WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

So, I guess the big take away from Episode 16 is it’s always wrong to lie unless you really, REALLY need to.

Red mentioned moral relativism several times in this epsiode. No absolutes. To each his or her own. Do what you will based on your circumstances.

Of course, that’s what seems to work for Red in “his world” as he so often says, but he claims it as a universal truth, which is ironic considering the word “relativism”.

Cooper seems to believe in moral absolutes, though Red claims otherwise, but does he really? He certainly has a very strict code but he obviously does not see it as universal since he recognizes the need for Red to act outside of it, but then he expects his friend Lew, who agreed to testify against him, to stick to it. Then he says that Aram, who did in fact stick to his principles, will learn to embrace moral relativism.

It’s interesting to me that Red is angry at Aram and want’s to punish him for deceiving him and then let’s Maghi go to her new life in paradise even though she did the same. Why? Because Maghi’s motives for lying were somehow more noble than Aram’s?

Again, it’s all relative.

As a Christian, I believe in an absolute moral standard–the character of God. And that character and all that it requires is laid out in the Scriptures. How that is applied in various situations is a unique challenge sometimes, but probably not as often as we’d like to think.

For example: One of the ten commandments is “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16). In other words, don’t lie to each other. The Scriptures also say that God hates the lying tongue (Proverbs 6:16-19). So, obviously, it is always wrong to lie.

However, is it REALLY always wrong to lie? What if I was a Christian in Nazi Germany and had Jews hiding in my home? Some Nazis come by one day and ask me the direct question: “Are there any Jews hiding in your home?” If I tell the truth, a family that is utterly helpless and dependent on me will die. I too will die. And my family will also most likely die. If I lie, all lives are spared, but lying is a sin.

That actually happened to Corrie Ten Boom. She lied to the Nazis. I would have too.

This is an extreme case and I doubt any of us live that kind of life–thank the Lord for that. I think in our world, we are masters at justifying immoral acts for what we claim are moral reasons when really, all we’re trying to do is alleviate our feelings of guilt and shame and justify what we want to do even though we know it’s wrong.

That is certainly the world Red lives in only he’s not as hypocritcal about it as we are. That’s his code.

Fascinating.

I like the way this show tosses around ethical, philosophical, and relational issues. It gives it some depth, some heft.