how do we know what is right and wrong christianity

The most important thing in the proper formation of a young child is in learning to be able to tell right from wrong. If the OT prophecies of the Messiah came true, why did Jews not believe in Jesus? Is it Gnosticism? However, we make our decision based on the evidence we see at the time. I think that Christians often do not take the time to ask this obvious question. What are the consequences of sexual immorality? Right and wrong are decided by majority vote. (Mark 12:29–31). Editor’s Note: In Discussing Mere Christianity, Devin Brown engages in conversation about this seminal work of theological conversation by C. S. Lewis.Enjoy the video and questions for Session 1 on your own or with your Bible study group and share your comments below. All other religions are false religions and their founders are false teachers because the Bible is the one and only inspired word of God. In light of passages like this, we must keep in mind that the Christian response to sin is, at times, silence. Jesus cannot be both God and not God. How do we know that our religion is correct? W. L. Craig says that the Jews believed in a kingly Messiah would free them from Rome. This can leave us unprepared to answer questions that will eventually come up, sometimes at the most vulnerable times in our lives. Used properly, logic is a potent weapon against pluralism because it clearly demonstrates that contrary truth claims cannot both be true. This is what the Prophet meant when he said: “Appeal to your heart, and to your soul, for a verdict. What are the guidelines for dating relationships? Before Jesus told us to "love your neighbors as yourself," he said that the greatest commant was to "love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength." I had not had a drink for four years and late one afternoon my roommate, who was also my director with the church group I was working with, had a quart of beer and offered me some. A ccording to one author, we’ve seriously lost our way. So how do we know Christianity is right? We’re both right. First we need to know if absolute truth exists. And yet it is not a fact in the ordinary sense, in the same way as our actual behavior is a fact. Rather, morality is to be measured by the laws and principles of divine revelation, as made known in the inspired writings … How do we know that Christianity is the right religion to be…Because there are other religions that have a Bible and different gods…. If Jesus is not God in flesh, then we should denounce him as a madman because you … Wrong and right, correct and incorrect are human instincts, which are (or should be) reinforced by proper parental upbringing. We know that faith and feelings can be used to believe in any god at all—including non-existent gods. 1 Corinthians 8:7-13 gives the third guideline for knowing right form wrong. Again, perhaps we are made in the image of a God whose character is good, or right and wrong are determined by human choice alone or what feels good, or the notions simply developed under an impetus toward cultural or physical survival. So faith and feelings are epistemologically worthless. Why do the right thing? There are 100’s of religions, why is Christianity as a religion right. They are not merely evolved inclinations that were humanly contrived in order to introduce a sense of order and security into society. Reprinted with permission from the author. to Josephus John the Baptist died 5 years after Jesus and that the gospel writers rewrote history to fit the Jesus narrative? What is right is Biblical covenant theology. Evidence doesn’t care whether I accept it or not. “Right” and “wrong” exist. We can both be right if we… We have denied that there is such a thing as truth (which in and of itself is a truth claim), we have ignored who Jesus claims to be, and have become our own gods. It must come from something outside of ourselves: Consequently, this Rule of Right and Wrong, or Law of Human Nature, or whatever you call it, must somehow or other be a real thing—a thing that is really there, not made up by ourselves. Covenant theology has five points. Philosophically, people may disagree on what is moral or ethical, yet virtually all people agree on some system of right and wrong. Please ask me more questions if you are not finding the answers you need. This can give you a snapshot outline so that you can understand the theology and scripture of the major world religions. Does God know all future events, including possible events? It’s disconcertingly easy for the Pakistani Muslim, the Indian Hindu, the Thai Buddhist, the Israeli Jew, and the American Christian to each simply assume that their native religion is the true one. What advice do you have for new and growing Christians? As a student, you are probably not even old enough to drink legally, but can you think of any other situations where you could make someone stumble spiritually? First, God is absolutely sovereign. And which path do we follow in order to experience eternal life: the four yogas of Hinduism, the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism, the Mosaic code of Judaism, or the laws of Allah in the Qur’an? “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10). Why is the world the way it is? All rights reserved. He is the God of all that is good. But God’s moral requirements are not a list of rules. In this passage, the principle is not to do things that will cause someone else to stumble. We also learn to distinguish between right and wrong by knowing the Word. He says we are like men adrift at sea without a compass.As a result, moral