One of the first exercises I give to my Ethics students is to research one of the current ethical questions being discussed in the media. There is almost always one, and often more. Their task is to examine the arguments that are being put forward and to try and find the basis or foundation of those arguments. Are they based on the Bible, or the Koran, or Scientific research, or "common sense", or some general "feeling" of what is "right"?

The startling fact is that most ethical views being put forward today on issues such as euthanasia, embryonic stem-cell research, caring for the environment etc., do not have any firm foundation. They do not arise out of any generally accepted standard of truth. Their main source seems to be what people "feel" to be right. If a sufficient number of people feel the same way then that gives strength to the argument.

When different groups of people feel differently about issues they may take up contrary positions which they hold with great vigour. However, without any external point of reference, the only way forward is either by way of compromise, which generally satisfies neither, or by one side outnumbering the other.

As Christians, we are not meant to wander in a moral morass, we have the Bible, the "Holy Scriptures" as a basis, not only for our understanding of spiritual issues, but as an ethical manual for life. The Psalmist asked the question: "How can a young man keep his way pure?" and answered it himself: "By living according to your word," (Psalm 119:9) He said that God's word was "a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." (Psalm 119:105) The apostle Paul said that all Scripture is "...useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16).

The sad fact today is that a great proportion of the populace are ignorant of what the Bible actually teaches. Even amongst the small proportion of those who attend church, the number who study, or even just read the Bible is pathetically low. One of the things that has emerged in the current Alpha course is the widespread ignorance of basic biblical teaching amongst those who have attended Church for years. And this is true for both Protestants and Catholics.

What most people seem to have is a kind of 'afterglow' of Christian values, vaguely formed from childish memories of what was taught at Sunday school or school religious instruction. They do not know how to seek out God's truth for themselves, and are often discouraged from doing so by religious leaders seeking to maintain control. The result is often a form of morality that owes more to prevailing culture than the teachings of God's Word.

For example, the question was raised last week about the "rightness" of reading the stars, consulting fortune tellers and dabbling with the occult. Most of the group did not know what the Bible said about the matter. Similarly, they knew nothing about the nature of the War that we are engaged in against the "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms". (Ephesians 6:12) They did not know about the continuing battle that Jesus had with demonic powers that were oppressing people, nor about Jesus' commission to his followers to cast out such demons from those who were oppressed.

Without such knowledge it is difficult to make right decisions for life. The advice of Jimminy Crickey to Pinnochio to "always let your conscience be your guide" only works if our conscience is informed by God's word.

One of the things that Westerners have had difficulty in understanding about the suicide bombers that are causing such trouble in Israel, is that they are acting according to their conscience. They firmly believe, according to the teachings of their version of their religion, that their actions are not only right, but have the highest approval of their god. By performing such acts they are, they believe, guaranteed a place in Paradise!

If we are to be guided through life by a conscience that operates according to God's truth, we must allow God's word to inform our conscience. We need to read it for ourselves, to absorb its teaching and allow it to reshape our world-view. Especially, we need to read the Old Testament, for this is foundational to the New, and reveals truths about God that are essential, if we are to have a right relationship with Him.

In the words of an old hymn:

"How firm a foundation, Ye saints of the Lord, /   Is laid for your faith in His excellent word."

Without such a foundation we are, as Jesus said, building our lives on sand, and risk being swept away in the storms that inevitably come in life (Matthew 7:24-27).

John Davies
23 June 2002