by Roger Morse

Created on: June 07, 2008

The concepts of "good" and "bad" require a standard against which actions, thoughts, ideas and intentions can be measured. Is killing a man good? In the Sawi tribe of New Guinea, the highest ideal of good was to befriend someone, gain their absolute trust, then kill them and eat them. Most of us would agree that killing a man is generally a bad thing. Most societies have laws against it. This demonstrates that we have a different standard for judging what is good than do the Sawi people.

The real question is whether or not there is an ultimate standard or whether any standard will do. Is the standard the individual person? If so, then laws are a waste of time. (If I think killing you is good, then it is good.) That, of course, is ridiculous. Is the standard, perhaps, the society? (If you murder someone in America, you are bad and will go to jail, but if you murder a Hutu or Tutsi in Rwanda,then depending on your tribe you are good.) There is a certain relativism there.

While judging good and bad by societal norms seems appropriate and in line with Rousseau's "social contract," this kind of thinking is what led Saddam Hussein to invade Kuwait. It allows Pol Pot to kill millions of his countrymen with impunity (at least for a while).

Could there be a standard of "good" and "bad" that is outside of human ken? Could the teachings of Odin, Zeus, Wicca, Christians, or Buddhists be pointing to a standard outside ourselves? (At this point we must be very careful to separate the actions of followers of a religion from the teachings of the religion.) Most religions seem to try to align themselves with the ebb and flow of the Universe (or Creation.) That which is good is that which leans toward the Universal Truth. "Bad" moves away from or detracts from Truth.

Again, we come up against a reltivism in determining the meaning of good and bad. Which religion are we to believe? Is Buddha correct in teaching that good and bad are two sides of the same coin and neither is important? (a disgracefully simplistic definition of Buddhism, I admit) Are the Christians correct by claiming that God created the Universe? If so, then the Creator must, by definition, be the ultimate definer of good and bad. What about all the wars fought in the name of religion? What about the Spanish Inquisition?

Just because people and groups use the name of Christ as the banner for their actions does not make those actions good. In World War One, allied soldiers had "God is on our side" on their uniforms. German soldiers in the other trench had belt buckles with "Gott mit uns" (God with us)emblazoned across the front.

As long as mankind tries to define good and bad, there will be moral relativism. If, on the other hand, we read and study the words of Christ, who claimed he was equal with God, and the creator of the universe, we will come to know the true standard of good and bad. And we will be better people for it. Is that such a bad thing?

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