Deliver Us From Evil

In a recent post I pointed to values clarification as a major factor contributing to the violence that has been plaguing schools in the last 30 years or so. In that previous post intended to say that without a standard for moral values, young people are encouraged to decide for themselves what value system they will embrace. If a young man decides that homicide is permissible under his own particular value system, who is to say nay?

Immediately this sounds wrong somehow to almost everybody (to all my readers, I hope). Most people would consider the taking of innocent life wrong under any circumstances. But wait. The idea that it is wrong to take another life (innocent or not) proceeds from the assumption that there are basic moral principles which apply to everyone. Full stop. That assumption rests on the idea that there are universal moral principles; today’s moral relativism and situation ethics question that very assumption. The murder of millions of innocent unborn children emphasizes the practical reality of this position.

If one goes looking for universal values, it will become patently obvious that they exist. In both the Eastern and Westerner traditions, we find searches for and suggestions of universal truths thousands of years back. You can even discount Hebraic tradition (as so many are wont to do) and still find a trace of universal truth permeating the best thinkers in every age. What we must ask is whether there are constants, survivors in this exploration. The answer is a resounding YES.

What are the values that resonate with every generation and every culture: beauty, goodness and truth. Granted, beauty does have cultural and generational aspects, but if I am reading Francis Schaeffer correctly, beauty itself has a universal anchor. For example, John Cage and Pablo Pascal may have been popular for a short time, but few would call their work “beautiful.” Goodness has less variability across cultures and generations, although philosophers since Socrates have debated what “the good” is. Perhaps the most debatable element in today’s society is truth. Post-modern philosophers (the majority of western thinkers) question whether there is even enough evidence to declare that truth exists.

I believe truth does exist: an absolute, knowable, propositional truth. I believe this because I know God exists, and he created what we know as “reality,” and he communicated with his creation concerning that reality. Truth then exists as the expression of how things comport with or match up to reality. I realize all this stems from my Christian world-view, and most secular thinkers will dismiss it out of hand. Yet I agree with FrancisSchaeffer that this view is the only view that makes ultimate sense of the universe and humanity’s place in the universe.

Goodness, or “the Good” that the ancients were seeking is an outgrowth of our view of truth. The word “good” can be assigned to anything that advances the will of the Creator and aligns with his character. The opposite of good is evil; evil is anything that does not line up with goodness and truth. On that basis, much of what we accept in society as freedom of speech or simply an opposing argument is in fact evil. The lesson on how to boil a frog is instructive here. Christians in America have allowed civil discourse and behavior in general to devolve to the lowest common denominator in the name of freedom. Against this the Bible tells us we are not to use our freedom as acover-up for evil.

So then, it is evil to distort the truth. Somebody coined the term “fake news” recently. In the past, purposely distorting the truth was called propaganda; its real name is lies. Washington DC abounds with this kind of speech. Our “entertainers” who become spokespersons for causes commit the same thing. The recent tirade on gun control is a perfect example. Oprah Winfrey and George Clooney blather on about reducing violence by restricting access to guns. Yet statistics prove that the highest gun violence rates are in the cities with the toughest gun control. These celebrities may be opining out of ignorance, but the old saw that says ignorance is no excuse applies. Purposeful ignorance is also evil.

Another way our society distorts truth is by belittling goodness. This is a form of evil. Look at what the media did to Tim Tebow or any other athlete who openly expresses faith in God. Joy Behar, famous for her views on The View recently made shameful comments about the Vice President, Mike Pence, regarding his strong Christian faith. Saturday Night Live regularly mocks Christians as entertainment. I will grant that this does not rise to the level of roasting Christians alive as did the worst Roman emperors, but it is evil nonetheless, and it is pervasive in our society.

The Apostle Paul had some advice for the Philippians that we would do well to follow. “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things… and the peace of God will be with you.” That prescription would end the violence in schools and slander in the media and a host of evils if taken to heart. Truthfully, in the final analysis, the real issue is the heart of man, that deceitful, desperately wicked heart. Only God can change that, but we can hope… and pray.