Turning Away from Pragmatism

The moral doctrine of pragmatism is a wicked scheme that argues that the ends justify the means, that evil acts are sanctified when they are done to accomplish some good purpose.

This moral rot has pervaded our entire society. It is the argument used to justify the police killing innocent people out of concern for "officer safety." It is also the supposed justification for protesters rioting and looting innocent people's homes and businesses to stand up against police misconduct.

No longer can we expect people to refrain from wicked conduct when they judge it necessary to accomplish some just purpose.

Pragmatists often claim that they have "no choice" but to commit immoral acts, so urgent and necessary and just is the end in view.

This malignant idea first appeared in the Garden of Eden., when Eve decided it was excusable for her to disobey God's commandment and eat of the forbidden fruit because it looked and tasted good, and would make her wise. She believed she could disobey God for a good cause.

King Saul thought it proper to disobey God's commandment to destroy all the Amalekite animals so that he might make sacrifices to God. Uzzah thought it right to touch the Ark to save it from utter ruin.

In each case, God's wrath was displayed against such justifications.

Paul denounced the idea that we should sin so that Grace might abound. He castigated those who claimed that sinful acts were justified if they led to God's exaltation.

God, it seems, is not impressed in the least with man's pragmatic moral calculus.

The dark truth is that we often deploy the immoral logic of pragmatism merely to justify wrong doing that we delight in.