Right or Wrong?

The awareness of “Evil” implies that we naturally expect there are supposed destinations or path that things “ought to be”. As we discussed in the previous post, a personal Creator is the best explanation for these supposed destinations or paths because He creates everything for his good purposes.

There is another question that comes with the Problem of Evil, especially if we focus our attention on moral evil: why do we feel anything so bad that we call it “Evil”? Is it because of what we call “morality”? Is it a real thing or just a convention that society or culture makes up?

I drove to a parking lot and was looking for a parking space. A car was getting ready to leave, so I flashed the right turn signal to tell everyone that I was waiting for the spot on my right. The car left and I was ready, when another car rushed in to take that space.

What would I do if I was angry and determined to get that parking space? I would go to that car and argued with the driver and said loud and clear, “I have been waiting for that spot for a while. You can’t just take it!” What do we expect the other driver to reply, if he did reply? He might say, “No, I have been waiting for a long time for that spot. Go find another one!”

In reality, I probably would just find another spot. However, the conversation above does not seem to be too uncommon, does it? I would like to emphasize something in the above conversation: there is a common standard about right and wrong in this situation – whoever comes first shall take the spot.

Let’s consider another example. A young man sits on a priority seat in a subway train, and a pregnant woman is standing inside the crowded train right next to that seat. A few people, including myself, would think that that is wrong. The young man should give the seat up for the pregnant lady. Some people standing around may be brave enough to ask the young man to give the seat to the pregnant lady. What do we expect the young man to do? I never have a chance to ask those people who take up priority seats though they are physically fit to stand, but I think a probable response from the young man could be: why give up my seat? I came and sat here first.

We may not agree with the young man’s reply, but I think we can agree that all the people in that situation - the people who find the young man to be selfishly occupying the priority seat, and in fact even the young man - agree that there is right and wrong in the situation. Those who are standing think the young man was wrong, while the young man thinks he is right, though we may or may not agree with their reasons.

Do we all share the idea of right and wrong since we were born, or do we just learn it somewhere? Or is it a result of Evolution?