To what extent do you think that morals should depend on God?

by tiffowong (student)

AS and A Level Religious Studies & Philosophy

(b) To what extent do you think that morals should depend on God? (10)

To depend our morals on God is to make morality arbitrary. If God decides what is right and what is wrong it is not impossible for him to categorize rape and murder as right. There will be no stability as logically one can just claim they have a divine command to kill given the situation when killing would be seen as the most loving thing to do since agape is the center of God’s teachings. If our morals depend on God then that means that morality is reduced to the right of the powerful. It dissolves the distinction between the devil and the Good into what God wants and forbid us to do. It should not be in God’s power to change what is right or wrong because there is an objective moral law even if this is internal to God’s nature.

Our morals should not be dependent on God because God’s existence is a belief not a proven fact. The history of philosophy contains numerous attempts to prove that a personal God exists but it can be said that each of these “proofs” are controversial. God’s existence is a belief that only theists hold hence our morals that every human being possesses, including atheists, cannot be dependent on God.

Assuming that God exist, there are problems associated with understanding and ignorance in finding out what God’s commands exactly are. Following the bible is often the way as the bible is the ...

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Assuming that God exist, there are problems associated with understanding and ignorance in finding out what God’s commands exactly are. Following the bible is often the way as the bible is the easiest and most direct way in finding out God’s will hence how we should behave morally. However, the bible was written between around 100 BCE and 100CE and there are certain issues that intuitively appear to be wrong when put in modern context e.g. women were treated as properties and inferior to men (1 Corinthians 14:33) and slaves were acceptable (Colossians 4:1). If we now regard these things as wrong, then it indicates that we have a standard for judging actions as right and wrong separate from that found hence learnt from the bible. In addition regarding the time gap, many modern ethical dilemmas that are not covered in the bible e.g. genetic engineering, abortion, stem cell research etc. Therefore one should not base their morality on “God’s words” interpreted out from the bible.

If free will is given by God, we should not have to obey a supreme moral governor. Threats of reward and punishments are not good enough reasons for moral obedience therefore suggest that one has a right and duty to decide for ourselves what is right and wrong, without having our morals dependent on God. Furthermore, normal psychological development involves moving on from relying on an externally controlled conscience i.e. the laws from the bible or “God’s commands” to one based on what we as individuals as right. a whole life submitted to another’s authority is to submit their freedom rather than to enact our own; therefore our morals should not depend on God.

One might argue that morals should depend on God because some are skeptical of our ability to establish moral laws using our reason as they are corrupted as an effect of sins. The commands of the bible come from God, the only and ultimate lawgiver, whom our morals should be dependent on .In addition, the golden rule Matthew 7:12 the idea to treat others as you would like to be treated, is an accepted part of many ethical systems and carries an intuitive validity. Morals should depend on God because it gives a clear motivation for behaving morally. For many Christians, behaving morally hence according to Gods laws is an expressions of their love for and faith in God. The idea that they will receive internal life is a motivation for good moral behaviours and an upright life.