Sacred Law and Moral Truth

An important distinction to be made in the field of ethics is the distinction between Sacred Law and Moral Truth. Misunderstanding this distinction is one path to the perilous embrace of moral relativism.

The notion of The Sacred is essentially the referent of a human emotion directed toward the divine. In other words, it is the referent of piety. That is, the pious man honors the Sacred. Although the emotion itself seems to be universal, its referents are, in fact, quite varied. It is my belief, that what is regarded as Sacred is the product of human convention; the emotion it encapsulates, however, is not, and can be characterized as "Love of the Divine." For example, the Judeo-Christian Ten Commandments and the Buddhist Eight Noble Truths are both examples of Sacred Laws. And they are revered as such in their respective cultures.

However, what if we consider the Aztecs and their practice of ritual human sacrifice? Fortunately, that practice has been relegated to the past. However, it does raise an interesting question. Ritual human sacrifice was considered to be a Sacred practice demanded by the Sacred Law of the Aztecs. How can a practice like ritual sacrifice be understood in a moral context? This seems to be a clear case where Sacred Law and Moral Truth conflict.

What is Moral Truth? Essentially, it is the code of conduct that regulates how we interact with other humans and other life. However, there is more intended than just a "code of conduct." It is not a simple, axiomatic system of rules. It is the spirit or emotion behind any such moral rules and it can be characterized best by "love for fellow humans."