Moral behavior and Satan

Sunday morning in church the pastor spoke on sin and how the devil finds ways to move into our lives and affect our moral behavior. He spoke eloquently and dramatically in a sermon filled with compelling wisdom and accurate scriptural references. The sermon was a reminder of the activity of Satan in the world and how all of us are subject to the whims and wiles of the devil, not unlike the marvelous book by C.S. Lewis called The Screwtape Letters where Screwtape describes the ways he tricks humans into sinful actions. The sermon was well-delivered and I actually felt fear that Satan would show up ready to get me for my sins. As a relatively successful administrator in a faith-based institution, I do not take sin nor poor behavior lightly and I am sincerely appreciative of the reminder that Satan is alive and well in the world. It does not take long to recognize the problems of evil in the world and all one needs to do is watch the news or read a newspaper, and whether a person interprets the evil as the hand of Satan or the failings of man, there remains a moral conduct problem in our culture.

But looking at this sermon sociologically, and this certainly may not be the best way to look at this issue, I have to wonder if fear is an effective but not preferred motivation for good behavior. Before proceeding, there is no doubt that negative motivation is an effective deterrent for poor conduct and all of us tend to follow the laws partly out of preference to avoid punishment for breaking them. We pay taxes for police protection and we expect them to uphold the laws, yet we tend to push to the edge of traffic laws, allowing the thought to enter our minds, "I hope I don't get caught!" Although heavily debated, it seems as though our inability to govern ourselves as a society requires some sort of judicial system and punishment to protect citizens from evil. We may occasionally resist the law, but in the end we respect it to a degree and recognize that without the law we would live in a perpetual state of anarchy (yes I realize my libertarian friends will quickly argue that we would be better off!).

For centuries philosophers have written extensively about moral behavior and a study of historical literature from Dante, Bunyan, Shakespeare, Dickens, and contemporaries including Camus, Dreiser, Roth, and Doctorow have provided further insights into human behavior. Yet no solution to the problems accompanying human destructiveness is clear. If fear is the primary motivation for moral conduct, then the result will be continual resentment, paranoia, and suspicion. Do we behave so as to avoid the alternative which is some kind of pain? Or is it possible to promote an environment whereby excellent moral behavior is the choice regardless of the consequences of poor behavior?

Assuming we live in a rational world where people make decisions that are both self-serving and collectively beneficial, it stands to reason that quality moral behavior is best if chosen without coercion and particularly without fear. We, as a society, will choose to avoid negative behavior and, instead, will be motivated by the positive forces that improve us both individually and corporately. Sin and Satan may be part of our lives but only love, tolerance, and forgiveness can improve us. There is little to gain from postulating a practice based on fear but everything to gain from practicing a life full of compassion, right choices, and respect for each other. Laws are needed and commitment to protection of the weak is a sign of refinement, but ultimately good behavior belongs to the individual.