There must be some other standard by which we judge human behavior as good or bad besides its convenience, usefulness, personal benefit, or its benefit to society. Theists rightly recognize this standard as the knowledge of God’s nature that He placed in us. It’s so much a part of our nature that we never consciously realize that when we make a comparison between two behaviors, we are really determining how far removed from God’s nature is each behavior. The one that is closest to God’s nature is the winner.

I have heard many atheists invoke the words of Jesus when discussing this topic. They say that the standard for good and bad lies in the Golden Rule — do unto others as you would have them do unto you, but there are innumerable instances where this rule fails as the ultimate standard of right and wrong.

If a man kills an armed intruder to protect his wife and children, we would not call this an immoral act despite the fact that he did not treat the intruder as he, himself, would like to be treated. No sane person wants to be killed by anyone. Yet, we praise this man’s actions because he placed his own life in danger to save the lives of others.

The conclusion to all of this is that it is impossible for human beings to adequately judge any behavior as good or bad without consciously or unconsciously invoking the nature of God as the standard by which to compare. All other criteria fall pathetically short. Furthermore, it would be utterly impossible for human beings to adequately define right and wrong without those concepts already existing.