LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Assignment Title: Ethical issues related to socio economic existence of a devoted Christian
Course: CHMN 699 - Internship
Student: Kristine Sage
Date: January 29, 2022
Professor: Dr. Joel Breidenbaugh
Infertility, Reproductive Technology, and Adoption
Infertility has been a source of deep sorrow, for all of human history, as is evident from several
narratives in Scripture where God’s people are encouraged to trust him in the midst of such sadness.
Modern medicine in general is morally good, and it is right to use medical solutions to infertility, but
within the constraints of other moral principles in Scripture, including the protection of human life and
the protection of marriage.
Morally acceptable types of reproductive technology include, in appropriate circumstances,
artificial insemination by husband, in vitro fertilization without the destruction of embryos, embryo
adoption, and prefertilization genetic screening for genetic diseases. Morally unacceptable types of
reproductive technology include in vitro fertilization with selective reduction, artificial insemination by
donor, surrogate motherhood, and cloning. Scripture views adoption as a wonderful blessing both for
parents and for the children who are adopted.
Pornography
God’s moral standards in Scripture require us to avoid longing for sexual intercourse with someone
apart from being married to that person. Therefore it is morally wrong, according to Scripture, to create,
acquire, and view photographs whose primary purpose is to arouse in people sexual desires that are
contrary to God’s moral standards, and that is the primary purpose of pornography. Pornography brings
harmful results to people’s spiritual lives, their marriages and other relationships, and their
communities. It is appropriate for governments to make and enforce reasonable laws restricting the
production and sale of pornography. Chapter
Divorce and Remarriage
God’s original plan is for lifelong, monogamous marriage. The rate of divorce among Christians who
attend church regularly is far smaller than that of the general population. Divorce commonly brings
many harmful consequences. In some situations, God tolerated and regulated divorce in the Old
Testament. In the New Testament, Jesus allowed for both divorce and remarriage on account of
adultery. Paul added irreconcilable desertion as a second legitimate reason for divorce.
In cases of physical abuse, both the church and often the civil authority must act to see that the
abuse is immediately stopped. Immediate physical separation is often necessary. Some evangelicals
argue that physical abuse should be a third legitimate reason for divorce, but the scriptural support for
that position is not sufficient. The arguments by David Instone-Brewer, that divorce should be allowed
because of material or emotional neglect, are not persuasive. Divorce because of incompatibility is not
justified by Scripture.
People who have been divorced for unbiblical reasons and then have married someone else should
now stay married to their present spouses. Such marriages began with adultery but they are now
legitimate marriages and should not be considered adulterous. The phrase “husband of one wife” (1
Tim. 3:2) should not be used to prevent divorced people from holding office in the church. The
arguments in favor of the “no divorce and no remarriage” view and the “divorce but no remarriage”
view are not persuasive.
Homosexuality and Transgenderism
God’s original design is for human sexual conduct to occur only within the context of marriage
between one man and one woman. Homosexual conduct is one of several kinds of sexual relations
outside of marriage that are prohibited in Scripture. The arguments of Matthew Vines and others,
claiming that the Bible does not speak about persons with an unchangeable homosexual orientation, are
not persuasive. The Bible’s solution to homosexuality is trusting in Christ for the forgiveness of sin, the
imputation of righteousness, and the power to change.
Recent arguments that some people are “born gay,” that scientific evidence shows that some
people have a homosexual genetic makeup, and that many homosexual relationships today are
beneficial, are not persuasive. Attending a same-sex wedding ceremony, or using one’s artistic skills to
contribute to such a ceremony, gives a public signal of approval for something that Scripture considers
morally wrong.
Regarding claims of transgender identity, God created only two sexes, male and female, and the
differences between male and female are inextricably tied to the differing reproductive anatomy of male
and female bodies. God intends that a person’s gender identity should be determined by that person’s
biological sex.
Property: The Goodness and Necessity of Private Ownership of Property
The commandment “You shall not steal” implies private ownership of property, because it implies
that there are some things that belong to certain people and not to others. The moral goodness of the
idea of private property is reaffirmed in both the Old and New Testaments. Communism seeks to abolish
private property, and is therefore horribly dehumanizing. Ownership of property is a stewardship
responsibility given by God, and God entrusts different people with greater or lesser stewardships.
Property provides many opportunities for glorifying God but also many temptations to sin, and it should
prompt our hearts to joy and thanksgiving to God.
