Arbitrary or Irrelevant
It is commonly thought that we need religion to ground our morality. Most Americans will say they would not vote for a political candidate solely on the grounds that he is an Atheist. Presumably, the objection is that he will not have the proper moral values. But consider this question asked by Socrates in The Euthyphro.
"Is what is holy holy because the gods approve it, or do they approve it because it is holy?"
If we take the first answer that what is good is good because God says so, then we have something that is arbitrary. I'll admit it may be wise to obey the whims of an arbitrary God, but suppose he is an evil being. After all, God seems to approve of slaughtering innocents, stoning children, ethnic cleansing and so forth in the Old Testament.
Suppose we take the second answer, that God approves of something because it is independently good and he must approve of the good things. Then what God says is irrelevant to what is good.
When it comes to morality, God is either arbitrary or irrelevant.
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Comments
Ah, the Euthyphro Dilemma, I remember that one from Ethics and Society.
Keep in mind that the first choice, the situation where 'good' is arbitrarily opposed to THE relative thought of what morality might be - but not the divine thought, we are given no objective morals to live by (Did that make sense?). That is one reason I disagree that anyone should be judged on how moral (s)he is, given only his or her religious preference as justification for stereotyping.
On the subject of stereotyping, I also would like to ask for references - God likes slaughtering innocents in the OT; will you give verses and book, please... thanks.
Posted by: Kelt | July 8, 2004 7:52 AM
I am not sure I understand what you are getting at in the first bit of your comment.
There are plenty of references for slaughter in the bible. I will provide a sampling here.
"Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass." (I Samuel 15:2-3)
"And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain." (Deuteronomy 2:34)
"And we utterly destroyed them, as we did unto Sihon king of Hesbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children, of every city. But all the cattle, and the spoil of the cities we took for a prey to ourselves." (Deuteronomy 3:6-7)
"And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead." (Exodus 12:29-30)
Pretty brutal.
Posted by: Chris | July 8, 2004 2:17 PM