Preview

Does Morality Depend on Religion?

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
352 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Does Morality Depend on Religion?
Does Morality Depend on Religion?

4.1 The Presumed Connection between Morality and Religion
• Separation of Church and State
– Roy Moore and the ACLU
• Priests and ministers as moral experts
• Belief that morality can only be understood through religion
• Religion associated with morals while atheism is not
– Bertrand Russell

4.2 The Divine Command Theory
• Implies that morality is arbitrary
• Act is obligatory if and only if, and because, it is commanded by God
• Honesty and humility is right
• Child abuse and murder is wrong
• Recognizing it and making it
• Does God make the moral truths true or does he merely recognize them

4.3 The Theory of Natural Law
• Everything in nature has a purpose
– Aristotle originated this theory
– Revised by Christian philosophers (Saint Augustine, Saint Thomas)
• How things are and how they ought to be
– When something is serving it's purpose it is right, when it is defecting from that purpose it is wrong
– Beneficence and Deviance
• How do we determine what is right and wrong
– Dictated by reason
– Believers and nonbelievers both have ability to reason
– Moral decision making based on reason does not necessarily involve religion at all
– "Believers and nonbelievers inhabit the same moral universe"

4.4 Religion and Particular Moral issues
• Do the moral positions of the church dictate the moral positions of the people
• Relevance of problems
• Disagreement between authorities
• Superimposing scripture
– On wealth (1 Chronicles 4:10 – Jabez)
– On Abortion (Jeremiah) (Exodus 21)
• Saint Thomas Aquinas
– Soul is not acquired till human is formed
– Council of Vienne 1312
– Church used scientific data that has been proved false
– Church and Western Law

• Religious authority and Moral Judgment
– Religious authorities have changed their stance on many issues
– Each generation has different stances on issues

Conclusion: Religion and Morality are independent!
• Religion doesn't make
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Analyzing Jane Craig's Euthyphro Dilemma
    • 993 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Analyzing Jane Craig's Euthyphro Dilemma

    By creating an alternative, the atypical Christian answer avoids the dilemma entirely by arguing that divine nature is the moral standard. It is the character of God which determines how God commands us to behave. This is also reinforced in Scripture, where we see the terms “holy” and “godliness” frequently used as synonyms for moral pious or piety. They are one and the same thing. And is further reinforced by Scott Rae, "Morality is not grounded ultimately in God 's commands, but in His character, which then expresses itself in His…

    • 993 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Religious Ethics: Too Rigid for Moral Decision-Making
    • 457 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Religious Ethics: Too Rigid for Moral Decision-Making

    religious ethics can be rigid for moral decision making because if some one has an absolutist approach that means they will only have done answer for a situation there are in for example euthanasia the person might want to die because of the pain they are in and absolutist approach will see that as murder and nothing else, some people will have a relativist approach witch means they think about a decision and all the consequences that factor in to it as well for example, euthanasia my seem right with the person that has the revisits approach. this can link in with situation ethics because you need to use reason based on the christian principle of love to help you make one decision in a situation, which is saying the moral right thing to do in a situation is the most loving witch can be seen as quite rigid because it might be the most loving but is it the right thing to do, in situation ethics choosing the most loving decision may be right or wrong but does it think about the consequences it may hold, because in teleological ethics the morally right or wrong thing to do is based on the consequences therefor it makes moral decision making less rigid because you have to think of the consequences it may have first before making the decision which helps with the impact of that decision because it will have good consequences instead of bad one but you that might only be because you have made morally wrong decision but it has good consequences.…

    • 457 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Morality And Religion Chapter Summary
    • 540 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Morality And Religion Chapter Summary

    In chapter four the issue of whether or not morality is dependant upon religion is analysed with respect to many different religious theories regarding morality. The chapter begins by acknowledging that there is a presumed connection between morality and religion. In the case of Judge Roy Moore, an advocate for religion and morality correlational relationship, he asserted that God’s law was as prevalent as the state’s law in his courtroom. Moore was sued multiple times for violating the separation of church and state but each time the people overwhelmingly supported his actions. As a resident of Alabama, Moore had the luxury of a conservative christian voter majority to place him back in power each time he was relieved of his office. With 92% of Americans claiming that they believe in God Moore is not in the minority in his belief that religion is a central part of religion however, there are many issues with the claim that what is moral is religious or Godly.…

    • 540 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Examine the reasons for the view that morality is based upon religion.
    • 512 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Examine the reasons for the view that morality is based upon religion.

    Many people believe that morality is based upon religion and based on the rules written in the Bible and other holy books. Although, some say that religion is completely opposed to morality and it is wrong to mix the two. Dostoevsky argued that 'religion provides people with a reason to be moral because if there were no God everything would be permitted.' Meaning that there is no point to morality if God didn't set the moral values in the first place. But we could also say that we only behave morally because we are scared of God: 'responsibility and guilt point to God' which is not the right way to think about doing good. We shouldn't behave well in the hopes of a reward or because we are scared, we should do good things because we want to. The Divine Command Theory tells us that our morals are set by a divine power: God. This means everything that God tells us is moral and that we should not judge this as it is the word of God, and God's word is good.ome sociologists see childhood as socially constructed: in other words, as something created and defined by society. They argue that what people mean by childhood, and the status of children in society, is not fixed but duffers between different times, places and cultures. This can be illustrated by comparing the western idea of childhood with childhood in the past and in other cultures.…

    • 512 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Does Religion Affect Society
    • 1111 Words
    • 5 Pages

