The Issue of Morality: Do laws really decide right and wrong?

Chesterton once wrote that “art, like morality, consists in drawing the line somewhere.” I would agree with him, but I would also say that that both art and morality are alike in another fashion. In order to be considered “good” we have to know precisely where to draw the line. I can give my 6 month old a pen and a piece of blank paper and he will draw some lines. This doesn’t make it good art (though it may still be refrigerator worthy). In the same way drawing a moral line wherever we like it doesn’t constitute “good” morality. Saying that rape and murder are the only offenses worthy of being banned by law and claiming that you are a moral person is the equivalent of comparing the drawing of my 6 month old to a Monet or a Picasso; it simply doesn’t work. 

Shawn cannot create good art, and to insist that he can is foolish. Yet with morality we spend enormous amounts of time and effort trying to convince each other that wrong is right and right is intolerant and therefore wrong. We do so not in a desire to live in an evil fashion, but rather to live happily. I think the problem lies in trying to understand just exactly what the true purpose of morality is. For many it has become merely a social construct that is shaped and molded by human laws and efforts. If the law says it is legal, than it must be morally acceptable. By changing laws and legislation we can change what is right and wrong. Unfortunately we know that in all reality this cannot actually be true. If slavery was legal it would still be morally unacceptable.  The same logic applies for murder, rape, stealing, etc. Merely legalizing an act has very little to do with its true moral value.

What, then, is morality? Ultimately, the task of human morality is to match our ideas of good and evil to those of God.  If we truly believe that God is completely good (which He is), then we can only be “good” when we are acting the way He wants us to act. It all goes back to the book of Genesis and being created in the image and likeness of God. If we think of our actions as a portrait that we are painting, and the person we are painting is God, then our morality is either good or bad depending on how closely it resembles God.  When we grapple with difficult moral decisions like abortion, euthanasia, and homosexuality we must be careful not to try and paint a portrait of God that makes us feel good and then demand that He change to fit our picture. Morality, like art, is about expressing truth.  Absolute truth never changes, no matter what laws we pass.  We are only truly good when we live our lives the way that God (who is ultimate goodness) has asked us to.

Sitting in the silence

I love winter time, especially here in Wenatchee. I am a big fan of the snow and Wenatchee usually gets just enough to keep me wanting more rather than making me live in terror of needing to go to the store on icy roads. Last week when it snowed my son and I went out and gathered snow from a parking lot in order to improve our sledding hill. It was a lot of fun and he learned that sometimes you have to work hard for something, even a good sledding hill.  My favorite part of winter, however, is the silence.  I have always loved to sit outside when it is snowing and be immersed in the weather and the silence. It can only really happen in the winter. In the spring it is damp and rainy. The rain makes noise and soaks through your clothing in about 5 minutes. In the summer and fall the weather is so beautiful that everyone is outside enjoying it. Kids are running around playing and families are barbequing and picnicking. It is a great time to be outside, but it is rarely silent. In the winter, especially in the evenings everything is quiet and peaceful. The snow is cold as it falls around you, but with a good coat and maybe a sweatshirt underneath it really isn’t that big a deal. You can sit or stand outside and watch the snow fall in almost complete silence. In our modern culture of radio, television, hand held video games, and portable music players. We have become a culture that is in many ways afraid of silence. We have a desire to fill our ears and our minds with some sort of entertainment. While I don’t think it is bad to listen to music or watch TV (I do a fair amount myself) we also need to learn how to appreciate the silence. When God spoke to the prophet Elijah in the Old Testament in was in a still small voice, not over booming speakers or a rushing wind. As we examine our prayer lives and think about ways we can do better, I think silence is an important factor. Sitting in silence is an act of listening. It can be challenging to hear the voice of God in our lives if we never try to unplug from all the other noise that is around us. When I go outside and sit in the silent snowfall, it isn’t necessarily to pray the Rosary or any other kind of formalized prayer. It is usually just to sit outside  with a hot cup of coffee or tea and just appreciate all the wonderful things God has given me or done in my life. Sometimes it is good to just sit in the silence and take in the world that God has created for us. Even though it may seem like we are doing nothing, listening to God is the most productive thing we can do in our lives. Since it hasn’t snowed a whole lot yet this winter, it is my hope that there are still plenty of good afternoons and evenings out there to sit and meditate on the wonders of God in the silence.