 One might say, then, that the objective norm of morality on Paul’s account is the moral law (or natural law). Conscience, however, might be termed morality’s subjective norm. This is made clear in another passage from St. Paul, where he is addressing the question of whether it is permissible for Christians to eat meat that was previously sacrificed to idols. Some, Paul says, erroneously think that to eat such food defiles them. In fact, since the pagan idols do not exist, eating food sacrificed to them, or indeed to God himself, is morally irrelevant, since “food does not bring us near to God—we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do” (1 Corinthians 8:8; NIV). Still, even though the consciences of such Christians are erroneous, they must follow them since conscience, Paul suggests, is a rule of conduct (Romans 14:13–23). Eric D’Arcy sums up these two important contributions of St. Paul as follows: