Whose Morality are We Willing to Legislate?

Our second look is that this objection can begin a conversation.

The problem with this statement, “you cannot legislate morality” is that you can turn the statement on itself.  Allow me to explain.

Supposed someone says to you that they cannot “speak a word of English,” we would have a problem and point out that what they just said was in English.  The same holds true categorically for this statement. In order to point that out to the person though, there are a couple things to take into consideration.

The first is that we need to listen to the person who is making the claim. I can guarantee you that they do not understand the statement they are making. This brings me to my second point.

Because they do not understand what they are claiming, we need to remember that the one making the objection is just like you and I, in that they are created in the image and likeness of God.

Bearing these two things in mind, someone says “you cannot legislate morality,” they are making a moral pronouncement toward you. The problem with this statement is that it can be refuted by turning the statement against itself. Let me speak a word to this for just a moment here.

Usually when this subject matter comes into a conversation it is because there is a moral issue that is couched in it. We need to keep in mind  that people are created in the image and likeness of their Creator and it is important that we incorporate the “gentleness and respect” that Peter brings in (1 Peter 3:15) to ensure that we are making a clear separation.

Another thought that comes to mind is that many people today, still think that their being is defined by what they do behaviorally.  That is not true. What people do and say is reflected by their character, but it is not who or what they are in essence.

So when we turn the statement, “you cannot legislate morality” over on itself, we can respond with something that might look like this quick two line dialog. For the sake of illustration, let’s imagine you are in a discussion on the marriage debate and the lifestyles that can go along with it.  For the purpose of keeping the illustration simple, you  say (rather bluntly) the following:

You:  “Sir/Ma’am, do you realize that you just made a moral statement, so why are legislating your morality on me?”While this is a quick illustration, we want to make sure that our responses are with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). At the same time,  I am sure there are other ways of making the response, but this is just one example that can be given.

The one thing to remember is that while we are to “demolish the strongholds coming up against the knowledge of God” (2 Cor. 10:3,4), we do not need to demolish the person we are conversing with in the process.

There is another look to bear in mind with reference to this objection and that is there is a political application to bring into the discussion.

A third look is this objection can be looked at politically.

How does the statement “you cannot legislate morality” work itself out politically?  The best way to answer this is to understand the nature of politics and what it does.  The best way to understand the political outworkings is the reminder to vote on election day.

Do you realize that each of the major political parties in this country have a moral understanding on how they see the economy, taxes, government spending, national defense, education and immigration?

Do we also realize for the one holding to a liberal view on the aforementioned categories, their vote will reflect on where they stand on the moral issues.  The same also holds true for those of us who embrace a more conservative stance on the moral issues. Each person going to the polls on election day are going to vote for the candidate that best reflects their moral underpinnings.

So if we have good laws in a particular pocket of the country, then the chances are good that the politics and the politicians moral underpinnings are good.  If their moral underpinnings are good, the chances are that the political pundits’ ethics and morals are going to follow toward the good.

It works the other way too. If the moral underpinnings are not moral, it is most likely because they the person holding those views has a bankrupt ethical starting point.  So when we have bad ethics, the one holding them will reflect their faulty ethical framework in their moral or immoral actions.  If the morals are bad, and they are a politician, you now have bad politics. And it only follows suit that if you have bad politics, you are bound to have bad laws.

Conclusion :  How does this objection work itself out?

Let me ask you a question: “Do you vote for your candidate in the regular and presidential, state, or  local elections?” Do you realize that when you do vote, you are voting for the candidate that best matches your views.

When I say views, I am referring to the views we embrace on economic issues, taxes and government spending, national security and education. If you are holding to a liberal view of morality, you are going to vote for the candidate that best fits your views. If you are holding to more of a conservative stances on the aforementioned issues, then you are going to vote for the candidate that best fits you conservative values.

So please do not say, “Don’t push your morality on me!”  Because when we do vote, we are voting for the candidate that best lines up with our moral underpinnings.  And when you cast your vote, guess what you have just done?

There is no escape hatch for not legislating morality. We do it all the time. And the flip side of the coin is that I still thank God for those who don’t hold to an absolute standard and yet act morally.

Do you like what you have read?  There is more!  Rob is a blogger, writer and public speaker on a mission to empower the believer to articulate what they believe and to communicate the message of the gospel in our post Christian culture.

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