MORALITY: Is there a standard of right and wrong?

Most people have an instinctive awareness that they should do good and avoid evil. Why is this? Is it because there is a knowledge of right and wrong written on our hearts?

Previously I have written on two scientific arguments from cosmology that point to a Creator. These two powerful explanations for God’s existence are the Cosmological and Teleological arguments. In this post I would like to briefly explore another compelling philosophical line of evidence pointing to God’s existence. This is the Moral Law.

In essence, it goes like this:

1. Every law has a law giver

2. There is a moral law

3. Therefore, there is a Moral Law Giver

If the first two premises are true, then it would follow that the conclusion would be true, there is a Moral Law Giver.

BEHIND LEGISLATION IS A LEGISLATOR

I think everybody would acknowledge the first premise is true. It is obvious that every law has a law giver. I personally work for a governmental agency in the County of San Bernardino that enforces the California Building Codes. Building and Safety’s primary responsibility is the enforcement of building standards adopted by the County and approved by the California legislature. There would be no laws or “codes” if we did not have a body of lawmakers or legislature.

When we hire a new employee they sign a contract. One of the many things this entails is a “code of conduct”. There are certain rules and regulations that must be adhered to as part of their conditions of employment. It is very obvious to the employee that someone or more than one, created and wrote these rules.

When a police officer gives you a ticket for speeding, he must appeal to an established law that allows him to cite that specific violation. There are many examples we could give to reinforce this point.

So if there is a Law Giver behind the law, how does that apply to morality? If there really is a Moral Law then something or someone must be behind it. Is premise two correct? There is a Moral Law.

IS THERE A MORAL LAW?

It seems obvious that all people are impressed with a fundamental sense of right and wrong. However, there are some that try and deny this.

Well know atheist Richard Dawkins wrote the following in his book The God Delusion,

“There is at the bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil and no good. Nothing but blind pitiless indifference.”

Is this really true? Does this line up with our human experience? Is there really no evil or good? Are we living in a world without a God? Are we just highly evolved animals with no purpose?

In the wild a coyote will kill a rabbit because it needs to eat. It has not done anything morally wrong. There is a “circle of life” in the animal kingdom that we all recognize. Many times only the strong survive. Animals have no moral obligation to one another. The are just doing what animals do. If God doesn't exist, we should view human behavior in the same way. If Mr. Dawkins is correct, we should be able to kill someone and it shouldn’t really matter right? No action should be considered morally right or wrong. He says there is no evil and no good. So “murder” is just a personal decision and there should no ramifications. This is absurd right? But why is it absurd?

This is a problem for Atheists. They want to do away with God, but they must admit there are moral standards. However, without God, these standards do not exist. Here is a quote from Michael Ruse - Atheist, Philosopher of Science at Florida State University:

"The man who says that it is morally acceptable to rape little children is just as mistaken as the man who says 2 + 2 = 5"

We all know it is wrong to hurt or torture an innocent child. Even though some do this horrible act, deep down they know it is wrong. You see without an objective standard of meaning and morality, then life is meaningless and there is nothing absolutely right or wrong. Everything is a matter of opinion. You may as well just eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. Again, we know this is a faulty concept.

“Former” atheist C.S. Lewis once struggled with the problem of evil. However, this subject eventually caused him to realize there had to be a higher standard and he eventually became a Christian. He made the following observation:

“My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?”

Francis Collins was a “former” noted atheist and scientist. He wrote the following:

“Why would such a universal and uniquely human hunger (for God) exist, if it were not connected to some opportunity for fulfillment? Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feel hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water.” {Source: “The Language of God”, 38}

The Law written in our hearts

The Bible addresses this “hunger” or truth stamped upon our hearts.

“…The work of the law is written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness…”

“Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse!” Romans 1

Regardless of people’s opinions or what our culture may say, we have this “built in” understanding of what is morally right and wrong.

