Why We Need a New Ethics

The ethics of the Evangelical church has failed to provide Christians with a consistent and considered way to live a good life. There are three main problems with the way that Evangelical ethics are structured, each of which is the application of a certain type of falsehood. We think that because current church ethics are based upon these lies, they direct people into leading lives that are more damaged than many lives lived outside of the church. These lies both cause damage to people and cause them to damage other people.

The first lie is that Evangelical ethics are biblical, that is, they are derived solely from a plain reading of the bible. "I just do what the bible says" is the way the average congregant might put it. As we saw in the discussion of why we need a new hermeneutics, the plain reading of the bible results in multiple contradictions, especially in the area of ethics. As a quick example, Psalm 139 is supposed to teach that souls are created at conception, and thus abortion is murder. However, Psalm 137, using the same "plain reading", teaches that God rejoices when his people smash the heads of their enemy's babies against a wall. One Psalm is considered a metaphor and one is considered actual fact. Why? Because Evangelicals already want abortion to be a sin for other reasons, and so search the bible looking for any evidence they can cobble together to make it so. In the same way, they've already decided that infanticide is a sin, so even wherever the bible encourages it, it must be "metaphorical" in some way. Clearly, the bible when taken "plainly" is contradictory. Why is it good to smash some babies heads but not others?

The first lie is that Evangelical ethics is biblical, when really it is an existing package of beliefs that are then corroborated by sifting through the bible looking for passages that can be interpreted to support them. Places where the bible is contradictory are explained away, usually using arguments about provenance and language to make it seem like the interpreters know what they are talking about. Since most people in church don't know Greek or Hebrew nor the principles of exegesis, it's pretty easy to snow them. The result? Whatever the powers that be want to be sins turn out to be sins in the bible! Isn't that amazing? Whatever sins they prefer to participate in are equally easily justified. Want to drink alcohol? No problem, we can make it OK in moderation. Want to not drink alcohol? No problem, we can use the same texts to make it a sin.

The second lie is that a person's salvation is by grace alone. Most Evangelical churches make a big point of the free gift of salvation, untainted by the "works righteousness" of other branches of Christianity. However, Evangelical churches are just as invested in works righteousness as any other sect of Christianity. The others are at least honest about it. It is true that the initial offer of salvation made by many pastors and churches is free, but then the peer pressure begins. You're not going to listen to secular music, are you? You're not going to keep going out at night drinking, are you? You're not going to keep smoking, are you?

If this were in the context of a loving community that honestly valued and cared for one another, it might be seen as just helping someone along the path to Christ. But for many the imposition of so many rules quickly becomes a hammer meant to beat the person down into conformity. Many Christians will say that a person can be a Christian and be different from them, but they don't really mean it. If they meant it, they would accept different forms of Christianity. Instead, most Christians believe down deep that their sect is right and everyone else is wrong and that the "true believers" think the same way that they do. And, as we saw with the first lie, even though they claim they are just "doing what the bible says" they really aren't. They are doing what they want to do, making up ethics that suits their purposes, and justifying them by interpreting the bible to fit their behavior.

The third lie is caused by the second. Because it doesn't take long to realize that if you want to stick around in a church and serve in any meaningful capacity, you have to buy into the party line. Or at least appear like you do. What matters isn't what you really think about drinking alcohol or abortion or Christian rock music, what matters is what the church thinks you believe. It's clear in many churches that you either fall in line or leave, and many people don't want to leave. So the Evangelical church teaches people to be fake. I know many examples of this: the bishop of a church that thinks alcohol is a sin who liked to drink brandy, the teacher of college-age at a church who liked to get high and sleep around, the female minister who had an affair with the wife of the pastor and then tried to kill him (honest to God). How do these people keep their jobs? Well, of course no one in the church knows that the teacher likes to smoke pot. She just got very good at lying. No one knows that the bishop likes to drink; he only does it in private and never mentions it. I only know because of someone who worked in the hotel that he used to stay in for conferences that provided complimentary brandy. His was always gone the next morning.

These three lies have combined to create an Evangelical church which is ethically rotten, hypocritical, and morally wicked. Honest people are strung up for admitting sins, while the liars continue to gain power and prestige. Anyone who honestly questions why the church holds a certain position is a tool of the Devil, but anyone who buys the party line in public, but does as she pleases in private is one of the elect. It's all backwards and it's all wrong.

Jesus had dealings with people who were like our present-day Evangelicals. They were called the Pharisees and he said the only mean and hateful things he ever said to anyone to them. Jesus' problem with them was that although they directed people into their fold, they drew them further from God than they were before. Does that sound familiar? A church that draws people in the name of God and then turns them into mean, narrow, bigoted, hateful, vengeful parodies of what it is to be the people of God.

And what did Jesus say to them? "If you were blind your sins would be forgiven you. But because you say 'I see', your sin remains."

The ethics of the church needs to be completely overhauled. The way that we can do that and avoid the pitfalls of the current church is the subject of another article.

Comments

[ML]

Just wanted to let you know I've been enjoying reading these articles. Certainly keeps me thinking!!

[Rob]

Thanks. That is my goal. I don't have the answers, only some ideas. I know what's wrong, and sort of the direction to go to make it right, but I don't have the whole story. Thinking is good.

[cspew]

The second lie is an important one. Why is it that this lie happens? Why would church-goers WANT to be beaten over the head into conformity? Does the average church-goer really believe that by not drinking they are simply propogating this "lie"? Of course not. They are lead into believing it. But WHY is it so easy to follow this lie and so hard to stand up against it? I think there are several reasons:
1.) History. There is a lot of momentum within all churches (mainline old denominations, catholic, or relatively new ones) that behavior == righteousness.
2.) Culture. Especially in the USA, we live in a puritan culture that fines you for being naked on TV or in public, outlaws cigarette advertising, and arrests you for being drunk (unless you're in college, in which case it's ok).
3.) It's natural: It's difficult to grasp the concept that we are forgiven and loved unconditionally because human beings aren't very good at loving and forgiving unconditionally. Besides, even making *good* judgements is difficult. It's much easier to feel superior or righteous or even feel like you're making an effort to be more godly if you're changing your actions rather than changing your heart. But what feels natural to us is exactly what Jesus preached against and lived his life against!

It's a pity that the church doesn't take a stand against these lies and doesn't propogate more of the truth.

[Rex]

Good post Rob. I enjoy reading your thoughts on things and this post brings up previous conversations I have held with others my age and quite older than myself. It is far and few in between that will hold such direct conversation, so when I find it I get pretty excited. Your third point was particularly hard hitting as I have progressed in my faith I have tended to lean more toward (gasp :) your writings). And I know what will happen as it has already happened with certain folk in church leadership. The walls, the control, the smashing. In it all I am glad that I am surrounded by those that think and keep the focus on God, not rules or conformity. I have been continuing to go to church services while not 'fitting in' and it causes a good bit of friction with certain folk, but alas I have decided to care what God thinks and to have conversation with those who show and desire to have open conversation in love.

I don't think I will change the church or its culture, but I do think that by loving God and loving others things will change for the better. Even if it is one life at a time, I just wish I did a better job at it sometimes.

[cspew]

Rex,
We too continue to go to church and not feel like we fit in; however, that's where I meet people who actually do ask questions, and (more importantly) whos hearts are in the right place. The nice thing about churches is that they ARE full of a lot of caring people who love God and want to do what's "right". When you find some that are willing to have these types of discussions, you're golden!