Christians view on moral dilemmas

[whiteIdea]

Hello.

Can God create a situation in which a Christian has to face a moral dilemma and go for "the lesser sin"? (I.e. to choose the smaller evil) Or should the Christian look for a third alternative that he/she cannot see at that time, to do only good?

In Bible is written that the will of God for a life of a Christian is to abstain from every kind of evil.

But in life there are moral dilemmas..

Here is Google's definition of a dilemma: "a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two or more alternatives, especially ones that are equally undesirable"

 

[Abaxvahl]

Hello.

Can God create a situation in which a Christian has to face a moral dilemma and go for "the lesser sin"? (I.e. to choose the smaller evil) Or should the Christian look for a third alternative that he/she cannot see at that time, to do only good?

Here is Google's definition of a dilemma: "a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two or more alternatives, especially ones that are equally undesirable"

No such situation is possible, there is always a good and evil choice. While the good choice may seem undesirable to our fallen selves it is the one to be chosen. There is never a situation where one has to sin, see 1 Cor 10:13: "Temptation [or 'trial'] has not come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful, who will not permit you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but will also make a way out together with the temptation, so that you may be able to endure it."

 

[Gregory Thompson]

Or should the Christian look for a third alternative

Always look for a third redemptive solution.

The either or tends to be made up of non-choices by design nowadays.

 

[whiteIdea]

Hello.

I have conducted a research already. There are dilemmas in life. Eg trolley problem, or Sophie's Choice.

I hope that there is a solution, I hope that we are here to only do good as Bible says.

But in both trolley problem and Sophie's Choice, if you do good to one, you do evil to the other...

 

[Abaxvahl]

Hello.

I have conducted a research already. There are dilemmas in life. Eg trolley problem, or Sophie's Choice.

I hope that there is a solution, I hope that we are here to only do good as Bible says.

But in both trolley problem and Sophie's Choice, if you do good to one, you do evil to the other...

A dilemma doesn't mean that one choice isn't good. A good act can have some evil effects but not itself be evil at all, for instance: the whole life of Jesus. Due to Jesus being born or in connection with it people blasphemed God, murdered many children, murdered God Himself, mocked God, etc. But Jesus is entirely without sin. Therefore we can see from that and the case of God permitting evil in creation that permitting evil or having some bad effects of a thing is not in itself sinful.

For both of these dilemmas the answer is simple: don't pull the lever, give whichever child you want (assuming there are no more relevant factors with the children, I haven't seen the film).

 

[whiteIdea]

Thank you Abaxvahl for your insightful posts.

So you are saying that there is always a choice of doing good, even it this choice can have evil consequences?

On a different discussion forum a man wrote, that in the Sophie's Choice, the mother is selecting which child to do good. But there is a consequence of an evil to the other child.

 

[Abaxvahl]

Thank you Abaxvahl for your insightful posts.

So you are saying that there is always a choice of doing good, even it this choice can have evil consequences?

On a different discussion forum a man wrote, that in the Sophie's Choice, the mother is selecting which child to do good. But there is a consequence of an evil to the other child.

Indeed, even with some evil consequences it can be moral to do. With Sophie's Choice the main problem is that it was forced upon you, so taking one of your children with you to the labor camp is not some immoral act in itself.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Hello.

Can God create a situation in which a Christian has to face a moral dilemma and go for "the lesser sin"? (I.e. to choose the smaller evil) Or should the Christian look for a third alternative that he/she cannot see at that time, to do only good?

In Bible is written that the will of God for a life of a Christian is to abstain from every kind of evil.

But in life there are moral dilemmas..

Here is Google's definition of a dilemma: "a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two or more alternatives, especially ones that are equally undesirable"

I think the term moral dilemma is a misnomer. Either way you go its a bad choice so neither have anything to do with morality. There is only one choice that is moral.
Blessings.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Hello.

I have conducted a research already. There are dilemmas in life. Eg trolley problem, or Sophie's Choice.

I hope that there is a solution, I hope that we are here to only do good as Bible says.

But in both trolley problem and Sophie's Choice, if you do good to one, you do evil to the other...

Are you sure she did not spare her daughter from pain and suffering? Her choice was one of love as she knew her son would have more of a chance of survival than her daughter. This was not a moral choice but one of instinct. As far as killing one to save many, that is always up to the person willing to sacrifice their life for others. Jesus Christ of Nazareth did this for all of us.

 

[SkyWriting]

Hello.

Can God create a situation in which a Christian has to face a moral dilemma and go for "the lesser sin"?

There is only one moral dilemma. You can choose to be perfect or you can choose to judge sins.
You must choose one or the other. This is where the "dilemma" occurs when you choose to be perfect and judge the sins of others.

 

[com7fy8]

Can God create a situation in which a Christian has to face a moral dilemma and go for "the lesser sin"? (I.e. to choose the smaller evil)

Well, I would say Satan is constantly setting up impossible choices. So, God "doesn't have to".

Even if God were to arrange some impossible choice situation, I would say He would want me to submit to Him and be guided to make His choice . . . even in His peace > Colossians 3:15 > all or us in Jesus are "called in one body" to obey how our Father rules us in His peace > so-o-o . . . if we have been learning how to do this and some impossible item comes along, simply keep submitting to our Father and do what He has us doing in sharing with Him First, pray and be encouraged in the LORD, then do what He has us do.

