By Ben Quine
****The way we act is shaped by the way we look at the world. Our lives are shaped by our basic assumptions and convictions. These Worldview Articles will explore what a “worldview” is. Each person has a worldview, whether they know it or not, and it determines every decision and choice a person makes. Do you have a Biblical Worldview or are factors other than the Bible informing your choices and decisions. In this series of articles, we will take an in-depth look at 7 Vital Worldview Questions, as the starting place for building a Biblical Worldview. (These articles are adapted from David Quine’s Answers for Difficult Days “Seven Vital Worldview Questions.” David is Ben’s father and the founder of Cornerstone Curriculum a Biblically based Homeschool Curriculum.)

I’ll never forget Sociology class in college, especially the day the professor taught the concept of Mores and Social Relativity. “Mores are rules agreed upon by a social group, including what people hold to be right and wrong,” she said. She went on to explain that since ideas, beliefs, and behavior vary according to time and place, nothing is really right or wrong; instead, each group decides what they think is right or wrong, and for them, it is. Those who break social mores aren’t doing anything intrinsically wrong or evil, they are just “deviants.” Furthermore, no social group is allowed to question the mores of another social group, according to this philosophy.

This view of ethics and morality, known as Moral Relativism, comes from the evolutionary or Secular Worldview and has been the prevailing philosophy in our intellectual, scientific, and academic institutions for many years.

“Advocates of a theory known as Moral Relativism subscribe to the notion that moral virtues are right or wrong only within the context of a certain standpoint [e.g. within a particular society]… Some evolutionary biologists, particularly sociobiologists, believe that morality is a product of evolutionary forces acting at an individual level and also at the group level… Moral codes are ultimately founded on emotional instincts and intuitions that were selected in the past because they aided survival and reproduction.” (Wikipedia)

Is this true? Is morality simply our emotional and instinctual response to the challenge of survival? What are the consequences for a culture that adopts this view?

To find the truth, we must look to God’s Word.

The rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. (Psalm 19:9-13)

The Bible teaches us that there are, in fact, things that are truly right (“righteousness”) and things that are truly wrong (“sins”). It teaches us that God loves good and hates evil. His moral rules define good and evil. But His rules are not arbitrary, they are based on His own character. Consider the similarities between God and His law:

• You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)

• The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; (Psalm 19:7)

God’s character is perfect, and so is His law.

• The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He. (Deuteronomy 32:4)

• The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; (Psalm 19:8a)

God’s law and God’s character both express justice and what is right.

• Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

• The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; (Psalm 19:8b)

God’s law and God’s character both bring light to our lives, instructing us on how to live.

• O LORD, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this. (Ezra 9:15)

• The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. (Psalm 19:9-10)

God’s law is perfect and it expresses the perfection and holiness of God, but all humans are sinful and fall short of that standard.

We live in a universe created by a moral God. The commands of the LORD are the reflection of His very nature and character. Collectively they instruct us on which choices are right, and they protect and warn us from making choices that are wrong. He never lies, so we are never to lie.

He is always just, so we are to follow justice. He never takes what doesn’t belong to Him, so we should never steal. In other words,

the basis of ethics and morality rests not on the personal preferences of a culture, but rather upon the unchanging nature and character of God Himself.

• “In the beginning was the Word… and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” (John 1:1, 14)

• Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son… (Hebrews 1:1-2)

God has expressed Himself through the laws and moral principles found in Scripture. He spoke to us through the prophets, but He has ultimately revealed Himself through His Son.

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 1:3)

Jesus Christ is the exact radiance and perfect expression of God’s character.

This is why Christ never sinned, never broke God’s law, and lived in perfect righteousness.

It is difficult to find a topic that has more profound implications for culture than this question of right and wrong. A society’s position on morality will set the course for the lives of its people, and when a false worldview is allowed to dominate a culture’s thinking, atrocities like genocide, slavery, oppression, rape, and murder will flourish. This is why these two irreconcilable worldviews — the Biblical Worldview and the Secular Worldview — can never, and will never, be able to live together in unity.

The Secular Worldview leads to death (Proverbs 14:12) and the Biblical Worldview is offensive to the world (Matthew 5:11-12). There are countless examples of this in Scripture — Joseph; Noah; John the Baptist; Daniel; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; Stephen; Paul; even Jesus — all of these men were offensive to the world because of their views on sex, marriage, prayer, worship, religion, or their view of Jesus. If we hold the Biblical Worldview today, like these heroes of the faith, we will stand for truth in a hostile culture. We will engage on issues such as gender, even though God’s truth is highly controversial (“God created two genders: male and female, and a person’s gender isn’t determined by their individual choice”). If we love our neighbors, we must work to see Biblical truth championed and our nation rescued from secular positions that bring death. We must work to see Biblical morality once again guiding our intellectual, scientific, and academic institutions.

In the history of the United States, anti-biblical worldviews led to African Americans being enslaved, treated cruelly, oppressed, and killed. That horrible treatment of our brothers and sisters created in the image of God was inexcusable, unjust, and wrong.

Social Relativity and the Secular Worldview have NO foundation to condemn these actions. According to Social Relativism, slavery, oppression, and the devaluing of human life are not wrong, if they are accepted by the general culture (“what you believe might be true for you, but not for me”).

Only the Bible gives an adequate foundation, an adequate standard, for right and wrong: God Himself. The basis of ethics and morality rests not on the personal preferences of culture, but rather upon the very nature and character of God Himself. We call this unchanging morality Absolute Truth; it applies to everyone throughout all of time, and it is the basis for God-honoring relationships.

God said His Law was perfect, but there is one weakness to it. We’ll talk about that in our next article…

Ben Quine is Vice President of Christians Engaged and is the Director of Curriculum Development and Strategic Ministry Partnerships.

Learn more about Ben on our website: christiansengaged.org/leadership

Find Ben’s corresponding “Answers for Difficult Days” books in our Christians Engaged Store