LESSON II: RELIGION AND MORALITY different interpretations do not necessarily invalidate

the truth.
The relationship between religion and morality is often
debated. Some believe the two are inseparable, but not LESSON III: GOD AS BASIS FOR MORALITY
all religions prescribe moral rules. This leads to the
This lesson discusses three essential elements of
question: Can morality exist independently of religion,
morality that are said to depend on God for coherence:
specifically God?
1. Objective Moral Values
Three Roles of God in Morality:
● Objective moral values are standards of good
1. Metaphysical Role: God provides the
and evil that exist independently of human
foundation for objective morality.
opinion. For example, heinous acts are evil
2. Epistemological Role: God helps us understand regardless of anyone’s beliefs.
what is right and wrong.
● Without an absolute, transcendent standard
3. Motivational Role: Only God can give (like God), it’s difficult to argue that moral
proportionate incentive for moral behavior. values are anything more than human
inventions.
Metaphysical Grounding and the Moral Argument
● Philosopher J.L. Mackie argues that if moral
The moral argument claims that without God, objective
values cannot be found in the physical world,
morality cannot exist. However, attempts to ground
they may be mere constructs. But this
morality in natural or nonreligious foundations face
conclusion is problematic because it implies no
issues, as they often depend on changeable aspects like
difference between morally opposite views,
society or evolution.
such as those of Hitler and Mother Teresa.
Divine Command Theory (DCT)
2. Objective Moral Duties
According to DCT, what is morally good is defined by
● Objective moral duties imply actions we must
God’s commands. Without God, objective morality is
do, regardless of personal belief. In theistic
impossible. While intuitive for believers, DCT raises
views, these duties come from God’s commands
questions about the arbitrariness of God’s commands.
and the natural order He created.
Euthyphro Dilemma
● Duties such as “do not murder” apply to
The Euthyphro Dilemma challenges DCT: Is something humans but not animals, as moral terms like
good because God commands it, or does God command murder, theft, or oppression don't apply in the
it because it is good? Both options are problematic— animal kingdom.
either morality is independent of God, or it becomes
● If humans are simply evolved animals, there’s
arbitrary.
no reason to impose moral obligations on
Five Problems with DCT ourselves. The existence of these moral duties
implies a divine source that distinguishes
1. Arbitrariness: If morality is based on God’s will humans from animals.
alone, moral laws may seem random.
3. Moral Accountability
2. Emptiness: If “good” is merely “what God
commands,” then calling God “good” is ● In a secular worldview, there’s no ultimate
uninformative. accountability—actions do not have eternal
consequences, making morality seem irrelevant
3. Moral Abhorrence: DCT implies that actions we if one can avoid punishment.
view as inherently wrong could be good if God
commanded them. ● The theistic view holds that God provides
cosmic justice, meaning every action is
4. Divine Incomprehensibility: God’s nonspatial, accountable to God.
nontemporal nature makes His commands
difficult for humans to understand. ● Acts of heroism and altruism, like those of
missionaries or self-sacrificial altruists, may
5. Divine Hermeneutics: Differing interpretations seem irrational from a purely secular viewpoint
of God’s commands lead to moral but are highly valued in a theistic framework,
disagreements among believers. where moral sacrifices have eternal significance.
Responses to DCT Problems LESSON IV: THE AUTHORITY OF GOD'S COMMANDS
Some argue God’s commands are not arbitrary but This lesson examines why believers follow God’s
based on His inherently good nature, which addresses commands, the role of God's goodness, and the
issues of moral abhorrence. While divine relationship between divine commands and moral
incomprehensibility is challenging, Christian theology knowledge:
suggests God can reveal Himself in a way humans can
understand. The problem of divine hermeneutics 1. Following God’s Commands and God's Goodness
highlights the need for careful interpretation and
examination of religious claims, acknowledging that
 ● Believers follow God’s commands for various
reasons, such as tradition, fear of punishment,
or a sense of obligation.

● Alasdair MacIntyre suggests that the authority

of God’s commands lies in God’s perfect
goodness. If God is not seen as perfectly good,
then following His commands would be
questionable.

● God, defined as the greatest conceivable being

(Anselm), must possess supreme goodness as
an essential attribute.

2. Identifying Genuine Commands from God

● Philosopher Kai Nielsen argues that believers

must use an independent ethical standard to
judge whether a command truly comes from
God since power alone doesn’t guarantee
goodness.

● Nielsen’s view implies that humans rely on

shared ethical intuitions to evaluate actions
attributed to God.

● Theists, however, claim that these shared moral

intuitions originate from God. In Christianity, for
instance, these are viewed as the conscience or
the “law written in the heart” (Romans 2:14-
15).

3. Moral Knowledge Without Belief in God

● Atheists and nonbelievers can still discern right

from wrong without belief in God or reliance on
Scripture.

● The Divine Command Theory (DCT) is not about

how one comes to know moral truths but rather
about the source of objective moral facts.

● This view is metaphysical: moral facts exist

because of a divine source, not because of
human awareness of God.

4. Objective Morality and Divine Command Theory

● DCT explains the existence of objective morality

rather than the process of moral knowledge.
Just as books imply authors, moral laws suggest
a lawmaker.

● Nonbelievers can recognize moral truths (like

reading a book without knowing its author), but
these truths require a foundational source.

● Theists argue that only belief in a transcendent

source, such as God, provides an ultimate basis
for objective morality.

In summary, while theists and nonbelievers can share

the same moral intuitions and mechanisms to discern
morality, theists argue that God is the ultimate
grounding for objective moral truths.