“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The golden rule. Everyone can quote it.

Unfortunately, this long revered maxim of civility seems to have fallen on deaf ears of late. Looking out for the best interest of the “others” has suffered as a result of money-making schemes by brand name banks and investment firms, personal investment counselors, and members of Congress.

 So, what’s all this have to do with political correctness?

Maybe nothing. But a closer look behind the curtain might reveal an aspect of political correctness that has contributed to this erosion of personal and corporate responsibility.  Specifically, political correctness has no room for accountability to a personal God in its worldview. And, when you remove God from the public square, ethical conduct in that sphere diminishes.

Biblical truth is thrown out the window, and God’s laws are ignored and even ridiculed. Self-sacrifice is soon replaced by self-aggrandizement.  And that spirit of self-aggrandizement begins to infect our culture, both corporately and personally.

Much like Moses’ experience at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 32), people begin to look elsewhere for their significance and security when God’s presence leaves the camp. Without leadership based on God’s moral law, many of us will clamor for gods fashioned to fit our lifestyles and cravings. We now worship the idols we’ve created to give us meaning to life.

We’ve replaced the golden rule for golden calves.

We now lust for things that titillate, and crave the things that make us comfortable and wealthy. Greed sets in, and we strip the land of all its worth. Today, the “lands” we plunder are our businesses, our institutions and even our relationships.

This “plunder the land” mentality burns bridges rather then builds them. Ultimately, with no moral constraint or concern for others, chaos ensues. And society crumbles under the weight of its sin.

When Moses came down the mountain, he saw the madness and lawlessness as a result of worshipping the golden calf. He had to literally throw the Word of God at the situation to stop the madness. We may need the same thing to happen today.

Our modern day Aarons are supposed to be watching the camp, but they are swayed by the sultry voices of the craftsmen and artisans of delusion, whether they are found on Wall Street or Main Street. They know us well, and play to our desire for gold plated gods of money, security, celebrity, consumerism, power and false religion. They have cleverly crafted these golden calves around which we revel and worship to our heart’s content.

So, look around you. Are you living out the golden rule, or dancing around the golden calf? God may not be politically correct in the public square. But, without Him, that square soon fills up with people dancing around idols of their own creation. King David has something to say about those types of people in the Psalms…that those who create God in their own image, made out of stone and wood, will ultimately be like them. Hollow. Hard. Unbending.

Ultimately, we wind up worshipping ourselves. That’s a scary thought. I don’t know about you, but I would make a terrible idol.

 

 

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