Back in the 60’s, when almost everyone drove cars with whitewall tires, I had a Christian friend who grew up in a church that believed driving cars with such tires was a sin. They reasoned that the money Christians spent on whitewall tires could be given to missions!
It seems that believers have a difficult time distinguishing between matters of conscience and moral absolutes. For example, recently I wrote a post stating that boycotting businesses that supported causes that Christians disagree with was “a matter of conscience.”
Some responded that it sounded like I was making all morality relative; that all morals were simply matters of conscience, which is definitely not what I believe. So I’m thinking that it might be helpful to clarify the difference between matters of conscience and moral absolutes – and to point out the problem that happens when we fail to make this distinction.
Moral Absolutes
Moral absolutes refer to behaviors that are right or wrong for all people (and all moral beings, such as angels and God), in all places, and at all times. For example, there never has been and never will be a time when it is okay for anyone to rape another person. Other examples are murder and bearing false witness. These actions are universally wrong all the time.
An action that is universally right all the time is loving another person with the love of Christ. “Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”1 There never has been and never will be a time or place when this is wrong.
Matters of Conscience
On the other hand, matters of conscience refer to actions the morality of which is relative to the people that believe they are right or wrong.2 For example, some believers hold that we are still under the command to obey the Sabbath.
But the problem with holding this as an absolute is that there is nothing that says universes must be created in six days. On the one hand, God cannot lie. But God certainly could have created the universe in three days. (Woohoo! A sabbath every three days!) Or God could have created the universe in 37 days. (Ugh!) Or 127 days. You get my point.
God commanded his people under the Old Covenant to observe the seventh day because he chose to create the universe in six and he was setting his people apart from the world as his covenant people who observed his rule and authority as creator.
Jesus, on the other hand, broke the sabbath to prove unmistakably that he was claiming to be the God of creation and that he therefore had the authority to do just that.3
Other common examples of matters of conscience that are not universal moral absolutes are drinking alcohol, taking your kids Trick-or-Treating on Halloween, dancing, watching movies in theaters and going to restaurants with bars. The list is almost endless. (My grandmother even believed it was a sin to whistle!)
One matter of conscience that I have is people remarrying after divorce. I believe that is wrong. Because of this, I have never officiated the wedding of someone who has been divorced. I understand that I am in the minority on this issue and I respect the views of those who disagree with me. I just ask that they also do the same with me.
Legalism
Finally, legalism – and the resulting conflict and selfrighteousness it brings – happens when we insist that everyone agree with us on a matter of conscience. There is nothing wrong with a Christian thinking it’s a sin to play card games with “playing cards,” or that it’s a good thing to boycott businesses that support causes they disagree with. It is wrong, however, for that believer to insist that all other believers agree with him or her.
Well, I hope this clarifies things. If not, leave a comment below.
This post first appeared in NewCommandment.org.
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