Fear Of Moral Superiority

It is not difficult to find people who object to the idea that one person, because of his or her moral character, behaviors, and motives, is metaphysically superior to another person who has lesser moral character [1].  What these people fail to realize is that moral superiority is inseparable from the very foundation of any values system, whether those values are Christian or not.  There is no such thing as any possible framework of values that does not feature moral superiority of inferiority as inherent elements of the system.  And the very thought of this can bring intense discomfort to some!

Moral superiority--where one person is superior to another because of moral correctness--exists on the Christian worldview whether or not its adherents are aware of this.  Regardless of what values system might hypothetically be true, the very existence of morality necessitates that those who intentionally align with it are superior to those who do not.  One cannot do good without being or becoming good.  One cannot do evil without being or becoming evil.  A person who consistently pursues one or the other either becomes more or less valuable as a result of aligning with either moral pole.

Some people fear moral superiority because they realize that, if someone's moral decisions can make them better or worse than other people, they are likely inferior to someone else.  Fear of moral superiority can be powerful, but there is more to fear about moral stagnancy in their own lives than there is to fear about being morally inferior to someone else for a time--no one has to remain in any moral error.  There is not a single moral error that someone cannot avoid committing.  Someone's moral status is purely in their own hands, to alter or maintain as they choose to.

Moral superiority is a brute fact of any world where moral obligations exist.  It is time for Christians to finally admit this, instead of hiding behind a false humility and misjudging those who admit it as being guilty of arrogance.  Instead of fearing moral inequality as a dangerous or unbiblical concept, Christians need to display a willingness to point out moral superiority or inferiority in accordance with their actual appearances.  There is nothing to lose from acknowledging the truth--other than a dependence on errors.


[1].  I mean moral character itself, not the mere appearances of good or evil, which many are prone to mistake for actual good or evil.