It may help to ask yourself, "what's wrong with the world around me?" Then consider how someone might argue that what you see as wrong, is only a choice, not something that you can judge as right or wrong. What issues come to mind?

Have you ever considered how God defines righteousness? Is it something that one may actually attain? Is a righteous life even possible today?

Is it consensus of a group? Some religious book? A constitution? Some person's example?

Consider the following statement: God has never changed and exemplifies absolute righteousness. He desires us to know Him and allow Him to show His righteousness in and through our lives. How might this statement, if accepted, affect your answer?

The book of Romans in the New Testament contains a long a discussion by Paul, an early follower of Jesus Christ. If you would like to explore this thought in more detail, consider how he answers the question of a standard for those who grew up hearing about God and for those who have never claimed to know God. Begin in chapter 1, and continue reading through the entire book if possible. (There are only 16 brief chapters.) If you are quite familiar with the Bible, you may wish to read it in a less familiar translation. http://biblegateway.com has a number of translations available online, as does http://www.blueletterbible.org/.

Although we can make amends for many offenses against others, we ultimately find ourselves unable to live a consistent life in keeping with the way we believe we should live. What ways have you tried to make things right? Which ways did (or didn't) work for you? What if you have failed God, how can you be assured that things are made right with Him?