Relativism and the Law

In the past several decades we have both legislatively and through judicial decisions made many of the principles that emerged from moral relativism into enforceable laws. To be honest, this is the codification of immorality and we will pay a terrible price for this as a society. Relativism was an attempt to justify behavior that previous generations considered unacceptable. Relativism was central to what was called the sexual revolution and it has produced any number of serious social problems. The sexual revolution targeted the traditional values related to sexuality, marriage, and the family. The consequences of this revolution are that over half of all marriages end in divorce and over half of all births among some communities in our society are to unwed mothers. This must be coupled with the fact that living in a single parent household is the single greatest contributor to deliquincy, drug use, and trouble in school among children.

We are paying this terrible price because of Natural Law. Morals are not just the opinions of a culture or a society, nor are they the invention of the ruling classes to maintain their power. Morals are not the imposed restrictions of a religious majority. Morals are built into the structure of the human condition.

We are not alone in this view. The ancient Chinese expessed the principes of Natural Law through the Tao and the Egyptians called it Ma'at. Mankind has always recognized that certain behaviors are beneficial and others are dangerous, particularly in the long term. The Bible describes it with the words of the Apostle Paul,

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit, will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Gal. 6:7 NAS)

Behavior and the consequences connected to them have been apparent to human beings for centuries. Cultures, both ancient and modern, have some significant expression of Natural Law. The arrogance of our age is to think that we can re-define human nature and the moral principles of human civilization. We have already paid dearly in social and personal dysfunction for our hubris in ignoring the wisdom of the ages. And yet, we continue to assume that because these behaviors have been made politically correct we can impose them upon this and future generations by law and by judicial fiat. We will rue the day. Remember, God is not mocked.