The Fallacies of
Moral Government Theology

(modern Finneyism)

Finney and the Ultimate Intention (by E. Duncan)
Finney and the Sinful Nature (by Leon Stump)
Finney and Justification by Faith (by Leon Stump)
Finney and the Atonement (by Leon Stump)
Regeneration (by Leon Stump - to be posted)
Moral Government Theology and Limited Foreknowledge (to be posted)

The Fallacies of Moral Government Theology - Part I

(modern Finneyism)

The Ultimate Intention

The articles written by Leon Stump will shed much light on the Modern Finneyite Movement (Moral Government System of Theology). However, no other Finneyite false teaching has been more revealing to us than "The Ultimate Intention," because of its obvious ramifications in the practical lives of those who believe it. These problems led us to see the faultiness of Moral Government Theology and our abandonment of such system of belief.

The awful shock came when we found a Moral Government follower using curse words in a public speech. When confronted with the situation, the response was, "...I do not believe it is necessarily sin to use the @#!$ word, or I would have repented for having done so. My use of the @#!$ word was fully intentional that day... Now, why is this not necessarily cursing? Well, it is a very basic truth that all sin is a matter of the heart. I trust that I do not need to defend this simple truth with scripture. Two people can perform the same action or speak the same word, and one be in sin while the other is not in sin..."

One of the foremost Moral Government speakers today supported the above response, revealing that the use of curse words was not isolated to this one person above (bad words have been blanked out).

Dear John and Ellen,
"Hillary Clinton is a @#!$," so said Newt Gingrinch's mother several years ago. Did she sin in saying this? I think not. It is a judgment with which millions of people would agree. Was the remark in bad taste? Perhaps, but it was high time someone said it. As a matter of fact I will say it, and you can quote me on this, Hillary is a @#!$ ! This is not cursing. It is my judgment.

Words in themselves are neither morally bad nor good. When the wicked use the name of the Lord, except in repentance, they are sinning. Their "God bless yous," are actually a stench to God. On the other hand if the righteous occasionally use crude, vulgar or slang expressions for effect, this is not sinful. I am not saying what students say when I rebuke them for their language, "It's just words," as if words are insignificant. Words have great importance because they express our thoughts and ideas. I am more disgusted at their defense, "they're just words," than I am at the actual offensive sounds.

Vulgarity coming from one not expected to be vulgar, can have a shock value that might startle the carelessly lewd into an awareness of their own depravity. The more moral stature that the speaker has, then the more power there is in his otherwise inappropriate language. I would discourage young and inexperienced preachers from using this tactic, because they have not yet established enough moral credibility for it to be effective. If vulgarity is overly used by a speaker, it would lose its impact and soon turn into merely more boorish behavior. I suspect that in most cases, not all, the religious people who oppose us in this tactic do not have control of their own tongue; therefore, they assume we have not bridled ours.

Years ago at LSU there was a vixen who had been bragging on her sexual exploits who kept saying to [wife], "#$@* you." [Wife] with her quick wit responded with a turn around, "No you are the one getting #$@*&!." Of course, the Christians quickly and falsely accused [wife] of sin and the heathen raged. But hopefully, a few, like myself, realized that [wife] had defined a word the girl carelessly and thoughtlessly used and rightly applied it moral implications in the little wretch's life. Rarely, since then [wife] and I have both used the F word in similar circumstances and dialogue with the barbarians on campus. Understand, that I can appreciate that sincere Christians, especially those who have never confronted a crowd of heathens, might see this usage as bad judgment on our part, but sin, no, not as long as our hearts remain pure..."

Are curse words the only sins that these proponents of Moral Government Theology advocate? Below is another exchange we had with a major speaker for the Moral Government Movement:

Question: Are there any situations in which pre-marital sex would be justified with the motive? If not why?
Answer: No. Because it is clearly outlawed in the Bible, and I know of no exception. Nor can I think of any situation where it would promote the highest good.

Question: If cursing, drinking, smoking, punching homosexuals, and lying have certain situations than can be done for the greater good... Could there be situation that adultery, polygamy, sodomy, pornography, incest, rape, murder, etc. could be done for the greater good?
Answer: I believe that polygamy could be done for the greater good. Say if most of the Christian men were killed in war, then the few righteous men left could marry a number of Christian girls to repopulate the country or community.

Question: Do you think adultery or polygamy could be used in the case of a barren woman whose husband wants to carry on the family name?
Answer: I cannot think of a circumstance where adultery could be committed for the right motive. I do not believe that carrying on a family name is important enough to justify polygamy. I would not do it...

Question: Murder or kill a homosexual because the government will not do its job?
Answer: I believe vigilante justice is OK if we were dealing with a murderous homo. But all attempts for the govt. to do its job should be exhausted first.

Question: Cheat in your income tax to give more to a church?
Answer: Definitely, but I don't do it and would not advise it since if you get caught you would no longer have an income from which to tithe. I have heard reasonable arguments that it is a sin to pay your income tax, considering the sinful projects our tax money finances.

