Why most Christians are ‘wrong’
about the reason for morals
By John H. Adams, The Layman, November 12, 2008
CHARLOTTE – Dressed like a twenty-something – denim shirt with a large Tommy Hilfiger logo on the back, rumpled khakis, red-white-blue jogging shoes – Josh McDowell sprayed shock lines, questioned the audience and declared that all gave the wrong answer, and accused many Christians of being “ethical morons.”
Josh McDowell It was vintage McDowell, reminiscent of the 1960s when he burst upon the evangelical stage with flair with Evidence That Demands a Verdict. He was a sensation for serious Christians on college campuses, a curiosity for the slightly religious and a scourge to those who worshiped at the altar of secular humanism.
“If you have children in the public schools, you’d better home school them when they get home,” McDowell told the audience at the National Conference on Christian Apologetics. He borrowed that line from David Noebel, another conference speaker.
But the bulk of his talk was unmistakably his own, including his stage-leaving to ask questions while people cringed as he approached. His queries asked why is killing right or wrong, why is lying right or wrong. His mike failed to carry the answers to the large audience and spared some embarrassment.
But however they answered, they were wrong, McDowell said. “It’s not just that lying is right or wrong and killing is right or wrong. Why are they right or wrong?” He ran through the answers and errors.
Because my parents said so. “No, that’s really dumb. Nothing is right or wrong because your parents taught you. If lying is wrong because your father taught you it is wrong, then lying is right if your father taught you it was right.”
Because my church taught me. “Get real!”
Killing is wrong because it is illegal. “O, that’s dangerous. Nothing is morally right or wrong because it’s legal or illegal. Whether it’s legal or illegal has nothing to do with morality. Apartheid was legal in South Africa. The Holocaust was legal in Nazi Germany. Racism was legal in the United States. Then you could allow your children to have abortions because it’s legal.”
Because the Bible says you should not lie. “That’s really dumb. Nothing is right or wrong because the Bible says, ‘Thou shalt not.’ That’s heresy. You think I’m the heretic when you are.”
Well, what about the commandments? “No commandment contains a moral authority about something that is right or wrong. A commandment is a statement, and we are raising our children by statements. That’s legalism. I don’t want to raise my children legalistic, especially in today’s culture.”
Right and wrong is determined by your feelings? “In a George Barna study, 28 percent said you make moral choices based on feelings. I sure hope a lot of women don’t have bad hair days. Everyone (the terrorists) in the 9/11 attack had the feeling that what they were doing right.”
Having disposed of the trick questions, McDowell cut to the chase. Look behind the Bible to understand moral authority, he said. “Every commandment that appears to be negative is positive. It is expressing the character of God. God is love. Obey His commandments for your good.”
“Murder is wrong because it is contrary to the person, work and nature of God,” he said. “Lying is wrong because God is not a liar.”
“Jesus said, ‘I am the Truth,’” he said. Yet people cannot define truth. McDowell used a Webster definition: “Truth is that which has fidelity to the original.”
“Ninety-five percent of the people cannot define the words you use. Folks, define your words. Who is the original? God the Father. And Jesus said, ‘I am the same as the father.’ Why is lying wrong? It has no fidelity to the original. Why is killing wrong? It has no fidelity to the original.”
“This is why we need to bring our children to where they fall in love with Jesus, the Truth,” he said. “It’s all about Him, not us.”