Let’s compare two contemporary views on the nature of the family. The first is that of the late Pope, John Paul II. JP II was a much beloved religious leader in his day–admired by friend and foe alike. Here is what he had to say on the family in 1981: The institution of marriage is not an undue interference by society or authority, nor the extrinsic imposition of a form. Rather it is an interior requirement of the covenant of... Read more
The idea of instant gratification consumes our culture. The main reason for this is relatively easy to identify–rapid technological advancement. Contemporary technologies enable a culture where the emergence of a desire and the ability to fulfill that desire exist almost simultaneously. Furthermore, this is the case with many, if not most, of our desires. As such, when we experience a physical or emotional desire, there is something immediately accessible that can, should we choose, satisfy that desire. Or, at least,... Read more
In ancient Hebrew thought, the health of the earth itself was intimately connected to the morality of its inhabitants. The sinfulness or holiness of God’s image bearers, of mankind, related directly to the vitality of the physical land in which they lived. This idea is conveyed most directly, and direly, by the Prophet Isaiah: Look! The Lord is about to destroy the earth and make it a vast wasteland. He devastates the surface of the earth and scatters the people.... Read more
In Igbo Jurisprudence: An African Philosophy of Law, Nkuzi Michael Nnam briefly mentions two examples of what one might dare call “white goodness” on the continent of Africa. Interestingly, both occurred not in recent history but in the 19th century–at the height of white supremacy and European colonialism (which are basically the same thing). I highlight these two facts of history for a few reasons: first, to show that human beings, regardless of racial identity, are all wicked. This means that... Read more
In this series I have looked at some common starting points from which we, as moral agents, often begin our process of moral decision making. I argued that although these starting points are common to us all, they are not good starting points. Nor are they, according to moral philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre, rational starting points. In his book, Ethics in the Conflicts of Modernity, MacIntyre suggests that there are, broadly speaking, four irrational starting points to moral deliberation: Participants in deliberation... Read more
In this series I am looking at some common starting points for making moral decisions. These starting points, in spite of being common, are not good starting points. Rather, they are starting points that themselves are immoral or irrational is some way. Because they are either immoral or irrational, they cannot lead to moral or rational ends. In the previous two posts, I pointed out problems with starting a moral decision making process from a place of fear and from... Read more
In this series I am arguing that the right starting point for any moral decision is “the fear of the Lord.” The fear of the Lord according to the Hebrew Bible is the beginning of wisdom, or prudential reasoning. Jesus Christ, moreover, is the eternal Wisdom of God (1 Cor 1:18-31). To begin our moral decision making process with the fear of the Lord is to begin by considering the nature of God and our relationship to Christ. This is... Read more
In Ethics in the Conflicts of Modernity, moral philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre says this about making moral decisions, Participants in deliberation [about means to attaining goods] must make their decision because of how their practical reasoning went and not from fear or as a result of fraud or because they were bribed or seduced. MacIntyre, 230 MacIntyre’s point is that any morally responsible person, when seeking to pursue an individual or common good, must make their moral decisions not based on fear... Read more
8 und nicht vielmehr also tun, wie wir gelästert werden und wie etliche sprechen, daß wir sagen: “Lasset uns Übles tun, auf das Gutes daraus komme”? welcher Verdammnis ist ganz recht. Romans 3:8, Luther Bible 1545 Malick’s Depiction of Blessed Franz Jäggerstätter Terrence Malick’s latest film, A Hidden Life (2019), tells the story of an obscure Austrian peasant, Franz Jäggerstätter, during World War II. Jäggerstätter, in his refusal to sign the mandatory pledge of loyalty to Adolph Hitler, was found guilty... Read more
In most of my articles on Patheos, I intend to present what I believe are learned arguments defending some aspect of the Christian faith. Admittedly, those arguments often fail or fail to reach their intended target (as far as I know). This is, in one sense, inevitable. Any Christian evangelist or apologist should know in advance of evangelizing or defending Christian claims that faith cannot be generated in man naturally. True faith is a gift from God, or, in an analytic... Read more
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