Hey Karen
Yes, there is a third. She's finishing high school this year, and then who knows? All I know is that her horse goes where she goes, but more likely it's the reverse. I've heard of Kids going off to college with trailers before but not horse trailers, so U of C Looks good.
This will have to be short, but, perhaps our examples from nature can go both ways since a female bear would rather kill you than let you near her cub. I don't think the bear understands good and evil any more than the fish.
One of the problems we are dealing with is that we do know the difference, and yet we act in opposition to what we know is good and true. We can't fall back on excuses. We do what we do because we want to. The other problem we have is, how do we know what we know about good and evil? I say it is a Divinely bestowed and inherent characteristic of being humans created by a moral God.
You say there is "other" explanations. What are they? If you will grant me recorded history, then you are only speculating about pre-history. Your examples of head hunters and those who eat their dead don't stand up to closer scrutiny either. All those people do what they do for base moral reasons that, while they differ in application form ours, they are very much the same underneath. Things like justice and honor, truth and goodness. They will tell you some things are evil while some things are good. Killing and eating an enemy of war is seen as virtuous, while not doing so is dishonorable. The same could be said for eating you grandma. We spend ten grand to put them in a box and they eat a part of her. Both are done for respect, and out of a sense of right.
"Only if you believe in God. If you don't, it's the golden rule. That's why I say it's secular. If it were religious, it would be silver, as you say."
Not quite true, Only if God does not exist, would it not matter. His existence does not depend on my belief or yours. It may be said that each of us have our own perception of reality, and that therefore we cannot "judge" which is correct. However if God does exist, then he is the ultimate and final arbiter of all that is good. Have I ever met anyone who I thought was good? Sure, I meet them all the time, and you are one of those people. The rub comes, in that I am not the final authority on goodness, God is. He says there is "none good, and none righteous" We have all done what we wanted to do in opposition to what we knew was right.
"I'd like to think that God, if He exists, is bigger than that. I think my list represents the importance to me of personal integrity and being a supportive member of society and the low value I place on the frivolous and mundane. I would think God would approve of that."
Unfortunately Karen, it's a package deal with God, Keep all His laws perfectly, or face death.
To say "I'll keep one three and five" does no good. That is why someone who did keep the LAW perfectly and then offered that perfect life as a sacrifice for sin, makes eminent sense. That's the Gospel. Such a deal.
Good night Karen.
Greg |
