Three issues of an ethical nature have screamed at us from the media in the past week. One was the attack on a high Court Judge by a Government Senator. Another was the resignation of a high profile AFL footballer. And the third was the announcement by the State Premier of his support for stem-cell research using embryos.

Each of these have aroused a great deal of heated discussion in the media and have exposed a very wide range of attitudes in the community at large. Each one has raised very serious ethical questions, but it is obvious from the discussion that there is nothing like consenses in the community as to how those questions should be answered. This is very different from the previous discussion of child sexual abuse, where there was almost unanimous agreement.

It is worth noting that such ethical discussion really only arises from the fact that our Western culture has its roots in the Judeo-Christian teachings of the Bible. No other culture has such a strong sense of 'right' and 'wrong'. Yet, in today's discussions very little attempt is made to refer to the Bible as the basis for ethical attitudes they adopt except a vague idea of "agreed values".

This can lead to some rather bizarre contradictions. For example, one radio commentator in discussing the affair of the AFL footballer, admitted that he saw nothing wrong with "having a bit on the side", but was horrified that this man had had an affair with the wife of his best mate. As one listener pointed out, by this standard it was all right to cheat on your wife, but a terrible thing to cheat on your mate!

Similarly, in discussions about the High Court Judge the prevailing view seems to be that there is no problem if he has sex with male prostitutes, only a minor problem if they are under age, but it is absolutely anathema for a Senator to abuse Parliamentary Privelege in raising the matter! It seems to me that our community has lost its way in ethical matters. And the consequences of this for our children's generation are too horrible to contemplate!

Although Ethics is a subject now being studied in many Universities, and discussed in many businesses and professional organisations, there is very little agreement on the basis from which ethical decisions can be made.

As Christians, we have a clear foundation for our understanding of right and wrong. The Psalmist asked the question: "How can a young man keep his way sure?" And his answer was: "By living according to your word." (Psalm 119:105) Later on he declared: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." (Psalm 119:105). The Apostle Paul said: "All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in the right living." (2 Timothy 3:16).

The tragedy today is that very few in our community have any knowledge of what the Bible teaches. It is no wonder they make ethical decisions that are far removed from Biblical teaching. Even most Christians are Biblically illiterate. Only 2 of the 20 in my Old Testament class at Bible College have read through the Old Testament. As a consequence, Christians are not functioning as the "light of the world", as Jesus said they should. In many cases they adopt ethical standards that are very little different from the society around them.

In some areas, such as homosexuality and adultery, the Bible teaching is very clear and is radically different to the accepted values of society. Christians are often ridiculed when they speak up on such matters. Yet, we must continue to speak up if we are to have any preservative effect in society in avoiding the consequences of God's wrath. As far as God is concerned, cheating on your wife is worse than cheating on your mate!

In other areas, such as stem-cell research and IVF, modern technology has raised issues which the Bible does not address directly. Here we must seek to apply Biblical principles to discover God's mind on the issue. Such a process is not clear cut, and Bible-believing Christians may come to different conclusions, but we must continue to seek for a clear understanding of God's will. It is only when we are following God's way that we can expect to prosper, both as individuals and as a community.

Rev. John Davies
17 March 2002