Weekly Pastoral Message prepared by Rev. Murray Adamthwaite
for Sunday 6th July 1997

From the Pastor: Conscience I

"Political correctness" is a term we hear much about these days. It refers to the need to express opinions which have the approval of the political, and media, establishment. Any variation from such norms is not to be tolerated. We can see how this operates in regard to racial issues, "rights" issues, sexual issues, religious tolerance issues, and the like. Those preaching a liberal, left-wing approach on such matters will often be heard to cry "freedom of conscience", an ironic plea in that political correctness poses a serious threat to freedom of conscience, particularly to Christians with a conservative belief system who wish to put their belief into the public arena. Conscience, however, is a very variable entity. One man's conscience may direct him to live the "alternative lifestyle", while another's may tell him to repudiate that lifestyle. One conscience agitates for free abortion, the other pleads for its abolition. The fact is that conscience can be trained to tell the individual almost anything, or at least can be smothered so that its voice against even the most basic morality is stifled. The apostle Peter warned against teachers who would "promise freedom while they themselves remain slaves of corruption" (2 Peter 2:19). Jesus declared that "whoever commits sin is a slave of sin" (John 8:34). The paradox is that we only have real freedom of conscience when we are captive to the Word of God.