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RIGHT OR WRONG ALL THE TIME.
TO USE AN EXTREME EXAMPLE, ALMOST ALL HUMAN BEINGS WOULD
CONSIDER THE *** OF AN INNOCENT CHILD TO BE MORALLY
ABHORRENT, TRUE MORAL EVIL.
IF WE ALREADY KNOW A LOT ABOUT RIGHT AND WRONG,
PERHAPS THE MORE VALUABLE QUESTION IS THIS: IS THERE A
REAL UNIVERSAL MORAL STANDARD THAT WE ALL NEED TO OBEY?
THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION ACTUALLY SEEMS QUITE OBVIOUS IF
WE CAN FIRST ANSWER A RELATED ONE.
IS THERE A GOD?
AND HAS HE CLEARLY COMMUNICATED A MORAL LAW TO HUMAN KIND?
IF GOD DOES EXIST AND HE HAS MADE IT CLEAR TO US THAT
MURDERING INNOCENT HUMAN BEINGS IS WRONG, WELL, THEN IT IS.
WHO IS GOING TO ARGUE WITH HIM?
HE'S THE CREATOR, THE MORAL LAW GIVER AND THE FINAL JUDGE OF
ALL PEOPLE AND ACTIONS.
LET ME APPROACH THIS FROM A DIFFERENT DIRECTION
FOR A MOMENT.
SUPPOSE THAT THERE IS NO UNIVERSAL STANDARD
FOR WHAT IS RIGHT OR WRONG.
THINK ABOUT THIS.
HOW COULD YOU EVER TALK ABOUT SOMETHING
BEING UNFAIR OR UNJUST?
HOW COULD YOU EVER ACCUSE SOMEONE OF WRONG DOING?
HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT TOLERANCE IS A VIRTUE THAT ALL
PEOPLE OUGHT TO PRACTICE?
WELL, YOU REALLY CAN'T, CERTAINLY NOT
IN A MEANINGFUL WAY.
YOU SEE, IF THERE'S NO UNIVERSAL STANDARD BY WHICH WE DISCERN
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL,
THEN MORAL IDEAS LIKE JUSTICE AND TOLERANCE ARE UP FOR GRABS.
THERE'S NO GOOD REASON TO THINK THAT INJUSTICE OR INTOLERANCE
ARE ANY WORSE.
MORE TO THE POINT, THE DREADFUL EXAMPLE I BEGAN WITH,
THE *** OF AN INNOCENT CHILD,
EVEN THAT BEHAVIOR COULD NEVER BE CONDEMNED
IN A MEANINGFUL WAY.
WE KNOW CERTAIN THINGS TO BE RIGHT AND WRONG.
AND WE, THEREFORE, HAVE EXCELLENT REASON TO BELIEVE
THAT THERE IS A UNIVERSAL MORAL LAW THAT HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND
THE DIFFERENCE.