# Group Morality vs Godly Judgment Featured Article Language: en Author: by Glenn Wenger Richfield, PA Original issue: The Heartbeat of the Remnant, Summer 2023, Number 2 Source pages: 12–13 Read article: Original PDF: Summer\-2023\-Remnant\-web\.pdf [The Heartbeat of the Remnant, Summer 2023]() Sigmund Freud, the “father of psychology” and an enemy of the Christian faith, spent much time reflecting on the “problem” of how to overcome the sense of guilt, which he believed to be the negative by\-product of religious teaching\. He commented that “only through the solidarity of all the participants \(of a group\) could the sense of guilt be assuaged\.” Being a member of a group with a common focus or goal has the ability to radically change, not only man’s outlook and views, but also his concept of right and wrong, good and evil, etc\. It can indeed rid the soul of its normal God\-given sense of guilt as the standards of right and wrong are modified\. Some parents have discovered this fact when their young people joined a youth group\. Some who previously respected their parents’, the church’s, and God’s authority, no longer held the same convictions\. If they joined a group whose focus was to have fun and they believed that the “established” rules, facts, and truth were what stood in the way of fulfilling their carnal desires, then the establishment and their rules became the enemy of the group\. Right and wrong are determined by the consensus of the group in respect to its goals\. If the goal is pleasure, “It isn’t right for \(any authority or any rule\) to interfere\.” “The child takes on the characteristic behavior of the group in which he is placed … he reflects the behavior patterns which are set by the … leader of the group” \(Kurt Lewin, in A Sociology of Education\)\. Although it seems strange, “it is usually easier to change individuals formed into a group than to change any one of them separately”, according to Kurt Lewin\. An individual will naturally resist change to his or her personal beliefs\. However, one who is already a member of a group with a common goal \(which all groups have\), will automatically have that resistance broken down, as far as attitudes of the group are concerned\. Example: I am part of this group, so the outlook and opinions of the group are my outlook and opinions\. Too often, not one individual of the group will thoroughly examine the group’s beliefs but will take them for granted because they are a part of the group to which he or she belongs\. “One of the most fascinating aspects of group therapy is that everyone is born again, born together in the group”\. \(Irvin D\. Yalom\)\. This can easily be observed among all ages who are part of a group by virtue of common interests\. Adolf Hitler made very effective use of group dynamics with his Hitler Youth groups\. Not only was he able to give them a sense of belonging and a cause to support, but he was able to effectively change the moral compass of the youth of his day\. The Bible also records very effective group dynamics and how quickly they can influence people without evidence\. In Acts 14:1, we see the group ready to offer sacrifices to Paul as a god, and in the next verse they stoned him\. Acts 19 tells of a group yelling “Great is Diana of the Ephesians” for hours\. Verse 32 says that most of the people didn’t even know what the fuss was about, but they would have killed for whatever it was\. In these examples, possibly not even one individual really stopped to seriously consider what was morally right or wrong\. They were taking up the cause of the group\. It gave a sense of “rightness” and belonging, just to be a contributing supporter of the cause\. But stop and think—the cause, the action, and the consequences should always be carefully considered\. These people were not taking individual responsibility to determine what is morally right and wrong\. Too often people don’t, rather they only function as a group\. But the Bible tells us that the time will come when we will all be personally held accountable for what we have done in this life\. At that time, what the group believed or did will make no difference\. When we \(each one of us\) will stand one day \(at the end of time\) before God’s judgement throne, we will be judged according to *…the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man **according to his deeds** –Romans 2:5\-6\.* As we read in the biblical books of the Kings and the Chronicles, Israel, as a nation, functioned with strong group dynamics\. When a good king came to power, the nation in general turned to the Lord\. When an evil king came to power, the nation in general turned to idol worship\. There were a few exceptions—a few people who thought for themselves—whose allegiance to God was greater than their allegiance to the king or nation\. The Christian church itself is a group, influencing and changing the perspectives and morality of individuals for the right or the wrong\. Dependent on the convictions of the group and its leaders, the church can be an influence of godly morality, or it can explain away the Bible’s concepts of good and evil\. There should be a major difference between the Christian church and all other groups regarding how their group dynamics work\. The Christian church is a group for the express purpose of turning people’s allegiance and faith to Jesus Christ as revealed in His Word, rather than to the group itself\. A church whose goal is to gain converts to itself has failed in its mission as detailed in God’s Word\. A church that is successful in turning people from all other allegiances to Jesus Christ is a successful church\. Allegiance to Jesus includes obedience to His Word which requires obedience to all authorities, including the church\. But the Christian’s obedience to the church is secondary and a result of his obedience to Jesus, not the other way around\. If a church is successful in turning its members’ faith and focus to Jesus as revealed in His Word, these members will then be unwilling to allow the church to accept unscriptural modern doctrines, and the church will remain sound in *…the faith which was once delivered unto the saints –Jude 1:3\.* May each one of us, both collectively and individually, focus our faith on Jesus Christ\. ![]()