...Can one be moral and not believe in God? Student’s Name Title of Course Instructor’s Name Date Can one be moral and not believe in God? The question as to whether one can have moral values and still believe there is no God is seemingly a puzzling query. In essence, it is proficient to commence with defining what moral values are. Morals are simply defined as the principles of wrong and right behaviors. An individual with high moral values knows the right things, and literally does and says the right things at the right time, with the right person, and utilizing the right materials. Believing in God or spiritual being is when an individual devotes their commitment to God or supernatural being in faith, expressions, worship, and conscientiousness. When one believes in God or a spiritual being, such could potentially play a great role on their moral behaviors. On the other hand, many people suppose that if one does not believe in a spiritual being or God, it is very hard for them to have moral values. However, there are also other people that suppose that having moral values do not necessarily require one to believe in God or spiritual beings[1]. What’s more, there also other people that suppose that believing in God or spiritual beings is not necessarily required for one to have moral values, but all they require is to belief in oneself, practice good ethics, as well as the knowledge of knowing and distinguishing the...
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...wish them to do to you.” Whereas the message of Jesus is to get involved as the Father has gotten involved with humanity, the rabbi cautions a more conservative approach. The rabbi wants us merely to keep from harming others. Jesus wants us to act, not just react. • Jesus further puts his own special seal on this maxim by stating the two greatest commandments: love God and love one another. To love someone is to seek to do good to them, and certainly, at the very least, to avoid doing them evil. • What is Christian Moral Life? • Misconceptions 1. Reduced to avoidance of sin 2. Reduced to a series of don’ts and dire punishment if we fail • What is Christian Moral Life? • Positive and Fuller Meaning 1. Moral theology should start with God and God’s love - JP II (Veritatis Splendor) : The moral life is a response to the many gratuitous initiatives taken by God out of God’s love - God always acts first: the moral life begins with God’s grace; we respond in freedom to our experience of God - If the moral life is a response to God, then our image of God is crucial because how we imagine God would affect how we respond to Him morally (e.g. the Parable of the Prodigal Son) Parable of the...
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...atheist cannot be a moral person. Without faith in God, no human being can be moral at all. You must first have faith in God in order to have any capacity for morality. Faith in God is the only true basis of morality. Socrates: It sounds like being an atheist is an unfortunate state of being. Preacher: The atheists are most unfortunate Socrates. Socrates: Sadly, I am more unfortunate than the atheists. I do not even understand the nature of morality. Thus, I could not tell you whether or not you need to first believe in the gods in order to be moral. So I ask you to help me and teach me something important. Preacher: Of course, Socrates. That is why I am here. Socrates: Thank you my good friend. I would like you to answer a question. What is morality? Preacher: Morality is the expression of human behavior that is based on the knowledge of right and wrong. Socrates: And one must believe in the gods in order to know what is right and wrong? Preacher: Exactly. It is the knowledge of God, which comes through faith that gives us the ability to know right and wrong. And Socrates, there are no gods. There is only the one almighty God who created all things and redeems us through his son Jesus Christ. Socrates: I am afraid I have never been very good at understanding all the amazing stories about all the different gods. I must admit that I am very excited about the idea that knowing your God will also give me the knowledge of right and wrong. But there...
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...their conscience because by definition it is “Our sense of moral right and wrong.”(Oliphant) It is a moral faculty or sense that leads individuals to believe that actions are morally wrong or right. Yet it can lead on person to choose war and another to feel this is morally abhorrent. There is a lot debate regarding where the conscience comes from, whether it be by a God given ability which is pushed forwards by biblical teachings, or from the sense of guilt we feel when we go against our conscience according to Sigmund Freud. “The Conscience is a difficult notion to understand and even more difficult to explain how it operates,” (Richard Gula) therefore there are many definitions of conscience and there are many philosophical theories about conscience and it connection with moral decision making. Firstly an argument for the conscience, which is the voice of God, comes from Augustine of Hippo, who said that “Men see the moral rules written in the book of light which is called Truth from which all laws are copied.” (De Trinitate, Augustine of Hippo). He was a theologian and believed that the conscience is God’s love poured forth to human beings, thus it is when God speaks to the individual, therefore he is arguing that the conscience is the voice of God and it reveals itself in solitary moments thus is not learned. Augustine argued that when God reveals Himself to a human, the human experience their own inadequacy. Since God is ‘perfect love and virtue’, any divine experience will...