Moral Relativism

Many will say that is just your personal value or opinion. They will assert that morality is relative. They will argue that there are no universal values that help us determine what is right and wrong. They will claim, “that is your moral truth” or “everything is relative.” They may point out that different cultures have different standards therefore there are no standards. They argue moral relativism makes us more “tolerant” of other people’s beliefs. When challenged with truth and logic, these arguments do not stand up. When evaluated you will discover even different cultures have common moral standards. We should definitely be tolerant of others but our culture has re-defined the definition of “tolerance”.

This is why it is so critical for parents and influencers of the youth of our generation to be equipping them with a Biblical Worldview. In his book “The Closing of the American Mind” professor Allan Bloom says the following,

“There is one thing a professor can be absolutely certain of; almost every student entering the university believes, or says he believes, that truth is relative…The students, of course, cannot defend their opinion. It is something with which they have been indoctrinated.”

Because of this, our culture has become close-minded to the possibility of knowing truth. The truth is that this objective morality is common to all people and given by God. It has nothing to do with our personal opinion or beliefs. Even though our culture may express this relativistic view, they do not live that way. Their actions contradict their “beliefs”.

If you treat someone who believes morality is relative unfairly you will find out real quick that they must admit there is a standard of right and wrong. Try stealing money from them. Take their cherished car or burglarize their house. If there is no standard, then I should be able to do that. After all I am just exercising “my truth” and morality. Like the animal kingdom, if I am stronger than you I will just take it from you. You have no right to complain if you adhere to your relativism. Again, we know this is absurd and if given the chance, they would try and defend themselves against you.

This view just does not match our intuitive understanding of right and wrong. If we take this concept to its ridiculous conclusion, a mass murderer should be no different than the sweet God-fearing lady who obeys the law and tries to help others. Almost no one would make that claim.

DOES MORALITY REQUIRE A MORAL LAW GIVER?

We have provided evidence that there is an objective morality that applies to everyone. Where does this come from? Since this law is written on everyone’s heart, it must come from a source greater than ourselves. The best explanation is for the existence of a Moral Law Giver (God).

For evil to exist good must exist, and for good to exist God must exist. An Atheist may say, I don’t need God in my life to be good. In a sense they are right. People can be good without knowing or believing in God. That is not the argument. There would be no standard of goodness without God. Even though they don’t “believe” in Him, they really need God to make their case. It is like someone who reads a book but does not know the author. This happens all the time. You can read a book and not know who wrote it personally, However there would be no book if there wasn’t an author!

CONCLUSION

We have provided ample evidence that premises one and two are both correct. Every law has a Law Giver. There is a Moral Law. Therefore, the last premise is true. There is a Moral Law Giver and He is God. He is the standard of goodness. Without Him there would be no objective right or wrong. However, God does exist and you can know Him.

The Moral Argument is just one of many reasons that add to the vast cumulative case of evidence that points to our Creator. Jesus said in the Bible:

“I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9-10

“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13

If you haven’t done this, now would be a good time!

What in the world is a Worldview?

You have probably heard the term worldview. So, what exactly does it mean? Why is it important anyway?

Well, simply put a worldview is how a person looks at the world.

It is basically your philosophy of life or your perspective from which you understand reality. A worldview answers the most important questions in life: How did I get here? What is my purpose? Are there any rules or moral guidelines to follow in this life? What happens when I die?

Whether you realize it or not, everyone has a worldview. It doesn’t matter if you are religious or not. Many factors form our worldview. It is shaped by our parents, the culture we were raised in, our friends, education, books, and media among other factors. A worldview greatly influences what you believe is right or wrong.

Let me illustrate. A good pair of glasses helps you see things more clearly and accurately. Obviously, a bad pair of glasses will distort your vision and hinder you from seeing things as they really are. Many times, after you put on a pair of glasses you forget about them. However, you are filtering everything through these lenses. That is why it is so critical to have glasses that will help you see the clear picture of reality. People will have different lenses that will affect their vision.

So just like a pair of glasses, a worldview affects the way you see everything. It is the code that you live by.

