Sunday, April 17, 2011

Are You a Moral Person?

Imagine someone taking a survey on “values” were to ask you that question. How would you answer?

Recently some atheists produced an advertising campaign promoting the idea that you can be good without god. I think those people would answer “yes” without hesitation. It is pretty easy to feel good about yourself if you can make up your own moral rules to fit your life-style.

I also think that the majority of religious people would answer “yes” as well. The reason I think most people would answer “yes” is that my first reaction to the question was to say: “Yes, of course I am a moral person.”

The only people who I think would immediately answer “no” would be either saints who were profoundly aware of their own sinfulness; or, those individuals who had done something they knew to be seriously wrong and had never experienced God’s forgiveness.

Upon further reflection I realized that I too am a sinner in need of God’s forgiveness. So I cannot claim be perfectly moral. Indeed, if I were to make such a claim I would be like the Pharisees who had such wonderful self-esteem that they did not need Jesus or the healing that he alone could provide.
(Luke 18: 9-14; John 9: 1-41.)

Where do you stand in your relationship with God?