The Telegraph publishes a story about Switzerland reconsidering incest laws.  In the midst of the article comes this quote from a member of the Swiss Parliament:

“Incest is a difficult moral question, but not one that is answered by penal law,” he said.

via Switzerland considers repealing incest laws – Telegraph.

His quote makes me wonder:  aren’t most laws moral questions?  Take murder as an example.  Isn’t it illegal because society deems it immoral?  The current fight over same-sex marriage seems to be a moral argument that may or may not change the laws.  Perhaps, in free societies, laws often reflect our social answer to moral questions.

Consider something Jesus said about morality:

“But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.”  (Matthew 15:18 ESV)

Truly Jesus is not speaking of how social norms become law.  Yet, isn’t it a similar principle?  When laws are passed by a legislature they reflect the heart of the people–at least to some extent.  When they don’t reflect that heart, well the past two years of American politics has shown what happen.