Modern Morality exists in-spite of Biblical theology - Guest Post by Jesse Parker

Biblical influence is a widely attributed source of morality in the United States. Scripture

is often cited as foundational to the origins of morality, ethics and ‘good’ behavior. Yet,

much of the Christian community fails to recognize society deviates from the ideals and

principles dictated by the Christian Bible. The abandonment of Old Testament law is

perhaps one of the most significant secular church developments. Confusion in the

pews arises when evaluating the importance of the Ten Commandments, all the while

rejecting other archaic beliefs such as the sins of wearing mixed fabrics or cutting off

hands for the crime of theft. So how did the Christian church decide which biblical ideals

to reject and which to keep?

Society has moved on from many of the Biblical moralistic ideals, as they would result in

an extremely violent, unequitable and repressive world. Numerous denominations make

the claim that the Old Testament can be set aside and not adhered while also dictating

that the ten commandments are central to the moral framework of humanity. Cherry-

picking Old Testament concepts and rejecting others speaks to even the Christian

community’s gravitation towards a secular world. Rejecting biblical doctrine to reflect

modern humanitarian ideals is a secular development within the Christian community.

Stating modern morality is directly linked to biblical scripture would be like stating that

modern medicine is directly linked to medieval bloodletting. Arguably, secular humanist

principles are having a significantly greater impact on Christianity than Christianity is

having on secular America. Jesus makes at least 5 explicit statements in the New

Testament commanding the Old Testament laws be followed. The New Testament and

the words of Jesus have been reinterpreted and even abandoned in recognition that

society can no longer accept these ideas as the morality we know today continues to

transform beyond a religious framework.

Christian dissociation from both Old and New Testament commands is evidenced by the

nearly 45,000 denominations that constitute the modern church. The Christian

community is unable to agree on what parts of the Bible matter, which should be

adhered or which to reject. There are a few basic ideals in which they agree, however,

denominations wildly divert from one another and often result in highly conflicting

theological interpretations. Some congregations support and affirm LGBTQ members,

while other denominations consider the Old Testament command to kill gay people as

reasonable to their theology. Not once is slavery explicitly discouraged in the Bible. In

fact, many Civil War era congregations and political leaders cited scripture to justify the

continued enslavement of African Americans. Abolitionists struggled to find anything in

scripture that blatantly denounced slavery and was unable to find an explicit theological

rebuttal. Yet, their southern counterparts have a wide array of Biblical theology that

reinforced their desire to maintain ownership of African Americans. We have a variety of

biblical examples that show the texts can be very direct and concise; “Do not kill, Do not

covet, Do not have other gods, Do not steal.” If only there had been an 11 th

commandment, to not own slaves.

The New Testament creates additional wrinkles in the idea that modern morality is a

Biblical development. A wide number of congregations view the Old Testament as

superseded or transformed by Jesus and the New Testament. This belief is often used

as justification for the acceptance of God’s murderous and violent character in the Old

Testament, that Jesus has transformed morality into a more accepting and loving

foundation. Yet- many of the teachings of Jesus have become relegated to the past.

There are a surprising number of teachings by Jesus that now do not present as active

values in modern conservative Christianity.

1.) Nonviolence

(Matthew 5, Luke 6)

“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you… turn the other cheek.”

A strong majority of the Christian community gravitates towards the Republican

party. Modern republican ideals, beginning during the Cold War, have repeatedly

demonstrated the value of war and U.S Interventionism across the globe.

Eisenhower oversaw coups and interventions. Nixon escalated the Vietnam War.

Reagan revived the hawkish stance on the 1980s in places like Grenada,

Lebanon and the proxy wars in Latin America. But perhaps the Global War on

Terror is a more recent reflection of Christian propensity to gravitate towards

violence and war. In 2025, violence and force appear to be an acceptable means

to control minorities and immigrants under the Trump administration. Modern ties

of American Exceptionalism with Christianity have been a powerful ideological

comingling resulting in the desire and willingness to continue foreign wars,

intervene militarily, and militarize police forces.

2.) Wealth Sharing

(Mathew 19:21, Luke 6: 30, Matthew 5:42, Luke 12:16, Luke 10:25)

“If you want to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you

will have treasure in heaven.” “ For I was hungry and you gave me something to

eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink..”

I can’t decide which is a better example of the abandonment of scripture relating

to wealth. Is it the prosperity gospel evidenced by people like Jesse Duplantis,

Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, or Joel Osteen? Perhaps the rejection of social

programs to feed the poor, house the homeless and provide free healthcare are a

more accurate representation of conservative Christian values. Christians may

apply such principles in anecdotal ways in their own life that satiate their desire to

fulfill these Biblical concepts. Volunteering at the soup kitchen, donating $100 to

the homeless shelter, or giving canned goods to the food bank seem to be about

the extent of wealth sharing the Christian Church is interested. Localized efforts

by the church to provide social services are inept and incapable of providing a

much more robust system in which people in need are truly taken care of and

given resources to succeed. Modern conservatives reject the idea that feeding

the hungry, housing the homeless and providing free healthcare are suitable

efforts of federal or state governments. Personal responsibility and economic

conservatism appear to be primary staples of reasoning among Christians to

justify denying social programs that would fulfill the very commands of Jesus. I’m

not sure why helping larger groups of people through social programs would not

be a desirable effort, given the red words. But again, much of the Christian

community is not interested in giving up their wealth in any meaningful way to

make a long-term impact on those in need. The most robust tools society

possesses (government programs) to fulfill these New Testament commands are

rejected as a feasible option by much of the conservative church. As time goes

on, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to see how modern conservative

Christianity is in any way a reflection of the words of Jesus.

