Christian Social Ethics

Christian Social Ethics

I believe that Christian ethics are about responding to the world around us in a way that reflects the character of God . We are to be grace filled, merciful, and our conversation is to be, "full of grace and seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." (Colossians 4:6) Pointing fingers and holding signs, blowing up clinics, and basically shoving your belief down someones throat are not the way to transform lives. This is no where near the example that Christ gave us through his life, death, and resurrection. I believe that Christ set a standard of living for us, that most people tend to forget about. The only thing that people seem to be worried about these days are who is right and who is wrong. People are not concerned about sitting and talking with others so that they might have a chance to,explain their actions or give a view point, they are automatically condemned to hell

because of their actions or their views. In order for one to have a Christian ethic, I believe that one must first have an understanding of what it means to be a Christian.

In order for that to take place a person must learn about what the Lord has determined as right and wrong, and not the views of individuals. If we look at how Christ went about educating people as to how to live a Christian life, it was not through harsh or nasty or violent speeches, but through showing and helping people learn and understand that everyone is of worth to God. Jesus did this by way of showing unconditional love to everyone, even as he hung on the cross. I believe this holds the key to how we can educate others as to what God has determined as good or evil, right or wrong. We first have to learn to love unconditionally, a thought that to most people, and lots of Christians seems to be a unattainable feat. How in the world can we expect people to change their minds, or come to understand what God has determined as right or wrong if we cannot begin with letting them know that even if they don't agree with us we still love them, for they too were created in the image of God, and too be in relationship with God. In Paul's letter to the churches of Galatia, in chapter five verse twenty four says "And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." He then goes on to say in verse, twenty five and twenty six, "If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. Let us not become competing against one another, envying each other."

I believe that in order to bring others to Christ we must be led by the Spirit. Then and only then will people realize that there is forgiveness of sin, and that violence and hatred are acts of sin and not of Christianity. They simply are not acceptable to God regardless of our human emotions that quite often over take us.. The only way that