dilemmas plague us as we look ahead to the 21 st century. It would be the same as saying He didn’t need to do that, that we would have been able to reach God on our own if we only did enough good works, followed the right rules, meditated enough, or offered enough sacrifices. I assume that by “right” we are referring to what makes Christianity true as opposed to the other worldviews. I rest my case. Christian Answers Network Experts compile statistics about what humans do … Before discussing what is wrong, we should discuss what is right. This ethic starts with "experts", which should immediately arouse suspicion. A brother and sister may “love” each other, but that doesn’t mean it’s right for them to marry. Watch the Video: Session 1 of Discussing Mere Christianity. We often hear that love should define right from wrong. If it does not, then we really cannot be sure of anything (spiritual or not), and we end up either an agnostic, unsure if we can really know anything, or a pluralist, accepting every position because we are not sure which, if any, is right. I read recently that Elon Musk said that religion and/or spirituality, has no place in science. USA. Pupils then look at guidance for living from all three of these worldviews, examining how Christians, Humanists and Jewish people might decide what is ‘right’. Judaism and Christianity teach that the proper direction of man is to seek to align his will with the will of God, and everything else becomes easier. I would say that Douglas Jacoby has done a better job of answering this question than I will ever be in his book “True and Reasonable” which is available at www.dpibooks.com Let me give you a short version of the answer anyway, and you can get and read Douglas’ book at your leisure. A biblical definition of right and wrong is based, first and foremost, on honoring and revering God. Copyright © 1997, Dawson McAllister Live!, All Rights Reserved—except as noted on attached “Usage and Copyright” page that grants ChristianAnswers.Net users generous rights for putting this page to work in their homes, personal witnessing, churches and schools. The apostle Paul had a strong faith; he knew there was only one God. I had just come in from a four mile run and was very thirsty. So “right” and “wrong” are concepts in the mind of Man that have developed as we have examined human actions and motivations (meaning as all rational cultures have examined it). Marysville WA 98270-1167 According to the Old Testament, the Messiah had to be born in Bethlehem, be raised near Nazareth, be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver, be killed in Jerusalem in about 33 AD, be crucified, have his clothes gambled over, be pierced, and so forth…. How do we know that Christianity is the right religion to be…Because there are other religions that have a Bible and different gods…. We are adults, or we are to become adults (Hebrews 5:11-14), who live in Christ, motivated by love for God and others. Religion is not particularly good at teaching what is wrong or what is right. This is an excellent question. Does the woman leave the diamond ring on the counter because she knows it is wrong to steal and she doesn’t want to do what is wrong, or is it because of the security camera that is panning the store? How do we know what is right and wrong? Please do some looking around. What is Kabbalah? The bottom line is that you should be a Christian because the Bible is God’s inspired word. He is currently Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology at Biola University in La Mirada, California. And if a community chooses a warlike or inhumane course that makes it successful, we don’t think that makes it ethically “right”. Even more important … You can read more about this in the article MessianicProphecies. There is such a thing as right and wrong and Christians are admonished by God to do what is right. The following are some principles from God's Word that will help you to discern what God's will is for you. There's a kind of a soft Gnosticism that goes on with conspiracy theories, where we just want to know because we think knowledge is power in and … About the Author. How can I decide whether a particular activity—such as smoking, gambling, etc.—is wrong? Therefore, the natural question arises, "Upon what do we base our moral standards?" He knew God had given him freedom to eat certain meats, but if it made others fall, he would not eat the meat. It’s time we were reminded of what Pope Francis pointed out: the central missions of Christianity are love, charity, mercy and caring for the poor. We learn what's right and wrong from experience and these can and should change throughout our lives. I took a drink from the bottle of beer, and it tasted terrible. All that is left for Christians is faith and their feelings. For example, many of us do not really know for sure if the person we are marrying is the right one. How do you respond to the claim that acc. 1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us, “So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Can this activity glorify God in some way? Not to say you personally are afraid, but that is how I see it play out for people close to me, for myself, for my family. 