Question: Lie at the point of the sword so you can live longer and preach to more people?
Answer: Oh, yes.

Question: Are the Ten Commandments absolutes or not?
Answer: They must be understood in the context of the law of love. Sometimes the letter of the law and the spirit conflict. If there is a conflict, I will go
with the spirit. One should proceed with caution when violating the letter, because this teaching no doubt has often been abused. However, there are situations in which it might be one's moral obligation to break the letter of the law. One can never be justified in violating the spirit of the law.

Comment: This whole "greater good / motive" argument is at best weak; it is simply a Christianized version of moral relativism. It assumes that you have all the knowledge necessary to be certain of what the greater good is.
Answer: Moral relativism or situation ethics is in reality a bastardized version of Christian ethics. The moral relativist only has conscience, emotions,
reason, philosophy, etc. to make his judgments. However, the Christian considers the situation in the light of the Bible, the Holy Spirit and the
teachings of the Church as well as conscience and reason. The Ten Commandments are not the essence of the moral law. The moral law is Loving God supremely and your neighbor equally. The 10 words reveal what loves requires in usual situations.

Are the above speakers for the Moral Government Movement truly following Charles G. Finney's teachings? Is this a theological problem, or are they simply taking him off context?

In Charles G. Finney's Systematic Theology (1851), Lecture XIV on "Moral Government", he says:

(2.) Character, therefore, does not belong to the objective motive, or to that thing which the mind chooses; but moral character is confined to the subjective motive, which is synonymous with choice or intention. Thus we say a man is to be judged by his motives, meaning that his character is as his intention is. Multitudes of objective motives or considerations, may have concurred directly or indirectly in their influence, to induce choice or intention; but the intention or subjective motive is always necessarily simple and indivisible. In other words, moral character consists in the choice of an ultimate end, and this end is to be chosen for its own sake, else it is not an ultimate end. If the end chosen be the highest well-being of God and the good of the universe--if it be the willing or intending to promote and treat every interest in the universe, according to its perceived relative value, it is a right, a holy motive, or intention. If it be anything else, it is sinful. Now, whatever complexity there may have been in the considerations that led the way to this choice or intention, it is self-evident that the intention must be one, simple, and indivisible.

According to the above quote, as long as one's motive or intention is "the glory of God and the good of the universe," it is O.K. to lie, smoke, drink alcoholic beverages, use cursewords, and some would even advocate killing abortion doctors!

The modern day Finneyites take this teaching to its logical end. While Calvinists would say that they can't stop sinning (because drinking beer is sin), some Moral Government followers would say that they do not sin (because drinking beer is not a sin). Their "logic" and "reason" have explained away verses such as, "...all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death" (Rev. 21:8) as they justify lying to the IRS to give more money to the church. According to this system of theology, the end justifies the means.

"Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit." (Mat. 12:33) "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." (Mat. 7:20) Jesus said that we are to judge a tree by its fruit. If the fruit is bad, the tree is bad. However, according to Charles Finney, we can no longer judge a tree by its fruit since the fruit does not actually reveal the ultimate intention or the motive; the bad fruit of cursing, lying, or drinking beer can actually come from a good tree that has the right ultimate intention!!!

The lie from the garden, "Ye shall not surely die..." (Gen. 3:4) is again knocking at the door. God has already given us absolute laws to follow. One may "think" he has the right intention, but because we are finite beings and our judgments (as pure as we think they may be) could end up not for the greater good, but for harm. I follow the commandments as absolutes because by faith in the Commandment Giver I know they are for the greater good. The most expedient thing to do is to keep the moral law (ie. thou shalt not bear false witness, etc). As for me deciding what is for the greater good of the universe without being omniscient is presumptious! The Bible says that men did what was right "in their own eyes" when in some wrong or confused behavior.

A leading Moral Government speaker wrote:
What was she [Rahab] supposed to do, when the authorities came looking? Should she have said, "I cannot tell a lie, they are on the roof."? Remain silent? That would have aroused suspicion. No, she did the intelligent thing by her deception. What about Christians who formerly smuggled Bibles into the Soviet Union? What if they were asked if they had a contraband at the border?

Our Response:
Yes, either tell the truth or remain silent and trust God.

Have you not heard testimonies of Christians who remained silent while smuggling Bibles into Communist countries? The guards, though they opened their suitcases and looked right at the Bibles were seemingly "blinded" by the Lord and saw nothing but clothing. Though Cori Tan Boone lied because of her weak faith in God, her sister told the guards the truth when they came to the door. She said that yes, they were hiding Jews right under the table! These guards laughed at her because they thought it was a joke and left, without looking for them. An A/G missionary refused to lie about his status in the country of Albania years ago; the Lord opened up the door for him in another country where there were many saved (living holy) through his ministry. How about those who died a martyr's death for telling the truth? What an honor.

I think we need to keep our integrity, stay on our knees, and let God move for us. No wonder we don't see the supernatural in our midst -- we have taken matters into our own hands.