Is Morality Real?

There are 4 reasons to believe that Morality is real:

1. All people have a sense of morality.
2. No real truth can be subjective.
3. Everyone responds to injustice.
4. Morality is not unknown.

1. All people have a sense of morality.

-All recorded cultures have standards even though each has their own variations.
-Without even knowing what good and evil is, the individual knows there is something they ought to do and ought not to do. 

As Frank Turek puts it:

“…Why do most human beings seem to have that same intuitive sense that they ought to do good and shun evil? (1)

The fact that everyone has some sense of morality (on the cultural and individual level), leads us to believe there are transcendent ethics which we all pull from.

2. No real truth can be subjective.

If morality were just a set of different beliefs held by each individual, there would inevitably be contradictions between them. The fact there people do get into disagreements about what is right, instead of naturally doing what is right all the time, is evidence of that. Because there are disagreements however, this show one of two things about morality (if indeed it is real):

1) It is either illogical or
 

2) There is an objective standard that is true

The problem with the first is obvious. There is nothing in reality that is shown to follow non-logical patters. No matter what idea is claimed, it has to fit into reality.

With the second however, there is room left for individual error. The faults of individuals have no impact on the objective standard; just as opinion of if a room is 65° or 75° has no impact on the thermometer reading 70°.

Though even when a person denies that logic is real, as Jason Lisle says:   Continue at Shrewd Dove Apologetics

Why "Not Many Should Aspire to be Teachers"

One of the things I find most helpful in Presbyterianism is the clear distinction it makes between members and office bearers.  To be a member of a Presbyterian church, one need only confess with the mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in one's heart that God raised him from the dead (Rom. 10).  In practice, this means that if you profess to believe Jesus is Lord and risen and you live a life that appears consistent with that testimony, you can be a member. of the church.

To be an office bearer, however - a minister or elder  - one has to take a vow to uphold the teaching of the Bible as elaborated in the Westminster Standards.  In other words, there is a lot more material that you need to believe, articulate and be prepared to defend in order to hold office.  That seems consistent with Paul's vision of elder; and it is also consonant with the notion that elders are to bring the congregation to maturity.  If the elders were only as mature and as informed as the average member, then congregational growth to maturity would be dramatically hindered.

Of course, this also means that ministers and elders are to be held to higher standards.  For a congregant to make a silly and incorrect doctrinal statement in a conversation over coffee after the service is one thing; for a minister to make a public statement as a minister which is wrong is a far more serious matter.   Public mistakes by ministers cannot be dealt with privately because the mistake is part of his public teaching role.  People look to the minister for a lead; and when he falls dramatically short, the implications can be very significant for the church.  I cannot deny election, for example, and expect a free pass.  I will be held to my vows, and that publicly.  In fact, I would probably be required to step down from my teaching position until such time as I was able to honour my vows with a good conscience.    Keep Reading...