Secular culture struggles to find a coherent foundation for moral judgments, resorting to evolutionary biology, pragmatic arguments, social consensus, or subjective feelings, all of which have significant limitations.
Christianity offers a unique basis for moral judgments and obligations, personified in Jesus Christ who represents the rational order of the universe and calls for a personal relationship of love and grace.
Deep dives
The Importance of Comparing Belief Systems
When exploring different belief systems, it is crucial to compare their consistency with our experience, evidence, and themselves. This helps determine which set of beliefs is most likely to be true. Christianity, secularism, and other religions are evaluated based on their ability to provide what humans need to live, such as meaning in life, the ability to face suffering, a solid identity, happiness, and a basis for moral judgment.
The Basis for Moral Judgments in Different Cultures
In the past, all religions and cultures grounded moral judgments in a sacred and transcendent order, which provided moral absolutes. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam derived moral obligations from God, while other cultures appealed to ideas, cosmic orders, or other sacred realms. These beliefs justified moral obligations and motivated virtuous living. However, secular culture today struggles to find a basis for moral judgments and obligations, resorting to evolutionary biology, pragmatic arguments, social consensus, or subjective feelings, all of which have significant limitations and fail to provide a firm foundation for moral obligation.
Difficulties of Determining Right and Wrong in Secular Culture
Secular culture faces severe problems when determining moral judgments and obligations. Arguments based on evolutionary biology cannot obligate individuals to follow moral feelings that have evolved for survival. Pragmatic arguments lack a solid moral basis and are grounded in self-interest. Appeals to social consensus fail to provide a rational justification for moral obligations. Furthermore, relying on common sense as a basis for moral judgment is subjective and inherently conflicting. Ultimately, secular culture struggles to find a coherent foundation for moral obligations.
The Unique Contribution of Christianity
Christianity stands apart from other religions and secularism by offering a unique basis for moral judgments and obligations. Christianity asserts that moral absolutes are not abstract standards but are personified in Jesus Christ, who represents the logos or rational order of the universe. Christians believe that moral obligation lies in developing a personal relationship with Jesus and living by His love and grace. Unlike mere adherence to moral standards, this understanding of faith dismantles Pharisaic attitudes and fosters humility while preserving moral absolutes.
In this episode, Tim Keller explores questions around morality. What is the basis for moral judgements? Can there be moral absolutes? Aren’t right and wrong just common sense?
This talk was recorded before a live audience on April 4, 2019 in New York City.
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