This is important because when it comes to the big questions in life such as the existence of God, the purpose of life, or the reliability of Scripture, our perspective or lenses, will affect the way we understand the truth. Logically our actions and what motivates us should be consistent with our worldview. For example, if you adopt the worldview of atheism you do not believe that God exists. There is no good answer for the origin of time, space, and matter. Ultimately, something came from nothing. We are complex uncreated chemical reactions that are subject to randomness over a long period of time. This worldview could easily promote the idea that people really have no purpose.

Some other worldview examples would include paganism or the idea that many gods and spirits exist. Another one would be Pantheism which holds that the world itself is divine. A common one held in our culture today would be naturalism, meaning the physical, material world is all that exists. This is not an exhaustive list.

However, when we compare all of the worldviews it becomes very clear that Christianity is rational and gives us the best picture of reality.

Let’s briefly explore the Christian or Biblical Worldview. What does it mean to have a Biblical worldview? Having a Biblical worldview means you view life through the lens of the Bible. This gives us clear direction and helps us successfully navigate the challenges of our culture with confidence. A Biblical worldview believes in the existence of a living God who has revealed Himself through His creation as well as Scripture. God has revealed Himself expressly through Jesus. The Christian worldview tells us that we have tremendous value. We were created in the image of God, no matter what our gender or ethnic background. Our Creator loves us. He sent His Son to die for us and those who believe in Him can live with God forever.

Yes, the Biblical worldview answers the big questions: Origin, meaning, morality and destiny.

Origin – Where did I come from? The first 10 words in the Bible are so incredibly powerful, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Christianity provides the best answer to the beginning of the Universe. It recognizes a very powerful, personal “uncaused first cause” that exists outside of time, space and matter. This is who Christians recognize as God. We live in this universe that mainstream science agrees had a beginning at is it perfectly fine-tuned to support life. This is consistent with reality.

Meaning – Why are we here? According to the bible, we were created for a purpose. We are a part of God’s plan and were created in His image. We are deeply loved! We can have a personal relationship with God. We are commanded to love Him and also make Him known to others.

Morality - Is there a right and wrong? The Christian worldview recognizes that all truth comes from God. He is the single source of truth. Jesus Christ said “I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me”. God is the ultimate judge of right and wrong, but He has placed in us the ability to know and respond to truth. Deep inside of us is an awareness that truth exists. It corresponds with our everyday experiences. This awareness was placed by God who gives us a hunger to know truth. Remember this; it is not just your truth or my truth. It is available to everybody. Truth is not invented. It is discovered. It is true whether you or I believe it or not.

Destiny – What happens when we die? This is the most exciting part! We are eternal beings and as Christians we will live forever in an eternal relationship with our Creator. It will also be a place where there are no more tears, no death, and no fear.

So, the Biblical worldview holds up to the scrutiny and best describes our world as it is. Unlike other worldviews, it is rooted in history, so it can be tested. It passes the test!

The most important historical event is the life death and resurrection of Jesus. As the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15, “if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is vain and your faith is futile.”

The Bible can also be tested using the same criteria historians use to verify the authenticity of other ancient documents. The New Testament passes the test far better than anything else from the ancient world! They are considered trustworthy beyond a reasonable doubt. The Biblical worldview is true. And it provides hope to a chaotic culture.

Unlike most other religions, Christianity acknowledges we cannot do enough “good works” to solve our sin problem. In fact, the best we can do by ourselves is described as “filthy rags”. Jesus paid the sacrifice for our sins.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast. When we accept this free gift, His righteousness is put to our credit!

Think about this for a minute. You know how you got here. Now that you are here, you know what your purpose of life is. You have the rules in Scripture along with the moral guidelines to give you direction. And the best of all, you know where you are going when you die!

When you believe that it changes everything. This is what motivates me to live the abundant life. It is the reason I can get up in the morning with excitement.

The Biblical worldview gives hope and meaning and causes you to have a confident faith you want to share with others.

So, what is your worldview and why do you believe it is the one that allows you to clearly see reality?

Article written by James Werner

Generation Equipped Ministries