Tyler asked me today, "How do you know what's right and what's wrong?"
Yikes. How do I answer that without enrolling him in Philosophy 101?
My basic answer was, "Things are right if they don't hurt anyone or yourself, and if they follow the rules. Think about what God would do, or what he would want you to do."
His reply: "Mom, I can't do what God can do - I'm not magic." (Not sure how he came to believe that God does magic, but that's a discussion for another day.)
I think my answer was adequate for a five-year-old, but it doesn't really suffice otherwise. I certainly do not believe that the "rules" (the law) are a good basis for right and wrong, though we have to behave that way or face the consequences. I'm not particularly religious, though I consider myself a Christian and would agree with the Ten Commandments. So in the absence of a religious guide, or a lawful one, how do we define right and wrong?
