Moral Equivalency Trap
MikeR on Aug 24 2008 | Filed under: MikeR's Page
Another potential problem with “The Common Word” dialogue is its implication that the Christian Church must reform itself no less so than the Islamic community. There’s no doubt that reform is needed. Whether the issue is materialism, hypocrisy, or the politicization of the gospel, there are real problems in the Church. Yet the danger here is the trap of moral equivalency—the assumption that modern Christianity is as prone to terrorist violence as Islam.
This faulty logic causes many of us to “judge ourselves first” and supports the “don’t cast the first stone” argument. This is the trap.
I am not a Christian although I was raised in the Christian tradition. I am not defending Christianity, per se. However, I do believe this.
the Biblical concepts of human dignity and equality supplied the philosophical pillars of liberal democracy, especially in the Anglo-American tradition. Ministers on both sides of the Atlantic, for example, regularly cited the golden rule—what they called “the great rule of equity”—to argue for religious toleration and equal justice under the law.Sphere: Related Content
