Whose Morality?

Over 20 years ago I made an international ministry trip with Faculty Commons staff and some faculty.  One of those faculty was a clinical psychologist who had some interesting experience and wisdom.  I plied him with questions, and I recall one question even so many years later.  

I asked, “What is your opinion of legislating morality?”

He quickly, but wisely responded, “All legislation is legislating someone’s morality.”

This simple statement has BROAD utility in academe and other segments of society.  Every policy, every initiative, every curriculum change is promulgating someone’s philosophy, someone’s morality, someone’s worldview.  The public university is very sensitive to ensure that religious views are never legislated, but is this really possible.  Except for the most trivial issues, policies, programs, even curricula arise from someone’s philosophy and morality.  They promote it because they feel it is “right” to do so.

Some of my colleagues claim not be immoral but amoral.  This is generally a red herring.  If an issue is important, then they generally have strong feelings which arise from some underlying belief or philosophy.  Statistically speaking, it is not likely to a Christian philosophy, but it is important to realize that it arises from some belief system.  They may disavow conventional religion, but they have a personal religion based on their beliefs, and they are often fervently vocal and enthusiastic about it.

We ought to be as shrewd as a snake, as gentle as doves.  But when our colleagues and friends wax eloquent about policy we need to shrewdly but gently point out that we are legislating someone’s morality, no matter what we decide.