Views: 3<\/p>
[Note:\u00a0 <\/strong>This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles 1<\/strong>\u00a0 page.]<\/span><\/p>\n Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote the classic novel, The Brothers Karamazov<\/em>. Whatever else might be said of Dostoyevsky\u2019s 1879 fiction, he grasped one of the essential implications of Atheism, Humanism, and Naturalism. He had Ivan (one of his characters) observe: \u201cIf there is no God, everything is permitted.\u201d<\/p>\n Ethics and morals have to do with right and wrong conduct and the standards by which behavior is thus judged. The mere mention of ethics and morals implies the existence of right and wrong, which, in turn, implies an ultimate standard for determining right from wrong.<\/p>\n Men proffer many \u201cstandards,\u201d all of which end up being their opinions or personal preferences. All such rules are subjective and are as varied as their originators\u2019 druthers. Under these circumstances, men are left to do what is right in their own eyes (Jud. 17:6), which well describes much of the modern world.<\/p>\n Unlike all other life forms, human beings undeniably possess a sense of morality and ethics. The fact that we even discuss this subject argues the existence and awareness of human moral responsibilities. Apart from an ultimate objective standard, however, the word ought <\/em>is meaningless; no \u201coughtness\u201d or \u201cnon-oughtness\u201d attaches to any human behavior. Stated another way, there is no behavior that is innately right\/good or wrong\/evil if there is no set standard by which to judge behavior<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Atheistic \u201cstandards\u201d of \u201cgood\u201d behavior include:<\/p>\n Is everything permitted? Are some things permitted? Who is to decide? Apart from God and His revelation (the Bible) we are morally adrift in selfish and self-destructive systems (Jer. 10:23; Rom. 1:18\u201325).<\/p>\n [Note:<\/strong> I wrote this article for and it was published in The Lighthouse, <\/em>weekly bulletin of Northpoint Church of Christ, Denton, TX, October 18, 2015, of which I was editor.]<\/span><\/p>\n Attribution:<\/strong> From thescripturecache.com<\/em>; Dub McClish, owner and administrator.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Views: 3[Note:\u00a0 This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles 1\u00a0 page.] Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote the classic novel, The Brothers Karamazov. Whatever else might be said of Dostoyevsky\u2019s 1879 fiction, he grasped one of the essential implications of Atheism, Humanism, and Naturalism….<\/p>\n\n