Morality Hand Check

By John T. McNeal 

A couple of weeks ago I stumbled across a movie that starred D. David Morin and Gavin MacLeod.  The movie was called "Time Changer" and also starred Jennifer O’Neil, Hal Linden, Paul Rodriguez, and Richard Riehle. I found the film to be both very enlightening and troubling at the same time. The movie’s main character is a professor who lived in the year 1890 and had written a book that talked about teaching morality to people without mentioning the authority of Jesus Christ. A friend and colleague helps him understand the faults of this type of thinking by sending him 100 years into the future in a time machine.

As I reflect on this movie, my spirit groans at where our society is today. By today’s standards, people believe that morality is whatever they want it to be. Even Christians, including myself, have often based our morality on the world’s standards rather than those of Christianity. Do you not believe me? Case in point: When is the last time you turned the T.V. off because the actors were participating in sexual misconduct, or someone was murdered out of hate? What about when you go to the movies and an actor or actress blasphemes the name of the Lord Jesus Christ; do you get upset and walk out? What about the music you listen to? Are there rude, crude, and obnoxious words that fill your head from the lyrics?

In the movie, Dr. Norris Anderson explains: “Jesus is the authority behind the commandments and people need to understand that fact. If we remove the authority [of the morals] we have no basis in which to command.” He later goes on to say, “It is like quoting a source without giving credit to the person who said it.” If you tell people not to steal, or cheat on a test, or hate their brothers, without telling them it’s because God says so in the Bible, you are not giving credit where credit is due. This omission takes the power and authority out of the morals that are being promoted.

Morality hand check. Now that I have made you throw up a wall or two and made you think I am being legalistic, let’s look at what the Bible has to say. In 2 Timothy 3:1-4 (NIV), Paul states:

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”

The movie “Time Changer” really made me thing about how I view the world around me. It really made me think about “checking my morality” and considering where I derive it from. Do I rely on God’s word or on the world and all its pleasures? Though it will take some time to change my habits, I will strive to serve the Lord.  When there is a questionable movie or T.V. show I would like to see, I need to be more God-focused.  

Do you have a moral compass? If you do, which way does the needle point?