The arguments for and against the view that morality is dependant on religion, and to what extent is it more reasonable to argue that morality is independent of religion

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The arguments for and against the view that morality is dependant on religion, and to what extent is it more reasonable to argue that morality is independent of religion?

  Plato once said “Is what pious loved by the Gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is loved?” What Plato is trying to make us think about here is whether moral actions are good because the Gods command it, or do the Gods command it because the action is good? In doing so Plato presents us with two possibilities. One where there are a set of absolute morals laws and God commands them because the actions are good within themselves. The other where there is only God and humans, no moral laws, and God commands humans to do things; these actions are only good because God commands them to be so. So which commands which? Morality or religion? There are many views to how religion and morality are connected, we can say that morality depends on religion, morality is independent of religion or morality is opposed to religion.

 

  Many theists would argue that goodness is something intrinsic to God by definition, therefore there’s no argument, and God is good. And Morality is dependant on Gods authority. So for them, good is always doing what God wills at any moment, because if there was no God to command moral actions then nothing would be forbidden or obligatory and everything is equally morally permitted. “God cannot be obligated to any act. With Him a thing becomes right solely because he wants it so.” However this theory, of Gods authority being absolute to moral actions, comes from many religious texts. Text which can be very subjective and contradictive. Texts such as the bible or the Qur’an are open to interpretation; do you take it as absolute? Or do you weigh up different parts of text to best suit your situation?

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  Natural moral law, a deontological theory of St Thomas Aquinas, he believed that humans should act in a way that glorifies God, as He is the creator. Acts are intrinsically good or bad. When humans do a good act they are acting in accordance with God and that’s why those actions are good, in this respect, morality is dependant on religion. Aquinas believed that each human being should live their life to glorify God with self preservation, continuing the species through reproduction, educating children and living in a society which worships God. Therefore acts such as masturbation, adultery and ...

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