Biblical Ethics Situational Ethics © John Stevenson, 2018

Forbidden to go to fixed land Perelandra Ransom Floating islands Innocent woman Forbidden to go to fixed land

If others can live in a fixed land, why can’t we? Perelandra If others can live in a fixed land, why can’t we?

Antinomianism: No laws Major Ethical Views Antinomianism: No laws Processism: Everything changes so there can be no laws “No one can step into the same river twice” – Heraclitus “No one can step into the same river once” - Cratylus

Antinomianism: No laws Major Ethical Views Antinomianism: No laws Processism: Everything changes so there can be no laws Hedonism: Pleasure is the only good Utilitarianism: Greatest good for the greatest number Evolution: Whatever causes us to evolve upward is good

Generalism: No universal laws; general rules can be broken Major Ethical Views Antinomianism Generalism: No universal laws; general rules can be broken

Situationalism: The only law is love Major Ethical Views Antinomianism Generalism Situationalism: The only law is love

Unqualified absolutism: No laws should ever be broken Major Ethical Views Antinomianism Generalism Situationalism Unqualified absolutism: No laws should ever be broken

Unqualified absolutism Major Ethical Views Antinomianism Generalism Situationalism Unqualified absolutism Conflicting absolutism: Living in a fallen world means that laws sometimes conflict and we should do the lesser evil

Unqualified absolutism Conflicting absolutism Major Ethical Views Antinomianism Generalism Situationalism Unqualified absolutism Conflicting absolutism Graded absolutism: Laws sometimes conflict, but we should follow the higher law

Deontological Ethic Teleological Ethic Rule determines the result Two Views of Ethics Deontological Ethic Teleological Ethic Rule determines the result Result determines the rule Rule is basis for act Result is basis for act Rule is good regardless of result Rule is good because of result Result is always calculated within the rules Result sometimes used to break rules Geisler, pg 18

Taught ethics at Harvard Divinity School Became an atheist Joseph Fletcher 1905 - 1991 Episcopal priest Taught ethics at Harvard Divinity School Became an atheist The only law is the law of love

Situational Ethics Antinomian Legalism Situationalism 1905 - 1991 Joseph Fletcher 1905 - 1991 Situational Ethics Antinomian Legalism Situationalism

Situational Ethics Pragmatic: Does it work? Everything is relative Joseph Fletcher 1905 - 1991 Situational Ethics Pragmatic: Does it work? Everything is relative What does it feel like? Only people are of value: “Things are to be used; people are to be loved”

Truth derived from higher authority (God) Pre-modernity Modernity Postmodernity Truth derived from higher authority (God) Truth derived from science and rationale Truth seen as relative; becomes whatever I choose God is the authority Science is the authority There is no authority Man seeks to conform himself to the way things are Man seeks to conform the way things are to his own will Man seeks to bring himself into harmony with the way things are

Ended with the Renaissance / Reformation / Enlightenment Pre-modernity Modernity Postmodernity Ended with the Renaissance / Reformation / Enlightenment Ended with World War I and transitioning to the present Our day Knowledge is found in God Knowledge is good and is accessible to the human mind We cannot know anything for certain

Modernity and Postmodernity in Star Trek Tension between logic versus emotion Crew made up of people of different nationalities

Modernity and Postmodernity in Star Trek Everyone’s cultural ideas are equally valid Crew made up of people of different worlds

Pre-modernity Modernity Postmodernity Heavy reliance on oral, ritualized and iconographic communication because of available communication technologies Heavy reliance on written (printed) communication because of available communication technologies Reliance on written (printed) communication and oral, ritualized and iconogrphaic communication because of available communication technologies

Examples of Postmodernity

Examples of Postmodernity

Examples of Postmodernity

There is no absolute truth Tenants of Postmodernism There is no absolute truth Seen when people speak of something “being true to you.” The statement is made in an absolute manner.

There is no absolute truth Tenants of Postmodernism There is no absolute truth

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6)

Knowledge is not necessarily good Tenants of Postmodernism Knowledge is not necessarily good Modernism thought that knowledge is an end it itself. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies (1 Corinthians 8:1).

There is no Meta-narrative Tenants of Postmodernism There is no Meta-narrative A meta-narrative is a story that explains the way things are This is a denial, not merely of Christianity, but of all meta-narratives

Identification with the environment Tenants of Postmodernism Identification with the environment “Mother earth” Humanity is seen by some as a blight on the world “When people do not believe in the God, they don’t believe in no God, they will believe in anything” - Chesterton.

Tenants of Postmodernism

What is man’s biblical relationship to the earth?

Relativism in community Tenants of Postmodernism Relativism in community Absolute values considered acceptable as long as they are in community. Acceptable to evangelize individuals, but not people groups

Tenants of Postmodernism Truth is relative There are a great variety of truths; the fact that they contradict each other is irrelevant.

Tenants of Postmodernism Truth is relative

Tenants of Postmodernism Truth is relative “I want to say one thing to the American people. I want you to listen to me. I'm gonna say this again. I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinski.”

Tenants of Postmodernism Importance of Image Image and story more important than fact or word. Cyberspace versus “real space.”

Tenants of Postmodernism Anti-authoritarian Suspicion of authority.

Tenants of Postmodernism The “Anti-Hero”

Tenants of Postmodernism Anti-authoritarian Pre-modern Modern Postmodern Stress was placed on the need to trust in and submit to the dictates of religious and social authorities for meta-narrative People distrust the dictates of religious and social authorities for the dictates of rational and scientific experts for meta-narrative People distrust religious, social, rationalistic and scientific authorities and to construct personal and multiple-community narratives.

Tenants of Postmodernism Anti-authoritarian Suspicion of authority. Man’s “authority problem” goes back to the Garden of Eden.

Tenants of Postmodernism Anti-authoritarian Suspicion of authority. Man’s “authority problem” goes back to the Garden of Eden. Man sees himself as passing judgment on God.

The Cross was when God passed judgment on God

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ…

Point Counterpoint Walmart decides that it will no longer sell ammunition to shoppers under 21 years old A Christian baker decides he will not design wedding cakes for gay couples

Point Counterpoint A restaurant owner says that he does not want to serve police officers because they make his customers uncomfortable A restaurant owner says that he does not want to serve blacks because they make his customers uncomfortable