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But can truth be freely chosen like groceries? Does truth become true because someone believes it, or does it exist objectively? If right and wrong are merely the choice of an individual, nation or civilization, then the idea of Awrong@ is no more than an aberration, a product of our upbringing. The fact that we think conduct is right or wrong is only an interesting item of information, like the colour of our eyes.
The question has more than a passing interest because of recent events. A minor hockey coach has been convicted of sexual abuse. A gang of pedophiles has kidnapped, abused and killed at least two young girls in Belgium. What do we think about such things?
Most people would no doubt like to say to the coach and to the r Asexual orientation@, scholarly articles arguing a genetic basis for predatory sexual behaviour and demonstrations in the streets? There exists even now a man-boy love organization promoting the legitimacy of sex with children. I hope I am wrong and pedophilia never gains public recognition or acceptance. But appalling statistics on child abuse (as many as one in seven boys and one in four girls, according to some researchers), the continued prevalence of other moral misbehaviours and our well-established tendency to choose personal pleasure as our top priority do not give me much reason to hope.
Clearly, then, there exists a need for a real, objective morality to which various practices can be compared. However, for morality to be objective, applicable in all times and places, it must have its foundation outside humanity. Otherwise, there is no possibility of it being objective. When it comes to the possibilities for objective morality, the book we know as the Bible is by far the best candidate of a very short list.
If no such objective morality exists, then morality is simply a question of individual likes and dislikes, something like preferring broccoli to green peas. In such case, to think we can leap from AI like, don't like@ to AThis is right, wrong@ is just wishful thinking.
The Bible unsparingly denounces sexual activity outside faithful, committed heterosexual marriage. That may seem a rigid and outdated standard. However, to reject this objective stadard will lead us astray in a bewildering universe of unfettered choice, with no reason to do or not do anything.
Ron Carleton is a freelance writer from Abbotsford, B.C. Adapted from an article originally published in the Abbotsford News..
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