My answer to the Jihadist and Moral Police

By Jihadist or Moral Police I mean people who wish to see society behave in a morally righteous or legally ‘correct’ manner and are willing to do anything, even take up arms, to achieve their ends.

This is what is called Moral Fanaticism.

We see it ever increasing in this world today.

Figure 1 Common scenes across the world today

Is there an answer to such Moral Fanatics?

Yes indeed!

The moral fanatic imagines that his moral purity will prove a match for the power of evil.

But like a bull he goes for the red rag instead of the man holding the red rag. He grows weary and succumbs; he becomes entangled with non-essentials, and falls into the trap set by the superior ingenuity of his adversary, the prince of this world, the father of lies, who is much more cleverer than any human being who relies on his own intelligence or even worse, philosophy or belief system.

Figure 2 Moral Police

These are the words of none other than Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was hanged in 1945 for his part in an assassination attempt on Hitler in his Letters and Papers from Prison begun in 1942. http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/bonhoeffer.html

The opening essay is titled After Ten Years. Here Bonhoeffer identifies with the evil of the times, and especially the war. He speaks of the unreasonable situations which reasonable people must face.

He warns against those who are deceived by evil that is disguised as good, and he cries out against misguided moral fanatics and the slaves of tradition and rules.

In viewing the horrors of war, Bonhoeffer reminds us that what we despise in others is never entirely absent from ourselves.

This warning against contempt for humanity is very important in light of authors such as Ernest Hemingway, Jean Paul Sartre, and Albert Camus, whose contempt for the war turned into disillusion with humanity. This is a striking contrast between several witnesses to the war who came to very different conclusions.

Bonhoeffer’s conclusions were the direct result of a personal relationship with Christ. The conclusions of Hemingway, Sartre, and Camus were the pessimistic observations of those without a final hope.

“God’s truth judges created things out of love, and Satan’s truth judges them out of envy and hatred.”

The peacemakers abhor the violence that is so often used to solve problems.

This point would be of special significance for Bonhoeffer, who was writing on the eve of World War II. The peacemakers maintain fellowship where others would find a reason to break off a relationship. These individuals always see another option.

So what is the difference between morality and true righteousness?

This picture will give you an idea.

Figure 3 The difference between Morality or Self-righteousness from True Righteousness

The one who thinks of himself as righteous has a partial understanding of true life and joy in the Spirit.

Here is a link you might find useful. http://thedomesticfringe.com/morality-vs-righteousness/

morality says…

Do what is right.

Righteousness says…

Be right with God.

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. ~ Hebrews 11:6

morality says…

Live by the Golden Rule.  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Righteousness says…

Love your neighbor as yourself.

And the second is like unto it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. ~ Matthew 22:39

God bless you with true righteousness today. J