Freedom and morality are two interrelated concepts that everyone has an opinion about. From a Christian perspective, we limit our freedom based on our received moral code. We believe that the restrictions the bible provides us are for our good; They are not the result of a capricious deity’s arbitrary or stifling whims. In fact, we believe that the limits God places on our freedom lead to the best human flourishing available in our fallen world. After thinking through Christian freedom, we’ll delve into the much more important question of moral motivation. Most people believe in right and wrong, but many of us lack the drive to chose the good over the convenient or self-serving course of action. In this episode we’ll survey some of the popular moral systems out there, including classic systems such as virtue ethics, categorical imperatives, and utilitarianism as well as religious systems, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity. Although we’ll only scratch the surface, I hope you will find this approach useful when conversing with people who call into question your Christian moral commitments.
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This is part 9 of the Why Christianity class.
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—— Notes ——
Jesus Explains Morality
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Mark 12:29-31
29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
5 Biblical Reasons To Do the Right Thing
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1. fear of God (Deuteronomy 6:1-2)
2. duty (Ecclesiastes 12:13; Luke 17:10)
3. personal/communal benefits/detriments (Psalm 7:14-16; Galatians 6:7-8)
4. love (1 John 4:9-11)
5. prophetic witness (1 Corinthians 6:1-3)
Other Worldviews
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1. Atheism
a. Virtue Ethics
b. Deontological Ethics
c. Teleological Ethics
2. Hinduism
a. karma, rebirth
3. Buddhism
a. life is suffering, eliminate desires
4. Islam
a. five pillars
b. Yawm al-Qiyamah
Good session.
Understood that this was an overview, but i feel you could have treated Kant better. It’s his 2nd formulation of the categorical imperative that stands, and he was not an atheist so how he saw God’s role should interest Christians.
Re buddhism, it should be understood that detachment is seeing the impermanence of what we desire; it does not preclude enjoying life.
Now. Here’s a worldview that can’t tell right from wrong, good from evil: god tells us to do evil; well, who are we to dispute that? Those who fly planes into towers and those who implement – or cheer on- colonization, subjugation, slaughter and extermination of peoples.
It seems we know that beating a black man to death in the US is bad (I only hope I’m not overestimating) but had you used, as your example, a palestinian being slaughtered by an israeli colonist we’d be expected to approve? Unfortunately, for too many claiming to be followers of Jesus’ way, it would be celebrated.
If one cannot tell right from wrong, one cannot know whether one’s god is Jesus’ Abba or
a satanic deception. Blessed are the warmongers.
Sean once had a palestinian christian as a podcast guest, to his credit. Once. Not that it should be key that there are palestinian christians (see that samaritan story) but perhaps it made a few think.
Yet the listenership can’t be challenged too much. Gay people having sex ? Bad. Subjugation,slaughter and extermination of your neighbors? god’s plan.
I don’t intend to pursue a debate here, or to continue posting. No reply necessary. No thought required.
Yes, you’ve got the well-earned knowledge that scripture does not conflate J with Abba. But even the demons know that.