The Danger of Compromise: Moral Relativism

A Subtle Danger

One of the greatest temptations facing the church as she battles with the world is the desire to compromise. This danger is subtle and deadly, destroying the very foundation of what the church is meant to be one earth.

In this article we will examine the compromise of moral relativism. The term describes a philosophy that either outright denies absolute moral truth or instead makes concessions of absolute moral truth due to some outward cause.

The former idea is less common within “religious” groups and is more commonly found in completely secular or atheistic thinkers. The latter idea, however, can be found in “religious” groups and even within the body of Christ from time to time.

Holding Fast is Hard

Holding fast to an absolute moral truth requires a steadfast approach to adhere to the sole Author of morality itself. This is the stated approach by those who follow Christ as Head and God as the ultimate Authority of the universe, but the temptation to compromise can be very strong, especially under pressure by popular opinion. Avoiding this compromise requires remembering two important facts.

No exceptions

Absolute moral truth can have no exceptions. God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), nor is God is the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33). To make a case for an exception to God’s moral standard is to remove the question of ethics from the Authority of God, and to place ethics into the realm of the situation. It does not matter if a supposed temporal good may come from unethical behavior; it is still the breaking of God’s moral standard. There is never an exception allowing sin.

God defines good

The ultimate definer of what is truly good is God alone. Everything created by God is good (1 Tim. 4:4) and, more specifically, everything deemed “good” by God’s Word or nature will remain good. Logically the opposite is true. There is never a moral “good” which comes from the practice of evil – ever! A grand example of this twisted philosophy is stating that an act of infanticide (abortion) is “good” by sparing a child a life of poverty (a perceived “evil”). Such twisted logic has no place among the followers of God.

Nothing Really Changes

When all is considered, the reality of life remains unchanged. Men may attempt to modify the absolute moral standard of God, but God is not mocked (Gal. 6:6). This standard will remain as unchanged as the Word which describes it, forever (1 Pet. 1:26) – no matter what man may think about it.