Have you heard that one? Maybe it's a parent. The kids are somewhere you've told them not to be. Your spouse says, "Oh, leave them alone. They're not doing any harm." More often it's a question of morality. "Why outlaw marijuana? It's not doing any harm." Self-professed Christians will throw this at Christians who see God's Word as the final authority on right and wrong. "Why do you go on about how homosexual behavior is a sin? They're not doing any harm." Like the whole Bruce Jenner/Josh Duggar thing. "Come on! Caitlyn" (because they will always fall into that mold) "isn't doing anyone any harm. That Josh Duggar sure did!" That's why, you see, it's right to castigate Duggar but wrong to call Jenner a sinner for his decision to refuse to accept the gender God made him (Gen 1:27). But is that true? Is it true that they're not doing any harm?
I think of the condition of marriage these days. Statistics tell us that marriage is on the decline. In 1960, 72% of adults were married; in 2010, that number was 51%. Divorce rates are high, but more and more people are simply putting off--sometimes permanently--getting married. It's not the goal or the given it used to be. Why is that? Well, a big part of it is the full acceptance of sex outside of marriage. You know, the whole ugly, "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?" They're not doing any harm, right? Another big part of it is the divorce rate. People decided they were unwilling to keep their commitment of "'til death do us part" and vacated their marriages. They did no harm, right? Except that their example affects marriage. Part of it is growing numbers of unmarried couples who live together in sin. Oh, sorry, who live together without the benefit of marriage. Almost a quarter of those between 25 and 34 who have never been married are living with a partner. They're doing no harm, right? Except that their example affects marriage. That's just one illustration.
Parents do things that "aren't harming anybody", but their actions serve as teaching tools that lead their kids to do the same sinful behaviors. The media shows stuff for education and entertainment. They're "not harming anybody". But their message encourages others to sin. And so it goes.
Consider this. Jesus said, "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!" (Matt 18:6-7) Not doing any harm? Yes, it may look like it. But when your words or deeds encourage someone else to sin, it is certainly causing harm. And Jesus says that's a bad thing.
4 comments:
The whole concept of "harm" as a standard for judging true sinfulness is not only self-serving nonsense, but willfully ignores the only harm that really matters---eternal separation from God. My personal peccadillo might not overtly harm anyone, or even my physical self, but what it does to my salvation is far more important.
Of course, I refer only to that which is willfully chosen with the full knowledge of its sinfulness. Struggling to overcome strong temptations is different than pretending what is wrong is right.
This is something I can't seem to get across. They say "It's kind to overlook sin" because, after all, "They're not doing any harm." I say "It's hateful to ignore sin" because they're doing eternal harm to themselves. And I'm the mean one.
What I find interesting is that they have no real objective definition for "harm." If they fell something is "harmful," then it is "harm," but if they don't think it is harmful, then there is no "harm."
People's definition of harm is vacuous. Which is why the word "sin" is much more important.
Glenn, we live in a subjective age. They call it "the Age of Empathy". It means that people generally determine what is true by what they feel is true. "Harm" is in that category.
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