Paul Tillich said “Agape is the absolute moral principle, the ‘star’ above the chaos of relativism.”
The ethics of “relativism” is also the ethics of “absolutism.” To say “all ethics are grounded in relativism” is to make an absolute statement. It becomes a Zeno’s Paradox. It refutes itself.
Chaos is the result of relativism. In Mel Gibson’s movie, “The Patriot,” there is a dramatic moment at the end where Gibson gives his recently widowed daughter-in-law a neckless. His words say it all:
“I have something for you.
It belonged to Gabriel’s mother.
It’s the North Star.
It’s the only star in the sky that doesn’t move.
It’s constant…unwavering..a guide.”
In my book, “The Love Ethic: Rediscovering Our Moral Compass” I’ve tried to show that our North Star today is AGAPE, “God’s love.” It is not the Bible, though the Bible is it’s revelation. The Bible is the finger that points to it. The finger that points to the star, is not the star.
© [Terry A Bell] and [The Love Ethic], [2009]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [Terry Bell] and [The Love Ethic] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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