31 Beginning from a naturalistic, morally relativistic perspective, social scientists in the fields of sociology and anthropology often argue that all cultures are equally viable because people within those cultures experience their world with the same deep emotions and profound effects as we experience ours. Other people want peace and happiness just as much as we do. Presumably, this approach enhances tolerance of people who do not appear to be like us. That is not an unworthy goal, but to conclude that all cultures are to be accepted and no judgments are to be pronounced upon any culture is a stretch for anyone who lives in the real world. Even the United Nations makes judgments by reprimanding member countries for the brutal treatment of their minorities. No one argues that Hitler’s Nazi Germany, Stalin’s Russia, or Mao’s China was equally as good as any other culture of the 20th century. Some cultures are better than other cultures. A simple, empirical way to measure that appraisal is to trace the flow of migration around the world. Follow the footsteps of immigrants and refugees to observe how people vote with their feet and with their lives. They are fleeing the worst cultures and heading for the best ones within their reach. But beyond the empirical data is the influence the Judeo-Christian ethic has upon society. Those societies that apply the Ten Commandments most consistently will be those societies that will be magnets for immigrants. Corruption, bribery, and court systems that disregard the law do not provide the cultural climate that people flock to join. A cultural phenomenon that occurs particularly in the East is the prevalence of what are called face-saving or shame cultures. People in this part of the world attempt to preserve honor and dignity so one is not embarrassed or put to shame before others. To maintain a good face is to avoid exposure resulting in rejection by others. Living in such a culture reinforces the human tendency to become more concerned about how others view us than how God views us. Guilt is the concept Scripture uses to describe how God views us concerning the problem of sin. Moral guilt is defined by the violation of God’s law. Guilt calls for forgiveness while shame calls for acceptance. Guilt is due to moral sin while shame is a sense of social embarrassment. Christians in shame cultures face the likelihood of being shamed for their Christlike character and witness. Scripture instructs believers that they will
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