Oxford Language Dictionary says that morals are a person's standards of behavior or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for them to do.
I’m not a big fan of this definition. It makes morals sound like they can change or be altered based on the individual.
I believe morality comes down to what we know deep down inside as right and wrong. Because if morals can be changed and manipulated what makes them worth teaching or talking about?
Think about the young woman Malala- her cultural standards said she couldn’t learn because she was a woman, so why did she stand against the Taliban regime? Why didn’t her morals line up with her religious and cultural beliefs? It is because she knew the standard was wrong. As humans in the depths of our soul no matter our standards, religion, or beliefs know all people men, women, child, and elderly have value. We all have a conscious that tells us that “evil acts remain evil and good acts remain good, no matter what. Nothing can change an intrinsically evil act into a moral act”. (Source)
If morals are not based on cultural standards and beliefs, so what is the source of morality?
I believe the source of morality, the definition of good and bad, comes from God.
We were made in image of God. Made to love, made to create, made to know what is good and what is bad. This is where the ultimate morality comes into play, which is above culture and religious beliefs.
Doesn’t mean we always make the right choice. That if we are in the habit of making decision that are not right and good the easier those decisions become, and the more we justify and blame shift. Which is a change in our overall beliefs not in morality. For even a person who is amoral can be convicted in their soul to fight against the immorality they once committed.
John Newton is one example. He was in the slave trade for many years, but once he came to know God and reminded of God’s standard of good and evil, he stepped away from the slave trade and became a driving leader in the abolition of slave trade in England.
This would become the longest blog post ever if I listed all the people that have changed the world because of their moral convictions.
Because of morality’s universal nature we continue to read morality tales such as Aesop’s Fables, The boy who cried Wolf, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast and others because they remind us of simple truths our soul’s know.
That's what makes the fairy tales we love classic stories. Stories that transcend time and communicate basic truths.
Which is also why my debut children's book in an adaptation of a classic fairy tale.
Reclaiming a classic tale to solidify a Biblical truth. Beneath the Hood is an allegorical tale of the Christian faith. We are given the task to be God’s hands and feet, but often forget that our identity rests in being a child of the King of Kings. We are often distracted by the world around us and tempted to leave our faith behind or choose comfort over calling. May this book encourage both parents and children to hold with confidence our identity and purpose as children of God.
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