MORALITY

An Essential Ingredient for Civil Community

Willard A. Ramsey

A system of laws based on Christian moral principles would do this nation immense good; yet in a pluralistic, democratic society, we must never allow the government to mandate religion. It is, however, the domain of government to establish a safe and peaceful environment for its citizens. "For he [the civil authority] is the minister of God to thee for good ... a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil" (Rom. 13:4).
Although we cannot and should not try to legislate moral convictions, we can and must legislate moral behavior to the extent necessary to insure an environment in which citizens may enjoy domestic tranquility, general welfare, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. One need not be a Christian to recognize the necessity of moral behavior for basic civil order. Furthermore, any intelligent person may recognize that behavior that threatens life, born or unborn, or that promotes disease, injury, anxiety for safety, or economic privation, is contrary to domestic tranquility, general welfare, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and therefore destructive of the civil order — of civilization itself.
Christians are clearly aware of the biblical warnings of the destructive nature of immoral conduct. But for those who do not accept the Bible, there is an undeniable record to the same effect in history, as well as current events, that immoral conduct destroys, maims, enfeebles, stupefies, and impoverishes. The record of history clearly reveals that despite the innate God-given genius of mankind, there is a moral flaw in human character which continually defeats the goals of his genius.
Arnold J. Toynbee, through a massive study of world history, has proposed a theory of the rise and fall of civilizations. Though he by no means holds a traditional Christian view of the Bible, yet his studies show a deep-seated moral problem at the root of the disintegration of civilizations. Briefly, Toynbee's theory goes something like this: 1) A great challenge arises to threaten a people. They respond to the challenge with genius, creativity, self-denial, moral integrity, and sacrificial effort. This response produces a civil, tranquil, prosperous golden age — a time when the challenge is overcome and the society moves into a time of real prosperity. A civilization has been born. 2) When the threat is past and prosperity makes complacent, selfish, indulgence possible, things begin to disintegrate into lethargy, licentious living, ignorance, and poverty. There is a time of troubles, a universal state arises, government takes control of the self-indulgent people, an artificial peace is enforced. As immoral behavior brings a growing debauchery, some solace is sought in religion — not necessarily true or moral. 3) Then finally, rotten from the moral decay within, the civilization is overthrown by a weaker more primitive people. Toynbee's main thesis, the challenge, response, disintegration theory of the path of civilizations seems to be on a good foundation of fact.
The facts indicate that sacrificial, creative genius is consistently exerted only when a serious threat is present. It rapidly turns into lazy, self-centered, immoral conduct when the threat is past and the civil order begins its downward spiral again. Giant government indulges the people with welfare systems. As long as provisions are made by the state, great genius, industry, and resolve are lost. This is presently occuring in America and Europe and is a part of the disintegration of a civilization. Through immoral conduct the younger generations dissipate the wealth of the golden age which earlier generations built by sacrificial effort driven by the necessity to survive. These conclusions, of course, are based on generalities in majority behavior, and there is not much here to call nobility. But in every society there are exceptions, though always in the minority and unable to change the outcome.
We can presently see this decline in action in our Western civilization, and we need only to look at the last great civilization to know our destiny if we do not seek the intervention of God. Will Durant said, "The essential cause of Rome's decline lay in her people, her morals, her class struggle, her failing trade, her bureaucratic despotism, her stifling taxes, her consuming wars" (Caesar and Christ, p. 665). Durant might have said simply "her people, her morals," because all the other issues stem from a lack of character and moral integrity in the people.
One of the chapters of Toynbee's work is called "Schism in the Soul." He observes concerning social disintegration: "Its significance lies in its being the outward visible sign of inward spiritual rift; and this spiritual rift is riven in human souls.... A schism in the souls of human beings will be found at the heart of any schism that reveals itself on the surface of the society ..."
Toynbee of course, writing from a non-Christian perspective, offers no solution to this age-old problem. Just as "necessity is the mother of invention," the necessity to survive a challenge and reach a "golden age" can be the mother of a temporary moral integrity in a people. A level of morality, though minimal, is essential for any civil social order. But a morality based on survival cannot last, because the motive was self-centered and self-centeredness inevitably takes away what it gave.
But Jesus said, "Ye must be born again." The "rift" in the soul must be made whole by a Power greater than ourselves. There must be a change of heart — repentance out of a godly sorrow — so that internal righteousness and moral integrity arise not from circumstances or self-centered ambitions, but from an unchangeable Person of unchangeable values. Only in this way can we be prepared to live with God, and only this preparation enables us to live with one another in peace and moral integrity.