I have 2 thoughts on the presentations and readings:
1) In the Divine Command Theory presentation, it discusses the role of religion in moral reasoning. Specifically, it asks us if laws are just or righteous just because God ordains it? The example given in the presentation centered around Abraham allegedly being commanded by God to kill his firstborn son. If you believe the story of Abraham in this situation, then you would agree that religion doesn't always command what appears to be morally right.
My thought: If a person is a Christian and believes in God, then you would have to assume that they also believe in the devil or satan or another evil force. Just as God or a superior power could direct us to do good things or moral things, couldn't we also assume that the devil is directing us to do the immoral things?
The presentation states "religion may provide an individuals action but they must be justified by reasons beyond religion." In other words, we need "back-up" or another "right" reason other than religion. Could it be as simple as God directs the good and the devil directs the bad? And whichever path you choose to follow dictates your morality?
2) In my "End of Life" blog, I did not justify or provide other backup for the reason we took my mother off of life support. The reasons for this decision, "we didn't want to see her suffer", "she would have had no quality of life", "being in a coma is not living", etc., all still centered around our faith/religion and how she would have wanted to live.
If this makes any sense, I think that religion is part of Natural Law and guides what we think as individuals to be rational or logical.
I suppose now, Mr. Kashdan will ask what law the atheists follow if it's not religion?? Or who's to say that MY GOD is your satan? I am just having a hard time grasping this if we can't count religion as a basis for establishing our foundations as individuals, what is left? Even if a person doesn't believe in God or satan, something has to be in their life that is guiding them...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I just love reading your posts. You pose good questions, let me try and respond. Because a person believes in God, I would not assume that the person believes in the "Satan or the Devil", I would not assume this unless the person stated this to me. The question I would ask is , did God give humans free will, if so a Human can act immorally and choose to break "Gods Law". There does not need to be any other power in involved in a Human actin then.
ReplyDeleteI would say that they need to be justified beyond religion becuase, religion is mysterious and you as a person are interpeting Gods Law, so your reason must go beyond religion because you are interpeting and deciding what is right and wrong using your intellect.
n responding to your last statement, I would point you to a story I once read by Isaac Bashevis Singer. I do not recall the title, but it goes something like this...
A very religious Jewish Man lives in asmall town in Poland at the turn of the 20th Century. At this time many orthodox Jews are seeking assimiliation in the wider secular world. This mans brother goes to Warsaw, and gives up the orthodoxy of Jewsih life for the secular world. One day this man decides to explore this world and leaves his smalltown "shtetl" and goes to Warsaw. There he finds poverty, a certain aimlessness, pursuit of of pleasures of the flesh, etc. After being there for a time he returns to his "Shtetl", upon his return his sister (I think) or someone in his family or the town asks why he has returned. His answer t them is simply that we all lve by some code, some set of principles, and in the end I have returned becuase these principles (orthodoxy and Jewish custom and Law) are the choice I make.
So something does guide us, I would say.
I have always loved that story, someday I will have to find it and reread it, but I think the theme is pertinent to your question.