Connections with Christianity Handout

• “There is no one ethical system that can claim to be Christian.” Bishop John Robinson
(1919-1983)

• Christianity is traditionally dominated by natural law thinking; Situation Ethics arose out of
this background i.e. Joseph Fletcher was an Anglican Theologian, and developed his ideas,
publishing his book in 1966.

• Christian Ethics for British Ethicist Paul Ramsey became the attempt to use human reason to
probe cases, seeking to give love a shape by clarifying more precisely the kind of actions
that could or could not conform to agape.

• Bultmann claimed Jesus had no ethic i.e. Jesus did not put forward any moral theory

• Situation Ethics can be summed up in two quotes:

1. “There is only one ultimate invariable duty, and its formula is 'Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself.' How to do this is another question, but this is the whole of moral
duty (William Temple).
2. The law of love is the ultimate law because it is the negotiation of law; it is absolute
because it concerns everything concrete... The absolution of love is its power to go into
concrete situations... (Paul Tillich)

• The moral principles Fletcher is specifically referring to are the moral codes of Christianity
and the type of love he is specifically referring to is 'Agape' love.

• Joseph Butler, who argued that conscience is God-given, advanced ethical speculation by
referring to a duality of regulative principles of human nature, one of which being
“benevolence” in conscience (linked to the agape of situational ethics).

• Fletcher believed that in forming an ethical system based on love, he was best expressing the
notion of "love thy neighbour", which Jesus Christ taught in the Gospels of the New
Testament of the Bible.

• Biblical references: As a priest, Joseph Fletcher claimed situation ethics to be a true set of
Christian morals that tie in with Biblical teaching. However not all people agree with him on
this, so here are some passages of relevant biblical scripture, and it is left to the reader as to
whether the teachings of situational ethics are Biblical or not:

1. Jesus in relation to The Law and The Prophets: "Do not think that I have come to
abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. I tell
you the truth, until Heaven and Earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least
stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is
accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches
others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of Heaven, but whoever practices and
teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of Heaven."(Matthew 5:17-
19)

2. The Greatest Commandment: "One of...[the Pharisees], an expert in the law, tested
Him with this question: 'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' Jesus
replied: ''Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love
your neighbour as yourself.' All the Law and Prophets hang on these two
 commandments.'"(Matthew 22:35-40)
"One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had
given them a good answer, he asked Him, 'Of all the commandments, which is the most
important?' 'The most important one', answered Jesus, 'is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord
our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your mind and with all your
strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' There is no
commandment greater than these.' 'Well said, teacher', the man replied. 'You are right in
saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as
yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.' When Jesus saw that
he had answered wisely, he said to him, 'You are not far from the kingdom of God.'..."
(Mark 12:28-34)

3. Lord of the Sabbath: "Then He said to them, 'The Sabbath was made for man, not man
for the Sabbath...'"(Mark 2:27)

4. Jesus at a Pharisee's House: "One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a
prominent Pharisee, He was being carefully watched. There in front of Him was a man
suffering from dropsy. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, 'Is it lawful to
heal on the Sabbath or not?' But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, He
healed him and sent him away. Then He asked them, 'If one of you has a son or an ox
that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?' And
they had nothing to say."(Luke 14:1-6)

5. The relationship between Love and the Law: The Law by itself was unable to save
anyone since no one was capable of its fulfilment. Thus the Law served (initially) only
to increase sin since it posed many rules available to be broken. However, it was through
the Law (rather than by the Law) that the possibility of salvation would come. One man,
came and fulfilled the Law. This righteousness was imputed to some through faith,
which altered their eternal destiny. Now sure of a right relationship with God, and with
knowledge of God's eternal promise, they were free to enter into a genuinely loving
relationship with God, and they love God by loving others.

6. Paul talks about freedom we have in grace: "For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision
nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself
through love... You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to
indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up
in a single command: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.'"(Galatians 5:6-14)

7. Book Of Mormon Link (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints-The

Mormons): In 1 Nephi chapter 3&4 of the Book Of Mormon, Nephi is commanded to
return to Jerusalem to retrieve plates of brass from Laban which held the record of the
Jews and the genealogy of his forefathers. Nephi and his party were initially rebuffed by
Laban who had no desire to part with his records, but on a second attempt Nephi found
Laban drunk lying on the ground. He removed Laban's sword from its scabbard, and cut
off his head. It was impressed upon Nephi that " the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring
forth his righteous purposes, and that it is better that one man should perish than that a
nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief." It was no easy task for Nephi to do what
he did, but after much pondering on the importance of the records, and the consequences
of not retrieving them, he had no hesitation in doing what he had to do.