During my morning commute I was
listening to a sport talk radio host discuss the need for people to
be "progressive." The host was talking about Augusta National's
recent decision to admit women into their organization as golfing
members. Like most people I have heard the term "progressive" being mentioned relative to a whole litany of topics such as
politics, race, gender and more recently sexuality. It is this mixed
association that has given me pause to reflect as to the merit of
being "progressive" as a Christian.
M-W.com defines the word "progressive" as : of, relating to, or characterized by progress or making
use of or interested in new ideas, findings, or opportunities.
In order to measure
progress, it is implied that there must be two points of reference, a
point of origination and a desired end point. To make a judgment on
the degree of progress made, one must observe and measure the
distance traveled along the path between the origination point and
the destination point. Fundamentally speaking, in order to progress
and cross the "moral" gap illustrated by my geometric reference
there must be movement.
It is that need for
movement, change in position, that caused me to consider the validity
and value of being progressive. Progressive thinking implies that
truth can change and evolve over time relative to cultural and
societal pressures. Meaning if I can protest loud enough or boycott
long enough then I have a great chance of making society reconsider
long-held positions. As a Christian, we believe that:
- Truth is not mutable(subject to change): Numbers 23:19, Malachi 3:6
As Christians we
are called to live and adhere to the Word of God for the source of
truth (1 John 5:1-5). Given that the source of truth on the
Christian's world view is an eternal and immutable God, then our
morals cannot be progressive in the sense they they change with
social pressure, but that our understanding and growth in God's word
promotes us to further shed worldly perspectives and deepen our
understanding of biblical truth (Romans 12:1-2).
The reason it is
important to understand the implications and dangers of crafting
progressive morals is that "moral movement" erodes conviction and
leads to sin. One tactic used by proponents of progressive thought
is the coupling of secular values that align with biblical values to
secular values that do not align with biblical values. For instance,
racial equality is often championed as a major accomplishment of
progressive thought in America. No Christian can refute the
importance and biblical basis for racial equality. However
progressive thought runs afoul of Christian beliefs when it tries to
draw analogous comparisons of sexual preference(homosexuality) to
that of race. In doing so, those in favor of homosexual legislative
measures can equate morally the frustrations of homosexuals that stem
from the lack of legal support for their lifestyle(marriage, etc...)
as being as unjust as the racism experienced by Blacks in America.
In conclusion, the
key differentiation the Christian must make in developing moral
values is can the proposed moral value be substantiated biblically.
If God's Word is being taught accurately in an attempt to orate God's
Will for our lives, then we will develop a deeper and richer
understanding of biblical morality. Growth in our understanding will
promote the courage to stand on conviction when our morals deviate
from secular thought, even at the expense of not being "progressive." No avoidance of social pressures, boycotts, protests, or popularity
contests is worth the forfeiting our souls and deviation from the
perfect and pleasing Will of God.
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