How Can I Be Sure What’s Right and Wrong by Chris Morphew

This is a short apologetics book for children ages 8-12, specifically tackling the idea of right and wrong. There are ten chapters titled:

1. Can we ever really know what’s right and wrong?
2. Can’t I just decide what’s right and wrong for myself?
3. Can’t we just decide what’s right and wrong together?
4. How can we discover what’s right and wrong?
5. What is a human life meant to look like?
6. Is it possible to be truly good?
7. How can I make good choices in the real world?
8. What should I do when my friends disagree with me?
9. What should I do when I disagree with another follower of Jesus?
10. Living out God’s true vision of right and wrong

Christ Morphew tackles a basic apologetics question: How Can I Be Sure What’s Right and Wrong? Because of the nature of this question, some of the chapters may seem elementary for children who have a solid foundation in Scripture, but this means it’s also an approachable resource for those who do not or those questioning the basics.

As with good apologetics, there is a fair amount of logic included. Morphew follows the logical conclusion of some simple questions (see chapter titles) while slowly building a case throughout of why following Jesus is the only way to truly answer this question. While some children may already agree with the points Morphew is making, it can be helpful for them to follow the train of logical thinking throughout to see how to better speak to those who may disagree.

A few points that some parents may want to know about include a brief conversation about evolution. He is pointing to this as the reason some people claim we have “deep feelings” about certain actions that people feel are right or wrong. He certainly doesn’t condone evolution, in fact he later gives the alternative to evolution as, “If there is a God out there…” Because this is an introductory book on the topic, Morphew doesn’t assume the reader has a Biblical worldview, but rather says, “I’m guessing the readers of this book will have various opinions about evolution as a way of explaining where human beings came from…”

There is a brief section where he addresses political-type issues. While he doesn’t totally dismiss fighting for what’s right politically, he uses softer language than some may desire.
“Another option is to advocate for change: to protest against what you believe is wrong, to write to government leaders, to vote when you’re old enough. And there’s an important place for all that–as long as we remember that, as followers of Jesus, our job isn’t to stand up for our own rights, but to look for opportunities to bless and care for others. It’s right to feel upset, even angry, about the world’s injustice and cruelty and brokenness–that stuff upsets Jesus too! But we need to be careful that out anger doesn’t lead us to bring more brokenness into the world. Instead, God calls us to find ways to work for justice and mercy and to stand up for the people who can’t stand up for themselves.”
He then goes on the quote Andy Stanley. While Stanley may have sounded like a solid preacher 15 years ago, he has shown that he doesn’t believe in the ultimate authority of Scripture and is not someone I recommend. I cannot speak to whether Morphew knows about Stanley’s move from Biblical Christianity.

There is one confusing sentence about how God speaks to us. I think the goal was to not count out any way that God can choose to speak, but that Scripture is where we should turn, although his wording isn’t what I would use as a (soft) Cessationist.
“And while God can speak to us in dreams or visions or a voice we can actually hear or however else he wants, out clearest way of figuring out what God has to say–and the one we can all look at together–is the Bible.”

A few times, Morphew speaks of being in relationship with the Lord as a “loving friendship.”

Overall, this book is a good introduction to logically answering questions that the world asks about morality, but I would recommend addressing those few sections listed above with the child reading to give further, Biblical clarity.

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