Do Right? Be Kind Always? According to Whom?
Is “right” rooted in the objective moral law of God, and “kindness” measured by the eternal good of souls? Then the slogan regains weight, authority, and even urgency . Prologue : An Unavailable Question . It is common to hear people counsel others these days in these words or its equivalent: “ do right. Be kind always” . It obviously sounds golden, gentle and harmless, and rather unassailable. It glows with moral warmth. It seems to be above any argument whatsoever. However, beneath its gentle surface lies a question that cannot be avoided: Who defines what is right, and who measures what is kind? In the mouth of the moral and religious indifferentist, the meaning of this counsel quietly shifts from what the component words ordinarily suggest. Is “right” whatever I sincerely feel, and “kindness” whatever avoids discomfort? If so, then the phrase becomes a floating sound, unfastened from truth. Is “right” rooted in the objective mo...