A Question of Ethics: Character vs. Reputation

[Ishmael]

I recently taught this distinction in Sunday school. I found that the Bible has a lot to say about our Reputations despite the inclination of some evangelicals to disregard the opinion of men about their actions. I think we tend to disregard the opinion of the broader culture for some good reasons and some not so good reasons.

One reason that (among many others I am sure) we reject the opinion of the broader culture is that our Christian character demands it. For character is what you really are; whereas, reputation is what people think you are either accurately or inaccurately.

Proverbs 22:1 says, "A GOOD name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold." I know this to be true; and yet, maintaining a "good name" in the face of our mixed up culture seems to be to be a natural struggle for the true Christian. I say this because right and wrong have now become a relative issue according to popular philosophy.

For example:
*From the perspective of abortion on demand advocates, a woman's right to choose is morally positive. But the opinion of evangelicals is that abortion kills a human person.
*From the perspective of our culture homosexuality is natural and as morally correct (or perhaps neutral) just as male-female relationships. But the Bible teaches that homosexuality is not normal and is, in fact, a sin.

So all of this to me makes the questions of morality in our age very complicated-- and your morality goes hand in glove with your character and then your reputation. A "good name," then, has become the elusive quest of demonstrating Christian character in a culture which understands morality in ways that are often contrary to the way we understand it.

For example:
An anti-abortion activist is going to have a good reputation at the local Assembly of God and a bad reputation down town at the abortion clinic.

Nevertheless, all of this confusion about the issue of reputation is no excuse for not attempting to cultivate a “good name” with those outside the Church. For the Bible teaches us in numerous places to live such a wholesome life before men that they will praise God because of our actions.

One such place that the Bible teaches us to cultivate a “good name is where Jesus says, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16

I know I am closing this short word with more questions than answers and I haven’t gone over nearly all that can be said about the issue of Reputation in a world full of moral issues (causes) for the Christian, but this will have to do for now.

One thing that I do know: we Christians need to be more involved in the marketplace even now 20+ years since a few prominent men started tell us this. And also, I know that we can’t be effective with Bible thumping false piety and sub-cultural bumper sticker Christianity. This kind of Christianity has been a miserable failure.

Our reputations are going to have to be real, gritty, and at the same time loving… perhaps a lot like the Jesus of the Bible.

My opinion, of course…

[HerodionRomulus]

Another example of character versus reputation can be found in Senate Majority leader Frist.
He has a great reputation, yet in Med School he regularly went to the pound and "adopted" cats, then took them to school to dissect. Unethical, immoral or just plain lacking in natural affection???

[Woman]

Calvinist,

I agree with you that living one's beliefs is not always easy. No body promised us a rose garden. I also think that character is something that we must foster in ourselves, our children and one another. If we do that which we know is right, that which is cosistant with the teachings we follow (or philosophies we subscribe to) then Reputation will follow. Character is what you do when no one is watching. I recall this quote but can't remember the author, "Who you are is screaming so loudly I can't hear what you are saying."

And we have to be careful not to confuse Reputation with Popularity. No matter what you do, some will disparage you for it. No matter who you are, some will think little of you. Hasn't that always been the challenge? Isn't that the real meaning of Faith?

[John Powell]

POWELL:
If Christians, with only easily explanable rare exceptions, consistently behaved much more like the Christian ideal of Jesus than any other group and were happy doing so then I doubt that any other moral philosophy could seriously compete.

A serious problem is the ideal is so very hard to measure up to. I would argue that it is too hard. Try giving everything you own to charity and almost always doing good to others without much thought for your own needs and wants and you'll see what I mean.

When non-Christians are so often better "Jesus" examples than Christians and so many Christians leaders turn out to be nasty people, it tends to make the unbiased onlooker skeptical of the Christian claims to exclusive truth.

John Powell

[Ryokan]

I trhink the key is that you can have a good name even if everyone doesn't always agree with you. Case in point, you and me disagree on alot, Calvinist, but I still respect you. So, if Christians oppose homosexuality, abortion, materialism, etc., in a way that commands respect, if not agreement, then you can have it both ways.

[Ishmael]

These are all good comments and from non-Christians, I think.

The Christian Ethic of Giving

This got me to thinking about lots of things...

First, I truly believe that the idea of what a Christian "ought" to be as defined by non-Christians is not accurate. To the non-Christian, it seems to me, the Ethics of "true" Christians is their ideal or perfect modality. I do not believe that Jesus ever intended this for his disciples. Instead, I see that Jesus noticed that very many people were “good” (good deed doers) apart from Christian discipleship.

For instance:
John 1:47
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

Nathanael was a man of good reputation and apparently good character that was probably just the opposite of men like Peter (Assuming a lot I know but I was at one time a rather close acquaintance of a professional fisherman who had been radically converted). And yet, he was not a disciple… not yet.

Consequently one can see that people of good reputation will be present on both sides of belief in Jesus Christ. Also, people of ignoble reputation will be present on both sides. Furthermore, character will be present on both sides. But the problem of character is that it is defined differently on both sides of belief.

What is “good enough” for the non-Christian of good reputation will not be “good enough” for the Christian of both good and bad reputation. And there will be people who are more giving than I who are Atheists.

But as a rule people expect more from the confessing Christian… maybe this is good and maybe it’s bad. I know for one, I no longer let outsiders define the benchmarks of my character; yet, I always try to cultivate a “good enough” reputation by means of action in the world (good deeds, though my good deeds are not in the way of Mother Theresa, etc.). But I realize that I am not as “Christian” (in this regard) as some non-Christians, I am just not wired that way.

This brings me to the point:
Jesus was a very giving person. He is the ideal of perfect Christian character and his body the Church is His representative on the earth—not an individual Christian. Our personalities as individual Christians are supposed to work together with other persons in the Church in order to be the model of perfect Christian Ethics in the world. The giant and wonderful foundation of the Church becoming the body of Christ and having that perfect presence in the world that outsiders long for is love.

Nonbelievers are constantly looking for the ideal within the individual Christian because they have given up on the True Body of Christ in the world, the Church… and I think this giving up on the Church has not been without cause. Perhaps Christianity will die for this reason…. ???