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17 answers

Nothing is universally good or bad only situationally. There is no authority.

2007-03-02 06:30:50 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0 2

Very intelligent question. Man is fallible, so how can the standards originate with man? A society may agree on the rule that women should remain covered in public, in a very pragmatic way, but another society may disagree. What is the standard?

Good, bad, right and wrong, these are dualities. We are limited in our perceptions, and labels attempt to distinguish beneficial from non-beneficial behaviors. Still, there must be a standard by which we can distinguish which are beneficial from those which are not beneficial.

God is the authority, because God is the standard. God is the source of all good and bad, right and wrong. There is no other source. God is absolute, so actually, these dualities exist only in our own perceptions, which are limited. It is due to our position that we perceive the dualities of right and wrong, good and bad.

Suppose you are on street level. You can see a few blocks, possibly. But, if you are on the top of a tall building, you can see further. Our position allows us to see only a very limited range of cause and effect, but God's position allows Him to see all causes and effects. You might see a man running down the street with a purse, and you might think, "Oh, he has stolen a ladies purse". (Bad) But, someone on the fifth floor of a building may have seen a woman drop her purse as she was getting into a cab a block away, and the man picked up the purse, running to catch the cab at the stoplight to return it. (Good) Similarly, you might give a beggar some money to get some food, thinking you are doing some good, but you cannot know if he turns the corner and goes and buys some liquor with it, and then drunkenly stumbles into traffic, causing a fatal crash.

Therefore, God has given man the standards of behavior which are deemed beneficial for the advancement of civilization. Any deviation from those standards are considered bad, or wrong. In actuality, there is neither good nor bad, right or wrong, since it is our position only that perceives these dualities.

2007-03-02 14:51:35 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Do you doubt that there is a clear and definable distinction between good and evil? If this were the case, then Mother Theresa would be no better than Adolph Hitler.

Ravi Zacharias relates the story of a conversation he had with an atheist about the question of evil. The man was convinced that evil did not exist; that it was merely a tool society had created to control our culture. He was adamant that society had no right to impose standards on anyone. Ravi countered by asking him if a person should then be free to cut a tiny child into small pieces. The man claimed that while he wouldn't like it, he could find no compelling reason to say such behavior was wrong. (Can you believe such nonsense?) Then Ravi drove home the contradiction: by his own admission, this man had felt inside himself a revulsion regarding such an act. Where did this revulsion come from?

In the animal kingdom there are very few examples of inherently evil behavior. Animals exist in relative peace compared to the turbulent societies of man. They kill for food or territory or mates, but only man is really capable of truly malicious premeditated carnage. Only man is able to understand the difference between wrong and right. In every society on earth we find rules of conduct designed to ward off behavior that can destroy the culture. Many of these societies do not believe in God as Judeo-Christian cultures do. Yet each society recognizes the problem of man's evil nature.

2007-03-02 14:42:42 · answer #3 · answered by MythBuster 2 · 1 0

There could be no 'good' if there wasn't 'bad' to compare it with. There could be no 'right' if there wasn't 'wrong' to compare it with. Each 'individual' must 'decide' what is good, what is bad, what is right, and what is wrong ... but mostly we 'learn these things' from our parents and 'elder ancestors' before we are 'old enough' to even 'understand' the 'concepts.' This has been 'proven' by 'statistical analysis of humans throughout their lives over time.' That still doesn't 'address' the question of whether there is a God, or whether that God is the 'ultimate authority' ... and that is another of those 'things' that each individual must 'decide' for himself.

2007-03-02 15:03:57 · answer #4 · answered by Kris L 7 · 0 0

Yep - there's probably a term for it in philosophy, but it's the authority of "that it is so". whatever you'd call that. The sun is in the sky. Who said it could be? Who says it is? Doesn't matter. There it is. Same thing with good and bad, right and wrong. Morality does exist, and its elements are constant and undeniable. Hurtful things hurt, loving things heal and feel good. Decency has one effect, malice another. Who says? Doesn't matter, it is so. I guess the authority of "that's how it is".

2007-03-02 14:32:37 · answer #5 · answered by All hat 7 · 0 0

Hmm, interesting answers there. Did you ask about God...nope, I don't see it there. Nothing can be deemed either way. It's like the majority of society voted on it. Maybe they've got it all backwards and are forcing the questioners into eternal damnation or wherever you fear the most.
That authority is man-made by self proclaimed geniuses and know-it-alls. The rest of us have to agree, that's why they made laws; they don't need thinking people rocking the boat...whoever they are.

2007-03-02 14:43:36 · answer #6 · answered by ? 3 · 0 1

Without laws or rights and wrongs the universe would be in a larger state of chaos than it really is. Free will grants you the right to decide if you want to disregard these rules, but you will ultimately pay the price in one way or another.

2007-03-02 14:32:00 · answer #7 · answered by ○•○•Cassie•○•○ 6 · 1 0

Things can be positive or negative from the Divine point of view. They are positive, if they serve the greatest good of everyone, and negative, if they do the opposite. What human beings consider good or bad is relative, and God may have quite a different opinion.

2007-03-02 14:43:49 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0 0

If you belive in God it does. As far as deeming something "good or bad"...i feel that inside every person is the inate ability to know when something is one or the other. But, when all the dust settles, God is the final judge, not us.

2007-03-02 14:31:40 · answer #9 · answered by Underdog 2 · 0 0

One must have complete knowledge and understanding of the word of God, the bible as John 12:47,48;
Those of the heavenly did and as Jesus, they died for it or gave their life to uphold it.
Rev.20:1-6; It will take 1000 years for the heavenly, Rev.3:12; meant for the new heavens to get it right for the earthly meant for the new earth 2Pet.3:3; Rev.21:1-5;
From Rev.6:9-11; Rev.12:11; 17:6;

2007-03-02 14:33:45 · answer #10 · answered by jeni 7 · 0 2

Nope. Humans govern that by our instincts. They tell us not to kill our own kind cuz that wouldnt be good for the speicies and that stealing is wrong because others would be worse off and possibly die because of that. Our lifes are in fact, governed by death. Kinda sucks doesnt it?

2007-03-02 14:32:34 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0 1

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