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Ethics 101

Discussion in '2003 Archive' started by Dr. Bob, May 21, 2003.

  1. Tim too

    Tim too New Member

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    Clint,

    I appreciate you responding to my question. I am not upset that you closed the other thread, and given the possible liabilities I completely understand.

    My point is this; how far are we willing to go to promote the Kingdom of Christ? Dr. Griffin was willing to risk jail to smuggle Bibles to promote it. Shouldn't we be willing to take the same risk to offer help to our brothers and sisters caught in sin? It seems to me that our Biblical examples of the Apostles and their martyrdom proves that when faced with the choice of obeying man's laws versus God's they consistently choose to obey God's.

    It is clearly our responsibility to try to gently restore our brothers and sisters entangled in sin.

    Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Galations 6:1 NIV

    I am not trying to get banned for advocating unethical behavior. Just discuss ethics.

    How much are we willing to risk helping a brother or sister we are supposed to love?

    In the love of Christ,
    Tim
     
  2. Tim too

    Tim too New Member

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    Clint,

    Please don't take this as an attack.

    This quote goes along with my question. Clearly you would be willing to delete a thread "in the interest of protecting that person from secular law."

    How far should we be willing to go to protect, restore, evangelize? Is there a line where we stop? Or is the guideline as long as it promotes God's kingdom and doesn't break His law it is okay?

    Thoughts???

    In the love of Christ,
    Tim
     
  3. Clint Kritzer

    Clint Kritzer Active Member
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    Tim -

    I have chewed on you questions for a few hours deciding how I would respond. Ethics is not a science, it is a discipline, thus making it resistant to "formula thinking." Each situation is unique and the believer must rely on their own discernment in making these judgment calls.

    The Bible, despite Romans 13 and 1Peter 2, gives us a myriad of examples of civil disobedience.

    Moses' mother disobeyed the Pharaoh by hiding her child.

    Daniel deliberately disobeyed Darius by praying to the God of Abraham.

    Mary and Joseph covertly avoided the decree of Herod by escaping to Egypt.

    Peter broke out of jail -- twice!

    Weighing these examples of Biblical examples against Romans 13/1Peter 2 leaves the believer with the responsibility of discerning God's attitude on the matter. Above all, we must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29).

    In closing the other thread, I did not attempt to dictate conscience to Gib. Gib's actions will have to be decided by him alone, IMO. Aside from the ethical question of exposing a believer based on electronic evidence, he must also weigh the consequences of such a move. There is also the ethics of the confidentiality entrusted in him by his job to consider. Would he ever be trusted as a confidant again? Would bringing the youth minister's alleged sins to light be perceived as more evil that the sin itself? Would a man breaking a trust of confidentiality bring greater glory to God?

    A personal meeting with the youth pastor, if he decides on that course, is definitely the first step in reconciliation. Talking openly about breaking secular law on a public website is not.

    As for the question about my assertion that I would delete a post on planned Bible smuggling, part of the nature of ethics is knowing when to look away. In one of the Biblical examples I gave above, Daniel was ratted out by the administrators and satraps and it got him thrown into the lion's den. I would not wish to see that happen to another believer.

    Bear in mind also that Peter and Paul wrote their Epistles while under the rule of Nero, one of the greatest persecutors of Christians in history. It adds that much more weight to the arguments.
     
  4. Gib

    Gib Active Member

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    Bro. Clint,

    I never said that I was going to release personal information on anyone. Many have eluded that I was going to. What I said was that I wrote an anonymous letter (not mentioning any sin, ecspecially the adult programming) to this person as an encouragement in his ministry.

    The contents of the letter were strictly based on putting on the Armor of God, involving Jesus in every aspect of his ministry and that I was going to pray for him and the other youth leaders in our community. Was anyone else to get a letter? No. Do I continue to pray for he and the others? Yes.


    I do not understand this statement. Because I care, I should quit. Because I have a heavy burden for a family member and sometimes it becomes too much to bear, should I quit being related to them (no sarcasm intended).

    I did not mean to cause such a disturbance on the board. I've seen many ask for help and thoughts on issues. I will be more selective in the future.

    David
     
  5. Clint Kritzer

    Clint Kritzer Active Member
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    Gib -

    Yes, in review of the closed thread, you never said that you would break the law.

    My concern lay in the poor, unethical advice that the conversation was generating. I should have clarified that I was using your case and your name as the cited example, not that you were using poor situational ethics application. My apologies for any harm done.
     
  6. Gib

    Gib Active Member

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    Bro. Clint,

    Thank you for the word. No harm done. [​IMG]
     
  7. Tim too

    Tim too New Member

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    Brother Clint,

    I appreciate you honesty in this matter. I agree each situation is different. I would say that we must be relying on the leading of the Holy Spirit and what we do must be done in love.

    Don't think I am upset about you closing the other thread or that I was advocating in the other thread the youth pastor's cable record be publicly exposed. I was not. I left your statement above because that is what I was suggesting... a personal contact with the youth pastor with all gentleness seeking to restore him. [​IMG]

    In the love of Christ,
    Tim
     
  8. Clint Kritzer

    Clint Kritzer Active Member
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    At the risk of beating a dead horse back to life, I was reading in Proverbs yesterday and found this passage which reminded me of this conversation:

     
  9. dianetavegia

    dianetavegia Guest

    But Clint, If Gib were to go, in love and humbly, to this Youth Minister and tell him that he works for the Cable company and that it has become common knowledge that he is indulging in sin and that his testimony is being ruined.... as a fellow Christian... wanted to share this with you.... Would that be wrong? Would laws be broken if he just told the youth pastor what is happening? (I ASSUME the common knowledge is because the billing department sees what is being
    bought by this man and that this isn't anyone going into files and looking for 'sinner's').

    Gib had mentioned doing this by anonymous letter but in a kind way. If NO ONE ELSE is told, and the Youth Minister is lovingly told that his viewing habits are known.... would that be breaking the law?

    Diane
     
  10. Abiyah

    Abiyah <img src =/abiyah.gif>

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    I wonder what would happen if this were handled
    in a similar manner to the way Nathan handled
    David's sin? No actual accusation would be
    spoken or written, yet the young man would get
    the message.
     
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