“Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right.”
Psalm 106:3
It is abundantly clear that America is more secular today and has moved further away from God and his moral law as summarized in the Ten Commandments. Our country has become more concerned with individual rights and the freedom to do as each individual chooses and is less concerned with whether they are right or wrong for society as a whole.
For example, if we look at the issue of abortion, we will notice that those who are for abortion argue from the viewpoint of the “right” to do what they want with their own body. Those who are against abortion argue that abortion is murder and “wrong” and that it is immoral to take the life of an innocent baby. It is easy to see how this has become such a divisive issue when people look at it from two different points of view. One view looks at the issue from a legal perspective (Rights) and the other from a moral perspective (Wrongs).
Other similar examples include stealing, divorce, and adultery. In some areas of the United States, a person can steal up to $950 from stores without prosecution. Prior to 1963, divorce was only allowed for acts of infidelity (based on Matthew 19:9). Today, divorces are granted for virtually any reason. And when it comes to adultery (sex outside of a marriage between a man and a woman), these actions are essentially encouraged through legalized prostitution, pornography, and homosexuality. And this is supposedly all done in the name of what’s best for society, regardless of the moral issue of right and wrong!
Is there ever a good reason for our laws to make legal what is morally wrong? Let’s look at 2 other important questions that will help us to answer that question.
One question we should first ask is, why do we need criminal or civil laws at all? Aren’t most people basically good? If that were true, which it isn’t (Romans 3:23), there would be no need for laws because no one would break them. As Paul said in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” But we know that humans are sinful and capable of evil, and so we need laws to protect us from each other. Laws are designed to discourage harming another person and to punish those who do so. Without laws and justice, every society will devolve into absolute chaos. So, we need criminal and civil laws to ensure a safe society for all citizens.
For many centuries, western nations based their criminal and civil laws on God’s moral laws, such as do not kill, do not steal, do not lie, and do not commit adultery. These all come from His Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) and were the standard that was used to determine what was wrong to do. Consequently, criminal and civil laws mirrored the moral laws and appropriate punishments were set when these moral laws were broken. But over time, western nations and governments have substituted God’s moral laws with what man, or the majority or the people, think they should be. This has only served to create more harm in our society as evidenced by increases in violence, crime, and divorce.
The second question we need to ask is, who determines what is morally right or morally wrong? There needs to be a consistent standard if society is to have a fair and unbiased system of justice that treats everyone the same and holds each individual accountable for their own actions and behavior. To answer this question, consider the 3 main options that are available.
First, each individual can determine for themselves what is right or wrong. This seems to be what many people want in our culture today. As it is often said by many people today, “everyone can have their own truth!” The problem with this option is that there is no standard of conduct that can ever be applied the same to everyone. Trying to construct a legal system based on individual perspectives and arbitrary morals would be impossible! As it says in the Judges 21:25, “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.” It didn’t work then, and it won’t work now.
Second, right and wrong can be determined by each government. This is what seems to be happening more and more as governments want to establish their own rules for what is considered morally wrong to do. But this is also subjective and often changes due to changing political leadership or changing views of morality by a majority in each society. In either case, there is no objective standard that is consistent over time and applies to everyone equally.
The third option is the only one that makes any sense, and that is where right and wrong are determined by God, the Creator of all human beings. He designed us and therefore only He can truly determine what is morally right or wrong for all people no matter where they live. He sets the perfect objective standard for how people should treat one another because we were all created in His image (Genesis 1:27) and He has written His Law on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33). And when we disregard God’s moral laws, we end up only harming ourselves (Deuteronomy 11:28). Breaking God’s Law has consequences, whether we acknowledge God or not. There will be a Judgment Day (Romans 14:10-12). As the 1966 song by Bobby Fuller says so clearly, “I Fought the Law and the Law Won!” We will ultimately lose if we continue to go against God’s moral law.
So, is there ever a good reason for our rights under the law to take precedence over God’s moral law? The answer is clearly, NO! Although our freedoms and our civil rights are important for a safe and prosperous society, they should never be used to do harm to others. Morality should always supersede legality. The Apostle Paul confirmed this when he said to the Galatians, “You my brother were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge in the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” (Galatians 5:13)
The freedoms and rights that Americans or citizens of any nation enjoy should never give us the legal “right” to do what is “wrong”. Our actions and behavior should always follow God’s moral principles. We should always consider our actions as to whether they might harm others, regardless of our legal right to take those actions.
So, let us do what is right, not what we have the right to do. Let’s not turn our Rights into Wrongs!