Morality without God Essay - 1303 Words

Morality without God This question begins by assuming morals were created entirely by God and not just approved of by God. It also bypasses the possibility that there is no such God and man created morals using the authority intrinsic in the idea of a God in order to enforce them; thus raising the possibility that morals are learned but also partly innate and instinctual to humankind. The ideas raised target those who have no religious persuasion, namely those who consider themselves to be atheist or agnostic. The claim implicit in the question (in assuming that God exists) is that all morality and sound ethical values stem from religion, without which motivation†¦show more content†¦It has therefore been assumed that without a higher authority of God or Gods, threatening punishment and offering reward, that moral depravity would run rife through the world’s streets. Our post-modern (particularly Western) society has seen a decline in religious conformity that has, in the last century been echoed throughout the world partly through advances in communication, travel and the subsequent mixing of cultures. This then raises the question of whether there has been a decline also in morality. Certainly there has been a tangible change in valued morals that could not have been predicted by Plato or Moses as he stood reading the Ten Commandments which simplified morality to ‘Do not steal’, ‘Do not lie’ etcetera. ‘Do not kill’ has been interpreted fairly loosely when concerning war, particularly religiously motivated wars, abortion, euthanasia and capital punishment. Society has evolved to partly accept many of these technically immoral acts. Discussions still surge onwards as to the moral implications of abortion and euthanasia and whether they can be justified. The morality of religiously motivated ideas such as the Spanish Inquisition; torture and death inflicted upon human lives in the name of God can be called intoShow MoreRelatedDebate On Morality With And Without God1046 Words   |  5 PagesSTEP II: PAPER OUTLINE Topic of debate: Morality with/without God I. Introduction: a. Throughout my life I have been involved in a dynamic battle that always comes back to one question: Is there such a thing as â€Å"God†? I have been raised up in a pretty much non-practicing Christian home. Growing up in this type of lifestyle I have encountered a multitude of different belief systems that were either Secular or Christian-like. But with this debate of if God is real or not, I have come across the issueRead MoreThe Doctrine Of Divine Command Theory Essay1665 Words   |  7 PagesTheory â€Å"If God does not exist, then everything is permitted,† in other words, if there turns out to be no God then nothing is morally wrong. Someone who would believe a statement such as this one would most likely be in agreement with the Divine Command Theory---the reason being that the main claim in this theory is, all that is morally right, is right because God commands it so. Therefore in order to believe in the Divine Command Theory, one would need to be a strong believer in God---and wouldRead MoreThe Doctrine Of The Divine Command Theory1237 Words   |  5 PagesThe Divine Command Theory dictates that â€Å"An act is morally required just because it is commanded by God, and immoral just because God forbids it (Shafer-Landau 65).† This view is often accepted by religious people as the basis for morality; the morality of an action is determined by whether or not it is commanded by God. However, there are multiple problems presented by this line of thinking. One of the most common arguments against this theory is known as the Euthyphro Dilemma, derived from Plato’sRead MoreReligion and Morality1263 Wor ds   |  6 Pagesï » ¿RELIGION AND MORALITY (i)Examine the views of scholars concerning the idea that religion and morality are linked. In this essay I am going to be looking at all the different view points on why some people may think religion and morality are linked. I will talk about a few things that link them such as conscience, divine command ethics, Kant s view and Aquinas view. Many people believe that morality is based upon religion and the rules written in the Bible and other holy books, althoughRead MoreThe Doctrine Of The Divine Command Theory1488 Words   |  6 Pagesway, why? Christian morality is centered on assessing the ethical implications of us as people. Who we ought and be, and what actions we ought to take or avoid based on an understanding of the scripture and relevant human experiences. I do not subscribe to the divine command theory (DCT) of ethics, as I believe you can have ethics without God. The DCT proposes that what is morally right is what God has commanded (for example, love thy neighbor), and what is forbidden by God is morally wrong (i.eRead MoreThe Divine Command Theory And The Doctrine Dilemma Essay1448 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction – The Divine Command Theory is the idea that morality is ingrained in the nature and command of God, and the Euthyphro Dilemma is one of the most common arguments refuting the Divine Command Theory. The argument was inspired by Plato’s Euthyphro dialogue, which contains the question â€Å"Are morally good acts willed by god because they are morally good? Or are morally good acts, morally good because they are willed by god?† (Euthyphro, 10a). This question raises large problems for the DivineRead MoreCan Science Explain And Account For Human Morality?1011 Words   |  5 Pagesaccount for Human Morality? Introduction Morality has long since been a topic of debate, with hundreds of branches to the ever-expanding argument. One area of debate is that of science’s power to explain and account for the history of Human morality. In the question: â€Å"Can Science Explain and Account for Human Morality?† we also have another question: â€Å"Is the foundation of morality natural, or supernatural?†. In this question, there is a dichotomy between the origin of morality being scientificRead MoreEssay Monotheism vs. Polytheism1577 Words   |  7 Pagessystems. Monotheism is the belief in one god and polytheism is the belief in more one than one god. The concept of morality can and does exist within cultures that have only one god, as well as cultures that have multiple gods. Without morality, the world would be a place of extreme chaos and pandemonium. However, the foundation for morality within polytheistic religions is quite contradictory to the foundation for morality with monoth eistic religions. Morality within polytheism is somewhat inconsistentRead MoreEssay on Moral Argument for Existence of God1607 Words   |  7 PagesAll moral arguments for the existence of God work on the principle that we all have a shared sense of morality. Despite cultural differences, broadly speaking, humans worldwide have a vague idea of what is right and what is wrong; a moral argument for the existence of God would say that this mutual understanding is proof of Gods existence. Immanuel Kant put forward this argument (although, not a moral argument); God as the source of objective morality. Firstly, he addressed the categorical imperative;Read MoreThe Relationship Between Morality and Religion in the Dalai Lama and John Pope Ii Perspective1609 Words   |  7 PagesThe Relationship Between Morality and Religion In the Dalai Lama and John Pope II Perspective The complexities on the issue of the relationship between religion and morality is intriguing in the sense that there is no right or wrong answer, but merely your own intrinsic belief. The 14th Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, believes that you cant have religion without morals, but you can have morals without religion. This seems to contrast with the view of John Paul II, in the sense