What is Morality?

Disclaimer: I will be writing this blog in communion with a song/poem I wrote for my band, TREBUCHET, that reflects what I have struggled with personally and what I would like to talk about in this particular blog.

Here is the song, B&W, for you all (with some emphasis/explanations added for clarity).

Beware, this is a long one. It is for good reason, I hope.

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I have been enticed
I have dragged myself away,
Into the darkness that
Reeks of familiarity. 

(Referring to sins/vices which continue to knock at the door that we cannot help to open.)

Am I really one,
Who must escape
By the skin of his teeth? 

(Jude 23: Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.)

Why must we lose
The innocence
Of our childhood?

Why can't we remain
Innocent?

Why must we lose
The innocence
Of our childhood?

I've been robbed.
I was robbed. 

(I will touch on the influence towards this part a bit later.)

What is morality? 

(The basis for this blog/song, as well as a deep/multi-faceted question that cannot be summed up in one blog post/song.

I do hope to touch further on this subject at a later date, however, I am very willing to discuss this topic openly with whomever wants/needs to in the here and now.)

Who gets to decide
What is wrong and what is right?
Not all is black and white,
Nor is the rest grey. 

(Building off of the fact that not one person can truly know the ultimate difference between right and wrong in and of themselves.

Every one will have a different idea of this. 

We can all skew things to fit our own consciences because of this and so much misunderstanding is rooted in it.

Therefore, no one person can say, "This is white; this is black, but there is also 'grey areas'.")

When it comes to good and bad
How can anyone have a say?

(Within humanity, as a whole, no one has had--nor will ever have--this authority on their own.

Take guilt for example, for those raised with a 'worldly morality'; people act in such a way which goes against what they were told was correct/moral, therefore, they experience guilt.

Then there is conviction--a Christian term similar to guilt--which is attributed to the feeling one feels in response to their transgressions, which are in need of repentance, by the indwelled Holy Spirit.

Every one, however--whether by the product of their own upbringing, or not--has been given a 'code of ethics'.

Why most people agree to a universal 'Code', is beyond my scope of research, but one thing I do know; every person has an idea of what is right vs. what is wrong.

Most commonly, we as humanity can agree on the extreme of these, however, there are differences as diverse as the stars in the sky when it comes to all the 'grey areas'.

This is, most commonly, where conflict comes into play with all people.)

We sit here pointing fingers
Towards those who aren't right to us
When they are thinking the same thing. 

(Unfortunately, we all point fingers at others that may have filthier shit than us.

Our human nature leads us to do this because we want so desperately to ignore the wrong in our own selves, therefore, humanity is very willing to point out the wrong in other humans--no matter how this makes them [personally]/others feel--in order to feel better about how truly screwed up we are as individuals.

Homosexuals, for instance, are humans that most other humans do not/cannot identify with as their own personal 'struggle', because they have not personally struggled with that particular 'sin' themselves. 

In this example, and countless others, we point our fingers at other human's sin in order to make our own selves feel more comfortable wallowing in the filthy shit we ourselves bathe in.

Personally, I have struggled with pornography from a very young age.

This particular vice has been something I have fought tooth and nail with for a very long time to be rid of permanently.

Therefore, I, personally, can identify very closely with those who struggle with different sexual sins than--and in correlation with--my own, because I have fought in similar trenches.

Yet, no one person is any different than I am/they are. 

Sexual sin/adultery, is the same for all across the sexual spectrum. In fact, in the eyes of the Almighty God, all sins are equal and, apart from His grace, deserve eternal separation from Him.

As far as humanity is concerned, I believe there are other sins more grievous than those I have previously mentioned because they lie at the root of our pervasive moral decay.

Pride/selfishness, and idolatry are a few that are more widespread, and more deeply rooted in our human nature, than sexual sin/other, perhaps, 'more minor' sins. 

Not only are these sins mostly overlooked by our own selves, and others--and, therefore, more difficult to diagnose--but they can be looked at as the 'ultimate sins' that fuel all others.

What I mean is, all sin, at it's ultimate root, can be linked to: our own desire to satisfy our own selves.

To look at what we are going through personally, and then base our own decisions off of 'how we feel', personally, is not a very good way to live. 

We engage in what feels right to us, most often, 'in the moment'.

If that is looked upon as unfavorable to others, than we hide it from them.

As I mentioned before, however, not one human can list universally what all is right and wrong.

Instead, we act on how we were raised to act, or, we act outside of this conditioning, because it is what we want, in the moment.

Perhaps, we may feel guilty/convicted afterward. Perhaps, not.

