Religion and Ethics

Reflection #2 (September 2022)

Reaction:
- Strength/weakness of each view
- Which is Biblical based and why
1. Strengths and weakness
Antinomianism
- The strength of it is that it promotes people’s freedom since there are no laws or restrictions
implemented.
- Its weakness is that it doesn’t follow any principles, against the law, and in contrasts to
everything the Bible teaches.
Situationism
- The strength is that it is flexible since it adheres on a given situation.
- It’s weakness is that it seemed instant and solely based on the context of the entire situation.
People’s motive could be right due to the given situation, but the method might be wrong.
Generalist
- The strength is that it is generalist, which recognizes the concerns of most people and other
elements.
- It’s weakness is that it objectively denies absolute moral laws and has a dependency which
leads to have limitations/restrictions.
Unqualified absolutism
- The strength is that those who follow this always avoid doing something that is wrong and thus
always doing what is right. Fulfills absolute moral laws.
- It’s weakness is that when applied, there might be situations that neglect others’ concerns.
Conflicting absolutism
- The strength is that people who follow this view somehow fulfill absolute moral laws and
people can be forgiven.
- The weakness is that people who follow this view might fully rely on God’s mercy but does sin
again. It does not fulfill every moral rule which applies to the situation.
Graded absolutism
- The strength is that it follows the greater good, and fulfills absolute moral laws. It also seeks on
which God commandment is applicable.
- The weakness is there might be a hesitance on the absolute nature of a given command.

2. Which is Biblical based and why

- Among these ethical views, the Biblical standard follows Graded absolutism. According to
Matthew 5:19, Jesus points about the nature of sin and declares the heaven’s standard/purpose of
the given law/commands in which, some laws are higher/weightier that must follow than the
other law/commands (Matt 5:19, Matt 22:36). Great example of this is the first and greatest
commandment which is “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3), in which
terms that we shall love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind (God as our first
priority). In the Christian view, the greater absolute is judged by how ‘much greater’ it aligns
with the Great commandments.