“In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.”Judges 21:25
Imagine a society where everyone did what seemed right in their eyes. One thinks traffic laws should be obeyed; another thinks those laws should be bent to the particular situation. One determines it is okay to seize the opportunity presented to them regardless of the effects on others. What is right in these situations is determined relative to what each person stood to gain.
Especially since the advent of ‘situational ethics’ across our country’s college campuses in the 60s and 70s, we’ve seen a turn toward relativism and tolerance toward everything except that to which we are intolerant: no crosses in a Veteran’s cemetery, no nativities on display, “God” is allowed but “Jesus” is not. Songs about Kwanza and Hanukkah are allowed but not songs about Jesus. Just this week, a Wisconsin school insisted that the words to Silent Night be changed in the school concert, to remove the religious references.
A few months back, Pope Francis’ interview with atheist Italian journalist Eugenio Scalfari was perceived by some to indicate a turn toward relativism: a belief that everyone must indeed do what is right in their own minds. Asked if there is a single vision of good, and who decides, Francis says:
“Each of us has a vision of good and of evil. We have to encourage people to move towards what they think is good . . . Everyone has his own idea of good and evil and must choose to follow the good and fight evil as he conceives them. That would be enough to make the world a better place.”
What do you think? Would the world be a better place if everyone moved toward what they thought is good? Can we coexist peacefully in a society that was truly tolerant of differing beliefs? Can we maintain our adherence to what we each consider to be right while demonstrating extraordinary respect of each other as we each seek to discover and better understand the truth that is always true? Can you imagine ‘peace on earth’ without this?