Friday, 04 May 2012
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The Plumbline
I've often found that most people fight for what they believe is right and just. Society as a whole has a concept of what is right and wrong.Laws are designed to ensure that fairness is applied when disagreements occur, or in severe cases when someone is either injured or killed.
But I keep looking back at these laws, and what society dictates as what is right, and what is wrong.
Where did these laws come from, how did they come about, and what's to say that they are not right and in fact wrong?
Enter the plumbline.
It's a simple tool in construction used to check to see if something is 'plumb' - or perfectly upright.
Without this tool, construction of many buildings may be askew - slightly tilted - and not firmly planted.
Of course, if something is built a little off - it can have detrimental results. The plumbline, therefore, provides a standard of checks and ensures that things are in perfect balance and allignment.
The question I submit is that with all the laws we've had anywhere in the world - what do we compare those laws to to ensure that we are 'up to standard'?
If one was to look at the precepts of the various laws in many countries, you can compare them to the scriptures in the Bible to see if they are good... or not so good.
For the laws that coincide with biblical teachings - we find that having boundaries in proper areas create an atmosphere of peace and understanding.
For some laws, the Bible shows us that they bring about unfairness and unjust outcomes.
We can also find that in many instances we may feel that our intentions might be right - but the outcomes turn out to be negative, resulting in harm or more damage to society.
What does that mean? It means that the direction we were going weren't 'plumb' and didn't line up according to the recommended scripture approach - and therefore damage occurred.
Without a standard to compare what we are doing and going - where would we end up?
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Comments (5)
In your view, should Christians look to the Old Testament for what is permissible today?
Are you talking about "Bacon Coffins"? XD
@Amerindian666@xanga - some Christians look to the OLD Testament for adivce on what is wrong or right.
I am a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. His sayings, as recorded in the Gospels, take priority over those of the apostles (even those supposed to be "inspired") when I am seeking plumblines of right or wrong behaviors. Therefore, loving God with all my heart, loving others as Jesus loved, loving my neighbor as myself and NOT judging others are the four major plumblines in my personal toolbox. And far too often I find flawed plumblines in the Epistles. The major one is Paul's instruction to the church at Corinth that members of the church should judge other believers' morality and ethics by their own, often Pharisaical presumptions of right and wrong morality and ethics. That one has led much of Christianity down the wrong path of exclusion and prejudice.
Good post, glad I found it, some points for me to ponder.
peace
Mark