainty in making any positive statement is promoted! Jeremiah wrote more than 2,500 years ago, "O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23).
Joseph Fletcher in the introductory pages of his book, Situation Ethics: The New Morality quoted Alfred North Whitehead, in his work, Modes of Thought the following, "The simple-minded use of the notions ‘right or wrong’ is one of the chief obstacles to the progress of understanding.” Fletcher’s book ought to be titled the "New Immorality” since he declares over and over in it that the only factor in determining what is right or wrong is "love” and leaves it to every individual to make that judgment for him/her self! In the book, he makes it plain there is no objective right or wrong, but everything is subjective, that is, subject to the situation, and the feelings of each individual. It might shock some to know that at the (1966) writing of this book, Fletcher was "Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral, Cincinnati,” and "Professor of Social Ethics, Episcopal Theology School, Cambridge, Mass.” Fletcher simply articulated ideas that John Dewey, the "father of education,” believed, along with others. May we beg to differ, as both the Old and New Testaments contain many "thou shalt not” statements. God is alive, and it does matter what He has legislated!
There are two devices Fletcher uses to try to prove that there are no absolutes in what is right and wrong. They are Pragmatism and Relativity. It is important to define and understand these. Pragmatism is the concept that the end result is the main thing to seek. Whatever works is deemed right regardless of how the result is achieved. There are many folks today who act as if there is no right or wrong, but all that matters is the end result, regardless of the process. Relativity is the concept that there are no absolutes! The question as to the rightness or wrongness of any particular action depends only on the situation. Thus murder, adultery, lying, etc., are not necessarily wrong depending upon the motive of those doing these things. Fletcher affirms that adultery may be the right thing to do if it is the "loving” thing to do!
Of course the combination of these two thoughts is that there are no absolutes! In addition, the rightness or wrongness of a thing is not determined by God or the Bible, but by whatever emotion or circumstances in which each person may find himself. The fact is that the Bible clearly teaches the exact opposite! John wrote that not only is murder always wrong, so also is the thought or motive that leads to it (1 John 3:15). It is never right to commit adultery (Hebrews 13:4), although Fletcher argues that it is the moral or "loving” thing to do under some circumstances. One method that Fletcher uses, and is very effective with inexperienced or younger persons, is the use of hypothetical situations. We’re reminded of how many college professors deal with their younger students by asking extremely difficult questions, most of which are posed with only two possible answers. It reminds us of the one where a husband is asked, "Have you stopped beating your wife yet?” If one is required to answer with only a "yes” or "no” answer, that husband looks bad in either case! Even these difficult questions can be answered with the Bible, and a little thought. We cannot allow such people to set the rules that only permit two alternatives in such dilemmas. The question concerning beating one’s wife is easily answered if we are permitted more than a one word answer!
Today we are experiencing the unraveling of our culture because at least an entire generation has been educated with the dominant teaching that nothing is right or wrong by itself! As a result, perhaps a majority of our population is but a "baby-step” from anarchy, or lawlessness! Unless these trends are reversed, our nation will not survive, and social chaos will be the result. As Rome and many others have gone, so will America destroy itself from within!
Edward L. Rodgers,
Muskogee, OK
