Clash of the values

It's funny how different people in this world can be. Just a few months ago we had a president whose values and policies were much maligned and criticized by many in our nation. Now we have a president from the opposite spectrum whose views are radically different. It feels as if we've gone from first gear to fifth without pressing the clutch.

This isn't a post about politics. I don't like to write about politics because, quite frankly, nobody ever agrees on them and I'm certainly far from being an expert. Yet the example above illustrates just how dynamically diverse we are as people. And these nuances are even more pronounced when it comes to personal values and belief systems.

You can call me old fashioned but I believe in absolute truth. When I say that I mean that I believe that there is ultimately only one authority who is capable of bringing truth, hope, and salvation to mankind. I believe the embodiment of this truth to be Jesus Christ. Many get offended when someone claims to "know the truth" yet, philosophically speaking, there can't be 2 or more truths that are opposite but equal or our world as we know it could not exist. There simply must be a standard by which our world is governed.

Think about the positions of people in America on moral issues. Abortion, homosexuality, stem cell research, the death penalty, and on and on. We are not even close to having a consensus on any of these issues, dramatically illustrating just how different our perspectives are. Let's get a little more specific.

Consider the issue of abortion. For those who oppose it they often do so on the grounds that they see it as equivalent to murder or it violates the choice of the unborn. On the flip side, those who support abortion do so because they see it as an inherent right of the mother over her own body and there is still debate about when life begins. So who is right? Is either side right? Where is God in all of this?

These aren't easy questions to answer, even amongst those who consider themselves Christians. But if you are a believer then one thing is certain: God is sovereign. He is control and He is our standard for all that we know and believe. God created life and He also has illustrated throughout the Bible the preciousness of it to Him. This fact speaks not only to the issue of abortion but to the death penalty and racism and respect for our fellow man. God also gave His people commandments to live by, not so that He could control them and keep them from having fun but so that He could protect them. These same commandments offer us protection today.

You and I may disagree on taxes and government involvement in the private sector. We may not see eye-to-eye on environmental issues or topics of foreign relations. But unless we eventually agree on truth, there will continue to be chaos in our world. For those who refuse to adhere to a set standard, then moral relativism will swallow you whole in an abyss of uncertainty. Don't take it from me; it's not my word against yours. I choose to hang my hat on Jesus who told us in clear, plain language that He is the way, the truth and the life and that apart from Him no one can know God (John 14:6).