To Wait or Not to Wait?

This is a paper I wrote for my Ethics class at seminary last semester. We were supposed to pick and analyze an ethical dilemma the Church faces today. I chose pre-marital sex. This is an issue I feel pretty strongly about, but please know my intention is not to condemn those who disagree with me. 

True Love Waits: God's Design or Outdated Cultural Ethic?

For the last 2000 years, the general consensus of the Christian Church has been that sexual intimacy ought to be reserved for marriage. As one first-century Christian is said to have written, “[Christians] share their table with all, but not their bed with all.”¹

Out of the Silent Planet

Just finished the first book in C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy, Out of the Silent Planet. I enjoyed it, especially Ransom's interactions with the hrossa and his conversation with Augray the sorn.

For those unfamiliar with the story, Malancandra is Lewis' vision of an unfallen, Edenic planet Mars where several races of rational creatures exist in harmony under the rule of an angelic being called Oyarsa. Weston and Devine are humans bent on using Malacandra for their own purposes, and Ransom - the protagonist - is taken to the planet against his will to help them achieve their ends.

Devine's interest in Malacandra is simply profit (it's loaded with gold), but Weston is driven by loftier ideals. Knowing that Earth can only sustain humanity for a limited period of time, Weston sees Malacandra as an opportunity to extend the human genetic line indefinitely. This is his summum bonum, and he is committed to it even if it means the devastation and eventual extinction of the Malacandrians.

How Do We Get People to Be Good (Including Ourselves)?

(If only he had believed he wasn't going to get any supper)

This is a short article from the July/August issue of Relevant magazine (which, may I add, is worth far more than its subscription price). It got me thinking.

Cheaters Never Win - But a Lot of Them Are Christians

Some people won't cheat because God says not to - but other people will because they know He'll forgive them. A new study called "Mean Gods Make Good People: Different Views of God Predict Cheating Behavior" says there aren't too many notable differences between believers and non-believers. However, among those who profess faith in the Big Guy, behavior and attitudes are greatly influenced by how the individual views the object of their belief. For example, if one sees God as an angry judge, they're less likely to cheat. But if one sees Him as gracious and loving, they're more likely to bend the rules and bank on forgiveness. 

"The take-home message is not whether you believe in God, but what God you believe in," said Azim Shariff, a University of Oregon psychologist who worked on the study. Research involved experimenting with 100 undergraduates taking a math test. The students were told about a "computer glitch" that would soon show them the correct answers - unless they opted out by pressing the space bar immediately. In addition, students were also given a survey about the details of their personal faith perspectives. In the end, those who associate a deity with compassion were more likely to peek at the correct answers.

While one experiment can hardly define the morality or behavior of all believers, scientific research is becoming an increasingly important component of ethical debate. "It provides a powerful tool to study what is a powerful force in the world," Shariff said.