(NOTE: Brace yourself. This will take a few minutes to get through. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in. :)
Well, we've come to the end of the "Reflections on Morality" series I've been posting over the last two weeks. (See part 1, part 2, and part 3 here.) This is the final installment of a very thought-provoking exchange that Resident Atheist has graciously allowed me to develop in response to comments he made on my original "Summer of Love" post.
Looking at a final portion of his comments (at least those to which I've limited this series), Resident Atheist continues,
...You are also saying that I, as an atheist, am immoral. While I have plenty of vices, I would argue that I live my life with better morals that most so-called Christians. I think many Christians would agree with me once they knew me. How is this possible since I do not have god in my life?...
Resident Atheist, you're right in my suggesting that you are immoral, BUT not any more immoral than anyone else. Such is the immutable nature of man, especially when compared to the ideal standard of morality established by God. Are there Christians who live immoral lives? Certainly. But, when evaluating the truth of Christianity, it must be considered apart from the hypocrisy of such Christians. In fact, given the sinful nature of man, even the best of Christians will inevitably fall short at times. The only person who was ever perfect is Jesus Christ. So, He alone is the pure model of the Christian faith, over and above the Billy Grahams and Mother Teresas of the world (not to mention the countless other Christians who are earnestly struggling to reconcile their lives with their beliefs).
Does this mean that non-religious people can never do moral things? Not at all. In fact, as you rightly pointed out, there are non-Christians who often live better than many Christians (though determining our moral virtue by comparing it laterally creates an insufficient benchmark). How is that? This reality stems from mankind being created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), and the law of God being written on our hearts and minds as a part of that divine imprint (Romans 2:15; Hebrews 10:16; Jeremiah 31:33).
Therein lies the tension. Because all people are made in the image of a good God, even non-religious people can do good things at times. The continual pull of the our basic sinful nature, however, creates the struggle to maintain moral consistency over the long haul. This is the very paradox with which the apostle Paul wrestled in Romans 7 when he talks about why we do the things we don't want to do. As C.S. Lewis writes in his essay, "Men Without Chests," the transformation of the will is necessary if we are to ever realize the truly moral life. And that transformation ultimately comes through the power of God.
If God's character is the standard for morality, and if we're created in the image of the Creator God, then it presupposes that everything comes from God. This begs the logical question which you've rightfully raised on a previous comment board regarding the origin of evil. If God created everything, then He must have created evil as well, right? An excellent point! The standard conclusion to this dilemma from the Christian perspective is that while God did not create evil itself, He created the potential for evil. That is to say, God established His unchanging moral law. And by virtue of its existence, anything that does not conform to that moral law is sin (Romans 7:7). The standard for morality then is not found in man, but in God (e.g. God is good. - Psalm 119:68; "Everything he does is right and all his ways are just." - Daniel 4:37; "God is love." - 1 John 4:8; etc...). Like a shadow cast on a sunny day, evil is possible only because God's law exists as the final arbitrator of right and wrong. Without a standard of right and wrong, the concept of evil vanishes.
This is where free will comes into play. I've often wondered why God put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden of Eden to begin with (Genesis 2:15-17). Why even give Adam and Eve the potential to sin? But the more one considers this, the more the wisdom of God's plan comes to light. Namely, without the potential for evil, there can be no willful obedience to God, and likewise, no true love relationship with God. As anyone who is married understands, we fall in love and marry because (in theory at least) we have found someone who is willing to accept us, commit themselves to us, and love us because they want to, not because they have to (the arranged marriage theory being the obvious exception). True love must be expressed freely and without fear or manipulation.
The same holds true with God. God wants us to want Him. He values that relationship with us so much that He willingly created us with the ability to choose Him, apart from any moral obligation. Free will, therefore, is essential if we are to ever truly love Him. But, it is also fraught with a very high risk, because inherent to the concept of free will is the very real capacity to reject Him as well, if we would choose to do so. For God, the risk is worth it. Otherwise, we would be nothing more than mindless marionettes "serving at the pleasure of the Deity." This is hardly the nature of God Himself, nor is it the kind of true love He is desiring from us. His moral law is not meant to put us in bondage. On the contrary, it actually frees us to pursue Him more completely.
Given my propensity for wordiness, I could reflect on these thoughts for much longer than you probably care to read them. To those of you who have take the time to read through this series, thanks for your perseverance! Please don't let the potential brain strain keep you from thoughtfully considering these important issues. Hopefully, you've found this exchange helpful in your own reflections on these ideas. And a very special thanks to Resident Atheist for your perspective and ongoing commentary in this dialogue and on other posts. It was, and always continues to be, valuable to this TDD community. All for now... (I'm off to bed. :)
UPDATE: I just came across a quote from singer/author, John Fischer, that I intended to use with the idea of free will. A number of years ago he wrote, "That God would provide a means to salvation shows how much He loves us; that He would allow us to choose to reject Him shows how much He values our free will." This particular quote was instrumental is shaping my understanding of just how significant free will really is.