In Right from Wrong, McDowell and Hostetler base their conclusions upon surveys of young people, particularly "churched youth" who claim to be saved, attend church regularly, and otherwise seem to have their acts together. Yet, these surveys reveal that the foundation for their beliefs and actions is woefully lacking. It seems that when push comes to shove, they act no different than unchurched youth because they don't understand the principles behind right and wrong.
This book is written for parents, laying the blame and responsibility on those of us who fail to live what we claim to believe and those of us who fail to pass the "baton of faith" on to our young people. Older teens can also read the book, but parents need to be aware that they are setting themselves up for judgment.
The book is full of stories and examples that make it exceptionally readable. For those who like to see the data, the last four chapters analyze the primary survey upon which the book is based.
There are some really great sections in this book that parents might excerpt to use with their teens even if they don't have them read the entire book. For example, the section on "Pretzel Logic" is a fantastic, two-page treatment of the question, "When is killing acceptable or unacceptable?" under a relativistic worldview.
The book goes beyond the "look how awful things are" analysis to offer "what should we do" suggestions. The authors miss many of the strategies that homeschooling families have already discovered since they seem to be unfamiliar with them, but this is nevertheless a very valuable book.
