How do we know what's Right and Wrong??

I know this is a deep moral, ethical and theological subject, but for me I think it is one of the proofs that there is a GOD - these are all my own thoughts and I should really look deeper into philosophical books and at other religions besides my own Christian faith for the answers, but on this occasion I'm not. Not yet anyway, because I do just purely want to share my own thoughts. My thoughts have evolved from a time of some doubts of the existence of GOD over the years. Yes I have had tiny glimmers of doubt but I am sure if every Christian is honest we all have tiny glimmers of doubt. These doubts can grow our faith and allow to think things through more deeply. Thomas had doubts that ultimately strengthened his faith and belief in GOD. Anyway this is a question of morals, how do we know what is right and wrong??

When I look at society today and what is socially acceptable now and what was socially acceptable 60 years ago it is astonishing what a difference there is. In my opinion society is going slowly down hill with regards to what is now socially acceptable compared to what was acceptable 60 years ago. Someone smoking cannabis was generally unheard of, sex before marriage was rare, being in a civil partnership was unacceptable and even divorce was shunned.

So what is different now?? What has made these things socially acceptable?? Well I could say as a Christian that its because people have stopped following the Bible and its principals and I do feel partly that this is the key. All the laws of the land were based on Christianity and people did consciously or subconsciously follow the laws of this land. Looking back in history even further than 60 years though things were terrible morally for example in 1500's when they hung people and cut them up in quarters, placing some of the body parts in the streets. You don't see that anymore. Although supposedly the church was a massive power base at that time. I think though that although morals have been based on Christianity over the years this isn't the real issue. The real issue to me is that GOD made us to know what is right and wrong, he created us that way. We instinctively know what is right and what is wrong, and that remains whether we are a Christian or not, as we were made in God's image. It's part of our make-up to instinctively know what is right or wrong. Although if we don't get to know GOD and follow him this instinct can be over shadowed by various things. So it only takes a few people to decide 'actually its ok to have 5 wifes' and a group of people may start to think 'actually there is nothing to say that that is wrong', but deep down in their soul do they really believe that its right. I don't think so........They may have it drummed into them by some religious sect that it is acceptable, or they may come from an African tribe that doesn't know any better, but still instinctively I don't think they can be 100% convinced. So in society today what are our biggest influences? the Media? Our peers and friends, our family? Government? The Church? well I think the media is one of the strongest and the hope is that our family and friends are too. In today's society though there are children who are 3rd and 4th generation of broken marriages and joblessness and drug abuse etc etc. Still I hold to it that everyone has a conscience that is God given and when that conscience collides with the Holy Spirit we become more aware of what is right and wrong. Our conscience is heightened.

The Holy Spirit part of God meets with our spirit and soul and we become more aware of who we really are and who we really should be. We know more clearly what is right and wrong and our sense of purpose comes into line with what God wants for our lives. Of course there are still outside influences that long to lie to us and steer us off tract but our sense of what God wants this world to be is born. The things that are against God's will and purpose become more obvious and we see the dangers of not following God's will. We hurt for the lost and those who are going against God's will and we long for them to get on track and to also have the Holy Spirits guidance. It's frustrating that people have a choice to follow God's will and received the Holy Spirit prompting in their lives as we can see what damage is done and what is lost and destroyed in someones life when they don't. It saddens us to see lost potential and the damage that continually losing a sense of conscience does to someone as a person. Guilt comes, as their conscious is still there, though buried in a mask of coping mechanisms. People think that things are ok because society and the media continually tells them its ok but in reality they are believing a lie and deep deep down they know it but choose to ignore it. This is why people who aren't Christians can live a perfectly normally life and seem to manage without God, they have learnt some coping mechanisms that help them truly believe the lie that their conscience is clear. So what tells them what is right and wrong well their conscience is still there and maybe there still is some Christian influence that has been passed down through the generations and through society who's morals were based on Christianity, but the Holy Spirit has not collided with their conscience so they are not truly alive, and they are not truly follow their full potential in Christ. So I do believe we would be in a better world if we followed the Bible and its influence but I also believe that our conscience is part of our make-up because we are made in God's imagine. The thing is is it heightened by God's Holy Spirit or is it deadened by lies of all the influences around us??