Morality by the ballot?

It is very common, especially in democratic societies, that an issue is debated then put to the vote. But is it right to decide what is moral by consensus?

Does a practice or behavior become moral if it is widely accepted? Well, what if it ethical; does it mean it is moral? How do you decide if it is right to gamble? Pete Rose and Michael Jordan 'got in hot water' for (allegedly) gambling.

It has been troubling to me to see how certain lifestyles, behaviors, and practices become norm with the passage of time.

Take any issue, such as marital infidelity, homosexuality, gambling. Do we view these issues the same way our grandparents saw them a few decades ago? No.

How we decide what is morally acceptable?

Sometimes I enjoying reading the writings on cereal boxes as I eat my breakfast. Here is something interesting that I found on a carton of Silk Vanilla Soymilk. (You can judge how healthy I try to eat.)

"In ancient times, people believed that major life decisions should be made by the gods. They devised a way to coax the gods to answer questions with an unequivocal 'yes' or 'no' by the flip of a coin. Julius Caesar was the first person to institute the practice of coin flipping to determine one's fate. Caesar's own head was cast in every Roman coin and it was the head side that indicated the winner. Litigation was often settled in this same manner. A heads-up landing of the coin meant that the emperor, in absentia, agreed with a particular decision."

Flipping the coin

As a child, flipping the coin was the most impartial way we knew of deciding who plays first in any game.

We still flip the coin today to start even in professional games.

But compare the making of important decisions on abortion, gambling, homosexuality, the definition of marriage, and even alcohol consumption and age limits.

Do we make acceptable standards on these issues by flipping the coin, by putting it to the ballot?

If it is socially acceptable...

What we will be saying here is that if it is socially acceptable then it is moral. But even if a thing is ethical or acceptable or 'normal' it is not necessarily moral.

Let's get our terms straight here...

Definitions

Moral - Of or concerned with the judgment of the goodness or badness of human action and character.

Ethical - Being in accordance with the accepted principles of right and wrong that govern the conduct of a profession.

- Miriam-Webster

So it is quite possible that often what is of primary concern is ethics, not morality.

It might not be ethical for a basketball player to bet on the game, but it is morally ok (or acceptable) for the fans to do so.

Then, the presidential candidate must be an upright spouse but the average person in the voting public can be...?

Whose Morals Anyway?

If we go by the standards set by society's evolutionary tolerance and acceptance then we have no fixed moral standard. But there is a fixed moral universal standard of right and wrong.

There is no country or state in which you will not find the basic principles such as regarding respect for parental and governmental authority, prohibition of theft, lying, murder, and so on.

Where do these principles come from? They have their foundation in the code of Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17).

Just as Ford Motor Company knew it was necessary to give every customer the manufacturer's guidelines for operating a vehicle, you can expect that the Creator provided guidelines that would safeguard our happiness.

But mankind has always been flipping the moral coin and changing the rules of life. Now we try to govern our lives from warped ideas on marriage, sexuality, gambling, diet, worship, etc.

So whose morals should we be using anyway?

Call to History

We sometimes try to judge what is moral or ethical by making reference to ancient philosophers, prolific or renown writers, or ideals espoused by some well-respected person (or persons) in society. This still does not determine what is moral.

Call to the Manual

Today's society has the wrong moral code.

Even some clergy have their morals warped on the popular issues: How could a bishop read the following text in his Bible and proudly brandish his or her homosexual lifestyle?

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders - 1 Corinthians 6:9 (NIV).

We cannot accept the fact that we were made by God and not realize that He has not left us on our own. We have the Guide for our lives - it's called the Word of God, the Bible.

Although it has remained a best seller for decades, it is seldom read as it should. We should not just read the Bible for academic knowledge, but so as to build a relationship with its Author.

Bible reading should be a very prayerful matter - it's God that should inspire us with His Word, because we can only truly understand spiritual things with the help of God's Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 2:14).

If we all have this approach to determining our morals, we would not need to flip the coin, for we would harmonize on one standard of morality - the standard of heaven.

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