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Legeslation of morality

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by PastorFaulk, Aug 2, 2007.

  1. PastorFaulk

    PastorFaulk New Member

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    By legeslating morality, do we make people more moral? Is it a good use of time and finances? Should Christians focus energy into this?
     
  2. PastorSBC1303

    PastorSBC1303 Active Member

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    If we make people more moral without introducing them to Christ, what have we accomplished?

    The church should put its time, energy, and resources into spreading the gospel both locally and around the world!
     
  3. StefanM

    StefanM Well-Known Member
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    Only God can make people more moral. Legislating morality is fruitless, but some "moral" legislation is designed to protect others from harm or to limit the effects on children. These goals can be accomplished to a certain degree, but the morality won't change.
     
  4. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    One person's liberty ends where another person's nose begins is the old saying. As long as a person is not interfering with another person's exercise of his rights then he should be left alone.

    It is the function of Christians to attempt to persuade men to come to Christ Jesus in repentance and faith. The work of the Holy Spirit in producing His fruit in a person's life will change one's behavior. Christians should not try to use government force to do the Holy Spirit's work.
     
  5. Archeryaddict

    Archeryaddict New Member

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    Amen!
    how do we teach people how to be morally right without making them first acknwledge they have a reprobate mind about sin? we live in a if it feels good do it as long is it don't hurt anyone it is ok mentality, and in many cases they don't care who it hurts as long as their pleasure is fulfilled

    you can force people to do things they do not want to do but even God allows us free will.

    Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
    But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
    And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
    The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
    Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
    For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
     
  6. mcdirector

    mcdirector Active Member

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    I've got to agree with this too.

    The thing is, if we legislate morality (we've tried), then we end up right where we are now. The pendulum swings without an internal moral compass. It's the internal compass we are missing. That is found with Jesus.
     
  7. Archeryaddict

    Archeryaddict New Member

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    if we force morality how is it that we are any less different than Muslim extremists?
     
  8. preachinjesus

    preachinjesus Well-Known Member
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    Great quotes and quote so far.:thumbs:

    If the failure of the Moral Majority has shown us anything, evangelical meanderings into politics to force Christianity on people is not the plan or the way.

    You want to change the world for the Kingdom, start with you neighbors and go from there. Be the Gospel, don't cheat the Gospel.
     
  9. Flippo

    Flippo Member

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    We seem to forget that every law made is legislating morality. I do agree with a lot of the sentiment shown but laws against partil birth abortion and the like are laws that we should support.
     
  10. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    Yes. Laws should protect the rights of one person from being trampled on by another person. An unborn child's right to life should be protected.
     
  11. npetreley

    npetreley New Member

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    Not to quibble too loudly, but not every law is legislated morality. For one example (there are many), there are laws in New Jersey beach towns against driving barefoot. The laws exist primarily for the towns to rake in extra money because police can write an extra ticket if the drivers happen to be barefoot when they pull them over. Beach town? Barefoot? What are the chances, eh? Since that's basically extortion, you'd have to call it legislated immorality.
     
  12. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    Hello PastorFaulk. Welcome to the BB. I note that you are also in Japan. Praise the Lord for every laborer who comes here. :wavey:

    I've always been puzzled by the term "legislating morality." It seems to me that almost all legislation concerns morality. If we pass a law punishing murder or cheating on your taxes or conning people or terrorism, isn't all of that legislating morality?
     
  13. Humblesmith

    Humblesmith Member

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    Every law, and I mean every single one, reflects someone's sense of what is right and what is wrong. Someone thought that it was correct to pass a law about barefoot driving........it might indeed have been for no other purpose than to make money for the town, but they thought it a good idea to do so. So every single law reflects someone's sense of right and wrong........morality.

    Further, as citizens, we have the same obligation as anyone else to influence our government towards what is right........as Christians, even more so, since we are commanded in scripture to obey the government (twice in the NT), and to protect widows and orphans. Much of the OT law was designed to protect the poor and disadvantaged.

    We as Christians have neglected our responsibility to be salt and light by failing to tell our representatives what we think and want. When we failed to vote and ask our government to do what we would like, we left the government to the anti-christians, which is why we have the horrible laws we have now.

    One specific example: In May of 1988, the US Government sent federal marshalls to Galveston Ball High School in Galveston, TX. Why? Because it was deemed that it was OK to pray, but they couldn't pray "in Jesus name." They would have arrested any speaker who mentioned the name of Jesus. They made Jesus illegal !!

    No, we can't change people's hearts, only God can do that. We can't legislate righteousness into people. But don't we see? If we abandon the public arena to the pagans, they'll control the laws.
     
  14. Dale-c

    Dale-c Active Member

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    I agree with everyone that says that all laws legislate someone's idea of morality.
    Of course it will not make a person more righteous in God's eyes for just obeying the laws but it will make the government in accord with God's purpose for government.

    Usually when people talk about "legislating morality" though they are talking about areas where the Bible doesn't give authorization for legislation, such as the prohibition of alcohol.

    I think a better way to say it is that you should not and really can't legislate personal morality.
    You can (if you are a civil magistrate) and must legislate that public morality which God requires such as prohibition of murder and theft etc.
     
  15. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    We do well to bear in mind in this area is that the government is not the church and the church is not the government.
     
  16. Dale-c

    Dale-c Active Member

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    very good thing to note,
    They are separate, but both are under God.
     
  17. StefanM

    StefanM Well-Known Member
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    That's the proper balance. :thumbs:
     
  18. Jkdbuck76

    Jkdbuck76 Well-Known Member
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    You cannot legislate morality....neither can you legislate common sense....nor work ethic...nor basic human respect.

    One of the scariest things I ever heard was some guy on the radio say that he was with a bunch of other christians in Texas and they were pushing to legislate morality and they were going to run for the school board, etc etc. He said something like We're going to use moral legislation to convict them of their sin and how wrong they are, THEN we're going to point them to our Savior."

    That is scary, folks.
     
  19. mcdirector

    mcdirector Active Member

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    We do need good sound laws in place too . . .
     
  20. Dale-c

    Dale-c Active Member

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    That is scary...but that doesn't mean that we should not legislate morality.
    What you have there is would be tyrants who want to legislate their own form of morality, not the morality of what God demands.
     
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