Most, however, can agree on a small list of 'ultimate right and wrong', but there will always be variations and 'grey areas' amongst all humanity, no matter the influences.

This is why I, personally, believe we all need to look outside ourselves--to Someone greater--in order to gauge exactly how we must behave as humans--in order to thrive within community/humanity as a whole.

Pride/selfishness, which is confidence in Self--above all else--tells us that we can be righteous in, and of ourselves.


FALSE!
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
Idolatry, in this day and age, tells us that our self--or ultimate self--is what is worth striving for.

This 'ultimate self' clouds our judgement and makes us think that we can prove our own selves worthy of other's adoration in our own power--like that really matters in the end.

NEWS FLASH: No matter how much you try to improve your physical body/inner self; you will still fall short of the ultimate holiness/rightness/perfection that God Himself demands, apart from the grace and ultimate/complete sacrifice of Yeshua/Jesus Christ.)

We wash, and wash, and wash our skin
As if that'd serve to cleanse our sins,
But not even lye will purify. 

(Not one thing in our physical existence can cleanse us of our eternal contumacy.

Only the belief in the complete grace of God, throughout all history--which was ultimately realized in the death of His perfect Son, Jesus Christ--can completely redeem you of your past, present, and future violations of the real definitions of what is truly right and wrong that we have all trespassed against--even if it was only 'that one time' or something as 'minor' as a 'white lie'.

Again, in and of our selves, we do not know what qualifies, but there is a God who does and He has laid it out for us in His Word. He also, with unconditional love, graciously provided the only true and complete solution, as mentioned above.)

Oh, God!

Unclean
I am unclean.
Cleanse me.

Oh God,

Please cleanse me.

Unclean
I am unclean.

Cleanse me,

Oh God,

From the inside out. 

(God is the only One that can truly help us.

The previous stanza has been my battle cry for so very long and I truly believe that this lies at the heart of all who know that they are living contradictory to the ways in which they know to be what is right.

As mentioned before, no matter how deeply we wash our physical selves, we will never be rid of our eternal, forever-lasting, shit.

That requires One outside of our own selves, that has lived without sin/stain, to ultimately save us for eternity, so that we all may experience wonderful, love filled, communion with all other 'like minded' human beings, as well as, 'other-worldy', heavenly beings.)

Why/How Do I Continue to Believe in God?

I had a very good friend of mine ask me this question recently.

I did my best to give an accurate/appropriate response, but we ran out of time and the party went on.

Since then, however, I have not been able to shake his question. It is one I have rarely, if ever, inquired of myself.

I have (almost) always been confident in my faith, but why/how did I get to that point? Was it a product of my upbringing as a pastor's child? Sure, that definitely played a major part, but why (as an adult) have I continued to hold onto the belief in God despite doubts and tribulation?

My good friend (you know who you are); you have gratefully caused me to think, deeply. I wish I could have given you a more precise answer when you originally asked, but honestly; I was not sure myself. At least I did not know exactly how to put it into words well enough. I do not remember, exactly, how I responded, but here are my thoughts since then. (I will not try to get too technical or 'Christian' here, because that is for a different blog, at a different time.)

I continue to believe, because when I reflect on my past I cannot help to attribute where I am now to mere chance, or a product of my own design. To leave it to chance would cheapen my gratitude.

Grace, to me, means so much more than mere chance. To leave my life in the slippery hands of luck would give me a more flippant perspective on life and it's consequences. I would not care about the decisions that I made because 'my luck would not have ran out', yet.

But to believe in grace is to surrender to the mercy of One who has both the right and authority to save, or damn, me as He wills toward my ultimate good. It is not just 'a roll of the die'. What I mean is: I believe in a Father that has always had my best interest in mind. His law was written for my ultimate benefit. His law was written in Love, and when I break His law; He has provided grace to cover my transgressions.

It is not fair. That is why I am forever grateful. Love (God) has always, and will forever, have my best interest in mind.

Believing in Love (God), also gives me a responsibility to live in Love myself.

To step outside the bounds of Love is to sin.

That is where we find all consequence. This is the source of all our grief.

To submit to Love Unconditional is to accept, graciously, the responsibility of reciprocating that Love as best as we can toward our fellow man.

I continue to believe in Love (God) because, even when I fail miserably, which I often do; I know that there is mercy (another day, another chance).

This Love is what I try my best to mirror because everyone craves/needs it. Without this perspective, and without drawing on Love (God) outside myself; I would not be capable of extending the Love that everyone craves/needs without my own selfish motivations.