Conscience
A small thing perhaps but why do we have a conscience? What purpose does it serve? How did it develop, if it's also something which can be put down to evolution?
We've seen dogs with their tails between their legs, literally when they know they've done something wrong. But no-one would suggest that the dog remembers what it did 5 years ago or longer - and thinks about trying to make amends for it's perceived transgression.
This surely has to be ascribed to something 'divine' within us. We know right from wrong and decide on our actions with this knowledge. We know when we've done something 'wrong' because we did it knowing it was wrong or realised this later. We can then sometimes justify the action to ourself - but why should we have to justify our actions to ourselves?
We do it because we believe that if our actions can be justified that this makes it alright, well not right, because we know it's wrong, but we believe we can accept it's alright because of our justification. Can't we?
We know however that our actions have been wrong, and that these actions can come back to haunt us 20 or 30 years after the event, or even longer. Why?
Much of what we're told as children we dismiss as adults if it doesn't make sense, we know it's untrue or something is proven not to be the case. Even though we've rationalise much as we mature, the knowledge of right and wrong persists and we don't challenge it. One of Jesus' two prime commandments was that we should treat others as we would like to be treated ourselves. We know this is sound and hope and expect that others will observe this rule. However we don't and they don't.
If it's not further evidence of God's grand design, why do we have a conscience then?
