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Some thoughts on 'Christian virtues and values'

Those of us who live in prodominantly Christian nations often hear the opinion expressed that for someone to live a moral life he/she needs to have a grounding in Christianity and Christian virtues. Is there any justification for this opinion?

Written 2009/02/06, modified 2009/07/10
Contact: email daveclarkecb@yahoo.com

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Ethics in the Bible

In this section I have supposed that Christian virtues must be derived from the ethical ideas that one would derive from the Bible. If we were to learn ethics from the Bible, what examples and principles could we find?

Environmentalism?: There is no concept of environmentalism in the Bible. Surely we have a responsibility to look after the world. Genesis, 1; 28 gives the impression that we should take what we want from the earth with no thought of any duty of care.
Genocide: Moses exterminated the Midianites; Numbers, 31; 15-18. The Midianites 'crime' was that they had converted some of the Israelites to their religion.
Invasion/conquest/genocide: Joshua attacked Jericho, killed all its inhabitants, and took the land that used to belong to the people of Jericho; Joshua, 6; 15-21. The people of Jericho had done no harm to the Israelites.
Mass murder: Apparently in a fit of rage, Moses ordered the indiscriminant killing of three thousand Israelites; Exodus, 32; 27-29.
Slavery: Neither Old nor New Testament - both written in an age of slavery - say anything against slavery.
Rape/slavery: Moses ordered taking all the Midianite virgins as slaves; Numbers, 31; 15-18; "but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man".
Xenophobia, or not?: Much of the Old Testament is very Xenophobic, it's the Chosen People against the world; the New Testament is much more inclusive. The question of how we should treat those who are not like us is very different in the two major divisions of the Bible. Is the Old Testament wrong on this point? If so, is it wrong on other points too?
Love, forgiveness, kindness: We are told that Christianity is a religion with all these virtues, but then what sort of a loving God condemns sinners to an eternity in Hell?
Justice: The Bible states that the only way to Heaven is through Jesus Christ. Apparently all those people who had the misfortune to be born before Jesus, or who never heard of Christianity, were condemned to Hell even if they lead exemplary lives. Is this justice?

Ethical examples from the history of Christianity

Intolerance of religious interpretation: From the time that Roman Emperor Theodosius I adopted Christianity (around 390AD) to Martin Luther (around 1517) Christians ruthlessly punished or executed anyone who tried to adopt variations of Christianity that didn't suit the official line. Adherents to variations on Christianity such as the Gnostics and Cathars – and many other sects and religions who have been quite lost to history – were exterminated. (More elsewhere.)
Corruption: When the Catholic Church had things its own way, before the Reformation of the 16th century, it was terribly corrupt (consider the sale of 'indulgences', etc.) There is no evidence that the Church is any more moral than any other big organisation.
Child abuse: The very numerous cases of sexual abuse of children within Church organisations that have come to light during the past couple of decades was bad enough, but the Church hierarchies (several denominations) tried to hide the crimes rather than stop them. Before the recent sexual abuse came to light there was physical and mental cruelty in Catholic schools and orphanages.
Control by fear: Christian churches (and Muslim communities) control the faithful and keep them from the exercise of free thought by instilling in them the fear of eternal damnation.

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