It is said that early on to the emancipation of slaves in the United States that Lincoln polled his cabinet on the matter. The Secretaries all voted Nay, and Lincoln voted Aye. He then added, according to the story: The Ayes have it. Authority trumped majority. That action plus the legalization of citizenship approved by Congress, and attached to rights (righteousness) related to the meaning of all humanity have likely made Lincoln, a revered President of our nation. Driven by the morality of life, he did not hesitate to identify that morality with God. If officials of government referred to God in our everyday national life as he did they might be rather roughly treated by critics, professional and lay, who would find the invocation of deity in serious concerns of government and management in neutral civil life. For biblical Christians the Aye is in the perfection of God, and human laws are in the Nay of mankind. It must be that to illustrate his position, God gave some of the Ten Commandments in the Nay term: Thou shalt not bear false witness. In the Aye term the statement is: Always tell the truth. The affirmative enters the front door, and the negative enters the back, but the morality principle can be found in both and purpose.
Although the will of the majority is a factor to consider in making laws in a democratic society, it is not an exclusive factor. It must be refined in moral terms. By defining it in moral terms it becomes cause for searching by both the majority and the minority mass about what the will of the majority ought to be. Since the lowest common denominator of human existence is the individual that individual should be seeking – seeking not to gain benefit for the majority but the Aye of right in the Nay of wrong. In the vast number of cases, with adequate education of the electorate we gain the unity of the people and the admiration of visitors to the environment. Out of this context there springs shared values, an adequate degree of the provision for life, a contented human atmosphere, the blessing of safety, and the additional benefits found when peace and faithfulness (loyalty) reign. As wholesome as it all appears in language; as normal as it seems appropriate to human thought and conduct; and, as related to concepts offered by deity that it reflects – it is hard to come by. In our flawed humanity we expect larger flavor, more dramatic experience, the risks promising pride and success above others, in belief we have made our own way for good and ill.
All the while (perhaps starting with our parents) we feel resistance from others, the elements, of whatever powers there be, and sometimes even in ourselves. This leads to anger, irritation, excess, even seeking the pleasures of sin for a season. Digging deeper we may find that we do not really believe in the will of the majority except where it agrees with our will. In the end we find a reluctance to make a world that accommodates both the majority and the minority. For the Christian the moral decision is foremost. Do what God would have me do. There will be some injustice even under law, violence, misunderstanding, marginalization, ill will and ridicule – even premature death. To this, wrote the Apostle Peter, we are called. In this Scripture and many others I have lived with clear conscience for many years and with good will for others who do not share the morality that guides my conscience. In that I know what it means when the teachers urge me to be true to myself. What they don’t say very often is: What I really mean is that you be true to the self you are seeking to become as a moral person in thought and deed. What would happen to us if that were achieved? We would sometimes win, sometimes lose, sometimes exult and sometimes despair, but at the end of life we can feel the meaning of: Well done. For those whose moral lives include biblical goals God will say: Well done thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord. (Matthew 25:23) (1 Peter 2:19-20) *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020