Thoughts on Morality - Nov 3

Thinking is an art form, just like Rodin's well known piece of sculpture. In like fashion, a flash of inspiration hits me and seeing as I have time, I decided to attend forthwith my train of thought and write it down for posterity's sake.

The Trouble with Humanism and Morality

I have a quarrel with those who reject Christ yet still claim a high moral ground. I have no problem conceding the obvious: That it is possible to be in a state of unbelief and yet still be a moral person. There are many Atheists/Muslims/Pagans/Hindus/Sikhs etc. in Canadian society that would be regarded as 'moral' persons by average secular standards. So yes, both a Christian and a non-Christian can be moral. The question then becomes: Who will be more faithful over the long haul in their morality and ethical conduct?

The Limits of Earthly Sanctions

We intrinsically know that certain things are wrong. Our parents instructed us so when we were little. We regard others who likewise hold to the same common beliefs in a positive light. For those of us in the legal field, we familiarize ourselves with the laws that govern Canadian society. We are warned not to break the law or to engage in unacceptable behavior. Once those moral boundaries are breached, certain penalties or sanctions will be levied against us. Seems fair enough to the rational and reasonable person. But what of the classic case where temptation comes along (which invariably catches us in a position of weakness) and we have every reason to believe that any sanction(s) has been momentarily lifted. What do we do then?

Is a Cost/Benefit Analysis Sufficient?

Can a moral society which believes in the rule of law prescribe acceptable behaviors to its citizens and regard that on its face to be wholly sufficient? Would it be enough to ask those committing unlawful acts to give pause because of public moral sentiments? In a business setting, decisions are made based on the cost involved and the benefit that will be the reward. Profit is the key motivation for that businessperson in their decision-making process. Taking care of the bottom line is indeed critical. However, can the same approach be used for the individual in all cases? That is do we refrain from 'bad things' merely due to cost considerations and carry out 'good things' because of the benefits it confers?

The Superficiality of such an Assumption

Here lies the problem of such thinking. On the face of it, we engage in approved behavior because we fear being ostracized. We do good in order to gain the advantage over others (a sort of 'pay it forward' tribalism) in order to 'cash in' the favor at a later date. The 'good' that we do for the most part is based on self interest and is rather narrow in its scope and effect. This is precisely where the humanist model falls apart. There has to be something substantive in our morality that guides us in our everyday lives.

God and Man

Here we enter the crux of the argument. Morality that is divorced from God is a cynical and cruel one. A God-fearing Christian will not cause harm simply because statutory and common law forbids it. He will faithfully seek out goodness because he knows who he is ultimately accountable to. The impetus towards godliness and the desire to uphold the law is significantly higher for those who believe in a just and holy God. That is why such criminal acts as murder are seen in a particularly harsh light. The taking of life is not the problem per se. After all, we routinely slaughter livestock and think nothing of it. No, the murder of a person is special, because of the unique relationship that God has with Man. Plants and animals were created 'according to their kinds' but in the unique case of Man it is God who makes him in His image and gives him special custodial privileges over His creation. If there is no God (and therefore no superior relationship with Man to speak of) than Man becomes nothing more than a clever ape.

Man Apart From God is a Sorry Lot

So what do the ungodly do with these 'clever apes' who do not wish to conform? The totalitarian impulse to 'wipe them off the face of the earth' has never really left us. A godless man might be moral, but he will not stay moral for long if sanctions are removed. A Christian nation such as Germany learned the hard way when it chose the promises of a false messiah over God's unfailing love. Even in hard times, God is still with us. A sobering thought for those who wish to embrace morality apart from divine guidance.

Johnny Cash

Stick It Where The Sun DOES Shine! - Oct 22

I cannot help but think the next major crisis surrounding Israel will involve some kind of energy breakthrough. Will space-based solar energy be that breakthrough? The idea is simple enough: Have a bunch of photovoltaic mirrors reflect to a collecting satellite which sends it to a ground-based receiver who then feed such energy into the grid. Such a capital-intensive investment would need major government (meaning American) backing before it even gets off the ground. Not only is such an endeavor expensive, the technology and ingenuity involved will be daunting. I envision some bright bulb from Israel stepping onto the world stage to solve these technical dilemmas inadvertently setting the stage for the Gog-Magog battle foretold in Ezekiel 38-39. You can read the full Wall Street Journal article here. Here's a pasting of the relevant paragraphs.

Johnny Cash

SPACE-BASED SOLAR POWER

For more than three decades, visionaries have imagined tapping solar power where the sun always shines—in space. If we could place giant solar panels in orbit around the Earth, and beam even a fraction of the available energy back to Earth, they could deliver nonstop electricity to any place on the planet.


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Sunlight is reflected off giant orbiting mirrors to an array of photovoltaic cells; the light is converted to electricity and then changed into microwaves, which are beamed to earth. Ground-based antennas capture the microwave energy and convert it back to electricity, which is sent to the grid.

The technology may sound like science fiction, but it's simple: Solar panels in orbit about 22,000 miles up beam energy in the form of microwaves to earth, where it's turned into electricity and plugged into the grid. (The low-powered beams are considered safe.) A ground receiving station a mile in diameter could deliver about 1,000 megawatts—enough to power on average about a million U.S. homes.

The cost of sending solar collectors into space is the biggest obstacle, so it's necessary to design a system lightweight enough to require only a few launches. A handful of countries and companies aim to deliver space-based power as early as a decade from now.

Thank You America, You Were the Beacon of Freedom in the World - Oct 20

On October 14th 2009, Lord Christopher Monckton, a noted climate change expert, gave a presentation at Bethel College in St. Paul, MN in which he issued a dire warning regarding the United Nations Climate Change Treaty which is scheduled to be signed in Copenhagen in December 2009.

The Differences Between Men and Women - Oct 16

I thought these two circle graphs were hilarious and pretty much bang-on. You can view the original here.

Johnny Cash