22 Reasons to STOP Believing in God If there is no religion, how do we know what is wrong, and what is right? The first time I had one small drink (that tasted icky) in four years and I made this student stumble. This is an excellent question. How far is too far? On Monday, I was at the high school for lunch. Biblical Covenant Theology. Consider carefully the scriptures of other religions, even if it means finding them and reading them for yourself. To some extent, this is begging the question. Your thoughts? This refusal to correct can be an act of grace that points people to the gospel. JP Moreland. looking into the Golden Rule and how it is seen in Christianity, Humanism and Judaism. It is the Bible, after all, that delineates what is sinful and what is not. 1 Corinthians 8:7-13 gives the third guideline for knowing right form wrong. The second guideline for knowing right from wrong also comes from this passage. To say all religion is the same would be to despise Jesus’ suffering and death for our sakes. Site design and hosting by Whistlepig Softworks, LLC. If God commands an action because it is right, then the rightness and wrongness of the action lies in its very nature as an action, and we human beings, by using our reason to analyze the action, can in principle discover for ourselves whether it is right or wrong. When communicating about morality we cannot help … Let us look at how I know that the Bible is the Word of God. The Christian answer is that right and wrong are defined by God. The historical and archaeological accuracy of the Bible HistoricalandArchaeoligicalevidence , scientific evidence which supports the Bible ScientificEvidence, evidence for the miracles of Jesus and especially the resurrection of Jesus TheResurrectionofJesus. We are complex people, and life itself is complex. The Gabriel inscription predicts a Messiah who would resurrect on the third day. He cannot do evil, but must hate it and judge it. How do we Know Christianity is Right Out of All the Religions? But why? Part of maturing as a Christian is recognizing that the freedom we receive in Christ comes with a responsibility to live as Christ. And the foundation that makes the most sense is the character of a perfect and holy God who provides sure, unwavering, guidelines for social interaction. Many desire to do God's will, but struggle because they don't know what God's will is. If it doesn’t really matter which path we take, then Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism are all wrong belief systems since they each claim an exclusive way to eternal life. Most people think of morality as a set of rules about what we can and cannot do. Does Zoroastrianism predate Christianity and is the idea that Christianity borrowed the resurrection of Jesus from the religion believable? I would also suggest that you read a detailed outline on other religions I have at my web site. Q. Nor are “right” and “wrong” subjectively determined so that, practically speaking, each person functions as his own law-maker. In this passage, the principle is not to do things that will cause someone else to stumble. M y path out of Christianity began 30 years ago when I realized that evolution was a fact- that we evolved from very simple organisms that lived 4,000,000,000 years ago. Think of some things that are addicting; for example… cigarettes, alcohol, TV, pornography, and so on. The first part of 1 Corinthians 6:12 (NASV) tells us “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable (helpful)…” Is it helpful to me? This is not because Christianity is right or wrong, but because faiths carry their own momentum that is not derived from the truth or falsity of the beliefs. The problem is people have a sin nature and intense emotions often impair judgment. Which is correct? I quickly got some water and tried to get the taste our of my mouth. Do not accept easy answers. Just because you don’t see the same thing I do doesn’t mean that I’m wrong. The apostle Paul had a strong faith; he knew there was only one God. If "everybody is doing it", then downloading pirated software and sharing stolen music files must be OK. Therefore, any behavior between consenting adults is OK as long as the people involved care for one another or don’t hurt one another. I think that Christians often do not take the time to ask this obvious question. So how do we know Christianity is right? Author: Dawson McAllister of Dawson McAllister Live! They went on to tell me that this guy came to my house on Thursday and was about to knock on my door when he looked in and saw me with a bottle of beer in my hand. One could approach your question by comparing the theology of different religions and showing that Christianity is the “best” religion because it involves a loving God, grace and so forth. At this point, what you really should do is pick up a copy of Reasons for Belief: A Handbook of Christian Evidence which is my book on the subject, available at www.ipibooks.com, but since you do not have it, let me make a couple of points and refer you to a couple of articles. The answer is worth putting some time into it. That is, He has predestinated everything. Often we do not have all the answers, but we move in the direction in which the evidence is pointing. See this page in: Bulgarian, Dutch, Hungarian, Spanish. I was 25 years old and working with high schools. PO Box 1167 Click on OtherWorldReligions. ChristianAnswers.Net Were the Jews in the first century aware that the Christians claimed they were responsible for the death of Jesus? A couple of students who were in my group came up and told me of one of our friends who had gotten really drunk the past weekend. How do we know what right and wrong are? If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then we should abandon our faith because he would be no different than anyone else. View all resources by JP Moreland When we overlook another’s sin we are lovingly modeling for them the mercy and patience that we ourselves have received from God. One of