6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. ~ Proverbs 22:6
Whenever I think about these wise words of Solomon, I usually think about them in terms of teaching your child the things of God, which I agree with, but I think it’s a little bit deeper than that. I often hear atheists claim that Christians actually have no morals because they only do what’s right because they’re afraid of a Hell. Honestly, I think this is quite a silly argument when you think about it.
If we remove God from the equation, we’ve now removed the standard for right and wrong. Morality will no longer be based on an immovable line, but on an ever-moving line. See, when we remove God, morality becomes subjective. Right and wrong are controlled by whoever is in charge, and no one can actually villainize another person because they’ve done something they believe is wrong. Because now it’s just opinions and no fact or Truth. Therefore, without God, there is no morality.
Christians don’t do good and avoid evil simply because they’re afraid of Hell, but because their hearts have been changed. The majority of people don’t come to Christ because of a fear of Hell, but because Christ has touched their hearts. The reason we even have a sense of morality is because God has written His Law on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33). If we look throughout the world, we’ll see that cultures differ greatly, yet we feel deep within us that something is wrong. Why? Because the Law of God has been written on our hearts.
This is why it’s important to train up a child in the way he or she should go.
We’ve been taught right and wrong from a young age. Why? So that when we’ve grown up and we’re on our own, we’ll hear the conscience inside us and listen to it. God gave us a warning of Hell just as our parents gave us a warning of a time out or a spanking, and when we’re older, we are promised jail time if we break the law of the land.
Morality isn’t something subjective left up to each person. Morality is measured by an immovable standard, or it’s no longer morality, it’s now subjective opinions and propaganda. Therefore, without God, there is no morality.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Seek God’s Moral Standard.