Please respond in the comments section in as expansive a form as possible.
Lately I have been in numerous discussions from close to a dozen sources and it has me very curious where people take their ideas of how to base what is right and wrong from.
The source must have some authority. A simple "This is what I think" is not relevant because that is open to, "Well, I think differently and my say-so is as valid as yours".
For those who know me well, they already know my bias; I take my belief on what is right or wrong based on the assumption that there is a God, He has given us His will in the Bible, and that is the source of the authority, that He is the Creator and His will trumps my wishes.
I have been surprised that even people within the religious community take different sources and of course many of my friends are not religious at all...in fact, some are outright hostile towards religion.
So there should be a good cross-section of comments I am hoping.
5 comments:
This is not an answer that would fit into a blog entry! In short, I believe we are put on this earth to help others.
My lowest level, passive understanding of right and wrong is the law. When reason and deliberation triumph the law (because not all law makers are incorruptible and pious) i.e. I use my noggin when I see it is in my best interest to do so. Divinity then triumphs that in matters that are relavent (most are relavent). I hope this is what you are looking for.
Ooh. I like questions like this.
In my little world, I get teased and called the morality police. I will call people on their selfish and destructive behavior, have been known to end friendships for complicated reasons like being tired of watching someone have an affair with a married mad.
So, where does it come fro? A combination of places. I was raised in a strict Catholic family - with an abusive father. I used to think God had it in for me, and also had a pretty interesting sense of humor. I believe in God, but I think he's a little busy up there so I step in when I think I should. I've been called a bulldozer.
I also follow closely with what RK said - we are supposed to be helping each other. And good, kind, compassionate, forgiving. Lather, rinse, repeat.
I liked your question because it begs us to look inward - always a good thing!
I stand on the same things you stated Andrew. I believe right and wrong are what they are because God said so. And I believe that the Bible is our infallable source of knowing what God has declared to be right or wrong.
Sometimes I find myself trying to put in my own opinions. But I know that my opinion does not dictate moral truth. It is only an effort to understand what already is.
I believe God has revealed what is right and what is wrong in other ways (not by other religions, but rather by other methods... concience, etc...). But it seems to me that those revelations are harder to understand than the Bible.
If a moral issue or ethical thought are in conflict with what the Bible says, then the Bible always trumps. But ultimately all truth comes from God, including the Bible which will never conflict with God.
I would also add that I don't think God flips a coin to decide right and wrong, but that right and wrong are decided based on His nature. But however He decides it, right and wrong is God's decision to make alone, and it is our lot to figure out what He has decided.
If I understand your question correctly, you are not asking what it is we are supposed to do, but rather why believe we are supposed to do it. I believe you believe that right and wrong are based on some ultimate source, and if a person's definition of those concepts is not based on an ultimate source the words right and wrong really have no meaning.
My response is almost identical to Cris's. I believe the God described in the Bible is the God who created the universe and everything in it. I believe that he has revealed right and wrong in His word and in nature. I believe this because I believe the Bible to be the inspired (in the true definition of the word) word of God, and it tells us this in words such as when Peter describes Paul's writing as scripture and not subject to man's interpretation. It also tells us that there are certain things which should be obvious such as when Paul says "...does not even nature itself teach us..."
I would like to say that my belief in God is the sole source of what I believe to be right and wrong and leave it at that. Sadly, I know that all too often I allow what I want to do or think decide what I believe to be right at a particular time.
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