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...‘Conscience is the voice of God within us’ Discuss In order to discuss whether the conscience is the result of the voice of God within us or whether in fact it is the result other environmental or biological factors we must firstly understand what a conscience is. Conscience is defined as a ‘direct intuitive awareness of right and wrong’ and therefore it is a ‘way of selecting moral ideas, resolving conflict and deciding which will work or not’. The conscience itself has three main functions, the first is that it has a decision-making function; this is seen as the most important function as it decides between right and wrong, the second is that it has a imperative functions; that is it commands and the third is that it has a reflective function; that is that it reflects on former decisions and considers the consequences of actions. However the question raised within this essay is whether our conscience comes from the voice of God within us, therefore is it acquired from God and is the result of an internal influence or is it required as a result of environmental factors, therefore is formed from an external influence whether this is from our parents or our own life experiences. Within this essay I shall discuss the theories in favour of the conscience being the voice of God within us (focussing on Butler, Augustine and Newman), and those that instead propose that it is acquired from other sources whether this is through our reason (Aquinas) or in our early childhood (psychologists...
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...The existence of god has been a question that has plagued mankind since it began to think logically. Many philosophers argue that there may or may not be a god, or that there may even be different types of gods. It is difficult to say whether or not god can exist because there is a lack of knowledge or limited knowledge regarding the issue. Mankind has only been around for so long and only has little pieces of history left to study. So who knows what we could be possibly be missing in this quest to find the ultimate answer. Yet our way of thinking has evolved enough to allow us to grasp more complex ideas to make up for lost history. And maybe just maybe, be able to come to the conclusion of whether or not god can or cannot exist. The Big Bang generally refers to the idea that the universe has expanded from a hot and dense condition at some time in the past, and continues to expand to this day. My question is what put it there? Time could have not decided to one day say, “I think I’m going to create life in a thing called a universe.” And magically particles come out of nowhere, more and more build up until it’s screaming hot, and then BANG! Time begins and so does everything as we know it today. Something had to place it there. Something had to have planned out the whole process involving the beginning of time. Everything is too complex and precise to not have been created by an intelligent being. I do believe in “God” but not the god referred to in the bible. I believe there...
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...The existence of god has been a question that has plagued mankind since it began to think logically. Many philosophers argue that there may or may not be a god, or that there may even be different types of gods. It is difficult to say whether or not god can exist because there is a lack of knowledge or limited knowledge regarding the issue. Mankind has only been around for so long and only has little pieces of history left to study. So who knows what we could be possibly be missing in this quest to find the ultimate answer. Yet our way of thinking has evolved enough to allow us to grasp more complex ideas to make up for lost history. And maybe just maybe, be able to come to the conclusion of whether or not god can or cannot exist. The Big Bang generally refers to the idea that the universe has expanded from a hot and dense condition at some time in the past, and continues to expand to this day. My question is what put it there? Time could have not decided to one day say, “I think I’m going to create life in a thing called a universe.” And magically particles come out of nowhere, more and more build up until it’s screaming hot, and then BANG! Time begins and so does everything as we know it today. Something had to place it there. Something had to have planned out the whole process involving the beginning of time. Everything is too complex and precise to not have been created by an intelligent being. I do believe in “God” but not the god referred to in the bible. I believe...