Now, I am willing to get more complicated, if anyone wants >

"Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted by God;' for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone." (James 1:13)

So, of course, God is not the One who will try to get us tangled up so we suppose we have to choose between doing one or another evil thing.

But we already have impossible choices to make, all the time. So, we don't need a Sophia or a switch thing.

For one example > you might have so much money. Do you feed yourself or a needy people on the street or send it to a child rescue thing of a missionary? What you use for yourself could go to the needy or to orphans in another country. If you live, you might just have fun with your spouse for another fifty years. A needy person might use the money to buy booze and die of alcohol poisoning. A child might live to be kidnapped by ISIS people and become the next head of ISIS. Or, you could live to give more and more to different people. Or, the needy person could become the next Ben Carson who surgically separates twins joined at the brain, then becomes the Cabinet member in charge of urban housing. Or, the child might become a missionary who helps to rescue other children . . . or sends a missionary with food just in time to rescue you from starving to death

May be there is a reason why Adam and Eve were told not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil Perhaps, we are wise to not take it on ourselves to try to figure things out, or to be self-congratulating self-proclaimed hero-saviors of the earth.

And instead simply submit to God and discover what He has us doing with Him. And then we may discover His family caring and sharing life which is more and better than the lives which selfish people are trying to save >

"'He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.'" (John 12:25)

Those people on the track, for all we know, might have been living selfishly so they were at the wrong place at the wrong time, and a psychopath captured them and put them on the track; so they could be getting what Jesus guarantees to all who love their own lives. In selfish stuff, a person can do his or her own self in, in various ways.

So, we need to not let ourselves be isolated in our own controlling of our moral choices. Satan will isolate people, so he can divide and conquer.

What about a situation with children, then, and Mom is told to choose between them? If they are God's children, He will never leave us nor forsake us. So, this could have something to do with how things can go or can not go. What if they are all truly God's children? He can have her choose one, and things can work out for the other child. The stronger child very likely would say, "Mom, take my sister." And greater love has no one than to lay one's life down for one's friends. It is not a sin to die. But God can have things work out differently than however Satan might use evil to make things look.

I personally would first simply trust God to have me make the choice He pleases. And it is possible I would not choose between one person versus a group. And it is possible I would tell Satanic people, no you will not have power over me to make me choose between my own children, and you will answer to God. And I would trust that God then would control how things went.

I have imagined being given a gun and told I must shoot one of my children, or some terrorist, maybe, will kill all of us. No, I will not make a choice like that, plus I will not use the gun to kill the evil leader who claims I have to make such a choice; because I understand Jesus does not want me to hurt even an evil person.

So, therefore, yes Satan will rig things to make me look bad if I hold to this. but it is written >

"nor give place to the devil." (Ephesians 4:24)

I think this can mean not to make any commitment, in advance, for dealing with something that Satan would use to demand and control our attention. But commit our way and our attention to God.

So, whether a person arranges a real or an imagined situation like these . . . are you doing this for God, or in order to entangle people in knowledge of good and evil, or something else? Pray about if God wants us to be concerned with things like this.

God is able to make things much more challenging! We can be in situations where we need to know which person to give our loving attention, who to pray for. How to forgive a certain person, who to marry, who to trust and how to trust each person or not to trust someone. These choices can have major effects on our lives and the lives of others . . . possibly more important than simply if someone lives or dies; but what is especially important is if we and others are finding out how to love and relate so we can help others to know God and love . . . for eternity.

Jesus says "You are the salt of the earth" (in Matthew 5:13). Salt in a stew spreads all through the stew to bring out the flavor.

Every thing God has you do spreads God's own grace which helps to change people to become and to love like Jesus, so a person can reap of this for eternity > 1 Peter 4:9-10. This is how important every child of God is. Possibly, there are a number of unsaved presidents who in all their lifetimes combined have not accomplished what you with God can do with your prayer and good example in just one day.

So, we are in a totally different kingdom than where ones are worrying only or mainly about their own children and making moral choices about a few people in hopes of making it through what they suppose the day of judgment will be about. So, beware that Satan does not get your attention tangled up where you don't belong >

"No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier." (2 Timothy 2:4)

 

[Bob Crowley]

Sometimes it's a case of the lesser evil, and the decision is not clear cut.

To allow a psychopathic dictator like Saddam Hussein to continue to control his country was to tolerate an evil situation. But to go in and forcibly remove him by war was another evil.

Which one was the lesser evil?

 

[EmethAlethia]

Do you lie about the spies you have hidden on your roof or tell the government where they are so they can be killed? People hid Jews and smuggled them to safety. They lied to the Germans trying to kill them. Prevent severe evil with a lie to the evil doers or participate in it. It is a choice. If you hid your kids who were Jews and the Germans asked you where they were so they could kill them are you going to tell them so you can watch them get raped and murdered or lie?

And yes, there are people making these same types of decisions all around the world today. And as for me, I do my best to not participate in anything evil by exposing what is good to harm because I wanted to take the moral high ground. A lie or getting innocents killed by those truly evil because I helped them... Nope. I'll lie right to their faces. Yes, God can do miracles and save people from being cast into the furnace. Sometimes God uses people willing to lie to the evil people of the world to do the saving for Him and their entire families are spared later on. Rahab was even one of the descendants of Christ Himself.