Because kids are no longer being raised with much for religion, there’s a serious concern going on over the ethics of our youth. In the olden days, we had the fear of God and stories from the Bible to guide us. But how are things working out now? Let’s start with a story.
Cain and Abel
Adam and Eve had two sons. Cain, the oldest, farmed wheat while his brother, Abel, tended to the flock. One day, each brought an offering to the Lord and He preferred the one from Abel. God said wonderful things about the sheep and dissed Cain for his lousy wheat. Out of anger, Cain killed his brother and God punished him forever.
Let’s embellish things by saying Abel was one of those hard working, talented people who are successful in life. He had lots of friends, girls liked him, and he enjoyed doing a great job. Cain wasn’t nearly as gifted and didn’t put in the same degree of efforts. When God praised Abel for his gift, Cain got mad—finding it unfair. He bitched and griped so much that jealousy got the best of him and he committed murder.
People still do this today. We see a successful person and sometimes resent them, discounting his or her efforts by calling them lucky or preferred. And though some of this may be valid, the moral of the story is you shouldn’t resent. If you want something (like money), get out there and work for it. You’ll never get anywhere by complaining. Anyway, God punished Cain.
Billy and drugs
Let’s imagine an example more modern in nature. Billy has a friend who sells hard drugs. This guy pockets 10K per month, cash money, by simply driving around and delivering crack. He says, “Look man, it’s not me who gets them addicted—I’m just delivering a good. And bro, it pays big.” Billy is now thinking of getting in.
There are three ways to address this decision:
- Old Testament (where you get punished by God, like Cain)
- New Testament (a love-based interpretation of the Bible)
- No God (where you care about others simply because we have to get along)
Styles
The Old Testament one is obvious. Billy, if you commit a serious crime, you’ll burn in hell forever. And this ruled the day for a very long time. Then Christ came along and spoke of a loving father. He said we should be good just to please the Lord, and that pious people go to heaven and spend eternity with Him. So Billy, do you really want to hurt your loving father and mess up a gracious afterlife?
The third option is different because there is no God. It doesn’t mean God doesn’t exist; it just says we don’t know much about Him. So the reason we should be good is because it makes sense. “Hey man, this isn’t anybody’s planet—we all need to get along.” It’s like we’re stuck in a boat together and must make the best of it. So Billy, if you were a drug addict, would it be nice if people sold hard drugs to you? Is this the best way of living together?
I don’t overcharge the jeweller because I don’t want him to overcharge me. I do a conscientious job for the doctor because I want her to do the same for me. And I don’t mistreat the elderly because one day I’ll be one. It’s the best strategy we’ve got.
Summary
Morality is essential for any society to succeed and not something to be taken lightly. We need a code of ethics for dealing with one another and everyone must comply. So regardless of motivation, Billy has to get on board.
Christians take offence at the sight of two gods. They say God is always loving and defend the Old Testament as being appropriate for the time (i.e., the only way people could know Him back then). Regardless, all parents know there comes a time when punishment wears out. It works well with small children in the form of a timeout but not when kids are older teens. And that’s when everyone needs to grow up.
Young people are in the process of learning to be good and part of the justification is “just because.” Parents don’t teach you all that stuff without a purpose. It’s to build a moral conscience designed for living with others. So ponder your actions and consider the whole, or I’ll show you hell. Bottom line: don’t sell hard drugs.