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...| Can We Be Good Without God? | Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Religion Can Morality Exist Without Religion? | | Rajoo Kamal-Wilnoff (10781867)Sociology 321.3, Section X01Professor Bryan PukMay 28, 2014 | “Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what’s right.” – Isaac Asimov | Can We Be Good Without God? Can we be good without God? The question has been a controversial one throughout history and a variety of positions are apparent regarding the relationship between religion and morality. Theists undoubtedly find in God a source of moral strength and resolve which enables them to live lives that are better than those that they would live without Him, but it would seem arrogant and ignorant to claim that those who do not share a belief in God do not often live good moral lives. Should the question really be about the objectivity of moral values, and whether said moral values are simply social conventions, or mere expressions of personal preference? Are they valid independently of our apprehension of them, and if so, what is their foundation? Moreover, if morality is just a human convention, then why should we act morally, especially when it conflicts with self-interest? Are we in some way held accountable for our moral decisions and actions? This paper explores the ontological claim that the morality does not require religion, religious motivation or guidance to exist, based on the opposing views presented in two essays “Religion, Morality...
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...What is morally right and wrong? Recently in class we have discussed moral dilemmas and the way to deal with situations. The Egoist say would that everything one does should benefit herself/himself. The Relativist would say your future decides what is wrong and right. The Utilitarian says whatever produces and increases the overall happiness is what is right. For the Absolutist certain actions are always right or wrong. Divine Command Theorist says that following God’s will is what leads to a moral life. After discussing the different ethical systems in class, I have realized that I agree with Absolutism based on Divine Command. My theory is that no matter what happens, you must follow God’s will. Absolutism is an ethical system based on...
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...Can we be good without God? There is no doubt that some valuable moral insights have been spread by religion. Religion seems to be a good place to start thinking of morality, but we cannot rely on God to tell us what is right morally and what is wrong. We should recognize that morality is based on human needs and interests, and not on God’s commands because they cannot be regarded as imposing moral obligations unless we already possess a sense of right and wrong independent of his commands. The claim that we need God to provide morality does not withstand analysis because it is the circumstances under which we live that influence the content of our norms, not divine commands. Morality is a human institution serving human needs, and the norms of the common morality will persist as long as there are humans around. (Lindsay.) God’s moral nature is expressed to us in the form of divine commands which compose our moral duties or obligations and holds all persons morally accountable for their actions .But on the atheistic view there is no divine lawgiver. But...
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...PHI 208 Ethics and Moral Reasoning Instructor: Christopher Foster 2/10/2014 There are a couple philosophers that believe in different situations when I comes to the existence and the belief of God. The essay will explain the philosophers view points on the religion of God. There are a few arguments of which existence is the strongest. It will explain many aspects on science and religion, atheism, moral and human freedom on God’s existence. Believing in God and believing in God’s existence can have many aspects with different views from philosophers, the arguments will explain which philosopher is more compelling than the other. When it comes to the existence of God, some philosophers believe that it is necessary to have proof and some believe that proof is not necessary if we have faith. One philosopher named, Thomas Aquinas believed that God is from faith and first cause is the proof of God. Let’s take a look at what Thomas had to say, “that the existence of God is not demonstrable: that God's existence is an article of faith, and that articles of faith are not demonstrable, because the office of demonstration is to prove, but faith pertains (only) to things that are not to be proven, as is evident from the Epistle to the Hebrews, 11.” (Paul Halsall, 1988.) Therefore, I don’t believe that we need proof of God’s existence. I agree with Thomas that God is faith. No, proving God’s existence is not necessary because God is faith, we have to believe in God to have the faith...
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...Most people understand conscience as something which tells us right from wrong, it is generally seen as a moral faculty, sense or feeling which compels individuals to believe that particular activities are morally right or wrong. Many ethical debates have been addressed on whether conscience is innate or developed. When conscience is described as innate, it means that it is inborn within you. From a religious viewpoint, an innate conscience is one which is God given or the voice of reason as a moral guide to what is right and wrong, whereas if it is argued that the conscience is not innate then it is described as being learned or developed according to psychologists. If conscience is innate and God given then does that mean God has told people to act immorally? However if Conscience is not innate then the blame for people acting immorally is shifted to society. St Thomas Aquinas, Joseph Butler and Cardinal John Newman are key scholars who believe that conscience is innate and inborn within a person. Key scholars and psychologists who believe that conscience is not innate are Sigmund Freud, Jean Piaget, Erich Fromm and Humanist. St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) did not think of conscience as being the voice of God but as the natural ability of people to understand the difference between right and wrong. He believed that all people aim for what is good and try to avoid evil he called this the synderesis rule. Aquinas said that it was innate to seek good because sin is falling short...