3.) Divorce and Remarriage

( Matthew 5:31)

“It has been said, Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of

divorce. But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual

immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced

woman commits adultery.”

This makes me ponder the county clerk in Kentucky, Kim Davis, who became

known for rejecting same-sex marriage certificates due to her religious beliefs

regarding the sanctity of marriage. She stated, “to issue a marriage license which

conflicts with God’s definition of marriage… would violate my conscience.” Let’s

not overlook that Kim Davis has been married 4 different times, became pregnant

before her first divorce was finalized, and her twins were fathered by her third

husband but were then adopted by her second/fourth husband.

The greater reality of divorce in the Christian community is far more

representative of modern society and reflects the secular movement within

modern Christianity. Christians are divorcing for a variety of reasons; abuse,

infidelity, abandonment, child-rearing disagreements, financial strains and

general marital dissatisfaction. Perhaps a few denominations remain steadfast to

the non-negotiable dynamics of marriage, but most of the Christian community

ignore Jesus’ command in this instance. This secular development recognizes

the implications of marital failure on one’s future and accepts this deviation from

scripture which reflects social progress.

4.) Renouncing Family Ties/ Family Division

(Matthew 10:34)

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to

bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a

daughter against her mother, A man’s enemies will be the members of his own

household. Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy

of me.”

In this chapter, Jesus warns that following him will sometimes divide families and

highlights that allegiance to him takes precedence over family harmony. Yet, what

is the modern outcome for religious families with secular members? Are the

secular family members rejected and denied? Generally, no. While some families

do reject gay, transgender and atheist members- keeping the peace and allowing

the family unit to remain intact takes priority over abandonment in many

households. There are a variety of examples of Jesus demanding that family

never come before god, but in modern society, and in function, families can and

do remain intact despite religious differences.

5.) Sabath Observance

(Matthew 24)

I can only presume the number of Christians working on the Sabath is quite high.

Outdated or not, a large swathe of the church doesn’t seem to mind rejecting this

instruction by Jesus and it is certainly not a reflection of modern morality.

6.) Sermon on the Mount Teachings

(Matthew 5-7)

The sermon on the mount may indeed be Jesus’ dissertation for morality and

spiritual principles. Which of those is reflected as the originating source of human

morality? Are the socially marginalized being accepted by the Christian church?

Or are they being welcomed by the progressive and secular communities? Does

Jesus’ command to forgive and be generous to those in need reflect societal

values of the Christian community or progressive groups? Is the Christian

church adhering to the Golden rule, “Do to others what you would have them do

to you?” Are Christian communities encouraging broad programs to support the

homeless, the hungry and the poor? Jesus’ call for radical love and mercy does

not seem to be of importance to conservative religious groups regarding

immigrants, homelessness or the LGBTQ community or groups deemed as

outsiders to the Christian tradition.

The Christian community may scoff at the idea that many of these principles are being

brought into light to exemplify the modern deviation from original scripture. But these

examples are the point in question. These concepts such as wearing mixed fabrics, not

working on the Sabbath, or plucking one’s own eyes out exemplify modern Christianity’s

reinterpretation, and in many cases, abandonment of basic Biblical principles. There is a

recognition by the Christian community that these beliefs are outdated, dangerous and

would be extraordinarily detrimental to society. The idea that the Bible is the

foundational source of morality while the Christian church simultaneously rejects or

ignores large quantities of its teachings doesn’t persuade me that it is morality’s source

of truth. Claiming the Bible is the ultimate source and foundation of modern morality

does not hold up to scrutiny. The claim is absent of evidence. We do not need a god or

holy book to know that murder, rape, theft, abuse or other wrongdoings are harmful.

Considering the U.S prison population is predominately theistic, some studies estimate

a nearly 98% rate of inmates believing in a god or holding religious beliefs. Estimates

conclude that 82% of prison inmates will be arrested once again within 10 years of their

release. Clearly, belief in a god, or adhering to religious principles is not much of a

bulwark against crime.

The claim that morality is a direct reflection of scripture appears to be an idiom or

punchline that is used to validate the belief system. This approach is highly problematic

and doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. Social morality and ethics are a far deviation from

Biblical principles. It’s also reasonable to suggest that modern Christian congregations

hardly adhere to the fundamental dynamics in the Old or New Testaments. Current

Christian trends seem to reflect a drive-through like approach to Biblical beliefs. Show

up on Sunday, pick a few items that sound nice, pick up at the second window and head

home to watch football. If they can’t find a palatable option from their local

congregations, they are then able to create the 45,0001 st denomination that is the one,

true, interpretation of god.