Knowledge and Righteousness

In the film "White Oleander," a girl who has been exposed to Christian preachings asks a boy who is into science, "Does knowing things tell you what is right and wrong?" As a matter of fact, knowing things does a lot to help know what is right and what is wrong.

Knowing the world enough allows one to know the full range of the consequences of one's actions. This makes it possible to decide with more clarity as to which actions have good consequences and which actions have bad consequences. And that makes it possible to decide, in an informed manner, what is right and what is wrong.

Whereas going by faith alone often leads to disaster. One doesn't understand the consequences of one's actions, so one is unable to decide in an informed manner what's right and what's wrong. So then people start thinking that it's right to drive SUVs, or to poison the planet, or to invade other countries, or to bloat the debt, or to waste huge amounts of taxpayer money to put away into prison people who are into drugs or prostitution. And in all cases wrong choices are made that have terrible consequences.

So yes, knowing things can do a lot to help people in making rightful decisions. And the more people understand such things and are willing to learn, the better the lump sum of decisions made.