4.2 The relationship between religion and morality

Question 1

What are the three main positions for the link between religion and morality?

Answer 1

1. Theonomous ethics- morality stems from a universal source, namely God
2. Autonomous ethics- moral decisions are decided by ourselves
3. Heteronomous ethics- morality defined by an external force, e.g religion or cultural nirms

Question 2

What is theonomous ethics?

Answer 2

• Argues that morality comes from God
• God is the creator of moral goodness, all goodness in the universe comes from God
• God is the source of moral knowledge, we must use reason and our moral inutition to discover what is moral (Aquinas)
• God is our motivation for being and doing good

Question 3

How does divine command theory relate to theonomous ethics?

Answer 3

DCT states that something is good because God wills it and commands us to do it

To be moral is to obey God

Moral truths are unchanging and eternal like God

Question 4

What are the problems with divine command theory?

Answer 4

• How can moral truths be eternal and unchanging if religious groups disagree on what they are (According to weaker versions of DCT God’s commands are applicable in a context of religious community). Which POV is right?
• If being moral is following God, then the athiest has no commands to follow and no moral accountability
• Circular- Argues what is good is what God commands, and what God commands is good- What is actually good?
• DCT appears outdated and arbitrary

Question 5

Who came up with the Euthyphro dilemma?

Answer 5

In Plato’s dialogue, Socrates asks Euthryphyro

Question 6

What is the Euthyphro dilemma?

Answer 6

Socrates asks Euthyphro whether something is morally good because the gods command it, or whether the gods command something because it is good

• If God is the source of moral goodness then God can make what is good bad
• If God commands us to do things because they are good, this implies God conforms to an independent standard of goodness- meaning he is not omnipotent
• If God is the source of good why do we praise him for being good?
• If God can define anything as good, then morality is arbitrary as he can make imoral acts good

Challenges God’s OMNIPOTENCE and OMNIBENEVOLENCE

Question 7

What are the responses to the Euthyphyro dilemma?

Answer 7

• If God by nature is good it makes sense for him to choose good for humans
• Robert Adams argues that although God may appear to ask humans to perfom immoral actions, he would never ask us to cause long term harm. God’s epistemic distance means we can’t fully comprehend the things he asks us to do

Question 8

What is autonomous ethics?

Answer 8

• The view that morality is dependent from religion
• Usually starts with criticism of religious morality and the idea of objectively binding laws
• We have a sense of conscience and moral obligation which can be accounted for without appealing to the existence of God

Question 9

What is Kant’s moral argument?

Answer 9

• A form of autonomous ethics in that he argues that human beings are rational beings who can discover the moral rule through reason.
• Doesnt deny God’s existence
• Humans should strive towards moral perfection, humans have a ‘good will’ which is their only correct moral intention
• To act out of good will is to seek to achieve the ‘Highest Good’- ought implies can
• It is not within our powers as humans to achieve it because, although we can strive to virtue, we cannot ensure that we get what we deserve for our efforts as we are not omnipotent
• There must be a rational moral being who, as creator and ruler of the world, has the power to bring mora; worth together
• Reward for goodness must be attained in the afterlife

Question 10

What does R.A Sharpe say about religious belief?

Answer 10

• We need to make a clear distinction between morality and religion- religious institutions have no necessary authority on moral matter
• People follow religious guidelines for their own sake rather than to be moral
• Religions can get it wrong

Question 11

What does the Westboro Baptist church say?

Answer 11

• An USA hate group founded by Fred Phelps in 1955- argues that 9/11 and natural disasters are divine retribution for USA”s support and tolerance to homosexuality
• ‘God hates Fags’
• strongly believes in God’s wrath and hatred of homosexuals and states God will only choose few groups to be sevaed and will leave homosexuals

Question 12

What is the Quiverfull movement?

Answer 12

• Connservative Evangelical Christian religious group which stands against contraception and abortion- believe human purpose is to repreoduce
• build an ‘army of God’, leave it to God to plan their family

Question 13

What does Dawkins say about religion and morality?

Answer 13

• Argues that humans would be better off without religion or belief in God
• Believes religion taught to children is a form of indoctrination
• Believes religious followers do it in fear of punishment ‘suck up to God’
• Advocates morality based on reason, moral choices are motivated by evolution
• Very critical of Islam- argues that it condones immoral actions like stoning adulterers

Question 14

What does Dawkins say about terrorism?

Answer 14

• Religion is a huge motivator for terrorism, and religious extremism has overtaken national sepratism and drives terrorism
• Believes terrorists use religion to facilitate immoral actions

Question 15

What are the criticisms of Dawkins?

Answer 15

• Ignores the force of religion as a motivator for good
• Assumes that religious morality is stuck in the past and is not evolving despite common change within religion
• Dawkins is very selective in his examples, focusing on religious extremism
• Ignores the fact that many believers are obedient to God out of love and respect