Rationalization
The stories of Lindsay Clancy, who strangled her three kids, and the governor of New York signing a Medical Assisted Suicide bill, are tragic. They both represent the philosophy to rationalize murder. Life does not belong to the courts, nor the government. Life belongs to God, and we have no right to take a life that belongs to Him. God says, that He hates the shedding of innocent blood, and the result will pollute the land. Polluting the land is the deterioration of our society, all related to the killing of the innocent. Unless there is a shift to the One who shed His innocent blood for the forgiveness of our sins, people will suffer the consequences of ignoring the Sixth Commandment, “You shall not murder.” Remember, God cannot be mocked, a man reaps what he sows.
Rationalization Our Way of Getting Away with Murder
In Proverbs 6:16-17 there is a list of behavior that God hates, and one of them is the shedding of innocent blood. In Exodus 23:7 it commands people to never kill an innocent person. So, why are we doing it? There was a day when society was governed by the rule of law that was based upon the Ten Commandments. We even had it in our classrooms across the country, and it is prominently displayed in the chambers of the Supreme Court. Yet, today we have removed these moral standards that guided our earlier days as a country, and now we rationalize them through our modern thinking.
For example, from Grok.com
1. You shall have no other gods before me.
· “I’m not worshiping money/career/success/politics/my kids … I’m just prioritizing them practically.”
2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image (or any likeness to worship).
· “It’s not an idol … it’s just art / a symbol / a reminder / cultural heritage.”
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
· “It’s just an expression / habit / cultural speech; I don’t mean it literally.”
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
· “The Sabbath was for ancient agrarian societies … modern life doesn’t allow a full day off.”
5. Honor your father and your mother.
· “They were toxic / abusive / wrong about everything, so I don’t owe them respect.”
6. You shall not murder.
· “It’s not murder if it’s self-defense / war / capital punishment / abortion under certain circumstances / euthanasia to end suffering.”
7. You shall not commit adultery.
· “We weren’t in love anymore / the marriage was already dead emotionally.”
8. You shall not steal.
· “It’s not really stealing if the company / government / rich person can afford it / overcharges anyway.”
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
· “It was just a white lie / exaggeration to protect someone’s feelings / avoid conflict.”
10. You shall not covet (your neighbor’s house, wife, servants, ox, donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s).
· “Wanting what others have is just motivation / inspiration / the American Dream.”
Galatians 6:7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.
A Final Thought
Our society is polluting the land by deteriorating the fabric of what makes people live in harmony with each other. We will reap what we have sown, and society cannot survive the killing of our young in the womb, along with killing the aged when life seems to be unkind. God is patient with us because He wants no one to perish, but our time for judgment may not be far off. If God hates the killing of the innocent, He has been merciful to have waited this long to bring retribution to a society without a conscience. Society will reap what they have sown by ignoring God’s rules of moral order.
Challenging the Culture with Truth … Larry Kutzler