Right and Wrong, Which is Which?

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness,who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20 ESV)

How does this happen? How does society place wrong as right and right as wrong? If we think in terms of morals and ethics, I can show you how. As Christians, we are very concerned with both, and both fall under the auspices of theology. Ethics do not evolve through history but have been established under the discipline of theology.

The word “ethics” comes from the Greek word “Ethos.” The word “morals” comes from the word “mores (more-ᾱz).” All the Greek aside, what is the difference? The Ethos or ethics of a society are found in its foundation and principles. It encompasses the philosophical values of that culture. “Mores,” or morals, on the other hand, is all about customs and habits. It encompasses the normal behaviors of a society. Ethics is based on normative imperatives. It deals with what R.C. Sproul called oughtness; it is what we ought to do. Morals are based on indicatives. Morals are about what we actually do or should do.

To make that a little simpler, Ethics is a normative science. Ethics are the norms or standards by which society measures and evaluates things. Morality, however, is a descriptive science. Morals describe the way things should happen or are happening. These differences are enormous, and the impact on Christians is even more significant.

So, from a Christian perspective, modern society is confused. Ethics and morals have been merged to create a sort of statistical normality. As a Christian, ethics are what is right, and morals are what is accepted. Society has flipped-flopped this idea. Morals are what have become right, and ethics are what has become accepted.

If I asked you if you have lied, you would honestly have to say yes. At some point in our lives, we have all lied. So, if one hundred percent of people have lied, by today’s statistical normality, we can say that lying is okay, it is accepted, and it is an undeniable right of humanity to lie. So, based on this normality, it is okay to lie; not only is it okay, but as a human, you are expected to lie. This is called a “reductio ad absurdum” argument, one that the logical conclusion shows its own irrationality. It also shows the twisted values of our modern society.

This is the reason Christian ethics and morality are at odds with the world. Society has said, “Everyone is doing it, so it is not only okay but encouraged.” We see that encouragement in the sinful acts of the world every day. This convergence or reversal of Ethos and mores poses significant problems for Christians.

First, it makes it difficult to understand what is good. To be able to comprehend with your mind what God requires of us. The second problem is our seeking to live a holy life according to what we know through the Word of God. We do not always do what is right, do we? I have recently encountered this conundrum, and after a great examination of the issue with mature brothers in Christ, it was extremely clear that both problems exist and are somewhat difficult to resolve.

The world lives in a giant gray area. We as Christians live in black and white, we do not like gray. This is where we become known as immovable, unbending, or rigid in our beliefs. Truthfully, these things are not wrong regarding the truth of right and wrong as long as we are not judgmental and correct with love and compassion. Let us use love as an example. God tells us to love, so what could be wrong with love? But we know not all love is good. If my married friend tells me he has fallen in love with a woman at work, this love is wrong. I must tell him it is wrong and cannot support it. Love that produces sin is wrong. There is no gray area. So, you see, we must constantly rely on the Word of God to help us decide between wrong and right. Once we cross the line into the world of normative reality, things fall apart.

Dr. Sproul once said, “Evil is nothing more or less than things that were created good gone wrong.” Satan is a prime example of this idea. God created the attributes of man, but when these attributes are taken across the line of reasonableness, they become sinful. Isaiah warned us of the flip-flopping of wrong and right. From the looks of the world around me, nobody is listening.

Peace and Grace!