Children, sleds, and justice

In Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis argues that even when people deny that there is universal justice, asserting that morality is merely a human invention or culturally defined: “Everyone has a different sense of right and wrong,” the relativist claims.

Lewis points out that if those same people feel they have been wrong, suddenly they ACT AS IF justice really existed. “If they are pressed, they will say that what you did was NOT FAIR!” An example? Dr. Wright, professor of philosophy, gives a lecture on how there is no objective right and wrong, that it’s all subjective. Then you see her in the university parking lot later, fuming how she’ll sue the degenerate who put the dent in her car.

How does a recent SNOWFALL help us here? Let’s listen in on a group of kids at the top of the sled slope:

“Jen should go next, she’s been waiting patiently!”
“Yes, but – Mike got here later on, so HE should be allowed to go first!”
“No! Mike should have gotten here with the rest of us!”
“Wait – Sally got here after Mike, so SHE should go first!”
“No, Eddy should go first because he has to go down with his baby sister and the kid is getting cold!”
“Hold on now – Phil let Mike cut in line, and there are NO CUTS!” “Sure there are cuts!” “Nuh-uh!!” “No front cuts, but back cuts, absolutely!”

Will anyone still want to argue there is no inborn sense of right and wrong? Every kid on the hill believes in justice – their only differences arise from how to APPLY justice, not whether it exists.

Mere Christianity – in my opinion, one of the top 10 Christian books of the past hundred years.