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. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. (Isaiah 5:20–21, NIV 1984).
My Musings – Why would a person or a culture want to “call evil good and good evil…put darkness for light and light for darkness…put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter?” When these (collectively right and wrong) do not line up with how the person or culture wants things to be. Specifically, if they do not line up with the person’s or culture’s desired behavior. And if the person or culture does not want to alter the behavior, it would seem that the easiest thing to do is alter the standard.
For if there is such a thing as right and wrong, there must be a standard for determining what is right and what is wrong. A standard, which is universally recognized (accepted) and permanent (does not change). If it is not universally accepted (varies from person and cultures) or if it is subject to change (relative to the situation), then it is not a standard.
Many “who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight” might claim otherwise, that right and wrong can vary and change. But that would be a contradiction. Because if it can vary, if it can be altered, then the difference between right and wrong is an illusion, bordering on the absurd. And we could not condemn anyone or any culture (past or present) for their behavior, because there is no universal and unalterable standard.
In the final analysis, who gets to determine the standard for right and wrong behavior, since individuals and cultures are so unreliable? The same one who determined the laws of physics and the laws of thermodynamics, who governs life and death. The Creator, that’s who.
My Advice – “The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine [standards]. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers [wise in their own eyes] to say [alter the standards to] what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth [right] and turn aside to myths .” (2 Timothy 4:3–5, NIV 1984).
It is tempting to want to soothe our “itching ears” and “to suit [our] own desires.” But there is no such thing as temptation if there is no standard for right and wrong. It is merely Satan, once again asking, “did God really say…?” Don’t fall for it.
The Brew Is A Musing 