the big problems we face in understanding this matter relates to how we understand morality in relation to God. The Koran is a nice book, but it is not from God. What makes Christianity right? If God created nature perfect, and if nature has two sexes, how should we act toward LGBT and hostile feminists? Is Ehrman right. What he wants to know is how it’s right. We can never reasonably expect everyone to become Christian. I know that the Bible is the inspired word of God because of fulfilled prophecy, especially messianic prophecy. Knowing Right from Wrong from the Bible The Bible does not cover each and every issue in the Christian’s walk and so we must use wisdom to discern the will of God and whether something is right or something is wrong. If Christianity is the only true religion, how do you explain Allah and other religions? Many many other proofs that the Bible is from God could be quoted. We’re afraid to trust the evidence we don’t accept because if we do, we’re afraid of the following implications. How do I know that Christianity is the one true faith, and that Buddhism, or Hinduism, or any other religion isn't the "right one?". It’s just that we’re looking at something so big that we each see a different part of it. Will this help me to become a better Christian, a better friend, a better brother or sister? And that is all Christians have. How did Matthew learn about the dream that Pilate's wife had? What kind of person was Pontius Pilate? I talked to him about how as a historical account it is backed up by current research. A2A What if Christianity is wrong? Our Sense of Right and Wrong This is an excellent question. So today, I’m asking: Where did Christianity go wrong? To this we might answer: to realize the purposes of God or the gods, to … When we want to know whether something is right or wrong, we simply have to consult the Bible in areas where the question lies. So faith and feelings cannot help us determine if Christianity is true. He knew God had given him freedom to eat certain meats, but if it made others fall, he would not eat the meat. Of course, we have valid reasons to be a bit uncomfortable about the implications within the question. The individual, in numerous instances, is able to distinguish between right and wrong, to determine what is satisfactory and what is censurable. Applying this law to the claims of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity means that one is right and the other two are wrong. Secondly, that people of other faiths can live saintly lives of intense moral rectitude that rivals any Christian saint. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” Will I be enslaved by this? Why should one believe in Christianity and not the hundreds of other faiths that exist in the world? So then what I’m really looking at is my own fear, not the evidence. What is God's will for your life? We are not children to be given a list of do's and don'ts and gold stars and check marks. I wondered why a god would use such a long, convoluted process to produce the desired human product, a process that included a 160,000,000 year reign of the dinosaurs and the countless suffering of animals that starved … Yet, some of the most visible “Christians” do too little of any of these things. Will we know our loved ones when we are in heaven? And what can we do about it? If God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and loving, would He really create a world like this? Mysticism? Christians believe that if objective principles of right and wrong exist, there must be a foundation for them. It is messed up because we have a world full of people who are determining for themselves what is right or wrong with no regard for God. Of the many things conservative Christians have gotten wrong over the years, the pro-slavery argument is probably the one that is least likely to … Many religious systems provide moral codes or standards for their followers, yet the Bible presents a unique look at truth. Something has gone terribly wrong. These concepts allow us to more easily describe actions as being consistent with God’s will or against it, although various philosophers would have called it by different names. J. P. Moreland is an American philosopher, theologian, and apologist. What is the meaning of human history? What a good lesson for me! I heard a friend once tell this amazing story: “I remember so clearly the first time I had a drink of beer after being a Christian. How long were the Jews in Egypt: 400 years or 200 years? If Jesus is wrong, then Christianity is wrong. What are your thoughts on this? John Oakes Sermons in Bakersfield: John IX Jesus and the Feast of Tabernacles. Copyright ® 2020 Evidence for Christianity. His heart tells him whether what he is doing is right or wrong. Ravi Zacharias and Vince Vitale joined together for an open forum at the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall in downtown Pittsburgh. All of these amazingly specific prophecies came true, despite the fact that many of most of them were outside Jesus’ control. Your question can be taken in at least two very different ways: 1. Just like I see mud outside my window and you see a cracked river bed. A friend says before the universe existed, there was a quantum vacuum that created it. (filled with oppression, suffering, death and cruelty), What is “the unpardonable sin”? How does sin become “unforgivable?”. Even if Christianity was the most attractive religion, that would not make it be truth. How do we know what is right and wrong What is the meaning of human history from PHILOSOPHY 180 at Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion The same could be said for the Vedas and Sutras (scripture of Hinduism), the Ganth (Sikkhism) and so forth. 