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...the code they accept to set their moral aspects of life. Any non religious views only depict the world as a realm that is in complete chaos. The idea behind an all loving God and the ultimate rule maker of the moral code describes the theory of Divine Command. The Divine Command Theory states that the question of what is morally right is a matter of being commanded by God and morally wrong is a matter of being forbidden by God. This is basically saying when ethics and morality comes into question, following Gods commands is the only way of being right. Inquiring that God is all knowing which consists of possessing wisdom beyond any other, people believe God is never wrong. There is also the notion that God is the creator of all human beings and the world was created in his image; therefore all the rules set by our creator seems to be the only rules that make absolute sense. In religious views, God created women for men, going back to the idea of Adam and Eve. When looking at homosexuality, it isn’t wrong for the disturbing views or the argument that it is against procreation, it is solely wrong because God himself said it is wrong. If a believer in the Divine Command Theory, you would understand that what God commands is ultimately right both morally and ethically. Plato makes his argument against the idea that right and wrong actions are commanded by gods. The theory of divine command morality says that good and bad are decided by the gods, not by humans. Plato illustrates...
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...Moral Acts One of the most difficult things in life is to determine, as an adult, what might be considered right and morally acceptable. Other situations are more obvious to many and will get the same reaction afterwards. But why are these acts good and moral? The real question is whether morally good acts are willed by God because they are morally good, or are they morally good because they are willed by God? This question was first raised by Socrates to Euthyphro in Plato’s dialogue in 380 B.C. In this essay, I will explain how this question relates to the Divine Command Theory of Morality and attempt to explain how it poses a dilemma within philosophy by contradicting how the logical thinking process works by creating a false dichotomy. To begin, The Divine Command Theory has been a main stay in philosophy since ancient times and has created numerous arguments throughout the ages, some of which are heavily debated till this day. The Divine Command Theory states that actions are considered morally good because they are commanded by God, or more simply phrased by Dale Tuggy in his writing, “to be right is to be commanded by God, and to be wrong is to be forbidden by God” (Tuggy, 53). Since God created the heavens and Earth, according to various religions past and present, God must have created the good will and moral acts. This seems legitimate in all aspects of thinking, especially for the believers in God, but what about the people around the world that do not believe...
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...What is the “Problem of Evil”? What is the difference, if there is a difference, between so-called “moral evil” and “natural evil”? How exactly does John Hick, in his essay “Problem of Evil”, solve the problem of both “Moral evil” and “natural evil”? Do you think that either or both, of Hick’s solutions is really able to solve what appears to be a unique problem of evil in Arthur C. Clarke’s short story, “The Star”? Unhappiness, as a whole, is a challenge to the idea of good. When one hears or discovers about the disasters or the pain and suffering of wars, violence, earthquakes and killings it is safe to ask one’s self, what the problem of evil is. Investigating the short story “Problem of Evil” written by John Hick the author talks about the differences in “moral evil” and “natural evil” while defining the main question with god and evil. Furthermore in “moral evil” and “natural evil” John Hicks explanations are studied throughout the short story titled The Star by Arthur C. Clark. The problem that is most debated among believers and non-believers of God is the problem of evil. This debate is due to the belief of the omnipotence of God, saying how he is all loving, all powerful and all knowing. For all these meanings of God, there is a major defect, if the almighty is capable of revealing these abilities then how could he let evil enter into the world. If he is all- loving, then why is there so much hatred revolving around us and ultimately, If he is all-powerful, then should...
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