Exploring the Social Imagination

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Recalling Creation Ordinances in the Social Imagination ~ Part Two!

Creations ordinances... nothing you can stomp out!

In this part two, let us remind ourselves what creation ordinances are. They were the original laws/principles for society given by God at the moment of creation. They are laws that God gave to all men. What kind of creation ordinances are we talking about? God built them into human relationships. God imposes the sanctity of life, sanctity of marriage as the union between a man and woman and God's design of family and the sanctity of labor. Even atheists will defend that much: life, marriage, family and labor. And, that's because they have it written on their hearts. 

How can I say and or believe that as a sociologist? Because, those principles: life, marriage, family and labor happen to be good information and agreed upon 'good' information does not just drop out of the sky or grow up out of the corn. Good information (codes for conduct) has a source, and that source is an absolute source. Man cannot be that source because man is only able to see from his/her relative point of view. That is why we must exist in an agreement reality as a means to overcome that kind of 'relative' darkness. But, even that requires we agree on certain absolutes as true always. 

Society 'our social imagination' also requires an absolute source, the thing which is agreed upon, as that which is necessary in order that mankind is sustained in the place where they are and doesn't plunge into the chaos of a world where everyone has their own source of morality and ethics. Even Ai aliens have an absolute source, its their programmer who built in an embedded code that tells them - AI, that everything they receive and execute is true at all times in all instances.

So, back to God's ordinances/principles include the sanctity of labor; we can read about that in His Word.  God established the principles of labor from the beginning. Also, the sanctity of the Sabbath day tied into the labor ordinance.We see multiple spheres of legal authorities: country, state, county, township, town, village... We abide by all. 

We all share in one common sphere - country or federal government. Today, we seem to struggle with the true source of those precious creation ordinances or that there is at all a true source for them. And, this disagreement or 'falling away' is causing man more harm than good. 
 
At what point is the church - body of Christ responsible to be involved in those wider spheres. Don't we have a separate of church and state? Yes. But, the church is, considering that man was given creation ordinances, directly responsible when the nation, state or county or town is derelict about carrying out creation ordinances? 
The church needs to call attention to the creation mandates. What if atheists don't like that. 
The covenant creation laws apply to all. All, especially Christians, are called upon to maintain the sanctity of life, marriage, and labor and the Sabbath day. Sadly, we see a move away from those creation ordinances in our society. 

Why is that? Let's look at 3 kinds of law: eternal, natural and positive law... which is a particular law on the books (required labeling on products). Without proper labels, this kind of selling is fraud. By allowing the improper use of labels, we violate natural laws as they protect man's right to life. The right to live is an eternal law - God's law. 

These three laws reflect each other... they live/exist one inside the other. Yet, we have a crisis today in ethical principle.... against biblical revelation which came about because of the enlightenment. Society tried to base its structure on natural law only and some claim that the US is was established on that. However, the sanctity of life, marriage and labor are intrinsic in this nation (United States); yet since new forms of denial of creation ordinances have surfaced, the confidence of the sanctity of life, marriage and labor have began to erode largely due to the movement of positivism. 

As an example, Oliver Wendell Holmes said that the law reflects the tastes and preferences of the current society; this in turn has created the legal free for all which we now live. So, the law goes to special interest groups those that rebel and deny creation ordinances as loudly as possible.

We are falling quickly living rather on the basis of expediency rather than creation ordinances and or principles. The church has to stand against this. We have to proclaim the Eternal law, which includes the natural law and also which allows us to compose positive laws. We cannot be at the tyranny of the majority, those against creation ordinances. We cannot be a solid or sustained social imagination as a society of law of men that deny God and His creation ordinances.
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2 comments :

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  2. This post and the previous were inspired by the late RC Sproul who wrote on Creation Ordinances and what the atheist believes. Some segments are direct transcript summaries of RC's theological broadcast texts.

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