There has been an ongoing discussion in one of my circles of association about whether it is possible, or perhaps a better word would be 'reasonable', for an atheist to embrace chivalry.
Now, I have never made any apologies for the fact that I am a born-again Christian. Any view I have of the world is invariably going to be tinted by the lenses of that faith. And so it is with Chivalry. I see the chivalrous lifestyle as an outward expression of an internal belief.
But is a faith in Jesus Christ necessary in order to be chivalrous? Absolutely not. Anyone of any faith, or no faith at all, can treat people with that same level of respect (and regrettably, in some cases greater levels) and even share my views of right and wrong. But to me it makes a lot more sense to have that faith in God. To me, He is the reason we should treat others with respect and courtesy. To me, He is the reason there is right and wrong to begin with.
Does that mean I am perfect? Please. But what it does mean is that I have a 'true North' upon which to base the decisions I make. There's no way that can be a bad thing. For my non-believing friends who have chosen to take a similar Pilgrimage, my biggest worry is this; what is their 'true North'?
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Without getting into a discussion that would never end, let me say that you do not need to be a Christian to have a true North. I value not only the lives of my fellow humans, but also those of all animals and plants and most of the insect world (though I do not allow obnoxious insects in my house - some are stopped by organic pest control and others are safely vacuumed up and tossed outside). As long as one's beliefs and actions do not harm the world, why can't anyone of any faith be just as chivalrous as a Christian?
ReplyDeleteThey can, La. And that sums up my point perfectly. My stance where faith is concerned is very simple. It's not my job to beat anyone into submission so that they become a Christian. Everybody's gonna have the chance to square up with Him one day. But it becomes a careful vetting process of picking that North if one looks only in the natural world. Thanks for following!
ReplyDeleteWell put, Kevin. The only problem with some who are professed atheists lies in their knee jerk reaction to anything that they perceive as Christian. And I wonder if they have the same reaction to other religions? I doubt it, because ultimately the reaction is against the basic premise that all have sinned and deserve death. This is so misunderstood that it leads them to reject the entire content of the Bible and thereby locks them out of being able to understand Christian thought. And this is sad because we know the peace (beyond understanding) and happiness of a renewed heart and mind.
ReplyDeleteGentlemen you are under some misunderstanding an atheist does not seek his moral guidance through cherry picking characteristics from the 'natural world'.
ReplyDeleteI cannot speak for atheists on the whole, but the more scientific literate ones(whose grade I barely make)would point to the evidence concerning the evolution of morality. I have touched on this fascinating subject before on the forum.
On top of these precursors we can add human cultural development. Looking back through our history this development can easily be traced (even for a non historian like myself).
Do I have a 'true north'? Well, the 'Golden Rule' is a mighty fine one to measure myself against. It seems, at least to me, to form the very bedrock of ethical behaviour. Far older than the book of Matthew, it perhaps has its deepest roots in evolutionary reciprocal behaviour.