Breaking the Rules

~ Spoiler Alert: Dark Knight ~

The Dark Knight is a horror movie. Slasher films or films with invading radioactive aliens carrying lasers of mass destruction are more likely to make people yawn or laugh, rather than scream. A true horror unpicks your sense of security. Dark Knight was profoundly disturbing because it is possible. There are no super-powers or supernatural forces - there are just average people and their capacity for evil. Gotham city is our world, our values in close-up. The movie forced us to face the real, underlying evil in each of us.

Some men aren't looking for anything logical
They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with.
Some men just want to watch the world burn.

~ Alfred, The Dark Knight


An excellent review on the excellent movie floated up some ethical issues I've been chewing over. The Joker doesn't subscribe to anybody's rules. He advances in his schemes by letting people choose: to break the rules that underpins society and benefit, or to hold fast to the rules and absorb the consequences? As people choose to break the rules, they participate in destruction and help The Joker win the game of exposing the society's rules as a farce.

The citizens of Gotham city let him down in the ferrie incident by making the nobler but riskier choice. But that was a squirt of Hollywood-flavored syrup! (I think the makers lost the nerve to quench the smoldering hope in the human spirit.)

Even its true, unsung hero barely emerges virtuous. When tested, the Batman almost-but-not-quite breaks his only rule not to kill. He only just subdued his murderous intent and engaged in a desperately unethical, Orwellian strategy to overcome evil. Gotham city's hero tottered on the edge of integrity, like Harvey and many of the citizens.

What do you do when your enemy doesn't play by the rules? Do you get to break your rules to overcome evil for the greater good? What's the point of keeping the rules when others don't and sell you out?

I wonder what the Joker would say if he went head-to-head with Jesus. No Comprehende? He'd feel a bit let down, I think.

Jesus, the mighty hero, makes the nobler choice, refuses to break God's rules and absorbs the consequences himself. Jesus emerges completely virtuous and victorious over his enemy! He overcomes his enemy, sin, by dying on the cross and comes out clean in his resurrection. What's more, he does this for the benefit of everyone else.

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

~ John 1:9-13

Our world is less noble and more stuffed up than Gotham City. But we have a hero greater than Batman. If it wasn't for Jesus, wouldn't we just despair and wail for our society?

Brilliant film. Mighty Savior!

How ought we live?

When we "do" ethics, what level are we operating on? Are we concerned about actions (i.e. weighing up an action to see if it's ethical) or about virtues (e.g. It's ok to lie to the Nazis about Jews in the basement because you're a compassionate person).

What is your measuring stick? What are we measuring?

How about doing ethics based on GOD's virtues? (I.e. God's own character is the measuring stick). It's just an idea that I'm throwning out there. The Bible seems to say God himself is the motivation for right living.

Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.

~ Lev 19:2

Christian conduct, it seems, is based on God's character. Because we are made in God's image and have the imprint of his character, we ought to behave accordingly.

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

~ Col 3:5-10


And his character doesn't just change individuals' conduct. The Corinthian church should organise their church in orderly manner. Why? "For God is not a God of disorder but of peace." (1 Cor 14:33)

In Paul's letter, all people are indictable because they knew God's character but didn't give him due worship (resulting in sinful attitudes and behaviors).

since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

~ Romans 1:19-23

That is, God's attributes were clear and therefore people should have responded by shunning sinful living. I'm still not sure how God's character relates to the way we live.

But somehow, God himself is the measuring stick and goal of our behavior.