Kohlberg

            Building on the work of Jean Piaget (studied cognitive maturity, mentioned in the last chapter), Lawrence Kohlberg presented moral dilemmas to children, adolescents, and adults.  He then asked them not only what they would do to solve the dilemmas but also why they chose that solution.  He was more interested in the reasons for their decisions than in what they said they would do.  Kohlberg concluded that moral reasoning, like thinking, develops from the concrete to the abstract through different stages as we mature.

• Preconventional morality.  In early childhood children have a morality of self-interest in which they seek to gain rewards and avoid punishments.
• Conventional morality.  In later childhood moral reasoning usually shifts to obeying laws and rules simply because they are laws and rules.
• Postconventional morality.  During adolescence as they develop formal operational thinking, teens become capable of moral reasoning based on human rights and basic ethical principles.

Of course, the change we are interested in here is the final one which occurs near the age of puberty, about as teenagers become adolescents. During this stage they are, for the first time, capable of making moral decisions based on ethical principles.  Before that children simply found an existing rule or law that seemed relevant to the situation at hand, but now they are able to apply general principles to new situations.

Just as not everyone reaches the cognitive stage of formal operational thinking, not everyone reaches the level of postconventional morality.  In fact, reaching this level is most common in the male educated middle class of western culture, one which prizes individualism.  Women and people in communal cultures that prize caring relationships are not as likely to apply such impersonal moral principles.  This not to say that such people are unable to apply these principles, just that since they value relationships more, they are less likely to apply the abstract principles.

Again we find that adolescents are capable of adult levels of moral reasoning.  They are adults.  Whether we hold them responsible for their moral choices or not, they are capable of making such choices.

Right or Wrong?

            Adolescents are capable of making these kinds of moral choices, just as they can think abstractly at the level of formal operations.  However, many do not do so because of their postmodern thinking.  Just as each one decides which will be true or false for him or her, so each one decides what is right or wrong for him or her.  Rather than looking for an absolute truth (right and wrong for everyone), each postmodern adolescent develops his or her moral system of what is right or wrong.

            This thinking is not new.  The writer of Proverbs dealt with it thousands of years ago.  He noted that the ways of fools seem right to them (Proverbs 12:15) and people’s ways may seem right to them, but God is the one who judges (Proverbs 16:2).  People’s ways may seem right to them, but the end is death.  The Bible nowhere says that each person should develop his or her own moral system.  In fact Paul, the TCK, says that those who compare with themselves and measure themselves by themselves are not wise (2 Corinthians 10:12).

            Even when a whole culture determines right and wrong, the results may be far from Christian.  In his book, Peace Child, missionary Don Richardson described a tribe in which the most admired act a man can do was to pretend to be a friend to someone from another tribe, have that “friend” over to dinner, and stab him to death during the meal.  The longer he pretended to be a friend, the more admiration from other members of the tribe!  In their culture Judas was greatly admired because he had pretended to be Jesus’ friend for three years, longer than anyone they had ever known. In western culture all of us know about the Nazis in Germany who decided that killing Jews was a virtuous act, so they killed six million.

            The most comprehensive recent treatment of morality in modern adolescents is Josh McDowell’s Right from Wrong (1994).  As the cover notes, this study found that a majority of churched youth could no longer determine right from wrong.  McDowell was interested in what adolescents attending church youth groups believed was right and wrong, so he enlisted the help of the Barna Research Group and surveyed 3795 youth members in 13 Evangelical Christian denominations (Assembly of God, two Church of God groups, Church of the Nazarene, Foursquare Gospel, Free Methodist, Friends, two Mennonite groups, Pentecostal Holiness, Salvation Army, Southern Baptist, and Wesleyan).  Here are some of their answers relative to their beliefs and piety.

• 86% Yes to: Have you ever made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in your life today?
• 85% Yes to: God is the all-powerful, all-knowing, perfect creator of the universe who rules the world today.
• 82% Weekly to: How often do you and others in your life attend services at a Christian church?
• 80% Yes to: There really is a place of permanent suffering, which is known as hell.
• 75% Yes to: When I die I will go to heaven because I have confessed my sins and have accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior.
• 70% Yes to: The Bible is totally accurate in all its teachings.

            The report of this study is 335 pages long, so some results serve as examples here.  As you look at these, remember that the results given are not by adolescents in general, but by adolescents in youth groups of these Evangelical Christian churches.  Here are some of their answers to questions about their moral behaviors.

• 71% Yes to: What is right for one person in a given situation might not be right for another person who encounters that same situation.
• 66% Yes to: I lied to a parent, teacher, or other older person (in the last three months).
• 59% Yes to: I lied to one of my friends or peers (in the last three months).
• 54% Yes to: Freedom means being able to do anything you want to do, as long as it is legal.
• 48% Yes to: When it comes to matters of morals and ethics, truth means different things to different people; no one can be absolutely positive they have the truth.
• 38% Yes to: Lying is sometimes necessary.
• 36% Yes to: I cheated on an exam or other evaluation.

            Keep in mind that these are not statements made by a random sample of today’s youth.  They are made by adolescents who attend Evangelical Christian churches, and 86% have made personal commitments to Jesus Christ, commitments still important to them. 

What can adolescent TCKs do?

You face many moral decisions every day.  You are adults and have the ability to make adult decisions.  The only way to learn to make such decisions is to make them—and then live with the consequences of those decisions.   Look at some of the decisions you may have to make on a regular basis.

• When a TV program comes on, it is often a moral decision: to watch or not to watch.
• When a song comes on the radio, it may be a moral decision: to listen or not to listen.
• When you drive: to speed or not to speed.
• When riding with someone driving recklessly: to continue or to get out.
• When you approach a yellow traffic light: to accelerate or to brake.
• When invited to a questionable party: to accept or decline.
• When alcohol comes out at a party: to drink or pass.  To stay or leave.
• When you see an injustice done: to get involved or to “mind your own business.”
• During the offering at church: to donate cheerfully or to keep your money.
• When at work: to return when the break ends or to stand and talk longer.
• When on the job: to do your best or say “minimum pay, minimum work.”
• When taking a test at school: to peek at your neighbor’s paper or take the lower grade.
• When you see someone cheating: to confront or to turn your head.
• When given too much change at the register: to keep it or to return it.
• When on a date: to respect the other person or get all you can get.
• Etc. etc. etc.

            Look back over the list of situations above.  When you faced these, how did you do?  Think of other moral decisions you have faced during the last week.  How many did you pass?  How many fail?  What do you do about the wrong moral decisions you have made?

• Ask God’s forgiveness.  This is always appropriate.
• Resolve not to make that wrong choice again—and carry out that resolution.  You cannot “unwatch” the suggestive TV program you saw last night, but you can change the channel or turn the TV off tonight.

·         If you habitually make the same wrong choice, ask someone to hold you accountable and report to that person every week—and call them between times when in that situation.

• If possible and appropriate, ask the forgiveness of others involved.  If you did something inappropriate with your date last weekend, ask him or her for forgiveness—and do not do it again.
• If possible, make restitution.  If you did not tithe, you can make it up next week—or in small payments over the next year.  If you took long breaks, work some overtime or shorten future breaks.

Making good moral choices takes practice.  The more you make good choices, the more likely that you will make good ones in the future.  Do not give up, but continue to ask forgiveness and ask others to help.