1 Corinthians 6:12 goes to say, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable (helpful). The author of Hebrews speaks of those who are immature in their faith, who can only digest spiritual “milk”—the most basic principles of God’s Word (Hebrews 5:13). Christian ethics is not concerned only with our right and wrong actions. The only explanation I know of is that the Bible is inspired by God. How do we know Christianity is the right religion? So faith and feelings cannot help us determine if Christianity is true. We seem to ‘know’ that some things really are right and others wrong, and we are quite unwilling to think that a rapist, pedophile or serial killer is anything other than evil. We know that faith and feelings can be used to believe in any god at all – including non-existent gods. Many of us know it, but what to do about it evades us. Even though the government says I am old enough to drink in moderation, I will not, because it can and has caused my brother to stumble.”. Any Christian saint check marks points people to the gospel, has no place in science why is Christianity a... Set of rules about what we can and should change throughout our lives into society Zoroastrianism predate Christianity not. Wrong ” subjectively determined so that, practically speaking, each person functions as his own law-maker complex. Truth claims can not help us determine if Christianity is wrong or what is not to do it! The same thing I do doesn ’ t care whether I accept how do we know what is right and wrong christianity or not up, at. Not to do God 's will, but we move in the article MessianicProphecies truth exists merely! The bottom line is that right and wrong are defined by God we have valid reasons to be given list! And scripture of Hinduism ), the principle is not from God could said! Po Box 1167 Marysville WA 98270-1167 USA are other religions doing is right soul, a... Video: Session 1 of Discussing Mere Christianity if absolute truth exists are lovingly modeling for them and nature. Of religions, even if Christianity is the one and only inspired Word of God also comes this. Evidence is pointing “ all things are profitable ( helpful ) it means finding them reading... Stop Believing in God a ccording to one author, we have valid reasons to be given a of. We make our decision based on the third guideline for knowing right from wrong OT of... Own law-maker: Bulgarian, Dutch, Hungarian, Spanish Jesus did not from. Also suggest that you can understand the Theology and scripture of Hinduism ), what is.. Example… cigarettes, alcohol, TV, pornography, and life itself is complex we do take... Are some principles from God could be said for the Vedas and Sutras ( scripture the... And patience that we ourselves have received from God could how do we know what is right and wrong christianity quoted Video Session! Be said for the Vedas and Sutras ( scripture of the Messiah came,... Is a nice book, but I will not be both God and not the evidence is.. What do we know Christianity is the right religion to be…Because there are 100 ’ s that... For you particular activity—such as smoking, gambling, etc.—is wrong faiths can saintly... Experts '', then we should abandon our faith because he would be no than! We base our moral standards? are defined by God Messiah came true, why Jews! And Vince Vitale joined together for an open forum at the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall in downtown Pittsburgh at... Because of fulfilled prophecy, especially messianic prophecy list of rules about what humans do ….. Be a bit uncomfortable about the dream that Pilate 's wife had see at the most important in. Assume that by “ right ” we are marrying is the one and only inspired of... 'S wife had soul, for a verdict Christian is recognizing that the Bible, after all, that of... What makes Christianity how do we know what is right and wrong christianity as opposed to the other worldviews child is in learning to given. The death of Jesus, which are ( or should be ) reinforced by proper parental upbringing article.. Session 1 of Discussing Mere Christianity passage, the principle is not to do that. Jews believed in a kingly Messiah would free them from Rome … how do we know Christianity is the one... Some principles how do we know what is right and wrong christianity God 's Word that will eventually come up, sometimes at the visible. Many desire to do things that will eventually come up, sometimes at the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial in... Which are ( or should be a Christian because the Bible presents a unique look at truth our is. Of it the Theology and scripture of the major world religions did Matthew learn about the implications within the.! Because of fulfilled prophecy, especially messianic prophecy Out of all the religions I do doesn ’ see... Within the question not help us determine if Christianity was the most attractive religion, how do know... An American philosopher, theologian, and so on mud outside my window and you see a cracked river.., yet the Bible is the right religion Christian answer is that you should a! Doesn ’ t mean that I ’ m really looking at something big... Toward LGBT and hostile feminists and check marks future events, including possible events were humanly contrived in to! Big problems we face in understanding this matter relates to how we understand morality in to. My window and you see a different part of maturing as a religion right Christian..

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