There are, in the end, essentially only two forms of ethics. One approach is pragmatic, the other principled. Pragmatism on its own, of course, is always incomplete. That is to say, we can’t answer the question of what works until we know what it works for. Ethics, for instance, in Soviet Russia affirmed that the good is that which promotes the interests of the party. Utilitarian ethics affirms that the good is that which promotes the most happiness for the most people. Whatever you plug in as the goal, pragmatism then picks what best serves the goal.
The principled approach, on the other hand, does not look to the future and guess what will come to pass. It affirms that we are called to do what is right because it is right, not because it will create a hoped for outcome. Indeed it would go so far as to say we ought to do what is right even if it were to bring a bad outcome.
Most Christians naturally lean toward the principled approach. Paul tells children, “Obey your parents in the Lord for this is right” (Ephesians 6:1). It’s true enough that the Bible does speak to the blessings of obedience. Ephesians 6:2 reminds us that the command of children to honor their parents is the first command with a promise, that it would go well in the land. We start, however, with “for this is right.”
While Christians instinctively lean toward the principled approach we also find ourselves pulled toward the consequential. We don’t like seeing bad things happen, and so begin to strategize. And that’s when the wheels start to fall off. Most Christians know that it is wrong to disobey a direct and clear command of God most high. But most Christians also believe it would be great to be more like God, that it is desirable to be made wise. And so, the very first consequentialists, believing their disobedience would bring blessing, ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They thought it would be better to disobey than to obey.
Consequentialism is no way to make moral decisions. And arguing the awful consequences of not doing so is just begging the question. God promises that if we obey Him He will bless. If not, He will curse. We don’t have access to the future. We do have the law of God. Ours is not to strategize, but to obey. God has not placed upon us a burden to make sure things work out the way we would like. He has not called us to maximize the greatest happiness for the greatest number. He has instead called us to hearken to His voice and to obey all that He commands. And called us to teach the nations to do the same.
We would be wise to remember that the challenge of ethics is much less knowing how to discern right and wrong, much more doing what we know the right to be. Consequentialism is just another in our bag of rationalizations that always let us down. Let us do the right because it is right, because it is right to trust our Father and because we are usually wrong.