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Values
(From Forerunner Commentary)

Within the spirit of the word "religion," any system of morality is an expression of religion because it is a way of life. Webster's Dictionary of the English Language defines religion as "a system of beliefs and practices relating to the sacred and uniting its adherents in a community." It is also "something which has a powerful hold on a person's way of thinking, interests, etc." Thus, religion does not need to be related to the divine, for Webster's proceeds to use the example, "Football is that man's religion." Devotion to anything creates a way of life. Webster's New World Dictionary adds, "the state or way of life of a person in a monastery, convent, etc." Combined, these dictionaries show that "religion," while most frequently (and rightly) understood in relation to God and church, can also indicate a secular devotion to a body of beliefs, values, and laws that effectively motivate one to live his life in a certain way. When applied to secular life, this has interesting ramifications. Any system of morality is an expression of religion because it concerns itself with values and the way we live. Law, therefore, is enacted, codified morality. John W. Ritenbaugh The First Commandment

Romans 14:22-23  (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up) Paul is dealing with a clash of values within an individual. Sometimes we are conscience stricken, feeling very uneasy about what we have permitted ourselves to do. If there were no difference between what one is permitted to do and what one actually does—causing guilt—we would not need to be concerned about self-doubt or self-condemnation. But these occasions do arise. This leads to a number of overlapping questions that we need to consider: What is the source of what you permit yourself to do? Where did your values originate? Where did you form your values? Are you sure you are right even when you are not conscience stricken? We should ask these questions of ourselves in areas such as business ethics, education, entertainment, athletics, fashions, diet, child training and marital relations, not just in the obvious areas of morality. John W. Ritenbaugh The First Commandment

 

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