    How Does Religion Affect Society

    Religion gives people motivation when they are feeling lost; it gives people hope during tough times and gives them strength when they most need it. A rising issue has called for the attention of many: effects on brain development caused by religion. According to a study done by Amy Owen and her colleagues at Duke University, “individuals in the religious minority, or those who struggle with their beliefs, experience higher levels of stress.” This can cause stress hormones that are known to depress the volume of the hippocampus over time. The hippocampus is the central structure of the limbic system that is involved with emotion and memory formation (Newberg, 20ll). How is this affecting our society? Religious radicalism has become a new trend; an increase of terrorist attacks has our people in utter fear. We…

    • 1111 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    RELIGION, MORALITY, AND WORLDVIEW IN PUBLIC POLICY
    • 817 Words
    • 3 Pages

    RELIGION, MORALITY, AND WORLDVIEW IN PUBLIC POLICY

    John Adams said it best when he said “we have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion . . . Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." The following paper will discuss the role of religion, morality and worldview on the creation of public policy. The creation of public policy is essential to the success of one’s government.…

    • 817 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Religiosity In Presidential Elections
    • 5601 Words
    • 23 Pages

    Religiosity In Presidential Elections

    In early 2012, the political tumult over providing contraception to employees of religiously affiliated institutions reminds us again of the symbiotic relationship between American government and religion. The debate has taken on greater significance in light of the most recent presidential election last November. The buildup to that election brought an increased level of political religiosity beyond just this issue. The primary process was filled with potential Republican candidates’ attempts to appeal to religiously inclined voters. President Obama, too, made an effort to solidify his image as a faith-based leader as the campaigning process began to heat up. This is no new phenomenon, as the United…

    • 5601 Words
    • 23 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Divine Command Theory. Are people's moral standards right because God commands them, or does God command them because they are right?
    • 1618 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Divine Command Theory. Are people's moral standards right because God commands them, or does God command them because they are right?

    There are millions of people who believe in God, but among these people the differences lie in to what extent each believes that God has control over what is right and wrong. Are people's moral standards right because God commands them, or does God command them because they are right? The Divine Command Theory most simply states that God's commands are what is morally right, and what God forbids is morally wrong. This means that loving one another is right because God commands humans to do so. Advocates of the Divine Command Theory believe this, and believe that morality is the same as that which God commands. Things are good because God created them and/or willed them.…

    • 1618 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Morality In Religion
    • 1738 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Morality In Religion

    The definition of religion as taught to me in class is bind or to come together. There are many religions that are practiced worldwide. They have different histories, adherents, Gods, meanings of life, afterlife beliefs, practices, and books containing text that guides them through their spiritual journey. From Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism, to Islamism, Judaism, and Rastafarianism, etc., religion offers diverse teachings. But they all have one thing in common, keeping the tradition.…

    • 1738 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Morality: Religion and Moral Beliefs
    • 840 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Morality: Religion and Moral Beliefs

    Morality is defined as the ability to know right from wrong, and good from bad in our society today and also the societies of the past. Morality is influenced by your family, your religion, and your society. We will be looking at Asia, Africa and the Americas and how their morality was affected by family, religion, and the society.…

    • 840 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Influence of Moral Reasoning
    • 337 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Influence of Moral Reasoning

    After reading the article “Fury Returns to Penn State” by Frank Fitzpatrick, the person I selected to write about is the ex-assistant coach Mike McQueary. Mike Queary witnessed Jerry Sandusky doing something horrible to a minor one night in the school locker room. With this knowledge, McQueary talked to his father about the incident then informed his superior, Joe Paterno, about what he witnessed in the locker room.…

    • 337 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Are Strong Religious Beliefs Helpful Or Harmful To A Society?
    • 639 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Are Strong Religious Beliefs Helpful Or Harmful To A Society?

    Are strong religious beliefs helpful or harmful to a society? Overall, strong religious beliefs are mostly harmful because they are what resulted in the Aztecs being kicked out of Atlan and helped to cause the end of the Incan empire. Although, they can be helpful because they provided the Aztecs with land. Strong religious beliefs could be harmful to a society because it is what resulted in the Aztecs being kicked out of Aztlan.…

    • 639 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Importance of Religion
    • 274 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Importance of Religion

    It is important to study different religions because this brings about an understanding of the religion itself as well as the people who follow it. Learning other religious beliefs and their histories will help us to foster more positive interactions with others. Profound insights and ideals can be found throughout all religions. We can use these insights to better define our own moral compass while keeping an open mind to the beliefs that may fall outside of that compass.…

    • 274 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Judaism Ethical Teachings
    • 623 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Judaism Ethical Teachings

    Accordingly, the understanding of a moral law is that such a law is implanted in the revelation of God. The indispensable determination of this divinely inspired moral law is to certify that human beings live in such a way so as to enhance and not weaken their own God given dignity or the dignity of another. Thus the moral law has prejudiced the lives of adherents significantly as it has led to a essential pledge in Judaism to certify that those in need obtain the help and provision of…

    • 623 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Why Is It Worth Doing The Wrong Thing?
    • 581 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Why Is It Worth Doing The Wrong Thing?

    Many times, doing the wrong thing for the right reason is not acceptable because the wrong thing is a detrimental act which harms others in bad ways. For example, Traffic laws identify that going over speed limit is illegal, but what if someone is in an emergency situation in your car and no ambulance is available? It would not be right to go faster than the speed limit, but someone’s life tends to be significant. In this situation, the wrong act outweighs the right…

    • 581 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More

Related Topics