The Proverbs and Contemporary Moral Relativism

The Book of Proverbs may be one of the most accessible books of the Bible insomuch as it speaks of the general wisdom and common, practical knowledge that is readily available to all peoples and all cultures at all times and places, as opposed to the specific and special revelation that came more directly from God to Israel through the prophets.

The Proverbs are proverbial. They are simple and concrete sayings, popularly known and repeated, that express general truths based on common sense or the practical experience of all humanity.

They are not special to the Bible and many of them can be found in the wisdom teachings of all cultures. Indeed, other Ancient Near Eastern cultural literature, such as that of the Egyptians and the Assyrians, contain proverbs like those found in the wisdom literature of the Israelites. This should not surprise us. One does not have to be a follower of Yahweh to know that adultery (5:3-4), lying (12:17-20; 19:9), drunkenness (20:1), jealousy (6:34), pride (11:2), gossip (20:19) causes problems in one’s life. You do not need to be a Christian to comprehend the benefits of friendship (27:10), respecting parents (6:20; 15:5), and raising children properly (22:6). Such ideas are endemic to human experience because they have been generally found to be true amongst all people, in all places, and at all times.

And for thousands of years amongst every culture, when one fell foul of these general truths, there were typically two cognitive responses:

1)      Either recognize your error and choose whether or not to adapt your actions

2)      Or consider the whole issue a matter of fate/chance

Post-modern culture has thrown us a third option in which culture and society have quickly embraced as they continue to abandon Judeo-Christian morality.

Today when individuals commit selfish, prideful, indolent, and sexual errors in their lives that result in the inevitable, harmful outcomes, they are all too quick to blame what they consider to be social construction and artificially moral codes that are institutionally endemic. The idea here is that, in truth, in reality, there is no moral truth that everyone should prescribe to, only variable, personal social habits dependent upon the individual. But how is it then that there seems to be an apparent moral cause and effect relationship between violations of, say, sexual moral codes and the problems that inevitably follow? The contemporary answer to this vexing question is the belief that society and culture have been constructed over hundreds and even thousands of years so that the followers of a particular moral code are privileged while those who reject that moral code are disadvantaged. In this view, there is nothing absolute about morality that reflects genuine reality; only the social construction of the powerful imposing their morality upon the powerless. Thus, what has been deemed sexual immorality only leads to disaster, heart break, disease, suicide, destroyed relationships, jealousy, tears, poverty, depression, etc. because powerful people of a particular moral code have constructed all of society to make it so. Thus, the negative results of immorality are the fault of society and the not the individual who violates that moral code. Thus, those who promote that moral code as an absolute morality are partially culpable for the disasters that effect moral violators.

This is the contemporary thinking of too many in our culture today. Why do criminality and poor choices lead to poverty? Society is to blame! Why can’t I commit crimes and attack police officers? Institutional injustice! We’re even at the point where biological facts are deemed social constructions and not accurate reflections of scientific reality.

This is not to say that the structures of government, culture, and society cannot be the conduits of evil and negative outcomes. Paul of Tarsus speaks about this (Ephesians 6:12). Certainly, Socialism, Communism, Fascism, Marxism, Nazism, and Progressive Liberalism have all shown to be capable of creating structures which cause massive evil and tremendous casualties in society. However, such power structures are shown to be evil because they support, condone, and perpetuate the immorality that transgresses the codes found in the Proverbs and elsewhere.

Yes, it is the height of hubris to suppose that the proverbial morality found in every culture, at every time, and every place is now to be willfully abandoned in order to assuage the guilt of individuals frustrated by the fact that their moral choices lead to disastrous outcomes.

So what are we to do? How do we address this hard-headed refusal to recognize reality?

Intellectual argument and rational thought won’t work. The immorally defiant are neither intellectual nor rational. You can’t persuade those who refuse to be open to persuasion.

Instead, I submit that we continue to be the light of the world, the city on a hill, the salt of the earth. Clichés, yes, I know, but they are the purpose and mission of the people of God. We need to be true, authentic humans, living like mirrors reflecting the image and light of God in this world. We must continue behaving morally and lovingly, following the proverbs and commandments, and proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. When people see our faithfulness and love, a portion will be come. The rest will continue in their self-imposed misery until God gives them over.