The Absurdity of Moral Relativism: A Student’s Perspective

SeanMcDowell.org

When I was a full-time high school teacher, one of my favorite assignments was to have my students develop a creative project to illustrate what would follow if moral relativism were true. Students wrote stories, composed songs, made short films, and more.

My all-time favorite was a short poem written by a high school senior. She captures the moral absurdity that would follow if morality were truly relative to the individual:

“If Relativism Were True”

The trigger’s pulled, heart cold as stone. Body thrown into the sea. No tears are shed, though his brother is dead. He says “It was right for me.”

A woman is bruised, all black and blue. She silently drinks her tea. Her husband’s eyes conceal the lies. He says, “It was right for me.”

No blanket, crib, or bedtime tales. This baby will never be. The girl’s too scared, too unprepared. She says, “It was right for me.”

Sad but true, we live as though this system is the key. But God’s laws weren’t meant to be broken or bent. Without them, we can never be free.

Sean McDowell, Ph.D. is a professor of Christian Apologetics at Biola University, best-selling author, popular speaker, part-time high school teacher, and the Resident Scholar for Summit Ministries, California. Follow him on Twitter: @sean_mcdowell and his blog: seanmcdowell.org.