If There's No God, Who Says It's Wrong?
Month 8: Right & Wrong · Why We Believe
Today's Scripture
Read together: Romans 1:18-20
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.
Memory Verse
“He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”— Micah 6:8 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Job 1-4
A good man named Job suffers terribly, and the hardest question begins — why do bad things happen? We'll walk with Job for many days.The Heart of It
Today's question is one you may really hear someday. "If there's no God, who gets to say what's wrong?" It's a fair question. And the honest answer is, nobody could. Think about it. If there were no God, then people would just be one more kind of animal. And the universe wouldn't actually care about anything. A lion isn't "evil" for eating a zebra. It's just nature. So if we're only nature too, then there is no real right and wrong. There's only what's popular, or what the strongest people decide. "Be kind" would just be one opinion, no truer than "be cruel." That's a frightening world to live in. And deep down, nobody actually believes it.
But here's the thing. Everybody lives like real right and wrong exist. The same friend who says "there's no such thing as wrong" will be furious if you steal their phone. We all know some things really are evil. And that knowing points us straight to God. says God has made Himself plain through the world He created, "so that they are without excuse" (). We can't shake our sense of justice. That very fact is a clue. It's a signpost pointing home. Right and wrong are real because the good God who made us is real. That's not just a comeback to win an argument. It's good news. The voice inside telling you that cruelty is wrong is an echo of the God who wants to be known.
Around the Table
If nobody made the rules, then nothing would really be wrong — but cruelty is wrong! That's because God is real and God is good.
Let's do it: Pretend a teddy bear says "there are no rules!" then takes all the toys. Is that okay? Why not?
Without God, "be kind" would just be somebody's opinion, no better than "be mean." But we all know cruelty is really wrong. That's a big clue that God is real.
Let's talk: Why does it matter that right and wrong are real and not just opinions?
A worldview with no God has a hard time explaining why anything is truly right or wrong. It can only say "most people prefer it." But Christianity roots real, unchanging right and wrong in the character of a real, unchanging God.
Let's go deeper: How could you turn this question kindly back to a friend? You might say, "I agree some things are really wrong. But where do you think that 'wrongness' comes from?"
💬 Conversation Starter
Imagine someone says, "Stealing isn't really wrong. It's just frowned on." How would they feel if you took their favorite thing? What does their reaction tell you about what they really believe?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
When someone says: "If there's no God, who says anything is really wrong?" You can kindly answer: "That's actually a great question, and I think you're onto something. If there were no God, I don't think anyone could say something is really wrong. It would just be opinions, and the strongest opinion would win. But you and I both know that some things are truly evil, not just unpopular. Cruelty to a child is one of them. That deep-down knowing has to come from somewhere bigger than us. I believe it comes from God, who is good and who made us ()." Say it with a smile, never a sneer. Say it "with gentleness and respect" (). The goal isn't to crush your friend. The goal is to give them a clue that points to a good God who loves them.
For Dad · Go Deeper
This is the classic moral argument, and your kids can carry it for life because it lives in their own chest. Nobody has to be taught to feel outrage at injustice. The skeptic's deepest problem isn't intellectual but personal. says people don't merely miss the evidence. They "suppress the truth by their wickedness" (v. 18). So when your child meets a friend who denies right and wrong, teach them two moves. First, agree that evil is real, because everyone secretly knows it. Second, gently ask where that "real wrongness" could come from in a godless universe. Keep it warm. We're not trying to make atheists feel stupid. We're trying to help them notice the signpost God has already planted in their conscience. And dad, examine your own heart too. The same moral law that condemns the skeptic exposes us all and drives us to the cross.
Draws on: J. Warner Wallace, God's Crime Scene; Frank Turek, Stealing from God.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, right and wrong are real, because You are real and good. Thank You. Help our family share this with kindness. We don't want to win a fight. We want to point our friends to You. Give us courage and a gentle heart. In Jesus' name, amen."
I know cruelty is truly wrong. That knowing is a signpost pointing to a real and good God.