life," morality plays the part of an impostor. Jacques Ellul
notes that
"morality is the means whereby the Christian dodges death in
Christ and fashions a living way of his own. It is the worst of all
illusions." 9Instead of disallowing our selfish expressions by allowing
the life of Jesus Christ to be lived out through us, morality
masquerades self-oriented conformity as "spiritual
behavior." Hypocrisy!
(17) Morality is idolatry. Ian Thomas writes of
"seeking to be godly by submitting yourself to external rules and
regulations, and by conformity to behavior patterns imposed upon
you by the particular Christian society which you have chose, and
in which you hope to be found 'acceptable.' You will in this way
perpetuate the pagan habit of practicing religion in the energy of
the 'flesh,' and in the very pursuit of righteousness commit idolatry
in honoring 'Christianity' more than Christ." 10Morality reduces God to a "thing," a moral ideal, an
ethical standard, a religious expectation of conformity and
a behavioral formula. The ideal becomes an ideological
idol constructed and carved in the human mind. The
religious moralist then submits to the moral ideal, rather
than to God.
(18) Morality is satanic. Despite the fact that many
religious people equate morality with godliness, it is really