Stewardship of all types provides the basis for human achievement and human flourishing on the
earth. The opposite errors of materialism and asceticism must both be avoided. The modern “health and
wealth gospel” is inconsistent with the teachings of the New Testament, especially in its teaching that if
you are a faithful Christian God will make you rich, for often he will not. But the movement is not
monolithic and a balanced assessment is needed.
Work, Rest, Vacations, and Retirement
The Bible views productive work itself as a good thing and part of God’s original purpose for human
beings before there was any sin in the world. Work can take various forms, including several kinds of
unpaid work that do good for others. Work provides opportunities for the joy that comes from “earned
success,” gives us the privilege of creating something of value for other people, and enables us to
support ourselves and express our individual identities. Work became more difficult and included painful
toil after the fall, yet we can still find joy in work. Christians can work to please the Lord in almost any
occupation. Work also provides many temptations to sin.
It is pleasing to God when we take regular times of rest from work and occasional longer vacations.
The common assumption that people should “retire” around age sixty-five and then do no productive
work for the rest of their lives finds no support in Scripture. However, most people will find themselves
able to work less with advancing age, and people who no longer need to earn a regular income may
decide to retire from full-time paid employment and find much fulfillment in volunteer work in helping
others.
Increasing Prosperity: Is More Prosperity a Good Thing?
Over the last 250 years, the population of the entire world, on average, has come to experience a
level of material prosperity approximately sixty times greater per person than what was experienced at
the time of Christ. Such increasing prosperity is part of what God originally intended for the human race
to accomplish, but material prosperity is still a matter of secondary importance, and it carries significant
dangers. God created human beings with an innate desire to create more and better economic goods.
We must take the biblical warnings about the temptations of materialism seriously, but they should not
cause us to abandon the blessings of increased prosperity.
Poverty can only be solved by increased prosperity in nations, not by attempting to compel
equality. The influence of the Bible’s moral teachings has historically brought increasing material
prosperity to nations.
Poverty and Wealth
In a world where people have different abilities and interests and receive appropriate payment for
their work, some inequality of possessions will necessarily result. Inequality in itself is not necessarily
wrong, because will be inequality of stewardships even in heaven. However, Scripture encourages us to
help those who are poor and to seek to overcome poverty. The phrase “social justice” does not occur in
Scripture and can be used with many different meanings today, with the result that it tends to confuse
rather than clarify discussions of solutions to poverty.
Christians should seek to alleviate poverty both through helping individual people and through
bringing about biblically-oriented changes in the laws, governmental policies, and cultural values in a
society. Immediate short-term efforts to alleviate poverty through work by individuals, Christian
organizations, and government welfare programs are all important and must be continued, but short-
term help is not enough.
For individuals, the permanent solution to poverty is providing opportunities and skills for
productive jobs, and these primarily come through private businesses. For entire nations, the only
permanent solution to poverty is increasing the nation’s gross domestic product, and this must be
brought about through changes in multiple factors in a nation’s economic system, governmental laws,
and cultural beliefs and values.
Scripture contains numerous warnings about the dangers of wealth but does not contain an
outright condemnation of having much wealth. Governments must punish those who have gained
wealth by illegal and immoral activities, but must also allow freedom for anyone to become wealthy by
legal means. An analysis of the influential book Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger by Ron Sider shows
that it contains several helpful emphases, but he incorrectly identifies the main problem as “affluence”
rather than poverty, and incorrectly identifies the primary solution as “generosity” and increased
government control rather than increased economic productivity and increased economic freedom.
Personal Financial Stewardship
Stewardship of our personal property in accordance with biblical teachings will include (1) wise
giving, (2) wise saving, and (3) wise spending. Both the Old and New Testaments teach that God’s people
should give away some of what they earn. The Old Testament standard was to give a tithe (ten percent)
plus other offerings and sacrifices. The New Testament does not specify a percentage but encourages
generous giving, motivated by trust in God, and promises several blessings for those who give. Giving an
inheritance to one’s children is appropriate, but requires wisdom.
It is right to save for a time when we cannot support ourselves, for unforeseen emergencies, and
for other purposes, but saving money also carries temptations. It is possible to save too much, or to save
too little. There are advantages and disadvantages in different types of saving and investing.
We must spend something to provide ourselves with food, clothing, shelter, and other things.
Spending turns money into goods and services that we should use and enjoy with thanksgiving to God. It
is possible to spend too much, and it is possible to spend too little. Scripture does not contain any
explicit prohibition against gambling, but it is usually an unwise use of a person’s money. Gambling
businesses bring several harmful consequences to society.
